FOOTBALL

Otaki Mail, 5 September 1923, Page 4

FOOTBALL

NORTHERN JUNIORS v. SOUTHERN. GAME ENDS IN DRAW—II ALL. On Saturday afternoon Koputaroa (Northern) met Otaki (Southern) ior tne Junior Championship ui the u.tov Koputaroa tiled out on to the iieJd consider.aniy heavier than their southern opponents, and made the most of that weight hi the scrums winch followed, and m heavy forward rushes. The ground was in perfect order, hut there was a strung wind blowing right down tile hold, and Otaki Whining tile toss, elected to play with Lins, and the sun, at their hacks, it was this factor which enabled them to put up their score, as it was only necessary to kick the hall high for '■ die wind to take it over. A dozen times Koputaroa penned their lighter opponents in their own 25, only to have a long kick take the ball over “ tile line to lie In iced. Under such j t conditions it was inevitable that soon- | ler or later Otaki must heal. Koputaroa S tor possession, and they were enab- , led to put up their pari ol the score * during Uiis half. i'i'lie game was aim out entirely conlined to Ilia forwards, and was a poor exhibition oi football for the , leading junior teams ol the Union. On neither side was there any attempt to handle the ball in a workmanlike manner; passing rushes were' conspicuous by their absence, tlie j game resembling a schoolboy’s scram- j ble. Koputaroa kiek’ed' off and found 1 the line at Lite 25, Otaki immediately j returning from the line-out, a long ' - kick taking play in front of the goal J posts where a lree kick enabled Otaki ; to draw first blood. Otaki k—o. 1 Koputaroa pressed strongly. into the opposing 25, and for a spell kept ' things lively, but again the wind took a hand in the game and from a scramble on the line Winterbum flicked up and planted the hall behind ihe posts. The kick struck the post. Otaki G-0. A long series of valiant attempts by Kopiiuiroa to take play into the enemy’s country followed ibis second score, bill, being devoid of men capable of handling a ball, they could only kick, arid on four separate occasions Otaki spiling possession sent it. over tile line to be forced. -Ins! on lime Robinson look (.lie ball over, and Gotlins with a useful kick added the extra, points. Otaki 11, Koputaroa 0. Kopularoa opened strongly on the resumption of play, and took the ball well down where a scramble on the line resulted in a scrum 5 yards i out. From tliis the ball wont over. ' i but was kicked out of touch. From 1 | the 25, Stickles, ITakaraia, and Pini ( made the first passing rush of the ' ’ day which just failed. Almost imi mediately after a loose rush took the j r ’hall over. Arena scoring. Stickles : I missed with the kick. Score 11—3. ' J Otaki invaded Koputaroa territory j ■ for the first time in this spell, but could not maintain the pressure, and were home down to their own line, where Koputaroa. got over on two occasions, but could not ground the hall. A third attempt succeeded Ihrough Otaki fumbling, and Arena scored. Xepia added the extra points. 11—8. Tile wind had by uliis time dropped considerably, and Otaki playing with more dash' than their adversaries, kept, play in the other side for a period.. in' the last five minutes, liowoveKoputaroa relumed solidly to it, is carefully deposited in a g*ia.ss Die attack, and an exciting scramble! took place on the line, two scrums at the syds distance following in i|uick succession. Dunn just beat the * whistle and incidentally saved his I side by adding the three remaining [ points on time, the kick failing. Mr | ", r. Reran was referee. j