RUGBY IN HASTINGS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 179, 30 August 1929, Page 13

RUGBY IN HASTINGS

LAST SATURDAY'S FINALS. GOOD JUNIOR GAME

(Notes by "Old Timer.')

Considering tlie state of the ground and the nliserable weather conditions, the junior final between T.C.O.B. and Hastings whicn was played at Hastings last Saturday, provicled some good Rugby, and right from start to finish the game was even and interesting, even if it was minus maiiv thrills.

HONOURS WITH

The honours of the day were with the winners, who scored a converted try, whilst Hastings could only muster up three points from a penalty, but at tl-at there was not much between them and on tho accual play it would be hard to sav which was tho better team.

NOT THEIR TEAM.

Hastings were somewhnt unfortunato in not heing able to field their usual team, for Peterson, Hollis and Hutcliiton were absent. This necessitated a ftneral re-arrangement of the rearguard, with Thompson, who is essent.'allv a winger, heing played as an inside back. In that positiou he was a big failure, and the fact that he should really have been in bed on acoount of an a+tack of influenza, did not help him. Had the Hastings rearguard been placed as usual, it is probable that a c+/vrTr wnnl/1 hfivfl Troon +nlrl

SAW LITTLE OF BALL.

As it was, nowever, the Hastings backs were not inferior to the Tech. rearguard, hut it must he reraembered that on both sides, the game was confined mamly to Ihe forwards, the backs seeing little of the ball.

»■ FINE FORWARD' GAME.

Particularly was this so on the pavt of Tech. Old Boys, whose forwards played a fine game, with the snowyneaded Moffat and D'Brien always conspicuous. The lattOT was a tower of strength on ttn line-outs. In the scruras, the advantage went to Hastings, tha Yellow liookers usually . managing to get tlie ball, but Guillemott, the Greys' wing-forward, was round for it like a streak. Often he was taught off-side and often he wasn't, but on the other liand he was sqyeral times penalised for being off-side, when reallv he was well on side.

HASTINGS FORWARDS.

Of |Ee Hastings forwards, Gallien I

was the most pominent (and it wasn't beeause of his coloured pants either). He was the only man who was a match for O'Brien on the line, and in the t.ght he got through a great day's wtrk. Milne was also proniinent with bis dribbling rushes.

AMONG THE BACKS.

Among the ;.'ncks, there was a great ciuel betivctti Hodge and Cameron. E^ ery time he has played in Hastings, Hodge has given a bnlliant exhibition, Lut 011 Saturday he was quite overfhadowed by Cameron, but at the same time, the chaneys to sbine did not come to tlie Napier Lalf-hack. In both rtarguards, particularly Hastings, there was a very marked tendencv to bang on instead' of passiug wlien near the line, aiid frequently one saw a player simply rushing into a bunch, with others waiting for the pass which did not come. The worst offenders in this respect were Hodge, who rather o^or-did the near-the-line dummy, arnl 8 "\Vest, who, _ on more than oiie occasion, lost a fair chance through t.rving to go through himself. The two cnsfcodians wero also watcbed with intcrest. the honours going to "King" "\Yest, who was very safe and sound. j. ■■ &

PARS ON THE GAME.

O'Brien's grmt kicking was a feature of the game. "Come on, Cooke," sliouted tho ciowd when H -dge got the leather. Petersen's absence was due to his der a rture for Hawera. At second fiVe, Thompson was a passeilger. His taking of passes was miserably weatv. Cameron played a great game behind the Hastings pack.

FOURTH GRADE FINAL.

If looks coutited for anything, Celtic should have "eaten" Technical College m the fourth grade fittal, but the ' uooks' ' prove 1 to be doceptive. The Celts must have been several pouiids hesfvier all round, and they started off with great dash, but the holding ground soon pulled the steam out of tligm and the Jighter school hoys were able to give them quite a busy time. "On a dry day ihe position might have been different, but as it was tlie Napier lads thorotighly earned their win. 1