FOOTBALL.

Shannon News, 23 June 1922, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

FOXTON v - SHANNON 5

Tills game, which was played on the Racecourse at Foxton on Saturday, resulted in a win for Foxton by a wide margin of points, but the score can scarcely be taken as a true indication of the defence maintained by the Shannon team. The home team showed superiority both in the forwards and in the backs, who, time and again, explored every avenue of attack by dribbling or passing rushes, which provided interesting play. Shannon having greater weight in the forwards, and . possessing two good hookers, often secured the ball from the scrum. In the loose, however, the Foxiton forwards, who were in great form and were aggressive throughout, treated the spectators to their best exhibition this year. Judging by the class of play on Saturday, the home team should give a good account of themselves in the final contests. Certainly a clean, sporting game was fought throughout, and the absence of rough play was a pleasing feature of the game. Foxton won the toss, and Shannon immediately after the kick-off got play into the Foxton twenty-five. From a line-out, the home team assumed the offensive and in a few minutes vere knocking at the Shannon line. Reid securing, opened the attack by passihg to Barber, to Hunt, who by his bulk grounded the) ball under th 1 posts. F. Moffltt failed with the kick. Foxton 3, Shannon 0.

Shortly alter the kick-off Foxton attacked keenly, and the backs tossed the ball about in good style. Taylor led with a rush for the line and passed to Barber,.who scored. Taylor failed with the kick. Foxton 6, Shannon 0.

The visitors were again placed on the defence, and play for a time kept so perilously close to the Shannon line that S. Moffltt, by cleverly feinting, scored, close to the posts. Baker failed to- convert. Foxton 9, Shannon 0.

Shannon now opened out warmly and made a determined rush for the Foxton line, which was crossed with difficulty. Kelly made no mistake with the kick. Foxton 9, Shannon 5.

Shannon were compelled to put forth every effort to stave off the enemy from their line. One! corner of the field was for a time the scene of a ping pong match. By half-time Kauri and Baker had added two more tries. (Taylor and Moffltt were unlucky with the kicks. " Foxton 15, Shannon 5.

On resuming play, Foxton continued to attack, and many dribbling and passing rushes added interest to the play. In the Shannon twenty-fi-ve, Moses, who seemed to be always in the right spot, secured, passed to Taylor, to Kauri, who scored near the corner. Hines 'attempted a kick from a very difficult angle, and was nearly successful. Foxton 18, Shannon 5.

For a considerable time Shannon played up considerably and frustrated many rushes, some unpleasantly close to the line. Shannon was outmatched, however, on loose! play, and S. Bryant, after several attempts at cutting in, scored. Moses made no mistake in the try for goal. Foxton 23, Shannon 5. From this out Shannon never engineered another attack on the Foxton territory. From a forward dribbling rush H. Robinson picked up and scored. Moses again converged. Foxton 28, Shannon 5. Foxton backs and forwards kept the game open and some well directed passing was witnessed, but marred by a. fast winger, who occasionally gotin front to accept the ball. Moses was very prominent towards the end, and opened attacks frequently. Before the close of the game two more tries were added by Austin and Moses. The goal kicking added no further paints and the game ended, Foxton 34, Shannon 5.

For Shannon, M. Moynihan, T. Moynihan, Sands and Kelly played a sterling game. All the home) forwards and backs played in great heart. S. Barber and H. Robinson were probably most prominent in the forwards, while Reid, Moses, Taylor, Baker and Kauri were conspicuous in the! backs. . Off-side play was very rare, but one Foxton forward was easily tempted, and tried rather glaringly on one occasion.

Mrr Sciascia gave every satisfaction wtih the whistle.

NEWS AND NOTES. The Manawatu reps, will visit Levin on Saturday and meet Horowhenua. These teams are always responsible for a good game, and Saturday’s match should be no exception to the rule. The Horowhenua team does not look particularly strong on paper. On his play this season it looks bad policy to move N. Winiata from centre to full-back. Against the Maoris, and in club matches, he has performed well at centre, and he could with

advantage be retained there, and move Moses out to the wing position. Horowhenua has‘not had a satisfactory full-back in the big matches

played so far this season, although ■Johnson performed well when he went on as emergency in the latter portion of the Maori game. Taylor, of Foxton, is well worth a trial in this position. His play at full in club fixtures fully justifies the opinion that he woud uphold his club reputation. It is satisfactory to note that Porter is among the local reps, although he had the misfortune to meet with an accident in the game against the Maoris. It is hoped he has sufficiently recovered to enable him to take the field on Saturday. > Moynihan Bros., of Shannon, played well for their club against Foxton on Saturday. Sands has also struck form, and the Shannon trio will strengthen the Horowhenua team. Jacob; Rangi Broughton and Bevan; who are away with the touring Maori team, will be missed from Horowhenua on Saturday. Sands will have Robertson, of Hui Mai, as a companion hooker in the front row of the Horowhenua scrum. The rest of the pack are a good lot, but Rhodes (Old Boys) has not been seen up this way in the wing forward position. He will have a pretty lively opponent in Leeder, of Manawatu. The Manawatu team reads very solid on papei\ and looks like the best the Union can get together. The forwards are a fast lot, and will keep Horowhenua moving. The game should prove fast and interesting. The North v. South junior rep. game at Otaki on Saturday should be a good game, but from the teams selected, South seems to have got the strongest side together. The goal-kicking in the WanderersWeraroa match was very weak last Saturday. Of the four tries scored, and the several chances from penalties and marks, not a goal was kicked. • The Wanderers’ back play was not up to the standard’of the Blacks’ previous games, and promising looking work often went astray at the critical moment.

G. Armstrong put in his first appearance for the Wanderers this season in last Saturday’s game.. He is one of the Wanderers’ stand-bys, and can always be reckoned on to do his bit among the forwards. T. Campion, wtih only two or three games this season, is showing a lot of his 'best form, and will soon be at concert pitch. At his best he can hardly, be kept out of . the Horowhenua rep. team. The Wanderers have an active trio among their younger forwards in Rose, Henderson and Holder. They should be the makings of more than useful players. Weraroa makes no pretentions to anything special in back play, but they have a hard-working lot of forwards, of whom Cole, Port, Finlayson and Read are always in the thick of it. Read made a great break-away last Saturday, and looked as if he might land a score. The junior game, Toko v. Rovers, on the Domain last Saturday, was one of the best seen this season. Both played keen, hard football, and the match was a better exhibition than the senior game on the adjoining ground. Toko has a fine stamp of three-quar-ter in Rowlands, a member of a wellknown football family. He has pace, and shows plenty of dash, and he fully justifies his place in the Northern, junior rep. team. White, first five-eighth, is another likely back. He cuts in neatly at times, and runs straight, which is a good point. Parr, at full back, also made a good show. Of a hard-working pack, C. Rowlands, Fry arid Parr were about the pick.

The Rovers were lighter all round tjian Toko, and this told in the long run. The Rovers play a good class of football, and though defeated were by no means disgraced. Among the backs Wilson, Phillips and Bishop, and Tantrum, Tatana, and Daly, of the forwards, were about the best.

HOROWHENUA UNION MEETS. The weekly meeting of the Horowhenua Rugby Union was held on Tuesday evening, Mr E. J. Nash presiding. It was decided that the names of Messrs. Burrows, Thomson, Parata and Sciascia be forwarded to the Manawatu Union for selection of a referee for the rep. match, Manawatu v. Horowhenua, on Saturday at Levin. On Mr F. Whibley’s motion; it was resolved that J. Hakaraia and Webbey, of Otaki Old Boys, Epid A. Bevan, of Hui Mai, be suspended pending their appearance before the Union on Tuesday next. A match, District High School v. Rovers Thirds, was arranged as a curtain-raiser to Saturday’s rep. game, the curtain-raiser to start at 1.30 if the weather is favourable. The Oroua Rugby Union wrote en-

quiring if July wds suitable for -a match with Horowhenua. It was decided to reply that July was unsuitable and that Horowhenua would communicate later re a date for a fixture. ; It was resolved that the ThirdGrade play a third round. The case arising out of the Shannon football fracas was mentioned and it was decided on the motion of Mr Dixon, that H. McDonald,. L. Buckman, J. Young, and H. Buckman be warned to Appear before the Union next Tuesday. The Union decided to .nominate H. Jacob and R. Moynihan for inclusion in the North Island rep. team. The country unions are getting plenty of attention from the N.Z.R.U. officials this season. At the Rangitikei-