FOOTBALL

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 35, 23 May 1938, Page 3

FOOTBALL

FIRST REPRESENTATIVE GAME ■ •* ? WIN FOR OPOTIKI The first representative match of the season was played ip Opotiki on Saturday when the Alotu Sub-Union representatives met Opotiki. Owing to the absence of a number of the Opotiki leading representatives at Whakatane it was generally thought tliat the Opotiki team would be beaten. However, chiefly due to good work by both forwards and hacks the home side came out fairly easy victors. The Opotiki forwards were rather on the light side and the absence of any tall players gave them a decidedly disadvantage in the line-outs, ALotu securing the ball at will throughout the game. With the visitors securing the ball from the scrums the local team did very well to keep, tlieir opponents’ score down to only two tries. The home side generally had the better of play in the loose but it, was due to very good handling and straight running by some of the hacks that the visitors had to suffer defeat. In the first spell the Opotiki right was found to lie too slow and when needed was not up with the other players. J. Walker was fairly good at full-back and his kicking was excellent. He was inclined to get into trouble when bustled and at times ran down the line instead of infield to make sure of finding the line.' The other backs gave a very good account of themselves. In the second half Alihaere went on in place of Nehi and gave a very good exhibition and showed good scoring ability. Considering the disadvantage of lack of weight and reach the forwards were not- clEappointing- and of ai fairly even lot Wateni stood out throughout the game. The visitors had a particularly good type of forward but the~haeks gave a rather unconvincing display. t _ The curtain-raiser was between High School and 0.A1.P., but the former was far too good and ran out easy winners by 27 points to 3. The Senior Cams. Opotiki kicked ofF with the sun behind and scon readied the Alotu 20yard line. From a scrum Alotu cleared and with some good play forced Opotiki back behind half-way. a long kick gaining much ground. The home side was penalised hut the visitors failed to take advantage of the kick, the ball going under the bar. Opotiki worked up the field and got near the Alotu*line. The visitors .were soon on the attack and the ball went quickly up the 1 field and Opotiki was bustled and a force resulted. The visitors were penalised near halfway and sound play by the home side saw the visitors’ 2-j invaded. A penalty against Alotu in a handy position saw Opotiki put the ball just inside the post. Opotiki 3, Alotu 0.

From near the 2o line a Alotu player secured .and cutting in nicely nearly scored. Quiet play then took place. Opotiki had a free kick for obstruction and S. Waititi took a kick at goal but missed. Play was inside the Opotiki half and a. free kick gave relief to the home side. The visitors were then given a free kick but the Opotiki backs secured' and gave a good exhibition of passing and Delamere scored. Apanui put the ball straight between the posts. Opotiki 8. Alotu 0. Rail time was then called.

Soon after resuming Opotiki worked up near the visitors’ goal-line but failed to take advantage of a good scoring opportunity. The Opotiki backs handled well but got bottled up? Alotu then' attacked and just failed to score. Opotiki forcing. A dribbling rush saw the visitors go over in a handy position luit the kick went wide. Opotiki 8. Alotu 3.

Free kick to Motu in their own half saw the ball go almost to the goalline. iA line-out was given and the home side worked up to midfield. Rlav went across-field and the Opotiki backs gathered in a crosskick, Mihacre scoring ji fine try. The kick was too low. Opotiki 11. -Motu 0.

Opotiki again attacked and a Jong kick went right down t-oi the corner. Play went across to the opposite corner but the ball was kicked over the line for the defenders to force. JVtotu then forced twice in a short period. The home backs were handling nicely and a smart cut-in . saw the defence nearly penetrated. Motu forced twice and then pressed Opotiki hack and the ball went over the Opotiki line for the home side to force.' l'or offside play in the serum Motu- was given a free kick and gained valuable ground. From the

halfway the ball went where C. Walker and Miliaere combined well and Mihaere scared. The lack went wide. Opotiki 14, Mbtu 3.

A Alotu man broke, away but was tackled just short of the l line. Soon afterwards the visitors got their reward by scoring near the corner. A difficult kick missed by the narrowest of margins, the ball. hitting the bar and rebounding infield. Opotiki attacked and Delamere nearly got. over falling at the corner flag. The game ended soon afterwards with the final score : Opotiki 14, Alotu 6. GAMES AT WHAKATANE Tauranga.-Te Puke 23, beat Opot-iki-Apanui 12. Rangitaiki-Whakatane 17 beat Ro-torua-Galatea 0. 4 , After these matches the following teams were selected to- play next Saturday at Alatata: Possibles Fullback, R. Swann (Whakatane) ; three-quarters, Goldsmith (Galatea), M. ALurray (Tauranga), Al. Dunn (Rotorua); five-eighths, Spratt (Te Puke), Qalvert (Rotorua, captain) ; half-back, W. Kaipara (Rotorua); front row forwards, Taliiki (Galatea), Kus fiber g (Tauranga), Hayward (Whakatane); second* row, Douglas (Rotorua), Hauraki (Rotorua), Dodd (Whakatane), Hunter (Te Puke), hack row, R. Howell (Rangitaiki). Probables' Fullback, Raymond (Tauranga); three-quarters, Al. Howell (Rangitaiki), 1L Lees (Rangitaiki), E. Hohapata (Rangitaiki) ; five-eighths, E. Howell (Rangitaiki), T. Koopu (Apanui); half-back, Jones (Opotiki) ; front row forwards, P. Tama (Rangitaiki), Y. Aloore (Rangitaiki), Kakuu (Tauranga), ' second row, Poihipi (Opotiki), P. Alurray (Tauranga), T. WhiteJv (Rangitaiki), J. Best (Whakatane, captain), back, row, W. Emery (Rotorua).

Emergencies: hacks, Riini (Galatea), J. Koopu (Apanui), AI. Lees (Rangitaiki); forwards, Gibson (Tauranga). Whitehead (Whakatane), L. Leonard (Rotorua), Brown (Whakatane).

RUGBY LECTURE 31R. SEVILLE’S A DDR ESS A CJOOJ> ATTENDANCE There was a good attendance of footballers, particularly third grade players, at the lecture given by -Mr E. AY. Seville in tliei Mission Hall on Friday night. 3lr V. T. liurrett acted as chairman. The lecture was listened to very; attentativclv and was very thoroughly enjoyed' by young and old footballers. 3lr Seville dealt with the international Rides and demonstrated how, by adopting certain tactics. a team could take best advantage of the rules. r .l he rules dealt with were as follows : 1. Tackle —A tackle occurs when the holder of the- hall in the field of play is held by one or more players of the opposing team so that while he is so held the hall conn's into contact with the ground, or there is a moment when he cannot pass or play the ha 11. 1. Penalty Kick —All players of the opposing team must retire to, or behind a line parallel to the- goal lines, and ten yards from the mark, or to their own goal line whichever is the nearer to the mark,' and the ball must reach this line unless first played by an opponent. All players of the opposing team must remain motionless with their hands by their sides until the hall lias been kicked. 3. Scrummage— The player putting in the ball shall stand at less than three feet from the scrum and with both hands below tiie knee shall put the ball fairly in at moderate speed so that it first touches the ground beyond one foot of the nearest player of each front row. The intention of this law is that as soon as the hall has passed one foot of a player of each team and has touched the ground, any loot may he moved to reach the ball. The main points brought oiit in the discussion of other (rules-were : 1. The Drop-eut— The hall must reach the 25yd. line’. It is not necessary for the ball to go 10: yards. Opposing players should therefore line-up just behind .the 25yd. and try and block: the kick.

2. The Line-cut—

A player is offside if he stand or move into his opponents’ side of the line-out before the ball is played. TliiS applies only to the player participating in the line-out. It is not intended that a, player before throwing in the ball from touch should be obliged to wait, until the players of his own team have returned to or behind the line out. Observance of this rule would speed up the game.'. . : 3. Placing the ball for kick at goal The placer’s hand or hands may be touching ‘the ball when the kick is taken provided the ball is on the ground. 4. Ball held in goal— If the ball is fairly held by opposing players whilst in goal, a oyd. scrum is awarded. When in goal, therefore, players should go for the ball, not the man. 5. Injured players returning toi the field. An injured player must have the permission of the referee before he returns to the field of play. 6. Touch judges— It is not the duty of the touch judge toi see that' the ball is thrown,in from the right place. He must see that, the right man is throwing in the ball and that such man has two feet in touch. 7. The Offiside rule was then discussed. Two points stressed were: (a) A player standi rig within 10 yards of an opponent waiting to receive the ball should he penalised immediately, if-he does not- make an attempt toi get on side. (1>) As soon as the ball leaves the scrummage opposing backs may go right up on to the hacks whose side has the ball. So long as a player is onside when the opposition receives the ball, nothing the opposition does can put such a player offside whilst they retain possession of the ball. A player is offside because he is in front oif tile man of his own team who last nlayed the ball. He is not offside because he is in front of the ball, except when the ball is in the scrummage.