COMMENTS ON THE ELAY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 207, 2 August 1937, Page 10

COMMENTS ON THE ELAY.

KFA TOA’S SUCCESS. FREQUENCY OF PENALTIES. A feature of the match between Kia Toa and Old Boys was the frequency of the penalties. Infinements have cost Kia Toa dearly in several matches this season, and might have lost them the championship. There is no doubt that the Kia Toa pack has been about the strongest in the competition this season, and its play in the rucks has contributed largely to the side’s success. Fast breaking by the forwards hampered the Old Boys backs, who were never going properly, except for a brief period when they threw the ball about in the second spell. More of this would have brought about the downfall of the winners.

Plank, cutting in close to the Kia 'J’oa line, was nearly over tv-ice, but just failed to slip through. Innes, too, made some bold bids, only to be pushed out in the corner.

G. Wasley, turning every opportunity to full advantage, contributed materially towards Kia Toa’s success, and several times changed defence into a dangerous attack. Todd played a very sound and enterprising game in the Old Boys backs.

ST. PATRICK’S AND FEILDING. Stuckey, the guardian lor Feilding, was not impressive in the match against St. Patrick’s, being slow and unsafe. McKenzie and Kitchen, in the wing positions, played well, as did also Bowyear at centre. AA'aldin would have been better as full-back, particularly as lie will fill that role on AA'ednesdny against the Springboks, and a game in that position would have been helpful. Of the forwards, Newman, Flight and Sullivan were the best, although throughout the game Feilding utilised all their forward men considerably. Edlin was the pick of St. Patrick’s team, while others who featured in most of the work were Powell, O’Dea, and E. Fell. In the second spell St. Patrick’s had to play with only 14 .men owing to Hehir having been injured.

THE JUNIOR MATCH. DISPLAY LACKS FIRE. Rain fell immediately prior to the match at Awahuri between the Manawatu and Te Kawau Sub-Union junior representative teams, bringing about a greasy ball which precluded any successful handling by the backs of cither side until the wind had dried the grass. Even then the ball was thoroughly wet and was difficult to kick. The early part of the match was drab, with first one and then another individual shewing to advantage, but neither side settled down as a team. Later, the Manawatu forwards commenced to work more as a pack, and Crump, w-ho in the early part preferred kicking to allowing his three-quar-ter line a run with the ball, gave the men outside him a greater share, with decidedly better results. Eight defections from the Te Kawau team, on account of growing farm work with the milking season just commencing, brought a number of problems for the Te Kawau selector, Mr J. Q. Cameron, but the team played quite as well as he had expected, considering the circumstances. The home side’s forwards exceeded expectations and held the attack of the visitors’ vanguard for a large portion of the game, although in the closing stages the visitors were hammering repeatedly at the Te Kawau line. In the backs, the Manawatu side had a decided advantage, being faster and more enterprising. Although they were fed on every possible occasion by Egdell, who was swinging the ball out in fine style, they did not receive it as cleanly as they might have owing to the leather not coming through the scrum quickly. Once Crump adopted the practice of sending the ball on instead of kicking or trying to beat several men single-handed (although on one Occasion weak defence let him past a group to score), Hill showed tha.t be had a dangerous turn of speed, albeit he was marked by the best of the home hacks, Giblxms. Following the match the Te Kawau Sub-Union entertained the teams and tlieir generosity Was specially remarked upon by the manager of the visiting team, Mr E. Cjevely, who spoke at the conclusion of the gathering.