Football.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 290, 30 May 1929, Page 1

Football.

REPRESENTATIVE MATCH. / Matamata 17, Putaruru 0. The first representative fixture of the season was played on Saturday, when Matamata entertained their near /rivals from Putaruru.. Though Matamata won by a large margin, there was very little to enthuse over in their play, and a fifty per cent improvement will be necessary if the tede is to make a showing in the Peace Cup matches. } .The afternoon kept fine after a morning of rain and there was a large crowd of spectators. The ball was fair for handling, and the foothold quite good. The sides lined out as follows: Matamata. Fullback, Stewart; threequarters, Fausett, Vosper, Bluck; five-eigthths, Egan, Davies; Jjalf, Aka; rover. Story; forwards, Stevenson, Ensor, Simpson, Hammonds, Flutey, Moore, Martin. Putaruru (red). -—Fullback, R. Dunlop; threequarters, F. Rossiter, Mortoii, Taylor; five-eighths, Rangi," Paterson; half, Bullott; rover, Hodge;

forwards, W. Dunlop, Robinson, Yan- * dell, Ensor, Southey, Wallace, Fraser. Putaruru started with the wind and sun behind them. A speculator, by Patterson, after a dropped pass, "being well cleared by Stewart. Hodge got offside, however, and lost position. A fumble by Stewart let the) reds back, and play settled in the home twenty-five. Putaruru were getting the ball and Bullott at half was sending it out cleanly and fastt jWith the Macks standing close up Patterson short punted and gained forty yards. Weak tackling lost the ground, and Matamata backs opened out, hut the passing was too slow. Davies shone out with fine fielding of weak passes, and then put in a solo 'y effort which only _ Morton’s speed saved from ending in a try. Ensor received a nasty knock, and following , the resumption weak tackling by the blacks let the red forwards away. Patterson tried another short punt, but kicked too hard. The red forwards were heating the blacks in the lineout and loose work, but there was no finish to their efforts. Vosper cut in nicely could not get clear, and no one being up a good .chance was missed. Stewart received in his own half and elected to run. He beat several and kicked, hut Dunlop marked well under pressure. An exciting few minutes followed on the red line, until Morton grabbed the ball from Fausett and found touch near the other 25. This was a good clearing effort.

The second quarter opened with a nice loose rush by the home forwards, Ensor dribbling well. The hall was overrun, however. The reds were covering well on defence, gfcut the tackling was weak and play to the other side, where following a line out Aka ; served Davies, on the blind, to Fausett, for the latter to score. Egan missed the kick. Matamata 3, Putaruru 0. Patterson now went fullback and Dunlop .came up to first fiveeighths. By spasmodic individual efforts Patterson gained good position which they immediately lost through atrocious tackling, and play became a trifle less interesting at this stage. At the half-way mark "Morton shot away and served Patterson and the latter cut through very cleanly to the fullback. Instead of going on at top he slowed up and when Taylor got the ball he was overwhelmed. This was the best red movement of the game. Play was now more even, and half-time arrived with no alteration of the score. A McGillivary took R. Dunlop’s place on the resumption, and the reds got to the home 25, but Story led a rush , t,ack. From a free in the visitors’ ♦ 25 Story kicked across, and Vosper taking very cleanly served Bluek,

who was tackled high by Morton and downed. In the same movement he returned to Davies, who shot over wide out. Matamata 6. Putaruru 0.

The blacks again attacked through weakness by McGillivary. Sacks on the mill on the Putaruru line followaway with a good dribbling rush, hut weak tackling lost all the ground gained. The pack persevered, howi ever, and worked to the other end. Ensor, Davies and Hodge shone out [ in clever work and Hodge was held I on the line, being unable to ground ' the ball. McGillivary again lost the position and Story led a rush to the 25. Patterson returned, however, with a run and kick , and the reds were again battling at the home line. McGillivary again proved weak, and Story rushed back. Following a line out just over halfway, McGillivary saved from Simpson and Davies, and in the melee that followed no reds came round to support and Simpson picked up and ran thirty yards to score. Flutey missed the kick.

The home team attacked hotly on the restart, and the first incident of I note was a fine mark by Patterson under pressure. From a scrum at the 25 Ensor and Story got away, and Rangi standing still Story got over for Egan to kick the goal. Matamata 14, Putaruru 0. Morton next shone out with a clever cut in, showing great pace in doing so. Patterson and Rossiter caught up on the right, but the pass went astray with an open line. Putaruru now woke up and put some devil in their play. Morton again cut through, but Patterson had no room to-move when he got the hall. Simpson, Davies and Vosper returned and Stevenson got over but the hall had been passed forward. Egan next missed with a drop from the touchline, the ball shaving the top post. Matamata kept hammering away and on the left Morton cleared but did not find touch. Faussett charged the bounce and Vosper gathering whs held up by Rossiter, who let him wriggle away to score. Stewart missed the goal. Matamata 17, Putaruru 0.

Time followed shortly afterwards, without addition' to the score. Referee: Mr. Clover.

Comments. The first representative match of the season showed up glaring weaknesses in the Matamata side. Taking the visitors as a whole the majority of them on Saturday’s form are but good juniors. "With Morton, Patterson, Bullott, Hodge, W. Dun--lop, Ensor and Yandell out there is little left in the side, yet it was only in the last quarter that the home team really clinched the issue beyond dispute. At least three of the home tries should never have been scored, while Rangi made no attempt to stop Story, whose try Egan converted. In the second try, scored by Davies, Bluck was well downed by Morton but was not held, and the same tMng happened when Vosper scored the last try, Rossiter allowing the scorer to wriggle away instead of downing him. Similarly, when Simpson scored several reds stood off a few yards in front when McGillivray attempted to gather the ball near touch, instead of coming round to support. McGillivray fumbled, and the blacks had a clear run of 30 yards to the line. Further, several Putaruru movements should have resulted in scores. Hodge must have- missed by inches only on one occasion, while Morton and Patterson both reached the fullback, after cutting in, with supports. Morton’s pass went astray, while Patterson slowed up and allowed the defence to overtake his support. In view of all these facts one cannot enthuse over the display of the blacks, yet the writer is of the opinion that the bulk of the defects can be overcome in the training shed. The greatest weakness was in the forwards and in a lesser degree the handling of the backs. The forwards were beaten badly in lineout work and in the majority of the scrums. In lineout work Ensor (Putaruru) stood by himself despite illegal barging by his brother. This boy—he is yet in his ’teens —should go far with a little more experience. In hooking W. Dunlop showed that he is still a ’ great scraper of the ball.

The home pack contained several not up to standard, while their packing was not good. There is a tendency of the middle and back row players to lean instead of to shove, with the result that the hookers, instead of receiving weight, carry weight. Shoulders must be under the buttock with no arcned backs if tne hookers are to get tne support they should. Further, where there should have been a “ lane ” there was a mass of tangled legs.

Similarly in loose rucks the bulk of the forwards stood up to shove instead or getting down to it. On the whole it was a sorry exhibition of forward play, yet individually the home pack contained far better men than that of the visitors. The backs are like the forwards—individually good but badly in need of shed work to improve their combination. Every player, even Davies, who usually runs straight, veered across field, and the ball was let go too soon. It is only wasting energy to indulge in passing bouts if an opponent is not drawn. If backs will only remember three simple points—(l) run straight ana pass swiftly, "(even if they can only go a yard), (2) be up to take the ball at top speed, (3 )draw an opponent before passing—they will find barn-door openings will come sooner or later. A set of backs which allows opponents to drive them to any other game by standing up to them is lacking in tactics. A short punt or two will soon make the opposing line stand hack. In drawing the man the passer must not let himself be put out of action but on the other hand he must not 1 pass when he is five or six yards away like some of the backs were doing on Saturday.

Individually Matamata were far more polished players, yet Putaruru possessed the best forward and back on the field in Ensor and Patterson. If the latter had about another four stone in weight he would be a great player.

Stewart at full-back should he a certainty on Saturday’s form. With a little more certainty in finding the line and a care that the running business is not overdone he should iriiprove into a very sound and solid player. Fausett and Bluck were satisfactory on the wings, both making good scores. The first named scored himself, while quick thinking by Bluck made the try when Davies got over. Vosper did not handle as well as usual in the early stages but was responsible for two scores. His taking of Story’s kick when Davies scored was a first-class effort. Davies displays more intuition than any of the backs and is always there when wanted. Egan is a good connecting link and a great defensive tricker. He might try the short punt on attack at times when his backs are hemmed in. Aka, like most Maoris, has a keen eye and is neat and tricky, but something more than this is wanted in a half-back. In pure half-back play Aka has not yet shone up. Story was outstanding but was apt to be an extra forward. A good rover is an' extra back rather than a forward, and this good player might try and play to his backs more, with advantage to his side. Of the pack Hammonds was good and will improve. Ensor, Simpson, Flutey and Stevenson shone out at times, while Martin and Moore hardly reached their club standard. For the visitors neither R. Dunlop nor McGillivray was a success at full-back. Both wings were weak, chiefly lacking in experience. Morton did a lot of donkey work and is a far better player than some of those receiving trials for Waikato. The ex-Bay of Plenty man is a most determined winger, with plenty of dash. Patterson played a heady game, while his partner Rangi opened brightly on attack but then faded away. He was practically useless on defence. Bullott, a full-back, shaped well at half-back. In the first 20 minutes he quite overshadowed Aka, throwing out clean, snappy passes under pressure. After his injury he was not so prominent except for line kicking. Hodge was not overshadowed by Story but a player of his experience should have got that try—“ heads down when near the line.” The pack were all good workers and were well locked by Yandell. Ensor, Dunlop and Yandell were the best.

The greatest weakness of the visitors was their tackling. The efforts of the great majority of the team in this direction were simply atrocious. With improvement in this department and one or two positions strengthened the reds will be a different team.

THE AUCKLAND TEAM.

The following team has been chqsen to represent Auckland against Waikato on King’s Birthday : Full - back, Butler ; three - quarters, Abbott, Lucas, Minns ; five-eighths, Falwasser, Berridge ; half - back, Byres ; rover, E. Fletcher ; forwards, Finlayson, Hadley, Wanoa, A. Knight, L. Knight, W. Batty, Anderson.