Best of the Season

For Poverty Bay Rugby football supporters, the match against Hawkes Bay, played on a Tuesday last month, was probably the best of the season. Hawkes Bay arrived with something of a reputation, as a possibly formidable challenger for the Ranfurly Shield, and with a resounding victory over Bast Coast immediately behind them. But as often happens when the odds are against them, Poverty Bay rose to the occasion, and playing inspired football, held the visitors to a 3-all draw until the dying minutes of the game, when Tom Johnson, the Hawkes Bay captain, as though determined to clinch the issue, drove himself over the line against all opposition for a fine try which G. Kivell converted to give the visitors an 8-3 victory.

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David Bone and the Poverty Bay captain, Alan Rowlands

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Hilton Meech gets a handful of jersey as the P.B. half, David Alley, gets the ball away from a lineout

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Rod Abel, charging through with the ball, is about to be tackled by Geoff Raggett in this picture. At left are David Bone and Hank Nyenhuis, at right Buddy Smith, Alan Rowlands, Barry Neale, and others.

There was no question that Poverty Bay played a magnificent defensive game, a feature of which was their fine tackling, low and certain, which halted many a Hawkes Bay thrust. Almost the only exception saw the Hawkes Bay captain bulldoze hiw way through for the winning try, taking Claude Rickard and Murray Hollis with him. These three pictures show the sequence. (1) The gap is only as wide as the ball as Johnson sets his sights on the line, 8 or 10 yards away, with Rickard and Hollis ready to stop him. At left, David Bone and David Alley. At right, referee M. Stevenson. (2) Hilton Meach materialises from nowhere as Johnson drags his tacklers towards the line, with Rickard falling away at this point. (3) Rod Abel is up in support, Hollis has lost his hold, Gina Rogers (16) makes a last-ditch effort, and Johnson crashes over near the posts.

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