RANFURLY SHIELD.

Shannon News, 11 September 1923, Page 3

RANFURLY SHIELD.

RETAINED BY HOLDERS. HAWKES. BAY 38, HOROWHENUA 11. (By our Special Reporter). At McLean Park, Napier, on Saturday last, Hawkes Bay, as indicated above,; definitely disposed ol Horowhenua in tlie match lor the Raniuriy Sheld. In explanation for tbe local team it must he stated that most of their players were recovering irom the influenza which attacked them in their training quarters at the Central Development Farm, and which definitely brought training operations to. a close on Tuesday, instead of Thursday as was intended. Given a team in perfect condition, however, there is hardly any doubt that • Hawkes Bay would .still have won. Their handling of the ball was masterly, /and when (they got possession they took no chances with kicks as long as there was any possibillity of passing-. There was not a weak spot in the team, which Worked like clockwork and‘had the Horowhenua representatives beaten in every department of the game. The feature of their game was the passing of the backs. They got practically all the ball from the serums, and in the line out, they almost invariably se- ( cubed it, -especially- in tile second spell', and got through the Horowhenua forwards like lightning, leaving the backs to do the blocking.

. The first thirteen points were- put up within as many minutes of the opening of the game, tlie dash arid snappy passing -of the Hawke s Bay men absolutely stunning their opponents. HorowlSenua woke up at this stage, and from , then until the end of the -spell looked as if they had achahce. Eight points whie scored and play remained in the Hawkes Bay 25 almost entirely. Horowhenua’s tackling; at this stage was deadly, and Jacob, Tahiwi, Wallace , Tana, and Meta Johnstone especially, time after time drew cheers from the crowd with, brilliant flashes of play. It was only a 'flash) in th© pan, howevter, and Hawke-s Bay’s fourth try was obtained so easily that it was evident that it was the beginning of the end. The second half was a debacle. The weather -and-ground Were perfect-, and the fact that the teani-s were known to be well matched in weight, the Hawkes Bay weights being: Backs list 131 b, forwards 13'st 51b • Horowhenua, backs list 131 b, forwards 13st 9 lbs, had\drawn what was estimated to be one of the biggest crowds to attend a match in' Napier during the season, there being between 4000 and 5000 people present. The weather was on the warm side, hut a light breeze, which was not ‘sufficient -'to affect, , play, kept the. players cooled somewhat.

THE TEAMS.* The teams were as follows HAWKES BAY (Black and White)-: Full-back: G. Yates'. Three-quarters: „ C. Falwasses, J. Kinvan, B: Grensicle. Five-eighths: G. Nepia, L. Paewa-i. Half: J. Mill. Wing-forward: Jr Walker. Forwards; A. Kirkpatrick, W. Irvine M. Brownlie (captain), C. Brownlie ’ .T. McNab, S. Gemmell, T. Daley, i HOROWHENUA/ (Red and Blue). Full-back: Meta Johnstone. Three-quarters: . Wallace, Tahiwi, Kelly. - ’ . , Five-eighths: Jacob (captain), MoSOS. i Half: McDonald. | Wing-forward: Broughton. I Forwards: Bevan, George, Moym--1 hail, Tana, Gardner. Koro. Howell. ! THE GAME. Paewai kicked off for Hawkes Bay at 2.45 p.m., the ball being followed' up by a hard forward rush, in which they gave an indication of their mettle hy snappy passing. Tahiwi intercepted, and raced down field and when half a chain from home had only Yates in front of him. A hold dash might have succeeded, but instead he kicked over Yates’ head. Horowhenua had followed up well, and in a scrambling rush got the ball over but lost it when a score seemed certain. From a scrum which followed, Hawkes Bay got -relief, and at the 25 Paewai picked up and shot the ball out- to Mill, who raced up to- the 25 before being grounded. M. Brownlie got possession and beating all opposition took the leather over, hut an infringement brought play back to the 25. A free kick to Horowhenula shifted the game: to -half-way. From the line out, M. Brownlie again picked up, and giving the dummy to two Horowhenua players, he ddshed through, but was, however,, grounded by Johnstone at the 25. the hall going out. The relief was short-lived, for from a splendid piece of passing through the whole Hawkes Bay backs. G-renside got over. Nepia kicked tbe goal. Hawkes Bay ... ... ... 5 Horowhenua 0 From'tbe kick-off, C. Brownlie got away but ran out and a- scrum followed, from which Mill secured and passed to Nepia to Paewae, to Falwasser, who got -over in the corner within a couple of m-inues of the first score. Nepia kicked a splendid goal. Hawkes Bay .. 10 Horowhenua 0 The kick off went -out 'and from a scrum which followed, a free kick was given against Horowhenua for failure to put Jhe ball in properly. I Nepia’s kick fell short. Moses got pos--1 session and made a run buit G. j Brownlie intercepted his pass, and sent it out to -his brother who was I downed by Johnstone on the line. A ; scramble followed, pla.y going back to j near the half way, where Falwasser picked up and giving the dummy to three opponents in succession, sent j it. to Paewae 15 yards from home. Paewae passed forward to- Nepia and a deserving piece of play failed on the line. Immediately after Daley kicked Ihe ball up from the 25 and following up lilce a dacehor.se, beat Johnstone in a race across the line, and scored. The kick failed. ITawkcs Bay ... 13 Horowhenua 0 > T-Tornwhenua were -plavlng very poor football at this stage. No attempt was made at concerted action. The team was dead and all a player seemed to think of was kicking tlie ball as soon as he got it . The result was that they gave possesion to the other side im-

m/ediately, and /Hawkes Bay made every use of it. The third score registered against them, however,, convinced them that a change- of tactics was necessary. Meta Johnstone saved an almost certain score by a timely mark, and again from the line out at tlie 25 Hawkes Bay got over, but offside pla.y by C. Brownlie saved the situation. Shortly after Bevan intercepted a! pass and took play" down to the Hawkes Bay 25, three scrums taking), place in rapid succession. From the last a. free kick gave Jacob a shot at goal from near half-way. A splendid kick struck the bar and bounced over. Hawkes Bay ... ... 13 Horowhenua 3 Horowhenua were now holding their opponents, an interchange of kiffts .leaving play at half way for the next ten minutes. A gradual pressure took the game to Hawkes Bay’s 25 where in a nice passing rush Jacob shot the ball out to Wallace, who was dumped 'on the line by Yates. A scrum followed and. Mill, ■breaking through, the ball passed from Paewai to Kirwan, who Was smothered by Jacob and' the ball went out at half way. Wallace failed to intercept- a pass a moment later and missed a certain score- but-immediately after Tahiwi carried the ball well down field and kicked it over Yates’ head. Kelly followed up and scored behind the posts. Jacob goaled. Hawkes Bay 13 Horowhenua 8

A spell of even play followed about half way. The game here was fast and open and first Hawkes Bay and then Horowhienuia -invaded the opposing 25. Hawkes Bay returned and Horn an -exciting forward scramble Nepia picked up, and dodging Johnstone rather easily, scored under the posts, converting the try (a few seconds later. Hawkes Bay ... ...... 18 Horowhenua , ... 8 The hell went a lew minutes later. The second spell opened with, agame attempt by Horowhenua to carry on an Offensive, hut -the team was done, and shortly went to pieces. The forwards were absolutely unable to withstand the attacks -of the opposing pack, Which ran through them in the line outs and. beat them.in open play. The tlackling also collapsed, players making attempts to collar high instead of getting down to- it. \ From a free kick to Hawkes Bay, Johnstone fumbled and securing m time oarried back and forced. Moyniban relieved, by a fine kick from the scrum which followed. Three free kicks were given to Hawkes Bay in ten minutes, splendid attempts in each case lacking direction. M. Brownlie scored the next try. A -high kick puzzled Johnstone, who over-ran. and Brownlie following up planted the ball near tlie corner, the kick failing. Hawkes Bay ... ... ... 21 Horowhenua ... 8

Gemmell scored the next try with a fine irun, right through the Horowhenua. pack from half way. Again the kick failed Hawkes Bay ... ... ... ... ... 24 Horowhenua 8

Horowhenua’s final score was the result- of a splendid- run by Jacob, who starting) near the opposite 25, carried the hall inside his own. He transferred to Moses, who carried it over, but was tackled on the- line and lost the ball. Moynihan threw himself on it and scored. Tlie kick failed. Hawkes Bay 24 Borowben-uia 11 The remainder of the game was a plucky attempt by a “done” team to keep the opposing score as low as possible. Hawkes Bay was untiring and gave them not amoment’s rest-, mid despite the fact that score after score was registered against, them, Horowhenua. were triers to tlie last. As mentioned above, tlie game ended :„ Ha.wkes Biav ... ... ... ... , 38 Horowhenua ... ••• ... 11 Mr G. Madd-ison (Basting's) was referee.

FOOTBALL FINALS.

FOXTON THIRDS BEAT HU I MAI. KOPUTAROA WIN JUNIOR PREMIERSHIP. The final for the third-class championship was played at Levin on Siatu.rrlay. wljfen F'oxto-n defeated I-lui Mai,'lo—o. The match for the final -of the junior championship was also played at Levin on Saturday between Otaki and Koputaroa, when the latter won, 21—0 (six unconverted tries and a penalty, jfoal to nil). Tlie Southerners’ hacks gave a wretched exhibition, and all were below third-class form, but the forwards proved a solid lot and more than held their own. The Koputaroa team was a. good, even one and made the most of opportunities. Their placekicking, however, was weak, otherwise their score would have been much larger. Mr Seymour controlled the game;