HUI MAI 20, DEFEAT WERAROA 3.

Shannon News, 2 August 1927, Page 3

HUI MAI 20, DEFEAT WERAROA 3.

Striking evidence that interest in the Club competition is at a very low ebb became manifest on Saturday, when the salient ' feature about the game, played on the Levin Domain, being the entire lack of enthusiasm on the part of both players and specta--1 tors fllik6. Weraroa started off "with only twelve players, including two third grade boys, and carried oivuntil reinforcements arrived, with the result that Hui Mai hardly took the game seriously, and thyhandful of spectators present were called upon to witness a very ragged exhibition. Levin Wanderers were scheduled to meet Awahou at Weraroa, but the latter team did not put in an appearance and the game failed to eventuate, while County registered a comfortable win over Shannon at Shannon. THE GAME.

Hui Mai attacked in the early stages per medium of their forwards, and weak play by the Weraroa second fiveeighths saw Bryant just miss a score in the corner. 1 The white forwards headed upfield and, aitted by Johnston, who badly missed. the ball, removed play past mid field.

The respite was only of a temporary nature for, from a scrum at the centre, Hui Mai gained possession and Tauhora shot the leather out to Wallace, on tc Enoka, who outpaced the defence, tc score in the corner. Johnston converted with a good kick. Hui Mai 5, Weraroa 0.

A good solo effort by Ecllin, supported by Broughton, placed Weraroa in a favourable position when play restarted, but on the white forwards opening out to the men behind them, the ad vantage was lost through lack of combination. However, the Weraroa forwards more than holding their own against their heavier opponents, kept activities in Hui Mai’s 25. Booth marked in a handy position and had bad luck with his kick,- the ball sailing just outside the posts, after which, the white forwards carried the leather ovei the line with a loose rush, but Nahona badly obstructed Johnson, and Hui Mai relieved;

The green backs almost immediately became prominent again, and after jthe ball had travelled from man to man, Gray successfully topped the movement by fending a couple of opponents off, scoring wide out. Johnston missed. Hui Mai 8, Weraroa 0. The speedy Hui Mai backs were now dominating the game, and kept activities at Weraroa’s end and a spell oi open play culminated as Bryant retrieved the oval after Enoka had fumbled during a passing rush, and galloped over for another try. Johnson again failed to improve, making the score 11 — O.

It was mostly all Hui Mai now, and only -on rare occasions did Weraroa manage to get past their twenty-five. When they did it was to be sent bach by the speed of the green backs, and half-time arrived with Weraroa endeav. oaring to . keep the score down, as low as possible. Play in the second spell was even more ragged than in the opening stages, yrith Hui Mai still in the ascendancy, and after a period of desultory play on Weraroa’s 25, Tauhora gained from a serum, dummied his way through the opposition, threw out a long pass to Gray who scored his second try. Wallace’s kick fell short. Hui Mai 14, Weraroa 0. Weraroa plugged away gamely, and drove the greens back on the defence. Their lucky star was not in the ascendancy, however, for on one occasion McDonald missed a score by inches in the corner after fast following up, then R. Cole was just pushed into touch a yard from- the line on the opposite side after receiving a pass from Bull. In no way deterred, the local men came again and this time success rewarded their efforts as McDonald beat Wallace to a touch down after the leather had crossed the line. R. Cole narrowly missed. Hui Mai 14, Weraroa 3, This was the signal for Hui Mai to jagain assert themselves, and play had not long been in progress when, after some loose play in the centre, Gray gained possession and running determinedly, did the “hat trick/’ by diving over in the corner. The kick missed. Hui Mai 17, Weraroa 3. Tana then had no difficulty in adding the final try as he coolly robbed a defending player of the ball, and touched down near the posts. The final bell sounded as Bryant failed with an easy kick, leaving the scores 20—3 in Hui Mai’s favour. Mr J. Smith controlled the game.