FOOTBALL.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 145, 12 August 1926, Page 1

FOOTBALL.

PUTARURU 22, MAMAKU 14. This game was played at Putaruru on Saturday and resulted in a convincing win for the home side. Owing to the miserable weather conditions there was a very poor attendance. The teams lined out as follow: Putaruru (red and black). —Pullback, Thorpe ; three-quarters, Taylor, Kelly, Henderson ; five-eighths, McDonald, Petherick ; half-back, Robinson ; rover, Gasparich ; forwards, Jensen, Baker, Williams, Yendell, F. Hearn, Brown, Thorpe. Mamaku (blue and white). —Fullback, Moses ; three-quarters, N. Maxwell, Donnelly, Jackson ; five-eighths, Clotworthy, E. Bradshaw ; half-back, J W. Bradshaw ; rover, Carroll ; for- j wards, Marshall, Whaka, Havard, j Hanson, Brady, Barker, B. Maxwell. Referee.—Mr. J. R. O. Lochhead. I The visitors turned out as per pro- j gramme, though the positions of two | of the backs were altered. On the other hand, owing to the influenza epidemic, the home side had five alterations. Putaruru had first use of the wind and immediately set up an attack. Taylor made an opening, and Brown, securing, served Gasparich, who touched down under the posts. I The same player converted. Yendell next shone up with a good dribble, but Brown was accidentally offside. Keeping up the pressure, McDonald secured from a weak kick by Donnelly, and, running strongly, scored near the flag. Gasparich failed to convert. Mamaku players appeared all at sea on the heavy ground, and Petherick started another rush for Hearn to carry on. Picking up, the latter just got over near the posts. Gasparich j converted. i Quarter-time arrived with the score | 13 to 0 in the home team’s favour. Brady was twice caught offside in | the early stages of the second quarter, j and then Williams and Yendell shone | out with a real soccer dribble. The I juniors, however, got offside through | overeagerness. Jensen took the kick I and broke through, but Clotworthy came back with a pretty solo effort. Obstruction by the reds gave Mamaku a chance on the 25, but Hanson got offside. Following the free, Robinson secured from a scrum and opened up. The ball travelled to Petherick to McDonald to Kelly to Taylor, and the latter when hemmed in crosskicked high to centre. Kelly, following hard, | touched down under the posts. Gasparich failed with an easy kick. Mamaku now attacked strongly, but Brown broke away from a ruck on the line. At half-way Jensen started a dribble, and Gasparich carried on and scored far out, but could not improve. Lee replaced W. Bradshaw, and the blues, putting more vim into their efforts, secured a force. Maxwell led a rush, and, Thorpe bungling the greasy ball, Hanson secured and dribbled over. E. Bradshaw failed with the kick. The home team slackened off somewhat and the defence was again caught napping. This time Kelly and Thorpe failed to handle the ball, and Donnelly, coming up at great speed, scored. The home team charged before the ball was down, and another kick was allowed, but Moses failed with both kicks.

The two quick scores heartened the blues, and on starting the third quarter the forwards put in solid combined work in the loose. Clotworthy failed from a free kick and later N. Maxwell forced the reds to carry back. From the scrum, Jensen cleared, and Hanson getting offside, the advantage was lost. At the other end Kelly and Taylor put in good centering kicks from the line but the defence prevailed. Carroll and Clotworthy received attention from “ Zam Buk,” and then Petherick made a dash but kicked too hard. Taylor next beat | two opponents and kicked high. The 1 full-back failed to take the ball, and j McDonald, coming up fast, touched j down at the flag. The referee, howI ever, ruled touch-in-goal. On the J other side of the field Robinson served ' Kelly, who cut past two opponents

and served McDonald. The latter, on reaching the full-back, threw to Gasparich, who got over near the flag. Petherick failed with the kick. Henderson next put in a fast, dodgy run j and Gasparich again got over from the pass, which, however, had gone forward. H. Marshall marked during another attack, and three-quarter-time then sounded. Robinson made a great opening on | re-starting, but support was lacking. The blues now woke up, the pack put- ] ting in solid work in the loose. Thorpe J centred the ball in his own 25 and | another score was nearly given away. J Henderson shone out in defensive work ( . and Marshall just failed to touch ' ; down. A ruck developed on the home line and on the whistle blowing the ' referee touched B. Maxwell. The i kick at goal was charged. Mamaku ] kept up the pressure and Petherick just got N. Maxwell in time. A succession of marks followed and the 1 blues gained ground in kicking ex- l changes. The home pack put in a 1 last effort but Clotworthy found touch ' at the flag from half-way with a great 1 kick. Robinson lay on the ball and ' gave a free kick away, and after the bell had rung Kelly foolishly tried to ] run the ball out but was bumped be- 1 hind' his own goal posts and Brady scored a soft try. Moses goaled, and the whistle sounded with the scores : Putaruru, 2 converted' tries, 4 tries, * 22 points ; Mamaku, 1 converted try, 3 tries, 14 points. I NOTES. Despite the atrocious state of .he ground, with its numerous pools of water, the game was a good one to watch. The work of the Puta. uru backs on attack with the greasy ball was excellent. Robinson, deputising for Doherty at half-back, played a great game and opened up on every possible occasion. Nevertheless one cannot enthuse over the work of the team as a whole. It was like the curate’s egg—good in parts. Outside of j Henderson, the defence did not imI press, though Thorpe shows promise. Even Taylor mulled the wet ball at ! times. All the four tries scared by I Mamaku should have been prevented. I The first two were due to bungles by Thorpe, and Thorpe and Kelly. The third was from a scrum on the line, and the last was one of the most exasperating exhibitions the writer has ever seen on a football field. With the Finlay Cup in view such defence cannot be passed over, and the points to note are these : A full-back must ; remember that he is the last line of j defence and never under any circumstances centre the ball round about I his own 25. Over half-way he may j do so. When going for the ball forget the man and concentrate all atj tention on the ball. Thorpe displays l great promise to the writer’s mind, i and if be can forget the man and re- ; member to kick to the side line at all j times he will do well. It has been | stated that he was told to centre when j he did. If so, it only aggravates the j offence and proves there are two playI ers in the team who have yet to grip | this rule. I In fairness to Thorpe it must be ! pointed out that he did not get the ! support he should have done. On S several oefcasions two or three players j went with the full-back to get the 1 ball. Such methods generally result j in the whole lot mulling. Other backs I should never interfere with the last ! line of defence. Cover him, and he j immediately is given confidence, be- ' ! cau se he knows there is someone be--1 j bind him. The defence is also thus strengthened. Through not following i out these tactics the first two tries . i were lost. ’ ; The third try resulted through the ■ borne pack forgetting that once a I scrum crosses the line it ceases to ’ i exist, and the ball may be handled, j : Hookers, especially, when they find j. the scrum giving, should be prepared j. [ to dive among their opponents and i touch down. J i In regard to the last try it is stated j ! that the home skipper called to Kelly I to “ give it a go.” Well, the ball had g ! actually been forced when Kelly ran j five or six yards straight into Brady, j Maxwell and Hanson, who were three or four yards over the goal line.

| Apai-t from the error in tactics in i “ giving it a go ” after the bell had S sounded, Kelly certainly did not use j his head. Taylor, the biggest punter in the team, stood clear on his right with an open field, in the direction Kelly was travelling ; or Kelly could himself have kicked. Instead of that he cut in and had the ball bumped out of his hand. If it had been a junior deputising at the last moment the incident might be passed over, but Kelly —“ nulf sed.” 'On attack the team’s work was at times brilliant. Robinson, Petherick, McDonald, Kelly and Taylor all combined like clockwork, and every try scored was worked for. In addition McDonald had hard luck when he slithered at an angle into the corner flag, for he grounded the ball a good foot before he touched the flag. Of the pack, Brown played a great game in the loose and yet did not spare himself in the tight. Williams also improved on last week’s form, while the juniors, Jensen, Baker and Thorpe, also played well. The former on his display deserves another trial, but he must keep down in the scrums. Yendell again held a solid scrum but he is inclined to hang back in the tight rucks. F. Hearn improved on last week’s display and if he keeps this up he should be in rare fettle by the 28th: He was caught lying on the ball and offside once or twice, however. Mamaku have the players and only need the experience. Their pack was badly locked but played a great game I in the loose. Of the individuals, Moses at full-back was weak. Donnelly and Clotworthy were the best of the other backs, with N. Maxwell forceful on attack. The first-named player is a youngster of great promise. Lee was much more successful than Bradshaw at half-back, while Carroll was too light for his job as : rover. Of the forwards, Brady and Hanson were ever in the lead and received good support in the second half from Maxwell, Marshall, Havard and Barker. Whaka also has ability but he spoiled his work by introducing illegal ' tactics. The game was fast and open and was played in good spirit ; the big ! difference between the teams was one ' of finish. (Continued on Page 8.)