FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 99, 4 August 1910, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

11 SOUTHERN DIVISION OHAMPION- |- SHIP. ] WAIMATE (23) v. OKAIAWA (8). \ ' '■ | Alf UNINFECTED DEBACLE. : There was a big attendance yesterday at Bayly Park, Hawera, where, the Waimate and Okaiawa senior fifteens played 'off the final of the Taranaki Rugby Union's, championship as far as the southern division was concerned. The teams had met twice this season, and on each occasion honors were even, and they finished the actual cup fixtures with an equal number of points. The score in yesterday's encounter, placed the division premiership beyond doubt. Okaiawa's weakness became apparent to the keen observer of the game.during the ifirst spell, but no one even dreamt that it was to develop into such a lamentable display. From the moment that Wainiate established a six points lead the game was theirs, and their score was limited only by the time at their disposal.' The Okaiawa men fell from grace completely, their forwards being unable to repel the opposing vanguard or to instiv tute dangerous rushes in return, except on few occasions, whilst two of" the threequarters and the full back failed I miserably. The Waimate men played i through almost the whole ol the game with only fourteen men, Pini having I been ordered off by the referee for rough play. The game was hard, and fast, but was played in excellent spirit. There were no "beg pardons," but the players played the ball. The first thirty minutes provided the hottest piece of forward play that has been seen in TaTanaki for many a long day, and, the tackling was superb. There was very ...tie combined back play of any merit. Mr. J. O'Shea, of Patea, was the referee, and Messrs. P. O'Dea and N. A'Court were the line umpires. About fifteen hundred ""witnessed the match, and the gates produced about £SO. Both clubs played full teams, as follows: ' .WAIMATE. Full back, Ryan; Thrtequarters, Prince, McLeod, and C. Burke; *iveeighths, Franklin; half, J. Christie; wings, Taylor and Patterson; forwards, Major Bourke, M. R*yan, Pini, Tamu, McKay, D. Burke and Birchall. '--' OKAIAWA. Full back, Lynskey; Threequarters, Toro, King, anil Luxton; 'Five-eights, Roberts; half, McAllum; wings, Crocker and MoCracken; forwards, J. Crowley, J. o"Sullivan, W. Baker, G. Baker, JMilne, Patterson, and Radford. THE PLAY. ■ Okaiawa won the toss, and played with sun and wind in their favour. McKay kicked off for Waimate, and Okaiawa was put on the defensive. The first scrum was in the attackers' favour, and the ball went out. From the line-out , Crowley broke away,' McLeod snapping I up the ball and passing out, but Roberts | intercepted and streaked about fifty yards before looking for support, and then Ryan.grassed him., To the spectator it: seemed that if the Okaiawa man had been less unselfish he might j> have scored. Waimate forced. Blues got the better of the series of loose rushes which followed, but offside play l ' gave a free kick against them, and a 6 long kick forced them again. A fumble • by C. Burke at the end of an ineffectual ' exchange of kicks enabled Roberts .o pounce on the ball, but Ryan up-ended ' him, and the ball, went into touch. Then McAllum and Roberts handled in a good passing run, but Birchall pressed iht, latter on to the line and threw hhu ou.'i near the 25 flag.' Play changed rapidly from' end to end, and excitement ran nigh. The Okaiawa men had a slight advantage, and the Blues had difficulty in keeping their line clear. A nice piece of.fielding and kicking, by Crocker put them in a hot corner, and it was in the strenuous efforts to get out of it that Pini's "haeking" through the forwards caught the referee's eye, and the Taranaki rep. was asked to watch the rest of the game from, the line. The referee's decision was greeted with loud shouts of approval and disapproval from the crowd. Okaiawa, although playing hi their opponents' end, could not make use, of their advantage, and presently j Tamu broke clean away, and the Reds were given a hot time on the defence.] Lynskey failed to take a ball, and but for Luxton's prompt intervention there must have been a score. A good kick by Luxton, and a smart, dodgy- run by' King, gave Okaiawa the advantage for a time, but then ißoberts misfielded a kick, and J. Crowley was just in time to snap the ball from the toes.of Tamu and McKay. Okaiawa's chance of scoring was lost by | hard kicking, and Waimate forced again. Crowley marked the kick-out, but Roberts' kick at goal was a failure, ' Ryan lining. McAllum, at half, was ' playing cleverly at this stage, and made : some good openings, but the Reds, were too well marked. A line run by C. Burke and then he kicked to centre, where the . Okaiawa backs defeated his object. Now , came the first good piece of back play— , a passing run in which the toall was handled by McAllum, Roberts, Crowley, . •Roberts again, and King, but a forward .; pass l spoiled it, and from the scrum thej; Blue battled through, McLeod narrowly ; missing a goal from the field. Okaiawa forced. The return kick was smothered by McCraken, who followed rapidly, but Tamu and Patterson came at it again, "Don't pass in your own twenty-five," ; shouted somebody as some of the Red and Black men adopted these dangerous tactics, but the damage had been done, and presently McLeod and Ryan made an opening, and "Major" Burke scored first blood for Waimate amidst tremendous excitement. C. Burke failed with the kick. Waimate 3, Okaiawa 0. It was at this stage that the Okaiawa rearguard commenced to show an alarming weakness. Toro and King, m me three-quarter line, were making little or no attempt to tackle, and the approach of a Blue man whilst Toro had the ball was sufficient to make him display a spirit of unselfishness which under other circunlstances might have been praiseworthy. Lynskey, too, was being bustled, and was badly beaten sometimes when he waited for "the bounce. He also failed to put his men on side after kicking downfield, running round his men instead of going straight through. Okaiawa had rather the better of things in the few minutes which remained of the first spell, but there was no further score. The whd was increasing slightly when the teams changed ends. The game was of a see-sSw nature for a few minutes, play being very elo3e, and Okaiawa Holding a Blight advantage in the tight play, and Waimate in the loose and line-out play. A good run by Roberts was spoiled by his holding the, leather too long. His pass was intercepted by McLeod, who kicked to Lynskey, and, the. latter waited. He was just able to put the ball out at the corner. A line-out was formed a yard from the line. The'

[ball went straight to Tamu, ( and he fell across the line. McLeod failed with the kick. Waimate 6, Okaiawa 0. Ten minutes of the spell had gone. Just after resuming McAllum got a nasty kick in the back from a Waimate forward, but went on playing. The Manaia men played now with greater confidence, and 1 soon had the Reds in difficulties again. Luxton, through hanging too long to the ball, was overpowered by the forwards, who went over the line in a body, but Okaiawa forced. Tamu shortly afterwards booted hard to Lynskey, who mulled, and the ball went out. Christie repeated the dose, and from the second line-out Birchall passed to Patterson, and he transferred to Franklin, who scored. C. Burke goaled. Waimate 11, Okaiawa 0. Okaiawa was soon in' difficulties again. Lynskey, charged by McLeod, passed towards' Toro, who had no chance of taking the ball, but Roberts lined in time. A free kick against Okaiawa for offside, audi C. Burke kicked another goal, bringing, the score, to Waimate 14, Okaiawa 0. A series of forward rushes let the Blues in again, and Tamu scored a "solt" try. Burke failed with the kick. Waimate 17, Okaiawa 0. From a scrum near Okaiawa's 25, the Blues heeled out splendidly and Franklin dashed over. Waimate 20, Okaiawa 0. Then Okaiawa forced twice. . A loose rush passed Toro standing, and Tamil and Birchall dribbled over, but the ball went to the deadball line. Taylor and M. Ryan shared the next try, both falling cm the ball simultaneously after beating. the lull back. Waimate 23, Okaiawa 0. The Okaiawa team was n6w, as the scores indicate, completely demoralised, and it was hard to believe that they were the same fifteen players who had made the pace so hot in the first spell. The forward? were quite beaten, but they came once or twice with spasmodic rushes, from one of which King scored' a fine lone-hand try. CSullivan failed with the kick. Waimate 23, Okaiawa 3. Lynskey made ah opening? for Toro, and the Waimate men makjina scarcely a nalfi hearted attempts taljlpp him, the latter grounded the ball between the posts. Roberts kicked a goaf, and the whistle sounded "no-side" with the scores: Waimate 23

Okaiawa ~,...,. 8 Of the winning side, little can be written of their backs, except to say that they gave a very fine display of collaring. They were not by any means a feature of the attack. Ryan was very safe at full, and McLeod clever at centre, probably the best back on the field. Of the forwards it was difficult 1 to single out anyone hut Tamu. Hel gave a great exhibition,,playing at his best and shining in both loose and tight work. The remainder were an even lot, and a fine pack. Roberts played a fine game at five-eighths for Okaiawa, but had few chances in the second spell. McAllum is a promising half, and played well. Luxton, at three-quarter, had to do more than his share, but played excellent football from start to'finish. There wasn't, a laggard in the forward division.Crocker was the better wing forward on the day, and O'Sullivan, Crowley, and Milne probably the most usefdl in the pack. . '