CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 August 1939, Page 3

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

Senior. Red Star 8, Masterton 8. Old Boys 3, Gladstone 0. Carterton 6, Greytown 5. Juniors. Old Boys 17, Masterton 0. Red Star 17, Grey town 0. Carterton 10, Martinborough G. Third Class. Red Star G, Masterton 0. College 24, Carterton 3. CARTERTON WIN CHAMPIONSHIP. GREYTOWN DEFEATED BY ONE POINT. Scoring two tries to a converted try, Carterton defeated Greytown on the latter’s ground and with the win won the Wairarapa championship for 1939. The game was in the main a forward struggle. Carterton’s points came from Crawley and Loader. For Greytown, Surgrue at half, played a first class game, his try being an outstanding piece of solo work. From a set scrum he gathered in the leather, dummied and swerved his way through the opposition to score in a handy position which Brunton found no difficulty in improving on. OLD BOYS BEAT GLADSTONE. N/YRROW VICTORY FOR TOWN TEAM. At Gladstone. Old Boys beat the country team by 3 points to nil, the only score being a penalty goal kicked by O’Callaghan. The play was confined mostly to the forwards with Old Boys just shading their opposition. Gladstone won the toss and chose to play With the sun behind them. From the opening the forwards settled down to keep play tight, but Old Boys kept a little ahead and were keeping the play in their opponents’ territory when an infringement by a Gladstone player gave O'Callaghan his opportunity. He kicked a good goal from near the side line.- The outstanding back play in the first half was a splendid passing rush by Old Boys with Huggins

receiving the final pass to side-step his way through the Gladstone team, only to be tackled from behind barely a yard from the line. Huggins’s effort was certainly one of the highlights of the game. Old Boys backs showed glimpses of good form in the second half. From a passing rush Hatton slipped through with a fine run, passing to Falkner who dropped the ball right on the line. Gladstone forwards then took charge and pinned Old Boys in their 25 for some time. They were particularly unlucky not to have scored. Old Boys then rallied and were attacking at call of “time." Of the Gladstone pack, probably Ross and Joblin were the leaders on the day’s play while Armour, Rayner and Cameron were the best of a fairly even Old Boy’s scrum. Henson seemed to be the mainspring of the Gladstone backs with Huggins the shining star in the Old Boys rearguard. Denbee, for Old Boys, played his usual good game. RED STAR v MASTERTON. HARD FOUGHT GAME ENDS IN DRAW. Hard, fast, but not brilliant Rugby was witnessed at Memorial Park, Masterton, on Saturday, when Red Star and Masterton played a draw, the score being 8 all. Both sides were considerably weakened through the absence of key players, and a draw was a good indication of the run of play. Both sets of forwards played hard all day. and there was very little between them. Red Star gained the majority of the leather in the scrums, but Masterton countered by winning the line-outs. In the loose, honours were even, while in the tight Masterton appeared to have slightly the better.

In the first spell, neither set of backs showed any real dash, but in the second half they threw the ball round in fine style, and attacks and counterattacks were frequent. The tackling on both sides, backs and. forwards, was excellent and had either side's defence weakened the ■ opposition would have been through in a flash. In the Star rearguard, “Rusty”

O'Kane played soundly until he retired at half time. His place was taken by “Baldy" Clarke, who played his best game this year. Clarke ran straight and tackled like a demon all day. It was noticeable that when he came on the Star rearguard sparkled up and played something like good “Rugger.’ Broom at full back and Cross on the wing were the pick of the rest. In the pack, “Rus" Howard was again to the fore and played another outstanding game. He was ably assisted by D. O’Connor and N. Harding and until he retired hurt played a tigerish game. Outstanding on the Masterton side was lan Percy, wlio like Howard played an outstanding game. He received wonderful support from H. Ewington, who played by far his best game this year. Of the Masterton backs Braggins at half, W. Barnett, until he retired hurt and M. Hargood were the pick. Hargood was in top form, making several brilliant cutins that should have met with better results.

Stai’ drew first blood when from a scrum their backs swung into action and Cross with a good run topped a nice movement with a try. O’Kane converted. Masterton attacked and Hargood with a brilliant cut-through left the Star backs standing, drew the full-back and passed to Barnett, who crossed unopposed. Percy added the extra points. Shortly before half-time Masterton scored again. A Red Star back attack saw the ball knocked forward into the hands of Hargood, who headed for home. On reaching Broom he kicked and the ball trickled over the line. Star failed to force. down and I. Morris coming up fast, fell on the ball, to be awarded a try. The kick failed.

Several good, and at times brilliant back movements were witnessed in the second half. With only a few moments to go Star were still down, but were making great efforts to reduce the leeway. Throwing the ball around in great style their rear division launched attack after attack on the Mas-1 terten defence, which held admirably. | Eventually they were rewarded. Cross I scoring after the ball had been kicked over the Masterton line. The kick failed leaving the final score Red Star 8. Masterton 8. Mr Grantham was tne referee.

RANFURLY SHIELD

MATCH PLAYED IN SNOW. SOUTHLAND FAR TOO GOOD. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL. August 12. Four inches of snow lying on Rugby Park made the Ranfurly Shield match with Manawatu today almost a farce. In a game completely devoid of concerted movements Southland won 17-3. Efforts during the morning to clear the ground failed because snow fell till midday and Manawatu was given the option but elected to play the challenge. As against Otago last week, Southland monopolised the ball and made all the play, but concerted efforts were impossible. It was a day for individualists, the most brilliant of whom was Sutherland, the Southland wing and later centre. His covering up was superb in the conditions and his two tries resulted from brilliant running. Slewart, the Manawatu fullback, did all that could have been expected of any full-back on the day, but he was quite unable lo cope with the relentless hunting of the Southland pack. Sutherland and Saxton scored in the first half, Wesney converting Sutherland's try and then leaving the field with a leg injury. At half-time the Southland twenty-five was still covered by virgin snow except for occasional footprints of the full-back. Ward kicked a penalty and scored in the second half and Sutherland scored his second try. Five minutes before the end Manawatu crossed Southland's twenty-five for the first time in the game, and J. Findlay kicked a good penalty goal. HAWKE'S BAY BEATEN. AUCKLAND WIN FAST GAME. AUCKLAND August 12. The Auckland representative Rugby team played its fourth fixture of the season at Eden Parle today, against Hawke's Bay. and won 9-6. With only three points separating the scores from seven minutes after the interval, Hawke's Bay were unlucky not to have added to their tally, as the forwards were superior to the Auckland pack in the last quarter of the match. though scrummage and line-out honours were against them. Tries for Auckland were scored by Pepper knd Pearman. Hare kicking a penalty goal. Reid scored a try for Hawke's Bay, and Dyer kicked a good penalty goal from a difficult angle. NORTH OTAGO WIN. MATCH AGAINST SOUTH CANTERBURY. TIMARU. August 12. North Otago beat South Canterbury for the second time this season in a return game played in Timaru today,! the score being 8-6.

POPULAR VICTORY.

NELSON DEFEAT WELLINGTON.

WELLINGTON, August 13.

Behind on points throughout the match, Nelson snatched a thrilling and popular last-minute win from the Wellington senior second division representatives in the main game at Athletic Park, the final score being 11-8.

THREE POINT MARGIN.

KING COUNTRY BEAT WANGANUI.

WANGANUI. August 12.

The annual Rugby match between Wanganui and King Country representative teams, played on Spriggens Park today, resulted in a win for the visiting side by 14 points to 11. The half-time score favoured Wanganui 8-6. King Country scored three tries, one of which was converted, and a penalty goal.. and Wanganui scored three tries, one being converted. MINOR UNIONS. NORTH ISLAND TEAM. AUCKLAND, August 13. The North Island Rugby selectors announced the following team to represent the North Island minor unions in the match against the South Island minor unions in Christchurch: — Full-back, W Repa (East Coast); Three-quarters, C. Cunningham (North Auckland), ,R. White (North Auckland), A. McAneny (Poverty Bay); five-eighths, C. A. Gibson (North Auckland I. P. Lambly (North Auckland); half-back, R. Codling (North Auckland); forwards, J. McNeile (Bay of Plenty), H. C. Anderson (Poverty Bay), Daniel Tuhoro (East Coast), Rogers (Poverty Bay). J. Best (Bay of Plenty). W. J. Trusttum (King Country), C. C. Hancox (King Country). JUNIORS REPS. WELLINGTON TEAM TO PLAY WAIRARAPA. WELLINGTON, August 13. Next .Saturday the Wellington junior representatives will play Wairarapa in Wairarapa. The following team has been chosen by the selection committee: — Full-back F. I. Clemens: three-quar-ters. H. Bowyer, J. A. Bryers, J. A. Brown; five-eighths. D. Thurston and R. D. Patrick, captain; half-back. P. Carey. Back of scrum. R. F. Bryers; middle row. R. A. McNeil. J. Garner, H. Harding; front row, A. Te Puni J. G. O’Sullivan, J. McGregor. Emergencies: Forward, A. Marsden: back. R. Mollicr. SEDDON SHIELD. , DULLER RETAINS TROPHY. WESTPORT, August 12. On a heavy, sodden field with sleet

and rain falling during play, Buller (holders) stalled off Golden Bay-Motu-eka's challenge this afternoon for the Seddon Shield, Buller winning by 254. IN OTHER CENTRES WELLINGTON THE CHAMPIONS IN CAPITAL CITY. Results of senior championship games in Wellington were:—-Welling-ton 35, Marist Bros Old Boys 20; Petone 6, Athletic 3; Johnsonville 16, Poneke 11. Wellington won the championship with 27 points against 22 each gained by Athletic and Petone.