FOOTBALL

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 32, 9 May 1938, Page 3

FOOTBALL

OPENING OF SEASON The Opotiki Rugby Union’s lb'3B football season opened on Saturday, when matches were played on three grounds. Spectators were divided up and the crowd on the reserve was not very large. The senior match on this ground was between Te Huia (redi) and P.AY.D. (bhie). The commencement of the match was held up fer a good half hour while a search was made for a football, neither of the teams having one of these very necessary accessories to the game. After a dreary 7 wait, the match at last commenced and did not finish until the light was beginning to fade. As an exhibition of Rugby the match was decidedly poor and! players did everything except the right thing. Handling of the ball was very 7 erratic while the kicking .was generally below standard the players failing to make use of long kicks through bad linefinding. The P.W.D. full-back was the chief offender in this respect and usually gained only a yard or two. The tackling was usually round the neck when the players got near enough. Play 7 was fairly tight until near the end of the match when it became more open as a result of most of the players being too tired to follow up the ball. The ball seldom came out of the scrum at the rear andi when it did was not heeled cleanly-. Play was fairly even in the first half and it was not until the second spell had been in progress some ten minutes that the

first score was registered by Te Huia,

as a result of a very fine field goal from well out. Shortly afterwards Delamere had a shot at goal for the Reds but the ball fell short. A penalty in favour of the' Blues in a handy position saw the. ball go between the uprights with plenty to spare. Play them livened up and both sides tried hard to add] to the score. The Reds had the advantage at this stage but sho.wed over-eagerness. Delamere had another attempt at a drop-kick but the ball went wide. From a scrum in the Reds 25, Te Huia secured the ball and broke right away to score a good try betwen the posts. The kick ■was successful making the scores: Te Huia 9, PAV.D. 3.

The Blues scored l scon afterwards but the kick missedi and the game ended with the final scores: Te Huia 9 P.W.D. 6

Waioeka juniors 11 points, beat O M’.P. juniors 3 points. > - High School 8 beat Te Huia 3.