SUB-UNION RUGBY

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 176, 10 June 1955, Page 3

SUB-UNION RUGBY

Taupo Defeats Rotorua 13-9 The game between the Taupo Subunion representative team, and one of the two senior teams chosen to represent Rotorua on the Queen's Birthday, was interesting and exciting. Played .on the Taupo School ground, it drew a good number of spectators and there was not a dull moment. The final score was Taupo 13, Rotorua 9. The ground was dry and the weather remained fine, Taupo playing with the easterly breeze behind them in the first half. Following a few minutes -of give-and-take ph|/, Barry Thomas was prominent in a forward rush that swept the ball from halfway into the Rotorua twenty-five, where wing threequarter Macken got possession and scored a beautiful try in the south-west corner. Kopu excelled himself with the kick and Taupo led 5-nil after seven minutes play. In the early stages of the first half the Rotorua backs handled the ball several times in a promising manner, but they lacked the penetrative power shown in the first half by the Taupo backs, and after the first eight or 10 minutes Taupo had the upper hand practically throughout the half. Both forwards and backs played sound football, and every man seemed to do a full share. Taupo's second try followed a hard run down the sideline by wing threequarter J. Biddle, from halfway into the twenty-five, where D. Rameka, who played at centre, got possession and went over, Kopu converting to make the tally 10-nil, .17 minutes from the start. Taupo kept Rotorua on the defensive, and 13 minutes later a penalty to Taupo allowed Kopu to kick a goal, 13-nil. ,Shortly before halftime, Rotorua were awarded two penalties within scoring distance but both kicks, by Te Whata and Van Den Berg, failed. Following half-time, the Rotorua team began to go better, their first score coming after quarter of an hour, when Van Den Berg kicked a nice penalty goal to make the score 13 — 3. A minute or two later the Rotorua forwards rushed the ball into the Taupo twenty-five, and siderow forward J. Barry picked up, shook off a high tackle and putting on speed went over for a yery nice try. The kick failed and the figures were 13 — 6. Rotorua were now keeping Taupo on the defensive, and it was not long before T. Nuri, the Rotorua captain, playing first five-eighth, got the ball following a five-yard scrum and went over, bringing the visitors' tally to nine. The kick again failed. For a time Taupo took the offensive, following a foray into Rotorua's twenty-five led by Macken. Barry Thomas was again prominent, when he went through, from halfway to within 10 yards of the line with the ball at his feet, in brilliant manner. Summarising, it would be fair to say that Taupo was the better team, that both their backs and their forwards played the best football seen in Taupo this season, and that there were no "passengers" in the team. The Rotorua team showed promise, but movements didn't come off, and even when they pressed Taupo in the latter part of the second half they just missed the finish that was needed. But they kept going, and shared with Taupo the credit of playing hard and clean Rugby. The teams were as follows : Rotorua: Van den Berg; P. Kapua, E. McAllister, F- Whata; J. Moore, T. Nuri (captain); Waipouri, half; Tuhoro ; W. Heke, Rogers, T. Whata, J. Barry, R. Petre (vice-captain) , Winiata, G. . Jensen. Mr Glasgow was manager, and Mr Reeder assistant manager. Taupo: T. Hartley ; J. Biddle, D. Rameka, D. Macken : M. Gavern, D. Panapa ; C. Baker, half: J. Habib, No. 8 : G. Kopu, B. Thomas, R« Henry, G. Vedder, J. Wall, D. Wroodward, A. Grey.