SPORTS AND PASTIMES

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 293, 20 June 1929, Page 8

SPORTS AND PASTIMES

Football.

‘ Finlay Cup. \ Matamata 28, l’utaruru 3. The first Finlay Cup match of the . season, Matamata (holders) v. Futaruru, attracted short of a hundred of a record crowd to Matamata on Saturday. Included in the enthusiasts were a number from Morrinsville and Te Aroha. Putaruru were defeated by 28 points to 3, and Matamata deserved every point. Yet the visitors showed improvement. Matamata’s decisive victory was due to a perfect understanding between the backs and their ability to seize openings. H The. ltom«" forwards were light and«id|»# in ‘ getting near enough toijpm. even, break in the set scrums—Tjj|ich were 'really not . set insofar as ’the scrummages are generally Viewed. The visitors opened well and football was very fast until nearly half-time, but the red hacks were inaccurate in their handling, so that when they did get the ball it was of little use to them. Interest flagged towards the end of the game, when the question was as to how many points Matamata would win by.

The teams were: — Putaruru (red). —Fullback, Dunlop; threequarters, Rossiter, Pattersen, Taylor; five-eighths, Rangi, Bullott; half, W. Dunlop; rover, Kiti; forwards, Fox, Robertson, T. Brown, Yandle, Ensor, Hodge, Hiki. Matamata (black). —Fullback, J. Stewart; threequarters, Brown Vosper, Fausett; five-eighths, Davies, Hgan; half, Ake; rover, A. Story; forwards, Stevenson, G. Ensor, D. Simpson, Malligan, Hammonds, Martin, Syme. Mr. Dave Pirrit (Morrinsville) was referee. The Game.

Putaruru were the first to make ground, Fausett being called upon for a clever line kick to give relief. The same player a little later sent well

into tile red 25, and then made a good attempt at a dropped goal which just went wide. The red forwards worked back and from a free in the home half right in front Yandell’s kick hit the man on the marie. From a scrum Davies intercepted a weak pass by Dunlop and ran to the fullback. His short punt was well taken by R. Dunlop, whose kick, however, went out. Matamata opened out, but W. Dunlop, Fox and Hodge dribbled to the opposite 25. Weak tackling lost the ground, and at the other end in the loose Davies short punted, and, W. Dunlop failing to gather, dribbled on. Syme followed hard and got the touch. Fausett failed with the kick. Matamata 3, Putaruru 0. The blacks returned to the attack, but Rangi, Fox and Hiki led a great rush, which Davies stopped cleverly on his own 25. The game was proving very fast and open with the Matamata backs playing .the visiting iorwards. Story started a rush to the left and A. Brown looked to bo over when Rossiter came to light •vith a burst of speed and tackled safely. The ball shot to midfield, and from a ruck Ake tried a drop which skimmed the underside of the bar. Matamata kept up the pressure and only overeagerness on the part of the backs prevented a score. Quartertime: Matamata 3, Putaruru 0. Putaruru attacked at the restart, but a good kick by W. Dunlop was gathered and cleared by Fausett at a second attempt. At midfield the reds opened out, but Kiti’s pass to Rossiter went astray. The blacks then opened out to the right, and Ake, Davies and Vosper handled for ‘he latter to cut in from outside the 25 and beat Bullott by sheer speed to score under the posts. Egan missed a sitter. Matamata 6, Putaruru 0. Midfield play followed the kick-off, Egan marking a pass by W. Dunlop. The blacks got away in the loose, and Simpson, Story and Ensor got away in the loose for the latter to gather and dodge over. Egan’s kick was charged by Yandell. Matamata 9, Putaruru 0.

Further midfield play followed with Vosper and Patterson shining for their respective sides. From a free kick at the 25, R. Dunlop failed to lift the ball. Putaruru secured flora a following scrum, and R. Dunlop colliding with Patterson let the blacks away. Vosper secured, but could not get clear on the left. Patterson secured and foolishly centred on defence. Fausett picked up and scored unopposed. Egan failed to convert. Matamata 12, Putaruru 0. On the home 25 wide out Rossiter caught A. Brown who held on, and from the free Yandell kicked a beauty from near touch. Putaruru 3, Matamata 12. Hard play in midfield followed with Putaruru holding their own, chiefly in mistakes by the home backs. Davies and Rossiter exchanged kicks on the restart, and the latter’s , kick finding a gap, Stewart had to | mark a short kick by Rangi. Mid--1 field play followed in which Bulloti 1 had hard luck with a great kick | which just hit the line. The blacks ! opened out to the left and Vosper ; took a long pass cleverly, but A. ■ Brown failed to gather his pass. W. ; Dunlop and Rangi worked to the ; other 25, but at midfield W. Dunlop | came round too soon, and Egan found [ touch with a great kick to the flag, i Prom the ruck that followed the hall j shot out to Ake, who spotted a gap | and dashed over. Stewart’s kick hit the near post. Matamata 15, Putaruru 3. The black forwards, led by Ensor, got to the flag, and Ake shot the ball out. Kiti got ojfside in the movement, and Ensor made a weak attempt with an easy kick. A. Brow’n and Egan combined well on the left, I and then Ake shone out ducking under Dunlop’s arms and served A. Brown. The latter beat Rossiter and Patterson, to fall over as Rangi I tackled him. Stewart, given a free i kick, could not convert. Matamata 18, Putaruru 3.

The black forwards were asserting Simpson was a partial nassenger themselves in the loose, even though through injury. I<ed by Malligan the forwards got to the line, but Patterson, Rangi and Robertson worked to halfway. R. Dunlop speculated to the home goal, and Rangi failing to take Stewart’s kick let the blacks in. Ake and Vosper shone up, but the red defence prevailed.

Matamata 18, Putaruru 3. The red forwards, led by Yandell, Ensor and Robertson, got to the home 25, but Stewart saved after his insides had failed to gather the rolling ball. Led by Malligan, the blacks gained 40 yards, and Bullott and Patterson failed to find relief with big kicks. Taylor marked and Hiki followed to the home 25. The blacks secured and Fausett shot away with Story alongside. The winger short-punted and Story gathering ran from the 25 to behind the posts. The same player kicked the goal. , Matamata 23, Putaruru 3. Simpson sent the ball from a line- ! out to Ake to Davies to Vosper to A. [Brown, who returned to Vosper. The reds had come across, however, and smothered the movement. Patterson secured in the loose and dribbled | through and Stewart handled to j touch to save. From the free I Yandell’s kick wide out went outside the posts. I At midfield A. Brown got away and j while R. Dunlop held him passed in- ! side. Malligan and Story carried on j and Egan securing galloped round a ’ defender to score under the posts. Story converted. Matamata 28, Putaruru 3.

The blacks were now throwing the ball about, and taking risks, but even then the reds could not make headway. Ensor got offside and Egan crosskicked. Davies secured and shot through half the length of the field with a dribble for Bullott to dive at his feet in great style on the line and save to near halfway. Time followed when Egan marked just over his own 25.

Comments. Matamata were worth every point scored in the first challenge match of the season for the Finlay Cup against Putaruru. There was a polish and finish about Matamata team’s play which was lacking in that of Putaruru, while the black arul whites also showed superior staying power. On the whole the visitors did not nlay such a good game as in the friendly fixture a fortnight earlier, and they sadly missed the services of Morton, a player worthy of a trial for Waikato at wing threequarter. The only department of the game in which the visitors excelled was in hooking, though their line-kicking 1

was good at times. In one period of the game they secured the ball on a 5-2 ratio. Towards the end, however, the red pack tired but never had the black and whites an ascendancy in this phase ef play. Of the Pu;aruru backs, only Patterson and Bullott showed any form at all. Patterson kicked, tackled, passed and intercepted well, and was the only back to show any aptitude for attack. He made one mistake, however, when he centred on defence and let Fausett in. Bullott showed fine form on defence, making daring saves at the toes of opposing forwards, and kicking a fine length. Rossitter improved on his previous display, putting more vim into his tackling and showing a rare turn of speed on occasion. He had a fatal | habit of letting the other fellow | make the play instead of assuming the offensive himself. Rangi jinked an odd player at times, but got little chance owing to Dunlop’s hesitation behind the pack. Force of circumstances compelled a tip-top hooker to be wasted at half, where W. Dunlop did not shine, while Taylor and R. Dunlop were overcome by the occasion and watched the man instead of the ball. Kiti, as rover, has lost his form of two seasons ago, and appeared to lack practice. ! The pack were a set of real grafters, who, however, were run off their feet by the weakness of their backs. There was hardly a weak man in the six. Ensor, probably as the result of a knock early on, did not show up anything like as prominently as in the previous game. Robertson (hooker), Hodge and Hiki and Yandell were perhaps the pick, but all grafted and tackled well. At odd times one or two failed to come round quickly to support in the rucks, while Robertson and W. Dunlop displayed a tendency to offside play in the ruck.

In the home team there was not a really weak player in the side on : the day’s play, though the placings could be altered with advantage. Stewart never failed, and answered every call. Brown more than justified the selector’s confidence and puts plenty of dash in his play. He should , yet show further improvement. Vosj per did not get the chances he should j have done, but made the most of j those which came his way. Fausett I appeared to just lack that extra bit * of dash he usually displays in tight

play, but was good in the open and did things with purpose behind them. Davies was the best of tile back divi-

sion, making the most of his opportunities, of which he received the greatest share. Ake was little behind Davies, but is limited by his position. Egan was a weak link in a chain on attack, ar.d robbed his centre and wings of many opportunities. His defence was very sound, however, and he kicked well on occasion to touch.

Story was as usual ever on the ball, and a solid tackier, with a keen eye for the slightest opening. Ensor was the best of the pack, with Simpson running equal till he injured his shoulder. Malligan commenced slowly but finished in fine style. Stevenson played his usual solid game in the tight as did Martin and Syme, the latter’s keen following being rewarded with a try. The forwards are all good grafters. PUTARURU MAN’S SUCCESS. Since leaving Putaruru early in the season McDonald, one of last season’s Putaruru representative three-quarters, is making quite a name for himself in Auckland. On going north McDonald went over to the League game and threw in his lot with the Marist club. Writing this week an Auckland critic states : “ McDonald, the brightest hack on the Marist side, contributed largely to the total points, scoring two tries and paving the way for another. McDonald displayed brilliance on attack ; early in the season but an injury necessitated his retirement for some i weeks. He is very fast and quick to take an opportunity.” McDonald’s claims for inclusion in the Waikato Rugby representative team were strongly urged by this paper after Putaruru’s Finlay Cup match against Matamata last season. Had McDonald been given an opportunity to show his ability even in the Thames Valley match it is possible that he would now be assisting Waikato. It is an instance of a man being overlooked and then lost.