REBUFF FOR TAUPIRI

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20513, 1 June 1938, Page 16

REBUFF FOR TAUPIRI

SURPRISE RUGBY DEFEAT CAMBRIDGE’S STRONG HAND IMPROVED STAG TROPHY FORM The standard of play in the Stag Trophy Rugby competition took an upward trend on Saturday when brilliant form was seen at Cambridge and Te Awamutu and really good football characterised the game in Hamilton. It was a big surprise to enthusiasts to learn of the defeat of Taupiri at the hands of Rovers, when the former team gave indications of being the most promising fifteen in the competition. A feature of the play on Saturday was the convincing form of the Cambridge team which was anticipated to reveal stout opposition as the competition progressed. The combination is now only three points behind on the ladder and it appears as if it will present a difficult proposition to any team. Old Boys, in their first appearance on Rugby Park, this season provided bright football but there were indications that certain weaknesses in the j combination would be penetrated by | teams stronger than Technical. As it ! was Old Boys, in the concluding stages i of the game, were obliged to fight every inch of the way to retain a none j too convincing lead. Old Boys Still Lead Gaining victory on Saturday while both Taupiri and Te Awamutu suffered defeats, Old Boys leapt into the lead of the Stag Trophy competition again. The position of the teams is i

Old Boys’ Fifteen The most impressive back in the Old Boys’ fifteen on Saturday in the match against Technical was B. Paterson. the centre, who revealed dash, speed and a powerful penetration, : Lissette played a sound game at full- j back while Carroll indicated that he is ■ in much better fettle than he was last season. His handling is at times erratic, however. Neither of the wiiurcs had a great deal of work to do but j their tackling was not always sound D. Paterson and Barber were among the best forwards but Hollow ay was a hard worker and revealed an improvement on last season's form. Backs Too Strung ut In view of the fact that the Cam- j bridge forwards gave the Te Awamuiu ! backs little respite on Saturday, the Te Awamutu backs would have done much better if they had not been so I strung out. Naturally they played a I shallow game and when they re- j

ceived the ball they made little use of it. Te Awamutu was outclassed in the backs as well as in the forwards. Among the Cambridge backs, Charlton and L. Kelly were prominent. The latter was sound on defence. The Technical Players One of the most impressive backs in Hamilton this season is Tfczlaff, the Technical half-back, who stands any amount of buffetting and who reveals excellent anticipation and coolness behind the scrum. Broad was seen in action again on Saturday and although not brilliant in control himself he worked well tactically in running his team mates into excellent positions. Wakefield was again prominent after a short rest from football while Goosman showed considerable improvement. In the forwards Flannagan was outstanding while Shannon hunted better in the loose and performed solidly in the tight. Smith, who hooked for Technical for the first time, gave his team more of the ball than they had gained in previous matches this season. Barber ami Dowling played good forward football also. Cambridge's Convincing Form Surpassing expectations, the meeting of Cambridge and Te Awamutu, at Cambridge, provided one of the finest displays of forward Rugby for many years. The Te Awamutu pack, including two former All Blacks, Wynyard and Clarke, played gallantly but j they were no match for the brilliant j Cambridge vanguard which reached ! the high standards of the best of ; former years. Many of the Cambridge forward rushes swept from one end | of the field to the other. Te Awamutu suffered its first defeat. Previously this season the team had not had its line crossed but in this match they were decisively beaten by three tries, one of which was converted, to a single unconverted try. Not at one stage did Te Awamutu have the upper-hand in the face of a relentless Cambridge aggression. The eight Cambridge forwards hunted as one j man. Always in the van of the loose rushes was Hewitt who is one of the finest loose forwards in the Waikato. In the tight Harbutt and Hall played up to their splendid form of the sea- ! son. Both deserve inclusion in the Waikato representative team. For the j Te Awamutu pack Wynyard. although well marked did a great deal of work. ! Clark and McAlpine were also promi inent. Hamilton Junior Results The results of competition matches in the lower grade series of the Hamilton Rugby Union on Saturday were: ! Senior B: City 12, Raglan 1 1 ; Te Ko- j what 17. Tunaeke o. Juniors: Rail- I wav it, Frankton 5; Technical Old I Boys 12. Battery 0: Rototuna 13, City j Third Grade: City A 11. Frankton j 8: Technical School 28, City B O; i r»id Boys 16. Karamu 3. Fourth : Oiade: City \ 21. Marist 3; Technical j Old Boys 18. High School 11; City B : 12, Technical School 12. Acquisition to Technical? Collett, a former Hawke’s Bay re- ! presentative now stationed at Hanril- , ton. is contemplating turning out for . Technical Old Boys, who are very : keen to have his services. A husky- j looking customer, Collett if in form

should he a great help to Technical Old Boys, who require a few forwards with experience to help them along. King Country Giants C. A. Crossman. the. King Country five-eighth, is playing better football and is greater than ever this season. It is solely due to his leadership, example and scheming tactics that Xiho Niho is proving such a hard proposition in the Ohura Sub-Union.com-petitions. Playing for his club last Saturday against Ohura. Crosstnan scored three brilliant tries. W. J. Phillips, the other King Country All Black, has lost none of h’s rugged qualities. Playing for his union, Kawhia, against Otorohanga last Saturday he proved a tower of strength in both defence and attack. Trustturn, the burly Methodist parson, who was transferred from Ohakune to Ohura a few months ago. and who was selected to play in the All Black trials, is showing great form for the Ohura Club. Dixon, the flying King Country winger, is again showing a clean pair of heels to all opponents of Kaitieke. Everything points to King Country fielding a strong representative side this season. Boh Barlow, the Maniapoto five-eighth, displayed some of his old form by dummying his way through the Mangapeehi hacks to score two spectacular tries on Saturday at Rugby Park, Te Kuiti All Black Nominations The King Country Ruerby Union has (nominated the following players for the : North Island team and for th" Australian tour: C. Crossman, five-eighth ; \V. J. Phillips, wing three-quarter: K. Cameron, five-eighth; \V. Trusttum, forward: H Dixon, wing three-quar-ter. Of the five men nominated. Crossman. Phillips, Trusttum and Dixon played in the 1937 trials in Wellington. Cameron, the nippy Kins; Country five-eighth, has been 'nominated for major football honours for the first time. He played very consistently throughout last season and i certainly deserved his nomination. Unusual Football Incident I An unusual incident occurred in the I principal Rugby League match between Manukau and Richmond at Carl aw Park ;on Saturday afternoon. During the first spell Brodrick, one of the Manujkau forwards, dislocated a finger nd left the field for attention. On return- ! ing a few minutes later he found, to I his surprise, that another forward had j replaced him. The referee Mr M . Wetherill, stopped the game and in- : formed Brodrick that he could not re - j turn to the field, as he had been replaced. ILL-MANNERED SPECTATORS CONDUCT ON COUNTRY GROUNDS COMPLAINT TO HAMILTON UNION The ill-mannered conduct of certain spectators at one of the country grounds was the subject of a communication from the Referees’ Association received at the weekly meeting of the management committee of Hie Hamilton Rugby Union last evening, and it was decided to write to the country clubs asking them to have j

the grounds adequately watched by club officials to discourage encroachment on the grounds and improper barracking of the referee by spectators.

j Acknowledgement of the gifts of footballs to primary schools of the district was received from the Hamilton Schools’ Rugby Union, and similar letters of appreciation were received from the headmasters of the Hamilton West and Whitiora schools. It was decided that, with the installation of turn-stiles at both en- • trances to Rugby Park, motor-cars be excluded from the park in future. The question of the non-production of players* passes at the entrances to the ground was discussed, and it was decided that production in all cases | be insisted on. | Clearances for D. Stewart, A. Smith and J. Anderson were approved, and senior registration was granted C. R. Waite (Old Boys), subject to the ap- | plication being in order and to clear- | ance. Saturday’s Matches J I Following is the draw for fixture* j to be played on Saturday:— Senior A Stag Trophy. —Technical Old Bovs v. Frankton, No. i Rugby I Park, Te Awamutu v. Rovers, at j Te Awamutu, 2.30; Cambridge v. Tau- | piri, at Ngaruawahia, 2.30; Old Bovs, I a bye. Senior B. —City v. Tunaeke, No. 2 Rugby Park, 2.30 p.m.; Rovers v. : Raglan, Whatawhata, 2.30 p.m.; Te : Kowliai, a bye. Juniors. —City v. Karamu, No. 2 I Rugby Park, 1.15 p.m.; Frankton v. Rototiina, No. 3 Rugby Park, 1.15 p.m.; Old Boys v. Railway, No. 1 Rugby Park, 1.15 p.m.; Battery v. High School, High School, 1.15 p.m.; Technical Old Boys, a bye. Third Grade.—City A v. Technical 'School, No. 1 Hinemoa Park, 1.15 p.m.; City B v. Karamu, Karamu, 2 p.m.: Technical Old Boys v. Old Boys, No. 3 Rugby Park, 2.30 p.m.; Frankton, a bye. Fourth Grade. —City B v. Marist, Weka Street, 1.30 p.m.; City A v. High School, No. 2 Hinemoa Park, 1.15 p.m.; Technical School v. Technical Old Boys, No. 3 Hinemoa Park, 1.15 P-m-ALL BLACK TRIALB Buller The Buller Rugby Union has nominated C». Mason (forward), A. Dunn fullback cr centre) and R. Pratt for the South Island team. Manawatu Three Manawatu players, R. McKenzie J. Finlay and E. Terry, have been nominated for the North Island Rugby team.

now:— P. W. L. D. F. A. PtS Old Boys 5 3 1 159 31 7 Tauptri 4 2 1 1 33 33 5 Te Awamutu .. 4 2 1 1 3 1 20 5 Cambridge .... 4 2 2 — 42 37 4 Technical .... 5 2 3 — 5145 4 Rovers 4 1 2 1 42 68 3