As Wairarapa Saw the Game

Shannon News, 9 August 1927, Page 3

As Wairarapa Saw the Game

HOME IMAM COMPLETELY OUTPLAYED. MASTERTON, Last Night.. The game between Wairarapa and Manawhenua will be remembered as one of the poorest exhibitions given by . the Wairarapa fifteen in recent years and forces one to ask were they ever a Shield team ? Wairarapa undoubtedly felt the absence of Roach and Quentin Donald, but even with these two great players .included it is doubtful if the result would have been diffc rent so completely outclassed were they. It is probable that having once beaten the Manawhenua team this •season Wairarapa regarded the game as easy and it must have been a rude awakening to them to find just how well the visitors played, Manawhenua forwards played an ixeelient game and though some of the team were allowed to get away with a fair. amount of offside play they were all round too good for the home team.

Wairarapa supporters were astounded with the poor game their team played and all that can be said in th. ir favour is that they tackled well and kept down what might have been a runaway score.

Throughout the v/hole game Mana•.vlionua were the superior force and their only weakness was in finishing i movement off which deprived them :-f a much larger and thoroughly deserved victory. f Irvine and Reid were unable to gain their share of the ball from the icrunis while the greens were regularly beaten for possession in the lineouts. Consequently the visitors were ihvays attacking and their exhibition >f handling Avas quite as good as anyhing that has been seen in Wairarapa his season.

Parsons and Galpin were the outstanding forAvards for Manawhenua while the A'eteran Jacob though giving nany penalties away for offside play od his side admirably. The Avhole pack Avas in excellent ottle and each contributed tOAvards he handsome success of the side. The pace they maintained Avas the mdoing of Wairarapa who hover at my stage looked like winning.

W. Parata, the half-back, played a plendid Avinning game and was a serviceable link between the forwards md the backs.

T. Parata, at inside five-eighth, was inclined to dwell and only occasionally did he do more than send the ball ■ilong to the men behind him.

Brophy was playing up to his best form before he retired just before the interval with an injured shoulder. Hunt, at centre, Avas the cleA’cr man of the side, being quick to seize on the errors of the Wairarapa team and to turn them to profitable account. The Avingorg Darragh and McDonald wore both superior to their opponents while Williamson, at full-back, avrs never bustled enough to haA r e occasion !o display his true worth as a last line of defence.

VioAved as a Avhole the visitors played Avith an excellent understand ing of each other’s methods. The forwards played right up throughout the whole game and on the few occasions that they Avere beaten for the ball they swarmed all over Hiroti and got well among the home backs to very good effect.

a The poor form of the Wairarapa forAvards Avas almost unbelievable For a A'ery brief period in the second spell when they were five points dOAvn they made a spasmodic effort but they

rever had any right to be within five points of their opponents. The All Black members of the pack were as poor as the rest and Keith Reid seemed to be the only player making an attempt to justify his inclusion . In footwork and in open play they had to strike their colours to a team which a fortnight before was no match for them. The reversal of form is hard to understand and there possibly is some truth in the assertion that Wairarapa under-estimated the strength of their opponents. Hiroti was unusually slow though on many occasions he received rather more than his dues from some of the visiting forwards on the blind side of the scrum.

Cundy made little headway and was always uncomfortable. The blue forwards got well among the Wairarapa backs who played mostly below junior standard and when.things were going against them in the second spell they slumped to such an extent that barely one of them excepting Cooke could field the ball.

Cooke’s operations were severely limited and with the exception of a brililant solo, try his game was the quietest he has played in the Wairarapa.

The three-quarters Guy Booth, SLringfcllow and Yates were very ordinary, while Bob Booth at full-back was not a shadow of his. old form and frequently had his side in difficulties. Manawhenua played the betteT game and thoroughly deserved their w:in. It did look at one stage that they would be unlucky enough to be beaten. But this was merely for a minute or so and they quickly came into their own again. After doing all the attacking and just missing many scoring opportunities they relaxed for a brief spell when Wairarapa rattled on ten points, a fluky try* by Harvey

and a brilliant effort by Cooke, both of whicli Cundy converted. The visitors quickly squared the scores, however, and on the run of play should have placed themselves further ahead.