RUGBY FOOTBALL

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20507, 25 May 1938, Page 11

RUGBY FOOTBALL

GAME AT TAUPIRI THE LEADERS DEFEATED NOTES AND COMMENTS On present form Taupiri would appear to have every chance of winning the Stag trophy this season. In each succeeding match they have shown improvement, most markedly in the baevs and with better understanding in the rearguard they should work up a dangerous scoring machineMatanga, on the right wing, is one of the most impressive flank men seen out this year, lacking only an •understanding of the finer points in attack. Against Old Boys on Saturday he scored a good Iry by straight, hard running and his defence was always sound. MTlearn proved himself the most dangerous of the Taupiri hacks and on one occasion cut out three of iho Old Roys backs in a movement which just failed to produce results. Robertson, at fullbark, again played very sound football and extricated Taupiri from several dangerous positions by his elusiveness. Hard-working Forwards Faced with probably the strongest opposition in the competition, in Taupiri, Old Boys forwards demonstrated on Saturday that they are a very hard-working eight, who put all they have got into the tight work and give nothing away in the loose. While it was difficult to discriminate, Turner appealed as a likely type, though a little on the light side. He was never far from the ball and his defence could sente as something of an object lesson to the backs who often failed to get their man low. Of the other forwards, Holloway, Gray and Patterson were all good workers. Hatf-back’s Good Display The best back on the Cold in the Old Boys-Taupiri game on Saturday was the country hair-back, Tapp. He was in the thick of everything on attack and defence, showing a good understanding of positional play and varying bis game to advantage. Admittedly Me bad a very useful foil in the rugged Taupiri pack, but, nevertheless his work bore the stamp of a sound campaigner. Tapp learnt his football at King’s College, Auckland, and now appears to be making up the ground he lost through injury some seasons ago. Fast Backs Fall A feature of the Taupiri-Old Boys game at Ngaruawahia, on Saturday, was the failure of the fast Old Boys’ rearguard to reproduce anything like the form they have shown in their matches this season. Even allowing for the fact that they received little of the ball from their forwards, they were never Impressive after the first half and their defence was very weak. Gilling. at half, received a good deal of attention from the aggressive Taupiri pack, but he played a useful game throughout. Gillespie, at first five-eighth, was responsible for some -good openings but too often spoilt by serving Carroll with shocking passes. Lissette had little opportunity on attack but he straightened the backs up well on occasions. Garroll. H. Sayers and A- J. Sayers were all weak on defence and lacked initiative on attack. Maniapoto and Matanga. Taupiri’s Maori wingers, were definitely superior to Hie Sayers brothers on the day. principally in that both were willing to make a determined hid while in possession. The Old Boys’ wingers were too often hesitant'when given possession with room in which to move. Slow, Old Boys’ full-back, played creditably and his*kicking with either foot was usually very accurate. For positional play, however, he might have taken a leaf from his vis-a-vis, Robertson's book, with advantage.