FOOTBALL.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19667, 10 July 1929, Page 16

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME. NOTES AND COMMENT. [By Grandstand.] Owing to the fact that the Canterbury Rugby Union has allowed two new teams —West Christchurch Old Boys and Sydenham —to enter the Senior A Competition, added to which poor performances were being given by Linwood and Technical, the attendances in the hrst round thi s season fell short of those tor the corresponding period of last season, it looked for some time that the gates would be small throughout, especially as the draw too olcen resulted in good teams being pitted against weaker ones, in consequence ol which the results were regarded as foregone conclusions. It is satisfactory to note, however, that the last few Saturdays have caused a levelling up of the leading sides, and the lower placed teams have also improved, so that none of those at the head of the table can afford to hold any of their opponents too sheaply. Merivale and Old Boys are now equal on top with eight points each, with Christchurch and Albion a point behind them. It is not unlikely that Christchurch will be heard of again before the competition is ended. At present both Old Boys and Merivale have been defeated twice, the former bv Christchurch and Technical, and the latter by Old Boys and 'Varsity. As the representative matches draw near interest in the selection of the side to do duty for the province increases. A correspondent has suggested that the following would be a good side, although he states that he is not overlooking the possibility of the Town v. Country fixture resulting in the displaces of some of the Town players nominated:—Backs. Dalley, Lilburne. Oliver, Carleton, Hart, Loveridge, and Scott or Harris: forwards. Scrimshaw, Burrows, Cottrell, Lawson. Manning, Langbein, Manchester, and A. It. Smith. The south ground at Lancaster Park, which is also known as the "Frogpond," might justifiably be called a graveyard so far as the Christchurch Club is concerned, for it has been the scene of no fewer than three of its defeats, all of them being unexpected. On the Oval the Christchurch side plays at its best, but when it has to turn out on the south ground it can apparently do nothing right. Linwood, which up to June Ist had won only one match, gave Christchurch a thorough trouncing on that date, when they ran up a score of 16 points to nil. Then a week later Albion defeated Christchurch by 5 points to nil. The third defeat sustained by Christchurch occurred as late as Saturday last, when Albion defeated them for the second time this season by 9 points to G. It was on the same ground that Old Boys had to strike their colours to Technical on June 22nd by 18 points to 17. the winners, who were among the three bottom teams, making the occasion the more 1 , remarkable l>v scoring their biggest tally of points up to that stage of the competition. Jack Steel, the ex-All Black threequarter, is not the player he used to be, and it is seldom that he displays the form that made him the most popular man on the ground when he scored that never-to-be-forgotten try 1 against the Springboks at Carisbrook, Dunedin, in the First Test, but he is still a very useful man to Albion. On Saturday, against Christchurch, he was conspicuous for his beautiful kicking, time and again saving his forwards by this means. To him went the distinction of scoring all thg points for his side. In the second spell ho surpri d players and onlookers alike by kicking a field goal from near the touch line, the ball, which was low in flight, striking the crossbar and bouncing the right way. He followed this up by scoring a try inches from the corner, from which he converted with one of the best kicks seen at Lancaster Park for a long time. One of the speediest three-quarters playing in Christchurch to-day is young Hart, of the Christchurch Club, lie has been in the limelight long enough now for the public to expect something sensational from him whenever he is able to get into his stride. A pleasing feature about his play this season is the great improvement made by him in defence. He is the type of man who shonld be fed all day long. The Christchurch Club has been fortunate in securing the services of R. A. Fulton, an ex-Wangamii representative player, as full-back. On Saturday against Albion he showed himself to be a first-cl.Tss man for the riosition, having a stout defence. He made few mistakes and frequently gained big stretches _ of territory by his welljudired kicks. More should he heard of Mm in the future. The following are the representative and other big matches to be played by Canterbury teams this season : August 10th —Payne Trophy match, at Christchurch. August 24th—v. Southland, at Christchurch August 28th—v. Wairarapa, at Wairarapa. August 31st —v. Auckland, at Auckland. September oth —v. Taranaki, at Taranaki. September 7th—v. Wellington, at Wellington. September 7th—v. Wellington (Junior iieps.), at Wellington. September 14th —v. Otago, at Christchurch. September 14th—Senior B Reps. v. Otago Juniors, at Christchurch; v. S. Canterbury on date to be arranged. The North Island v. South Island match will be played at Wellington on September 28th. Up to Saturday the Canterbury Rugbv Union, with the public's generous assistance, had handed over £3435 3s 5d to various charities. How far does a referee travel in a match? Mr E. E. Luttrell, according to a pedometer which he carried, covered 6\ miles in the 'Varsity-Albion match, of which he was referee. There were three successful exponents of the drop-kicked goal at the Park on Saturday, and several more who nearly netted the coveted four points for their side. D. Rich (Merivale) snapped a beauty in the Oval game with only a yard or two to work in, and with his left foot. Jack Steel added another to a fairly big total in the Albion-Christchurch match. In the Svdenhnm-Technical match H. E. Westwood (Technical) also put over a good field goal. : It was not in the potting of goals I that those who have taken a leaf from Bennie Osier's book were busy. F. J. Bennett, playing half for 'Varsity on the Oval, occasionally varied his tac- . tics by sending a long punt to touch from the base of the scrum. Both wing-forwards in the Oval match were on their game. A. R. Smith, for 'Varsity, and J. Gibson, for Meriva'e, were like lightning round the %crum. Some of the spectators thought thev were given just a little too much latitude. The number of nlayers who have been injured _ in matches this season is rather surprising in view of the fact that the grounds have been soft. Up to the present 'Varsit# have been represented by no fewer than 32 different men. the material for more than two compete teams No matter how exciting the game, there are always a few score patrons in the big stand at Lancaster Park who appear to be anxious to make

sure of a scat in one of the waiting trams before the Oval match finishes. They trickle out by twos in a very unconcerned fashion, while those who remain seem riveted to theiz seats by some spell of exciting play. After Saturday's game the 'Varsity selectors will be wondering whether the emergencies published in the programme should not be among the first chosen in any future selection. Obstruction played its part in the concluding stages of the 'VarsityMerivale game, but the College team included no offenders. The fading light caused men to tackle players not in possession, but not all of the obstruction was due to the semi-dark-ness. J. Harris fOld Boys) and A. W. Roberts (West Christchurch) may both be better at line-kicking than N. Brosnan, the Merivale custodian, but he has no peers in the position at tackling. '-The bigger they are and the raster they come, the harder they fall," appears to be Brosnan's philosophy. There are sturdy young players in the Sydenham senior fifteen and proper coaching should make something of them. It says much for the spirit of the team that it went right through the competition, until last Saturday, without the encouragement which comes from a good win. This ill-luck is not likely to continue for they have improved —especially in the backs — more than either Technical or W©st Old Boys, the other two teams on the lower rungs of the competition ladder. Sydenham should secure a win wnen next they are pitted against West. Indeed, if they are held too lightly, this may not be the only win they will obtain. The Technical team is somewhat of a disappointment. _ It has now been long enough in senior football to have found its feet, but its players cannot be said to be up to senior standard, though they were the prime cause of the biggest Rugby sensation locally so far this season. The club's chief worry is its inability to discover any young backs of promise. Bamford, who has been the usual custodian since the team began playing senior, is a very consistent player. French and Westwood, in the three-quarter line, have shown some football ability, but the rest of the backs hardly ever rise out of mediocrity. The team's main strength lies in two or three good forwards who have been, with it ever since it entered the senior ranks. The Welch brothers, W. Miller, and Christiansen are men who play consistently good football and it will not surprise if one of them at least represents Canterbury this season. There have been some cricket scores in Rugby this year, but the record so far was made by Old Boys on Saturday, when they registered 59 points against West Old Boys and kept their own line intact. After playing indifferently for a Saturday or so their rearguard re-asserted itself. D. Hay, ] at first five-eighth, was in great form, and some account him unlucky not to have obtained All Black honours ere this. But so keen is the competition in Canterbury this year that it is doubtful if he will fill a place in the province's rearguard. His slim stature is against him, but there is nothing wrong with his play. Mistakes at critical moments seem to have been the main cause of the All Blacks' defeat by Australia on Saturday, to judge by the cabled reports of the game. Three Canterbury men, Lilbume, Oliver, and "Carleton, played next one another in the inside back position. Their display does not seem to have been faultless, though Oliver is spoken of as playing up to form. Carleton has not yet played as he did in South Africa. On his form against the Springboks, followed by prominence in Australia, McWilliams must be accounted one of New Zealand's outstanding forwards. Most people will agree with the manager of the All Blacks, Mr McLeod, when he says that the Australians have not yet seen his team at its best.

One of the hardest places io fill in the New Zealand team this year was the half-back position. About Dal ley there was no question, because, in his long football career, he has never played better than ho has been doing this season. When he toured Great Britain in 1924 he was known as a fine defensive and wet weather halfback, but now initiative in attack is one of the strongest features of his play. The problem was to find a second half. M. L. Page, another High School Old Boys' player, was asked to go, but could not. Had he accepted, two All Black half-backs would have been supplied by one club—this would surely have been a record in New Zealand" football. J. M. Tuck was finally chosen though an unknown quantity in big Rugby. He apparently acquitted Himself quite well on Saturday. E. T. C. Leys, the third half-back to bo sent to Australia—and a Wellington representative—played in Christchurch this season behind the New Zealand University scrum. Those who saw him then did not consider that he shaped like an All Black. Mr J. McLeod has cabled Sir Joseph Ward from Sydney:—"Your message appreciated by team Nearly fifty thousand spectators witnessed a titanic struggle, Australia winning by 9 points to 8. The ashes are not lost, however. Kia Ora."—Press Association.