RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 213, 8 September 1923, Page 21

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

NOTES AND COMMENTS, j The junior competitions are now over for the 1023 reason, and the winners of the respective grades are:—Second, Kind's College Old Boys: third, Marist BroJ. Old Boys A: fourth, Ponsonby; fifth, Fonsonby. The third grade championship was brought to a close on Saturday, *rh»n Merist Bros. A, by drawing with >orth Shore, won the championship. The gTade competition was v*ry keenly contested. Jliirist A, Ponsonby, North Shore, and Post" and Telegraph all showed form above Ihc avorap-. There wn« vc-ry little between them at the finish. If A. Wilson, the full-back at present playing for Otago Boys' High School, continues to develop along the lines on which he now plays, he should bo a candidate for All Black honours some day He proved the coolest player in the inter-High Schools Rugby tournament at Timaru this week. His kicking, fielding, and collaring were splendid, and he had' that quiet, unhurried way ot always being in the right place, the stylo that made C. Kingston, of Auckland and Taranaki. the best full-back of his time in New Zealand.—Christchurch Although Hawke's Bay won by 16 points to 6 against Wanganui, the Ranfurlv Shield holders can consider themselves lucky they were not defeated I writes the "Sun's -, Wfe.npir.ui correspondent). Wanganui had really the better of a hard-fought game, and the referee came in for very sever- criticism for his apparent failure to see repeated off-side i)lav and infringements of Brownless and other visiting players. Several times the crowd demonstrated it? hostility by hooting. The referee was not, intentionally unfair.but he was quite unable to keep up with the play. Once he was knocked out in a rush of burly Hawke's Bay forwards, and the game was held up for a few moments until he was able to proceed ("Christehurch Sun").

.\n Otago critic on the All Black backs in the first Test:—"lt appeared to mc that the weakest link in the chain was Peina. who put in a lot of individual work, but who never got anywhere, and generally tangled up his other backs. It was a sorry all-round exhibition of All Black back play. Ido not think I would be wrong if I stated that not once did four New Zealand ■backs join up in a passing bout that gained ground. The selectors have dropped Steel. Snodgrass, Mill, and Tilyard from the team, and no one can blame them. I should like to know, however, why they did not also drop both Peina and Potaka. If Mill should be dropped, and I agree with the selectors that he should, then so should Peina and Potaka."

■So Jack Steel's reign as a star Rugby All Black three-quarter has closed, or, at any rate, been interrupted, comments a Christchurch critic. It must have come as a shock to many to find that after the first test the selectors had dropped him; on the West Coast their tears will be ruby in tint. Yet on Steel's play in the big match the selectors could do little else. The big fellow appears to have lost all his old-time dash. Hanging about on the wing in country teams, in which he has not been fed properly, seems to have played a big share in diluting his aggreesive spirit. The best tiling that could happen to Steel would be for him to play a season as ivard, where he would have to battle for chances. He has all the qualifications to make a top-notcher winger.

Ex-Christ's College Rugby players are doing well in other parts "of New Zealand. Two of them have come to Christchurch this season and given Canterbury representatives a good deal of trouble. G. V. Gerard, one of the finest forwards in the South Canterbury team, and A. McLean, who played a stubborn half-back game for the Otago secondgrade representatives, were both prominent players at college. T. R. Sheen, one of the finest five-eighths that the college has possessed in recent years, is now making a name for himself with the Auckland second-grade representatives. In a match against Wanganui last Saturday he was nominated as one of the finest backs on the field.— ("Christehurch Sun.")

One of the dashing men in the Xew South Wales Rugby three-quarter line is R. G. Stanley, a Sydney University player, who, before ho sailed for New Zealand, topped the list of scorers in Sydney Club football this season. He then had scored 112 points, made up of 14 tries and 31 goals. Otto Nothlirig, full-back to thu team, who often plays as a centre three-quarter in club matches, came next with 22 tries and 12 goals, so that Nothling is the better try-getter of the two. O. C. Crossman, who is likely to join the team, was third with SO points, made up by 13 tries and 23 goals. X. Mingay, halftack to the side, was fourth, with three tries and 31 goals, totalling 75 points, and M. Buntine, another member ot the team, was sixth with 52 points, represented by seven tries and 13 goals. Age 22 years, height 6ft 2in., weight 13.5. Such is a description of O. E. Xofhling, full-back to the New South Wales Rugby team. He is a giant, but not only in physique. He stand? out as the best man in the full-back position New South Wales has produced for many years. Since 1021, he has represented his State as full-back, and ■Springboks, Maoris and All Blacks have found him a champion. Otto is a strong tackier and n -fine kick, as well as having a safe pair of hands, and lie has a great burst of speed. Just before he left New South Wales with the present team, he played as centre threequarter for his club, Sydney University, in a match against Old Boys, and in this game he scored five tries, converted two, and kicked a penalty goal, this making a total of 22 points." Besides his achievements at football, he is a university track Blue, and he has represented New South Wales on the cricket field, being a fine bowler. Otto hails from Queensland, and is a melancholy example of the debilitating effects of the Queensland climate. Perhaps!

I Concerning the Wellington-Xew South Wales game, a Wellington scribe says: — For once the cloud of doubt about Wellington's capabilities as exponents of the real Rugby passed over, and the local representatives, with two players from the Manawatu, came forth in their best colours, took charge of the game, and sprang a big surprise on everybody—opponents and spectators alike. They assumed the role that was generally" expected would bo assumed by the visitors, and from the local backs there I was a display the like of which has'not beon seen since Rugby was having its best days in Wellington. Tilyard and Mark Kichoils principally, and 11. K. Nichols, ''Doc" Nieliolls, Bropliy and Svenson in a slight!} - lesser degree, shoneout as masters of the game in play that was truly exhilarating; they were on their game at tho top of their form, faultless in action, speedy in movement, I clever and heady, in fact, they were all I that could be expected of first-class jfootballers—an extraordinary change from what Wellington's backs have been in recent years. That was in the iirst spell of the game; but it was not the same after the interval, during which 'the visitors managed to revive from the ordeal they had been through, and found the means to steady up the slashjiug attacks of the opposition, which had : taken them by such surprise that they seemed almost powerless to resist. So brilliant was the performance of the Wellington backs that all those people whe have been handing out adverse criticism might well say, "We take oIT our hats to "them." The compliment might be paid more particularly to M. Nicholls and F. Tilyard.

"Vanguard," of the Wellington "Post," writes:—"There were few weaknesses in the Brown Shield Auckland team. Every man worked well, and provided ample evidence of the fact that the game lias gone ahead in Auckland in a truly remarkable manner. The standard of play in all departments was very high. Dacre, Knott, Simms, and Imies are all forwards of a very fine stamp, good, forceful players who are worthy of a place in any New Zealand team. Tremain (centre forward) was just a little out of his class. He made amends for a somewhat mediocre display by scoring a goal in the. second spell. Auckland's half line was also very Etrong. Corbett (centre) ehope out all the time, and on occasions completely overshadowed the Wellington man, Kissock. Corbett's game was all the more remarkable in view of the fact that he was doubtful right up to the day of the match whether an obstinate cold would allow him to take the field. Neesham, left half, proved more than a match for Smith, and Buchanan, on the other side of the field, was safe. McElligott, and L. Dacre filled the back positions with credit to themselves, and Craxton, the tall New Zealand goalkeeper, saved the very few shots that came his way. One of the shots, from Gilbertson, was a difficult one, but he handled it like a master. Generally, the Aucklanders had bhe game in their hands from the start, and they are not likely to lose the shield this season." The balance-sheet for the British Football Association, for the year ended April 30, gives some startling figures. Although the receipts and surplus on the year's working fell considerably below the figures for the previous season, the general account shows receipts of £20,572 16/0, against expenditure £13.203 15/ (says the "Manchester Guardian"). The percentage taken by the F.A. from the cup ties in the competition proper (up to the fourth round) was reduced last season to 10 per cent, as against one-third, and the receipts from this source fell from £16.676 6/8 to £7705 10/2. The one-third share of the semi-final and final net gates has risen from £4236 0/10 to £0452 3/4, due to the substantial sum of £6365 1/9 from the match at Wembley. The clubs playing in the semi-final and final ties of the cup received the following shares of the gate receipts:—Bolton Wanderer?, £8070 16/11; West Ham United, £7746 7/11; Sheffield United, £1705 15/4; Derby County, £1331 674. Thie is easily a record for payments to clubs from cup gates. The assets of the association in cash and invested funds amount to £05,443 8/4, against £03,642 4/G the preceding year, hut there are liabilities for income tax, cash to be refunded for cup final tickets, and a guarantee of £10,000 to the British Empire Exhibition in connection with tlie stndinm.