MANAWHENUA RUN WAIRARAPA CLOSE.

Shannon News, 13 July 1928, Page 4

MANAWHENUA RUN WAIRARAPA CLOSE.

Only Five Point Margin in Big Score Game.

GOOD DISPLAY BY THE RED, WHITE AND'BLUES.

In the presence of a crowd of approximately 4000 people, Manawhenua yesterday went down to Wairarapa by the narrow margin of 25-20. Itwasa game, with the honours, except in the last quarter; of an hour very even. Indeed MaaaWhe"nua outbid the expectations of even their most sanguine-supporters, in running the formidable Waira-

There were slight alterations when the teams lined out; Yates on the left Wairarapa wing was the • only absentee from the green ranks, Faulknor taking his. place. Dalzell and Conrad did not answer, the Manawhenua roll call, and it was found necessary to call upon Heatley and Miles tofill,the,gap. The.teams were as follows:

Wairarapa (green): Cormack,. Jury, Striagfellow, Faulknor, Cooke, Cundy. Hart, Parker, Willoughby, M'Gregor -Beside, Beid, Fairbrother, Donald, M/Calmont. •Manawhenua (red, white and blue), • Williamson, Darragh, Westwood, Boberts, T. Parata, Akuira, W. Parata, Waldin, Parsons, Miles, Heatlcy, Gaipin, Crawford, M' Donald, Tatana. The Game, Play opened quietly enough, Parata •kicking up field, for the greens to return to Williamson, who fielded a high ball excellently. Akuira gained ground with a well judged liner. Following an exchange of kicks, the rival packs staged offensive and counter offensive with fast dribbling rushes. Cooke kicked across field to Darragh, who seemed uncertain. An opportune free kick to Manawhenua, saw the. reds and whites relieve, but in an instant Cooke flashed into, the picture intercepting a pass ; to short, punt over Williamson's head. The full-back very opportunely got in Cooke's way and /the referee gave: a penalty against Manawhenua. Cundy ? s kick was very close, but the flags remained do.w a,, * Manawhenua ,Score First. Wairarapa pressed hard in the forwards, it requiring two good liners before Manawatu raised, the seige. A ' penalty against -Wairarapa for off-side play saw Tatana line well up with a fine kick. Boberts burst into the picture on the right wing only to be pulled down immediately.; Loose and indeterminate play saw Westwood putting .in some useful work with the boot. The blue scrummagers drove hard down field, Westwood transferring to Boberts who shot up the Jtine into the corner where * he short punted past Cormack for Westwood, following fast, to go down on the ball amid a roar of cheers from the stand. Akuira converted with a magnificent kick. Manawhenua 5 Wairarapa ......V 0 Wairarapa Even. The forwards settled down to mill it solidly in mid-field Donald broke up the party with .some solid work. A period of;;;> Vsomewhat aimless play, saw a loose > Wairarapa tush, throw Manawheflua back to thpir defences. Hurt si do stepped his way through the press to transfer to M' Gregor, who, despite a blue clinging round his ankles, found his weight sufficient to take him across. Cooke converted. Wairarapa 5 Manawhenua 5 Manawhenua Ahead. Once again the packs settled down to ~ discuss matters at length, until> T, Pa- - rata burst through a* Wairarapa: attack with the ball at his toe. Darragh came up to lend a helping hand with Galpin close in attendance. Snapping up in the press,.M'Donald sent a long pass to Crawford, who, catching the greens*out of position,'beat the defenders' across, to score in a good position. Akuira failed. Manawhenua 8 Wairarapa 5 Again all Square.

Wairarapa 13 Manawhenua H Manawhenua Lead at Half-time.

Manawhenua ......... Wairarapa Second Half.

Wairarapa hit back solidly with a vengeance. From a rush Donald gave the -ball to Cundy for the backs to handle, and Cooke drawing Williamson/

let'Faulknor have the.leather to score in.: the corner, Cooke found the angle \vQ difficult. Manawhenua 8 Wairarapa , 8 At this stage Beside hadto retire, being replaced by Le Quesne. The blue forwards forced play into Wairarapa 's 25, wheie the. green hookers were penalVised.for lifting in the serum. The kick :gave,Akuira a chance to again put •' Manawhenua.ahead,.with a fine; kici

Wairarapa Manawhenua The Final Score.

rapa-combination to such a close margin. At one-stage of the match they led the greens 20-13 and were r unmistakably dominating the play. Indeed the red White*and blues, in both backs and forwards, held the upper hand during many portions of the game. liwas in the last quarter of an hour that the game was Ibit'and won. During those final stages, the Manawhenua players seemed badly tired while the elusive Wairarapa backs, showed up in a succession of dangerous passing movements whixih broughttheir score up ifrom 13 to 25. Even then, with the score at-25-20, Manawhenua had the chance to draw ahead again, when, two penalties were given them, both within good ticiing distance. The Manawhenua forwards had distinctly of matters in.the loose but. had to give way to Waicauapa in the tight. Botti sets of backs were patchy. feoake and Cundy being the star men of the Wairarapa rearguard. Making due allowance for Manawhenua's lack of opportunity : to achieve combination, their showing against .the strong Wairarapa side was. most promising and will raise hopes tor the southern tour.

which sailed dead and true between the pOStS. ■JJ.ii Manawhenua • H Wairarapa • 8 Wairarapa Lead. It was Wairarapa's turn to make the points, and like a hash their backs came away, all the backs handling to Jury who, racing round, transferred in agaiH to Cooke, who forced. Wairarapa fs hopes were dashed suddenly, however, with the referee's whistle ruling the pass "forward. Nothing deterred the greens swept Manawhenua back agaii* lighting every inch of the way. Tackled round the ankles, Hart sent a long pass to Cundy who ran round the defender* to score wide out. Cundy goaled witii a fine kick to put Wairarapa ahead for the first time in the match.

The day was not yet done, however, and swiftly Manawhenua staged their counter offensive. Akuira caught Stringfellow in possession and the ball travelled across to Darragh, who: in tu.m was promptly dealt with by Cooke. Prom the resulting scrummage, W. Parata worked the blind to Darragh, who fell over almost on the corner flag. "Once more Manawhenua was ahead as flags went thumbs down on Akuira '& kick. The half-time bell went immediately afterwards, finding Manawhenua witn the slender lead of one point.

Opening the second half with the sun in their eyes, Wairarapa were forced to their defences, where Galpin, snapping up the leather from Waldin, who had been brought down, smashed his way through the press to score unclei the posts. Akuira missed an easy kicic Manawhenua • 17 Wairarapa 13 The blues, both fore and aft, were having the better of matters at this stage Working the blind W. Parata cut out a couple of green forwards with a side step, to transfer to Akuira, to Roberts, who was pushed out well in green territory. Maintaining their pressure, the blue forwards hammered the defence, where from a set to, Tatana secured and fell over wide out. The big lock failed to convert his own try, Manawhenua %U Wairarapa 13 Stirred by these recurring reverses the greens attacked savagely on the left wing, where Jury, securing, beat Darragh badly, to cross well out. Cundy failed with the kick. Manawhenua 20 Wairarapa 16 The green backs, finding themselves up against, it, came to light with three dangerous rushes, all of which were summarily dealt with until, W. Parata hard behind his sternly defending forwards, temporarily relieved with a fine "liner." Nothing deterred, the greens' swept into action, Hart sending his backs away in a seutillating gallop that saw Stringfellow, accepting from Faulknor, run round Roberts, and score behind the posts. Cundy's kick was charged down, to put Wairarapa but a point behind. Manawhenua 20 Wairarapa 19 Wairarapa Pull Up.

Fighting hard to gain the lead the green backs again swept through the defenders, the elusive Cooke beating Roberts only to be squashed by Williamson and Wcstwood. Eeid and Stringfcllow following fast, looked dangerous, but Parata managed to put the ball out of play. Wairarapa were hammering the blues hard at this stage, only frequent infringements nullifying their efforts. W. Parata sent play back to half way with a splendid kick, but like a flash Jury burst down field in a spectacular solo dash. Punting over Williamson, the winger collided with the big fullback, only to turn and pick up again to score in the corner. Cooke failed.

Manawhenua were tiring badly and the greens maintained their ascendancy in both backs and forwards. The lea-

ther passed along the back line to Stringfcllow who kicked infield for Cooke, following fast; to go down on t!ie ball. Cundy failed with the kick Wairarapa 25 Manawhenua ro The blues had still a lot of kick in them, however, their pack men driving the greens down field where an unfor» tuflate infringement by Cormack , saw Tatana given a great opportunity to kick a penalty. The big lock could not raise the flags, however, nor could Akuira who tried a little later from further out. 1 ' With five minutes to go Manawhenua were showing distinct signs of tiredness, but were, nevorthelG;;. keeping their end up solidly enough. Crawford, with the ball at his toe, broke through ably backed by his fellow pack men who took the leather well into green territory before the attack was stemmed. Time and the Wairarapa defence, however were too much for Manawhenua, and the game ended 25 —20 in Wairarapa 'a favour. Mr. Tom Parata controlled the game.