TAUPO BEAT UNITED AND TIHOI WON AT HOME IN SATURDAY'S SENIOR RUGBY

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 45, 10 June 1965, Page 6

TAUPO BEAT UNITED AND TIHOI WON AT HOME IN SATURDAY'S SENIOR RUGBY

In what could well be described as the "gun" match of the early season's competition games for the Garrett Shield, Taupo forged its way to a close, but well deserved, 8 — 3 win on Saturday, beating last year's shield winners, United. Out of town, Tihoi, a most difficult team to beat on its own ground, bustled its way to a convincing 16 — 5 win over COB and in doing so threw out a strong hint it will be in the running for top honours later in the season. The long-awaited TaupoUnited drawcard produced a torrid, exacting forward struggle and the close bustling, spoiling type of game tended to lead to mishandling and constant infringements in passing movement and rucks. Never-the-less, the closeness of the score and the spectacle of two tough packs striving for mastery up front added excitement to a match which lacked colour as an open spectacle. There were several outstanding players on the day. Taupo's fullback G. Furlong, second five-eighth A. Walker and new powerful lock, A. Thompson, showed plenty of vim and determination to hold United at bay in a vital period in the second spell. United backs L. Rameka, M. Gordine and C. Williams received few chances to show their pace from set play, although the latter two looked business - like with the ball in hand. Charlie Williams hooked well and gained most of United's lineout possession. He received fair support from regular toilers, K. Palmer, M. Hurae and D. Rameka, but their efforts were not sufficient to master a tireless, determined Taupo

eight whose fitness and mobility surprised many. ♦ The game had its scrappy periods due to passing movements breaking down, thanks to bustling loose forwards and tight marking, hard tackling backs. United gained plenty of possession, but wasted most of their hard-earned ball by misjudged kicking to coolly competent Taupo fullback, Furlong, whose positional play and long punishing toueh-finders took the sting out of the opposition offensive. Taupo crackled through in the opening seconds from the kick-off to score a converted try under the posts after five-eighth A. Walker had made a timely interception to jink over for Furlong to convert. Winger Gordine scored a deserved try for United following the interval, but the conversion by S. Rutene from wide out failed. Furlong kicked a 28-yard penalty following a United infringement after 30 minutes to make the game safe. Mr J. W. Arthurs was the referee.