AFTER FIVE YEARS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21197, 21 August 1940, Page 10

AFTER FIVE YEARS

PEACE CUP CHALLENGE HAMILTON TO PLAY AGAIN ELIMINATION ON SATURDAY For the first time for five seasons, the Hamilton representative Rugby team will compete in the Peace Cup Rugby competition this season. The side’s first match will be played at Hamilton next Saturday, when Morrinsville will be met in an elimination contest. The Stag Trophy championship has occupied the attention of Hamilton Rugby teams since the introduction of the scheme four years ago, since when the union has been unable to fit in a challenge for the Peace Cup which was once the premier inter sub-union competition in the Waikato.

Matamata holds the Peace Cup but strong competition awaits the side this year. The winner of the Ham-ilton-Morrinsville game next Saturday will earn the right to challenge the holders for the trophy but before that Matamata will have to withstand challenges from Waihi and Otorohanga. One more challenge will be played after the winner of next Saturday’s game has challenged, the final game being played against the holders by the winner of the WaiukuPukekohe elimination match. Draw for Next Saturday The following is the draw for Rugby matches in Hamilton next Saturday:— Peace Cup elimination representative match: Hamilton v. Morrinsville, No. 1 Rugby Park 2.30 p.m. Lower Grade representative fixtures: —Hamilton Junior Reps v. Morrinsville Juniors, No. 1 Rugby Park, 1.15 p.m.; Hamilton Third Grade Reps v. Takapuna Thirds, No. 2 Rugby Park, 1.30 p.m.; Old Boys Fourths v. Otahuhu Fifths, No. 3 Rugby Park, 1.30 p.m. Fourth Grade one-round competition: Marist v. Technical Old Boys, No. 2 Hinemoa Park, 1.30 p.m.; Frankton v. City, No. 3 Hinemoa Park, 1.30 p.m. Friendly match: City Juniors v. Mangapeehi Juniors, No. 1 Hinemoa Park, 1.30 p.m. Fast Delivery From Scrum The speed with which the Technical Old Boys’ half-back, E. R. Houghton, often sent the ball away from the scrum on Saturday was commendable. Very often he brought off a version of the dive principle to advantage and on these occasions the ball came away rapidly with excellent direction. Technical secured more of the ball than did City in the second half of the game and Houghton’s fine delivery gave the other backs every opportunity. McGrail, the Technical fullback, has played better football. On Saturday his linekicking was up to his usual high standard, but his positional play was at times very faulty.

Death of Springbok The well-known Springbok forward, S. C. (Fanie) Louw, who was a member of the famous 1937 team in New Zealand, collapsed and died after playing for Transvaal against Western Province recently. He did not feel well before the match but led Transvaal to victory. After the match he would not drive his car but asked one of his team mates to drive for him. He collapsed in his car. The manager of the Western Province team was his brother, M. M. (Boy) Louw and another Springbok well known to New Zealanders who played in the game was Major Danie Craven.

Individually But Not Collectively Several of the City backs revealed glimpses of brilliance in the game against Technical Old Boys on Saturday. In attack, Smith, Perkins, and Young revealed great speed which enabled them to run deep into the defence. These bursts were not as successful as they should have been, however, because the backs were never really brilliant collectively. If one man pierced a passage in the defence he was left more often than not unsupported. If the backs had backed each other up, the City attack would have been far more dangerous. One of the best games played by any of the backs on the field was the display given by Nisbet, the Technical winger.

Five-eighth Weakness The City-Technical Old Boys game on Saturday at Rugby Park was particularly open and for the most part exciting football thrilled the crowd. City could have secured a bigger attacking advantage, however, had the first five-eighth, Brighouse, been closer to £he half-back. The formation played in the City backs was such that Dobson had to throw a tremendously long pass to Brighouse who was only a few yards away from his second five-eighth, Smith. The respective distances should have been reversed with Brighouse playing closer to Dobson. Obviously Dob'ion had difficulty in connecting with Brighouse, especially as the Technical breakaway forwards were always on the attack immediately the ball came away from the scrum. Dobson over-worked the strategy of cutting around the scrum.

Referee Goes Off The unusual sight of a referee having to leave the field of play owing to an injury was witnessed at Rugby Park on Saturday. Half-way through the second spell of the City-Tech-nical Old Boys game Mr A. Paterson retired and his duties were taken over by Mr H. R. Bishop, who had already refereed one game that day. Mr Paterson had an ankle injury which required first-aid attention at halftime. By the time he retired, however, a slight limp had become a lameness. Junior Championship The Hamilton junior championship i has been completed, City winning | both the championship and the I knock-out competitions. Rototuna i was runner-up in the championship and Technical Old Boys in the i knock-out competition. Battery withdrew after the first round, and High School was a non-competitive team. The final table is as follows:

r. \V. L. D. For Agr. Pts ! . . ..1511 2 '2161 7S 24 Hotnfun-a . . 15 11 4 II 177 7 1 22 1 Twh. Colt3 ..1710 ! 1 183 S*» i‘ 1 ; Railway ..15 9 r» i 120 ‘l"7 iy i'M Roys .. tr, r. 0 1 I0» 134 11 rnitea . . .. 1i ii 0 j fir. ! 7 i s 1 Ruaknra .. 1J II o 8 2 2uS S Uatlery * i 7 0 23 & y 1