HAMILTON’S BRILLIANT RUGBY VICTORY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 142, 6 September 1927, Page 12

HAMILTON’S BRILLIANT RUGBY VICTORY

PUKEKOHE OUTCLASSED Rarely has the Hamilton Rugby representative team produced the combination it did on Saturday, when it registered a substantial win by 43 points to 11 over Pukekohe, which sought to wrest the Peace Cup from the holders. Setting a torrid pace from the kick-off, Hamilton maintained it practically throughout, with the exceotion of an occasional slackening, and proved too hot for the visitors who Ron be 7l r , e I f arded as a tough proposition. At the conclusion of the game the pace which- had been set was evifatigued° th tCamS belnS thoroughly Pukekohe hud a fair following of supporters, who needless to say, were disappointed with the exhibition given by the team and found it hard to reconcile with its true form. The match was a fast-scoring one and the pace maintained in the earlv stages was terriffic. Hamilton swept down with great rushes and the visitors were kept too busy defending to initiate a counter-offensive. HOME FORWARDS IN FORM The Hamilton forwards excelled themselves and gave their best exhibits 01 ; this year, all playing with great dash. Ihe solid bulk of Courtney repeatedly forced its way through in the loose, when associated with W. Christie. The Hamilton lock made some good runs. His fast bursts were surprising at times. W. Christie worked very hard, and with Scott and Boncham, was always well up in support of the rushes. • H. Charleston did yeoman work and was one of the outstanding members of the Hamilton pack. He seemed tireless and never let up, although the pace, as the score indicates, was a cracker. Stubbs has this season come into the limelight rapidly. Last year he was playing junior grade and now he is one of the best forwards in the Hamilton pack. With experience he will develop into a very fine forward. His height is a great advantage in the lineout and he is not slow on his feet. His tall figure was to be seen in the van of the Hamilton pack throughout the game on Saturday. Of Bayly, there is no need to comment, for he always plays a sterling game. He works in with the backs remarkably well and is always handy to add the finishing touches. He was responsible for two of the Hamilton tries on Saturday. Tuck was in his element behind the scrum and had a joyful time throwing the ball to Carter and seeing the Hamilton backs go away in a line, passing with great precision. Del Carter played up to his best form and the Hamilton first five-eighths got through a lot of work. With Fitzgerald he sold the dummy well and made some excellent openings. The second five-eighth, Fitzgerald, played a fine game and sent Kemp racing away repeatedly after drawing the opposition. Fitzgerald scored a beautiful try early in the game, when he went through to the Pukekohe line and when soundly tackled, corkscrewed his way over the line in a remarkable manner. There is no doubt that Kemp plays a line game at centre and is as elusive as he is tricky. He wriggles through the opposition where another player would be quickly stopped, and once lie gets properly moving, makes a very determined run. Snodgrass and Buckingham both played good games and did all that was required of them on the wing. Badeley played soundly at full-back and was kicking'well, but he had bad luck with his attempts at conversion, one striking the posts and another the bar. CROTTY PLAYS WELL The outstanding player in the solid Pukekohe pack was R. Grotty, a power-fully-built forward, who got through a lot of work. Golding and Massey were also very prominent in the visiting vanguard. Wood, the Pukekohe centre, made the best of his limited chances, but was not well supported, though Lawrie and Bishop were a good five-eighths combination and occassionally stabbed through the Hamilton defence. S. Grotty was practically starved on the wing and hardly had an opportunity to stretch his legs, except in defendH 1 Spectacular, exciting and eventful, the game provided a great exhibition truly representative of the Rugby code and it was a treat to see the style m which the ball was thrown about.