RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Shannon News, 22 August 1924, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

HOROWHENUA AND NELSON DRAW FAST OPEN GAME. Ideal weather conditions iavoureu the liiid-weu*. repieauniauvo nxiure yesterday between tne touring neison team and tne*' Horownenua nueen. as was anticipated a close contest was witnessed' and the iairiy large asseui- j uiage 01 spectators came away U'om . ! uie Domain well sausiitd wiui J uie lust ana Open, u not Brilliant, uis- j piay given oy uie contestants, noro- • wnenua liaa the auvantage ui the son J in me first hialf, naving the western j guul-niie at tneir baCKS, nut in outer » respects the teams met on even wmn, appearing to be well matcued m tne easentiai matures of the pastime, aitiiougn the odcis were m lavour ox tue home players as to the weight put I into the scrums, The visiting combination came to this district, witn a record of tnree losses since leaving home, viz., against Wairarapa, Bush, and 1-lawkes Bay, and appeared to be quite satisfied m being able to nold jacoo and. Co. at bay. The teams were as follow: ' , Horowhenua—Hopa; D'Ath, Wilson and Johnstone; Hakaraia, Tahiki; T. Winiata; Jacoo (captain), McHerroil, Sands, Tana, Tatana, Moymrian, ueorge, McLean. Nelson.—Croucher; Wallace, Reid (captain), Wilkes; Garvin, Gbskeft; Mahoney; Woolf; Brownie, Taylor, Bennett, Barrett, Kinzett, Neiman, Webby.' - It will be noted that J. Hopa played full-back in place ol Meta Johnstone who went up to the three-quarter line in the place of Hakaraia, he playing wing in the first half and centre in the second, exchanging . places with Wilson. Hakaraia, in consequence of Moses being an played fiveeighth, while T. Winiata took the vacant place caused by Lenihan's absence. Sands hooked in place of Hakaraia. Mr N.. Be van controlled the game with evident satisfaction. THE PI^AY.

At the outset iiuruwhcnua attacked sliongiy, Sanus neing proinuieni, ui a passing rusn. Noisun nud to accept ii roroc-uown, and snortiy gaineu ronei from iree-iuCK, t-nen u maiK. a. woil-suiStainod passing movement on tne part oi me i»uu a*nu oiues was stuppeu ui good styio ny r oskett. Assisted; by .a iree-kicK i\fison invadea the loead territory, hut, a cieveriy tuKen mariv. and hne lack on the part ot Winiata was responsible lor traiisierring play to hull way. Althougn out-weigneju tun an ensuing scrum tire ball was obtained hy the Nelson half, and the backs "were seen to advantage in a brisk attack. The veteran George turned the movement by gaining possession oi tne leather and breaking, away witn the ball at his leet, but inissed,.a good opportunity oi scoring by over-run-ning. The visiting side was penalised shortly alter and Jacob tailed to make good with'the attempt to send the ban across the baa-. Play continued lor a time inside. the Nelson 25's, but Wilkes marked smartly arid gave his side relief. An attack in which George, who sent the ball to Tatana, on to D'Ath finished#with the latter getting pushed out near the corner. Nelson returning to the Horowhenua 25's, D'Ath filled a welcome defensive breach by kicking well • up the line. Excellent passing on trie part of the home backs, and a goou run by D'Ath again endangered the Nelson goal-line t but his pass wa= missed. At this stage play was particularly last and open,, hist one sioe-aiiu then the other claiming an advantage. From a well directed centring movement, and the use of long distance passes, the Black and White backs pressed trie. Horownenua. Up. and down the line went the players, till Wallace, an ever prominent player, dived across the coveted line. Wooil, with a good kick, was unsuccessful m the effort to add the major points. Nelson '6, Horowhen'uia 0. Shortly after resuming Jacob, whose tackling had been a leature of note, dashed into the territory, but was brought down hi due course. A free kick was awarded Horbwiienua, but Jacob was not successful in attempting toi goal. Following upon an exchange of kicks, Hopa, heid trie ban too long;, and the alert Wallace gained possession, being grounded Hearing the line. Horowhenua made ah onslaught upon tire Nelson line, and Wilson made a bold bu/t unsuccesstui bid to equalise the" score. In open play Johnstone was conspicuous; A iree kick to Horowhenua enabled Hopa to pilot the ball over the goal. Horowiienua ?, NeLson 3. In the course of a minute or two Nelson made good use of a passing opportunity, and Foskett transferring to Mahone'y. who crossed near the corner-flag. Woolf's attempt to convert did not rise to the occasion. Nelson 6, Horowhenua 3. A Red and Blue forward attack was repelled by Croucher, a sale defender, who sent the bail', well up the line. The Nelson lock,. Bennett, was knocked-out, and had to retire in favour of Cross. Play hovered ts in the home 25's, Mahoney being a troublesome attacking back, a powerful kick gaining much ground for his team. Tne spell ended with an interval, oi patchy play in progress w.lthin tiie Nelson preserves. SECOND HALF. With three points leeway to make j up, Horowhenua entered vigorously into the initial phases of the second spell. Foskett led a Nelson visitation I beyond the home 25 line, but a penal|ty kick was awarded Horowhenua. I Shortly afterward the Black and White I citadel was approached Jacob, lam,wi and Johnstone being active. A i well-directed Nelson passing, movement was stopped by llakaraia, who carried play into the opposing quarters where Mahoney smartly saved -iiy forcing down. Following a scrum near the Nelson line a free-kick fciueu the side and Wallace was m the limelight again with a spectacular rim down the touch-line. He ™ as *oW" ever, pushed out of nd * \n,i .n nick' of time. Play was confl up J neutral ground for a tune U «e Io owhenua mistakenly sought piogu.^

by means of a passing bout m i-.ru-neld instead oi KiCKing nign lying upon, tne lonovv-up ol a'ttacK. iNeison exerted pressmo ..nd nopa saw nt to seeiv refuge by ca-ly-ing the bail bacK m-goui, wxih a resultant scrum near, the line, rwiu a passing movement Johnstone ed the nail and made considerable ground with ins run, nut was nut uaequateiy backed up. .eiay in the Neison territory, seizing an opportuimy —die is »ctu oia: "w.anting" hi litis respect —paiscuu to , Wnsou, a my rcaulung. liopii a ditheult arigie was unarjie to> adu tne necessaay winnmg points. . worownenua Nelson 6. interest natuiahy necame pa.vtoularly Keen, anu eaon side mauc v.>ciy possible ehort gam tne upper-nium. jacohgot away in great siyie; uw*l a lorw-aru nieiee, nut was stopii-vu m good tune hy Croucner. fieasmg open —tne bail neing tosseju lu aiuacuve lnajiner,—ensued tor several minutes, the fortunes Oi tiie nemg eveniy divided. j«iCOJ> ce-.ned with a lugii kicK, and -the nail coming oacK siumariy, riopa lound the iui.e, along wnicn uie pni,y tneii wageu. jacod marked, arid- u& Nelson return was taken weii hy Wilson who ujscrcetly <used tne line. A deteiinnied Horowhenua invasion was once again turned back by a good kick on the , part oi Croucher—a lull back ol quality. A mark by Foskett reLieveu the pressure on Neison, -and the next incident of note was anexceptioiiaL run made by Hakaraia. Back came the play to the eastern end and Jonnstone saved m good style, wmie George, Jacob, and Hakaraia were prominent m ueiensive work, carryiing play into the neutral zone. Nelson being penalised for off-side piay Jacob liad a shot from near hall-way, this being it" good but ineffective eifort. Wilson centred to advantage and an open attack on the Nelson line followed. , Tahiki, Hakaraia, and participated in-a., good passing attack, then followed meritorious individual efforts on the part of Wallace and Mahoney of the opposing side. Pressure on the local line was relieved by a good kick by Hopa. The bell sounded time, with the scores even—a true indication of the relative merits of the opiposing sides as revealed in tne afternoon's generally bright and entertaining exposition. A good antidote to e League code! Nelson meets Wanganui on Saturday.