RUGBY LEAGUE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20624, 13 August 1932, Page 10

RUGBY LEAGUE.

SECOND TEST. ~ GREAT STRUGGLE EXPECTED. There is every prospect that the second Rugby League Test at Monica Park to-day will prove one of the brightest exhibitions of the game that has ever been seen in Christchurch. Both sides are confident of victory. The New jgeaiandsrs are determined to avenge their defeat by 24 points to 9 in the last Test, and the Englishmen are quietly eonfldeat of another suceesa, but doubtful that the margin will be so great in their favour. Vital changes in the New Zealand team have removed a sound basis for comparison, but these are expected to give the side muchneeded balance and more speed ia the vanguard. Other minor improvements should result from a close study of the visitors' play, which is distinctive enough to bo hard to follow. Hence the alterations have had to be mainly from the defensive point of view. TJw New Zealand team was selected last evening, and the final choice of the English team has been left till this morning, but on paper the preliminary selections promise two well-balanced sides, fast and resourceful baek and forward, and well able to fight §> stirring battle.

The New Zealand team will be as follows;^ S. Watene.' C. List, H. Brisbane, B, Davidson. A. E. Cooke, H, Hassan. A. Abbott. J. Calder, 0. Campbell, W. Stephenson. H. Lawless,' L. Hutt. J. Amos. Regeiwe: P. Bart. With one man to be dropped, the English backs will be as follows: Fuljrback: J. Sullivan. Three-quarters: A. Ellaby, A. Atkinson, A. J. lUsinaa, s. Smith, Halves: B. Evans, 8. Brogden, E. Hellard.

The English Awards will be chesen fr©m the following F, Thompson, Jj, L, White, N, Sileock, W. A. Williams, jr. Wright, U, Hodgson, W. Horton, A. Slides, H, Fender, aßd J. Feetham. Five pjayere are to be omitted, but whatever the final selection is, the Englishmes will field a strong combination. AH the men, with the exception of Holland, Silcock, Wright, Horton, and Fender, played in the first Test, when it was considered that the tourists had their best thirteen on the ground.

The English Thirteen. The Englishmen are at a disadvantage in tbftt, they are at the end of a strenuous tour —the manager describes their Australian itinerary as having been a little too tieavy—but only the fittest members of the team will be in the final selection. But at any time, »s has beep proved in previous tours, the Englishmen can be relied on to play the most spectacular football, fciullivan, Herton, Thompson, and FiWes played m the Test gamo at Christchureh in" 1928, and with the rest of the side played a game which will bo remembered for many years. The team has again a distinct advantage in weight, the members averaging 13 stone. In the present tour this has given them a great superiority in scrummaging, which has had to be combated by back tactics which hamper the opposing side's offensive play. They have one of their greatest assets in the splendid kicking of Sullivan, but the team is all round a collection of players of the first class, the cream of a great league country, and sure to plar their finest football to-day. #*ir Zealand's Sid*.

New Zealand has rectified the obvious faults in the iirat Test by including heavier forwards and faster and more enterprising backs. The general opinion is that the team will prove much better balanced, and certainly more able to offset the disadvantages of the first meeting with the Englishmen. The Xew Zealand forwards have a capable hooker in G. Campbell, and his efforts will be backed up by a weighty, fast pack, which includes J. Calder, W. Stephenson, Hutt .(who has played English League), and Amos, the Canterbury man. AJI are useful men, particularly in the loose play, in which the Englishmen delight. In the backs, marked interest centres in the former Rugby Alt Black, A. E. Cooke, who proved decidedly tricky and enterprising in the first Test at Auckland. Brisbane, the captain, who is the only member of the team who played in the 192S Test at Christehureh, and the rest of the backs,, have been selected with a view to playing just the fast, spectacular game j which is likely to keep the Englishmen ! moving. Interest in Game.

The interest in the gaino promises to exceed even that taken iji the last League Test here. Special train arrangements have had to be made for the transport of people; from outside the province. A West Goast train, •which will arrive in Christehureh at 11.40 a.m. to-day, will carry 720 people, and another ijpeeial will run from Timaru. Suburban and country patrons will be catered for by special train arrangements.

The ground at Monica Park is stated fey tjie manager of the English team to be in splendid order, and weather conditions promise to be ideal. At the park seating accommodation has been provided for .10,000 people. The remainder of the huge crowd whjeh is expected will stand. The Test will commence at 3 p.m., but the early crowd will be interested by two curtainraisers between Canterbury and West Coast third grade and junior teams, The Caledonian Society's pipe band wi}i play before the game starts. At half-time the members of the teams will be presented to the GovernorGeneral. Lord Blcdisloe.

CIVIC RECEPTION. TOURISTS WELCOMED TO CHBISTCHURCH. The English team was accorded a civic reception in the City Council Chambers at noon yesterday \>7 the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, 3J.P.). Members of the Executive pf the Canterbury Eugby League, and of ofher sporting bodies also attended. "It gives ine great pleasure to extend a" hearty welcome to you," said Mr Sullivan, addressing the visitors. They were not merely coming to what he -was sure they had recognised as the most beautiful, city in New Zealand, but to a most warm-hearted and sporting community. The team had, U P to the present, been most successful. He wou}d no*! prophesy about today's game, hut he knew that the better team wpuld win. ''The extent of the popularity of the Englishmen has been shown by the big attendances at their matches. They opened hi Wydpcy with a crowd oi 70,000, and the tour so far hud realised £84,000 in gate takings." The captain (J. Sullivan) came with, a par-

ticularly good name (laughter), and was on his third visit to New Zealand. The manager (Mr G. F. Hutchens), ■was on his second visit. Sir Sullivan then read the list of tho team's successes; which, he said, indicated that a firstelass team had been sent to meet New Zealand and Australian sides. Mr Sullivan included in his welcome to the Englishmen some of the members of the New Zealand Test team, who were present. The chairman of the Canterbury Rugby League, Mr Winter Cole, added his welcome to the visitors. The code had had its ups and downs in Christchurch, and at times small encouragement from the public, he said. But the men had carried on and a fine game was looked for to-day. Cr. P. T. Evans, speaking as a representative of sport generally, also extended a welcome.

Dr. H. T. J. Thacker, who described himself as "one of the sinners who Jiad had to get out of the sport in order that it could prosper under Mr "Winter Cole and his people," expressed a wish that the English visiotrs would have a pleasant stay in Christchurch. "My soul is with Rugby League,'' he said, "and I hope that our men give you a good drubbing.'! (Laughter.) "I have only Ibeen in Christchurch a short while, but I can assure you that we think it tho most beautiful city we have been in in New Zealand," said Mr R. F. Anderton, the team's financial manager, when replying to the welcome. He congratulated the New Zealand team on its fine sporting spirit in the last Test. Referring to the Rugby Union code he said that in England there was no animosity between tho codes, and he congratulated the New Zealand Rugby team on its having won the ashes in the reeent tour of Australia. He concluded with an assurance that the visit of tho team would cement the ties between the people of the two countries.

After the captain of the team (Mr J. Sullivan) had replied briefly, the manager (Mr V. Hutchenß) addressed the gathering. He concluded with 3 wish that everybody who saw the game to-day, would leave Monica Park with a finer conception of what the League game was.

At the conclusion of the reception the Englishmen sung their "Toast Song."

LEAGUE RULES.

INTERPRETATIONS DIFFER.

ENGLISH MANAGER'S VIEWS,

A statement that New Zealand referees were making their own interpretations of the rules of the game and ignoring tho English rules, although it had been a principal clause in the contract governing the tour that English rules and interpretations should be observed, was made yesterday by Mr G. F. Rutchins, one oJ? managers of the English League '.■ , aui, when interviewed by a representative of The Press. In some of the games already played in New Zealand there have been reported minor incidents which are taken to indicate discontent on the part of tho Englishmen with some of the referees' rulings, and a committee has been set up to discuss tho differences in the laws of tho game in the two countries with tho managers of the visitißg team.

Mr Hutching stated yesterday that a condition of the acceptance of the contract to tour was that all games should bo played under English rules *nd English interpretations. In fact, it was a first condition of acceptance. Yet in New Zealand referees had made their own interpretations and ignored those of the English League. ''lt is not our fault if Xew Zealand referees do not know the English rules, and we insist on their being observed," continued Mr Hutch ins.

lie instanced the New Zealand rule whereby a forward pass is dealt with by a penalty kick. The English rules demanded a scrum.

No Offer to Cooke. "There will be no offer to Cooke as far as we aro concerned," was the Teply made by Mr Hutchins when asked if there was any foundation in the rumour that an English League club was considering offering an engagement, to A. E. Cooke, the former Kugby Union All Black, who has played brilliant football in League games recently. "We have no mandate to offer anyone a game, nor arc we acting as agents for anyone," said Mr Hutchins. Mr Hutchins pointed out that after a strenuous tour, during part of which the team had had to do far too much travelling (in Queensland in particular), the men would return to England to find the season a month old. They would immediately have to participate in club football.

The team has lost only two games, against Brisbane and Australia, and has taken in gate receipts the sum of £24,000 since the tour started. They will leave for Wellington on Monday, and there will placp a wreath on the grave of A. T. Baskevillo, who led the first New Zealand League side to tour England. Mr Baskeville died on the return voyage to New Zealand, and whenever an English team visits the Dominion his memory has been honoured.