FOOTBALL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3583, 20 September 1920, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

! THU POWNALL TROPHY. RANGITIKEI v. TAIHAPE. The Taihapo Eugby :representut:.e team journeyed to Marion on Saturday to play the EangEikei representative team for the Fownall Trophy, which Taihape lost to Eangitikei in the- first game played for the honour of holding the trophy. Every member of the team selected made the trip., and :ho team selected to represent Rangitikei I were all available. A large number of Taihape sports went to Marton with the team, and there was a good atendance ai* the match. The ground was in perfect order, and the day was all that could be desired. When the teams took the field, the advantage of weight appeared' to be with the home team, but ttie visitors also impressed the spectators with their fine appearance. The start was delayed for some time on account of a photographer being busy with the j teams. THE PLAY. Prom the kick-off the play was fast and loose, and the Greens rushed the ball into Bed's territory, where the defenders were penalised and Tau kicked a fine goal from a difficult angle. J

Rangitikei 3, Taihape 0. The Red forwards got going In the loose, and Batley picked up the ball, but. passed badly when in a good position. Greeny were penalised, and Belliss kicked across the field, but the backs were not (expecting the ball to go that way, and no advantage was gained. The /-Reds ' kept play in Greens' 25 for a few minutes till Payne saved with a good line. kick. The Reds started a fine passing rush, and play went fo centre at the 25 flag and then back to the wing again, tfie backs Cutting in to fill their places with machine-like precision. Gircoms. were penalised] in their 25, but Collier, missed the goal. fxjose play followed The drop-out. and the green forwards rapidly transferred play to Reds' 25, but thk> ball went j over the lane, and Reds forced. The. '

kick out was wo.'i fOJiC-vvcd up, out uo U,\x\ autcigo was &h.luO<*, «*e> ouUi*ii .ushed play into the Reds' territory again,. and Belliss just beat him for the ball when it went.' over the line. After the drop-out, Egglun secured the ball aud got in a good run along the line, scoring a good try. Tau failed to convert.

Rangitikci 0, Taihape 0. After some fast, even play, one of the Green backs' intercepted a low kick, when .he Red forwards headed by Belliss looked dangerous, and took play well down the iidd. The Greens got going in a passing rush, and Tau. missed the puss When in a scoring position. The Greens were playing a strong fast game, and for several minutes they .kept the Reds defending until a penalty in the 25 relieved the "pressure. Play went to the Greens' 25, and Rowe kicked out in the 25. From the line out. the Green forwards took play to the Reds' 25 by a-- f-st rush, and the Reds were penalised after another line-out. Tau made a good kick, but niisscd, ihe goal. Soon afterwords, Sullivan was penalised for off Side, and Tau missed again with the kick. Collier took the ball behind theline, and ran out instead of forcing, gaining a lot of ground, which took play into .he Greens' 25, where the Greens wtere penalised, and Collierkicked' a nice goal. Eangitikei 6, Taihape 3.

From a line-out about half-way,. McAuliffe marked and the kick was' well followed up by the forwards, but thi ba l U went out in the 25. The Greens quickly transferred play to Reds' territory, Tau putting in a good. run. but the ball later went to Belliss, who took it along in fine style until tackled wear the corner flag, the ball going out. For a li tie while the Reds were getting the best of the play, and Greens werjo penalised, but Collier missed the goal, though the kick was a good one. From the drop-out, the ball went :'o Dockery, who found the line. From the line-out, the Rangitikei forwards got going in a fas,t rush, but Healey found the line. The Greens got going again, and Belliss was penalised for holding on to the ball with his Legs, Ntera taking .'he kick and, landing a fine goal from nearly halfway, Rangitikei 9, Taihape 3. The .Green forwards were getting the best of the scrums, and wera superior in the line-cut, the result being that they hep' up a strong attack for some.time-. Their loose rushes were keeping the* Red backs busy till Tuke and Collier took the play out of the 25 from a scrum. The Reds looked dangerous when,the ball went from Sincair to Collier to Eos?, who missed scoring. A little later, Collier passed to Sinclair when in good position, but the latter missed the pass and 'Tau found the line. Reds were penalised, and McAuliffe ma-ked from the kick. Play was centred* and the speil ended with the score: Rangitikei 9, Taihape 3.

Soon after the start, Tau intercepted near half-way, and Greens might 'have scored but for a knock-on. There Oine-outs took place near the Reds line and the Greens pressed ve*y hard. Reds secured from a scrum near the line, and a line-kick to half-way brought relief. After the line-out. Hay secured and "found the line near the corner flag. From tic line-ouf the ball went to Murphy, who rushed over the line. Collier converted with a fine kick.

j Rangitikei 9. Taihape 8. I The Reds set out after the winning-. points, and for som<e ."time ;hcy kept ! the Green backs bu&y. First, Belliss came with a mighty rush, and just missed scoring. R.' Collier then got . going, but lost the ball in a good position. Maher took a mark, but' the kick at goal was too low. E, Collier got in some great work, and he opened the game up considerably. Dockery took a good mark, but the kick was too hard and Greens marked behind the line. The Kick was well followed up, and a little kver the ball come back to the Greens' 25. Sullivan followed up strongly and narrowly missed scoring, Greens forcing. After a lino-out near the SJTflag, Belliss came again with a mighty .rush,' but kicked too hard. Just after "he drop-out, Tan got away on his own, and -was going well when collared l>y Sinclair. Pla? went to midftehl for a lsme till H. Collier and Murphy took play _ fo Greens territory by good, dribbling, with the result that E, Collier got up in time to score. The attempt ro convert was a failure.

Taihape 11, Rangitifcei 9. The Reds kept up the attack, and continued i'o get the better of the game for* some time. Beffiss marked and kicked high, but the forwards did not get up in time. BcHHss took-a pass from Batley, and made a strong ■ run, but was collared on the line. Two line-outs in the 25 folded, and the Greens got going with a fast Tush which took play into the Reds' 25, from where Hoalcy found the line. From the line-out the bal' came to -

Hay, who snapped it up on {'he run, but threw forward. After the scrum, the ball catnp tn Tan, who found the line. Greens got going- in a loose rush, which waa stopped by Healey finding

.the line. Beiiss again cam/with the intention of forcing his way through, but kicked too hard when tackled. Sullivan .returned the kick, and Joblin marked, and a little later McAulin'c fountf the line. The Bea forwards got, going, iu a good rush, but Nera saved by finding the. line. The Greens got going in a loose .rush", which was saved 'by good cackling, and Maher found the line. Tau intercepted a pass near the centre and streaked away on his I own. He was going well, but kicked . to avoid being tackled, and raced for j the bate, Heaiey just getting in ahead | of him. Had ne not. lucked so hard, he must' have scored. The Greens in- | Btiruted a series of vigorous rushes, j and the 'play was all in their favour for some minutes. A loose rush was saved by McAuliffe, who found the j line. The play was now very fast, j and the Beds were being hard pressed j sit times. Hay was transferred to half-way, and Greens gained u lot of ground with a passing rush. A loose rush- by the Taihape forwards took play to luff-way, and the ball was gradually worked down the line to j Greens' 25. A passing rush by the Beds, and Maher failed to take the pass from Collier. Bayne found the line. McAuliffe figured prominently in converting defence into attack, and E. Collier was also prominent. The Beds opened up the pvay and threw the ball about, and their change of play was effective, as at times they were unlucky not to score., After a line-out, the ball went to Maher, who passed to Collier, who kicked too hard. Collier and McAuliffe again took play to the Greens' 25 from half-way, but the Greens got back to the Beds' 25 in a loose rush. Bose saved with a good kick. Belliss came down the line at a great pace, but Tau got him. Greens worked the ball along the line, to the Beds' 25, but Batley rook play to the centre. Another loose rush by the Greens was spoiled by off-side play, and Belliss found the line half-way. The Greens made some very strong efforts to score, and their loose rushes took a lot of stopping. The Red backs seemed.to go'to pieces all at once, and the Green forwards were getting all over them, but they were too eager, and failed to score. " ,

The last Seven minutes, and the 1 Greens looked like winning. They had the Reds pinned' down i'o their and on several occasions they just missed scoring. The excitement became intense, as scramble after scramble on the Beds' line took place and the Keds made One or two rather' flaky saves. On one occasion McAuliffe got I'he ball out, rind loose play followed, of which the Reds had a tem- ! porary advantage, and Cofier.tried to save the position by having a pot at goal, 'which missed. From; line-outs in the Reds' 25, and from scrums near the line, the Greens were getting the ball, and on several occasions they got over the line, but "failed to win out in the scrambles. A penalty "relieved the Reds temporarily, but the Greens came again, and Belliss found the line. The Reds had just got' in a passing rush, in which Tuke, Sinclar, Maher and Collier Itime was caf.led with the score: '« ' Taihape 11, Rangifikei 9.

The Pownall Trophy thus comes back to Taihape after a game which iwMU) he historic on accoumt of its strenuousness, and for the excitement. On the day's play, it would be difficult to say which is the better tea% as Rangitikei had decidedly the better of the play in the first spell, and for the latter part of the second spell. Another meeting between these teams would he neessary to decide the point. Mr. Atkinson controlled :ho game most ably and efficiently. THE JUNIOR COMPETITION. PIRATES DEFEAT UTTCnX. On Saturday, the Pirates sprung a surprise by defeating Utiku at Utiku by 16 points to nil. The competition was looked upon as being practically won by Utiku, but as the result of Saturday's game, Pirates and Utiku ■will have to play off for the cup.