RUGBY FOOTBALL

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 207, 14 July 1939, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL

BIG REPRESENTATIVE M£TCH PA B ATA CUP FIXTURE -V la/ge crowd is expected on the reserve on Saturday (to-morrow), when a Parata Cup semi-final will be played between Whakatane and Opotiki senior representatives. Considerable interest is being shown in the fixture and Opotiki supporters are confident that the local team will come out on topi It is hoped that the Opotiki team will be .strengthened for Saturday’s game by one e,r two alterations. The team lias been training and! with the necessary c-ouching to get the team to work as a combination, will take a lot of beating. The backs will want to watch that kicks are not too long, thus knocking up the forwards. The team is a young one and with proper tactics the forwards should be going strong right to the last minute. There has beoif a tendency this season toi let ted many players take the kicks at goal. In Ashdown and M. Delamere the team has two) first-class kicks and it is to lie hoped that the practice of letting attempts at goal “do the rounds” will be stopped. The Whnkatane team is not being taken cheaply as it known to be a solid combination, led by Best-, a well-known All Black. .Best is said to be an opportunist type of player and Opotiki followers are looking forward to seeing him in action. A curtain-raiser will be played between Torero and 0.8. juniors,in the junior knock-out competition and this match should be well worth witnessing. A seven-a-side game will he played between the curtain-raiser 'and representative, fixture. The junior .match will commence at 1.15 p.m. instead of the usual starting time at 1.30 p.m. A third grade game will be played on Connelly’s paddock

and this game will also commence at. 1.15 p.m. Whakatane Team. The Whakatane team js as follows _ Full-back, 1. Riini. Three-quarters. Ruri, Hohapata, Oswaldl. Five-eighths, Raynor, Courtney. Half. Trainor. " 7 Forwards. Hayward, C. Merito, DWilson. Lambett,'4fsost (cant.), Dodd.. , lv i Ol ' 5