FREYBERG CUP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 February 1943, Page 3

FREYBERG CUP

MAORIS BEAt MACHINE-GUN , IN SEMI-FINAL. MATCH PLAYED NEAR TRIPOLI. (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS NEAR TRIPOLI, February 11. In the last semi-final match in the New Zealand Division’s Rugby' football championship, played near Tripoli today, the Maori Battalion beat the Machine-gun Battalion by 17 points to nil. Through the first half there was little difference between 1 the teams and though a strong wind swept down-field with the machine-gunners, they could make little progress against the Maoris solid tackling. In the second half the Maoris made full use of every opportunity they were given and by superb following up, . their backs scored four brilliant tries. Te Mataroa, Hawke’s Bay, first five-eighth, got the first try and the others scored by Taite, Hawke’s Bay, three-quarter, playing centre, and Matenga, Levin, the Maori Battalion’s half-back in the matches in England. Jackson, the Hawke’s Bay forward, converted one try and kicked a penalty goal. Matches in this winter's divisional series have been played whenever our columns have stopped for a few days’ rest between their long inland sweeps across the Libyan desert. They began at Bardia and all the way across the desert stretches of rock, sand ,and scrub have been cleared for inter-unit matches. This week several of the last matches in the competition have been played on the same farmlands near Tripoli where Mr Churchill inspected the division. The final game for the Freyberg Cup will be played between the Maoris and Divisional Signallers this weekend. It was hoped that the match would be played in Tripoli, but all the few sports grounds in the city are too small for Rugby.