CARE-FREE FOOTBALL

Taupo Times, Volume III, Issue 139, 24 September 1954, Page 5

CARE-FREE FOOTBALL

MARRIED MEN v, SINGLE Care-free and entertaining football was the order of the afternoon on Saturday last at Taupo, when games were played to raise funds in connection with the Queen Carnival campaign. Two junior games were played, a midgets match in which Blue defeated Red by 12 — nil, and a junior match in which United 14 defeated a Combined team 6. The main match. Married v. Single, pleased the public, for it combined good piaying with a touch or two of the farcial. A humorous loud-speaker commentary kept the crowd informed of the referee's interpretations, often a little difficult to follow owing to changes which have crept into Rugby since the referee learnt his rules forty years ago. The teams were piped onto the field by Piper Mead, who belonged to both sides, married behind and single in front. The game began with orthodox piay, Michael Orr ,kicking off for the Single men into the arms of Tatana, who found touch. For a short time the superiority obesity of the Married men dominated play, but gradually the bachelors forced them back to halfway. The scroring was opened by the latter when Cosgrave picked up from a ruck and beat his opponents to go over in the corner, 3 — nil. The Single men's back line showed up promisingly and several times the ball travelled from Kahia to Reid to Cosgrove, but the Married defence held. Just on halftime Kahia worked the blind side, passed to Cosgrove, who sent Hoar on to score a second corner try, 6 — nil. On resumption, the Married men benefitted from a "pep" talk from unknown quarters, turning on good "forward" football with Bradley scoring twice to make the figures six all. Shortly after, the ball travelled from Davidson to Garlick to Morehu to Bradley for a try which gave Married a lead 9 — 6, increased by Tatana's conversion kick to 11 — 6. With the Married men tiring before their opponent's youth and vitality, K. Neame secured a try which reduced the married lead to 11 — 9. Later, a pass from Reid sent Cosgrove over for another try and the Married lear was turned to a deficit of one point, with the score 11 — 12 in the Single men's favour. Almost on time a burst of energy fjlom Tatana, Ellis, Morehu and Bradley culminated in a try beneath the posts, which Tatana converted, giving the Married men victory by 16 — 12. The referee was Mr J/M. Stanley (Married).