THE COMING RUGBY SEASON

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22371, 7 April 1938, Page 18

THE COMING RUGBY SEASON

South Africans’ Lessons To Be Applied

CHANGES IN CITY SENIOR TEAMS \ ■ / Players and followers of Rugby saw last season one of the most brilliant international football teams in the history of the game. That the South Africans exposed weaknesses not only in the provincial and national teams that opposed it but in the fundamental methods of present-day New Zealand play few will care to deny. In the coming season coaches and flayers will be keen to turn the lessons of last year’s tour to account, and their efforts in this direction will be one of the most interesting features of a season which, lacking the interest of an international team in the Dominion, must necessarily come as something of an anti-climax after the test match fever of 1937.

‘ Hard and conscientious grafting at the fundamentals of the game would appear to be one of the most urgent needs of New Zealand Rugby. The smooth efficiency of the Springboks spoke of a thorough grounding in the essential elements of the game; the poor handling of many of the teams that opposed them, their feeble defence, and their lack of combination and backing up suggested strongly that too many of New Zealand’s players, from schoolboys upwards, are trying to run before they can walk—to learn the finer points of the game before they can pass and receive, kick with either foot, and tackle safely. Rugby enthusiasts in Christchurch have seen what can be done without such artificial aids as amendments to the international rules, and they will be disappointed if senior teams this year do not show at least some benefit from the lessons taught by the Springboks. It will be an interesting season in spite of the lack of a visiting international team. For the leading players, too, there will be the incentive of a trip to Australia with the New Zealand team.

University’s Strength

The Canterbury Rugby Union s firstgrade competition ended last season in a tie between University and Old Boys, after one of the closest struggles for championship honours since the war. There will again be keen rivalry between the two clubs, with probably some of the other clubs challenging their supremacy even more strenuously than last year. It is early yet for most of the senior coaches to have sorted cut their material, but the indications are that there will be new faces, probably a new team, and old players in new positions. University has a great wealth of material, but the strongest teams on paper are not always the strongest on the field. The club is fortunate that most of the players in last year’s successful team are young and only four men have dropped out—J. N. B. Matson (a Rhodes Scholar), P. Bridges, A. H. Ellis, and J. D. Carmichael. The new men include Gomez, a Nelson representative, P. L. Lynch, an Invercargill senior, both husky lock forwards, R. G. K. Hogg, formerly of the Christchurch seniors, and Edwards, another good forward who, with Hogg, was, a member of the Canterbury colts’ team last year. Acquisitions in the backs include W. G. Brooks, formerly of Sydenham, Canterbury representative and All Black trial fiveeighths; M, P. Donnelly, the New Zealand representative cricketer, who is a good inside back; C. Dickenson, who has played full-back, for Old Boys; E. B. Ifooks, a useful University back of a few seasons ago; D. H. Symes, who has played full-back for Otago University since leaving Christchurch a few years ago, and M. D. Fountain, who at the Christchurch Boys’ High School showed great promise as an inside back. Forwards who kept University in the front rank last year, Williams, Stace, Wilson, Roberts, Walter. Martin, and Lake, and backs, McAulifle, Mitchell, Kimberley, Hunter, Hadfle/d, Overton, and Malley, are all available again, so it will be seen that some good men will have to be passed over.

Rankin on the Wing

Old Boys’ losses will not be offset by their gains, for stalwarts of recent seasons in K. S. Mortlock, C. H. McPhail, and J. K. Gaskin have all retired, and D. G. Cobden, All Black winger and prolific scorer last season, has gone to England. All these are backs, and a good forward who has decided not to play this- season is O. G. Wood. The most interesting feature of the Old BoysJ team this-year will be the playing of J. G. Rankin, All Black loose forward, on the wing. Although this fine player gained New Zealand honours in 1928 and 1937, there has been a fairly general feeling that He is too light for an international scrum. His speed, anticipation, and opportunism, and fine defence should fit him well for his new position, in which he should be capable of reaching provincial honours at least. Apparently Rankin has decided that the demands of present-day forward play give him little prospect of success as a scrummager. What a pity this bnl-. liant player did not play in the days of the wing-forward! Another interesting feature of the Old Boys’ fifteen will probably be the appearance of W. A. Hadlee, New Zealand representative cricketer, at centre. He was absent from New Zealand last year, but the previous season he showed great promise in the position—fast, heavy, and very hard to stop. Nolan, Kerr, Round, Cade”, and Spence in the backs, Foley, N. J. McPhail, Hearn, Geissler, Heckle, Rich, Stowe, and Dove in the forwards, will be available again, as well as promising men in G. P- Orchard, G. H.-Steele, C. Saundercock, and Lake. S. G. Henry, who has played in all positions in backs and forwards, may not play this season. ' . Sunnyside, champion team in 1936, tailed off badly last season, partly because of injuries and players not being available. The institution team, however, will have most of last year’s men, and one or two others who may strengthen the side. These include Perkins, a centre three-quarters from Dunedin, and Milliken, a brother of the All Black trialist, who has shown good form in country football.

Sydenham’s Losses

Sydenham will have difficulty in maintaining the progress shown last season, for this team also has lost several good men. Brooks has gone to University, J. O. Ha ttersley. South Island front-row forward and captain of the team for many seasons, is in England, and W. J. Brown, a former representative winger, is unlikely to play. K. Dunlop, a hard-working forward who has been unlucky in not gaining representative honours, also has retired. Two acquisitions, are Coates, a utility back from Menvale, and Mason, from Okain’s Bay., Sydenham is fortunate to have gamed the services of C. J. Oliver, 1935 All Black vice-captain, as coach. , Christchurch has lost some useful men, but will start the season with plenty of good material. If will have the services again of several men who were kept out of the game througn injury for a large part of last season. These include Byrne, a promising half-back, and Morton, an inside back of ability. Neame, who played on the wing . for Christchurch two seasons ago, has returned,, and will be a valuable man if he has fulfilled his early promise. Pawson and Busfield, both of whom played for Canterbury last season, Watson and Black (backs), Bacon, Poison, and

Gardner (forwards), and new men in Robson and Clay, senior players from Wellington and Auckland respectively. will be available. Christchurch’s defections include W. Fleming, hooker for Canterbury last season and a great battler for his club over a period of several years, J. Mahoney, Hogg, Field, Porteous, Burrell, and possibly Murray. Since last season, too, the club has lost a niost promising forward through the death of H. S. Batchelor. Most of Merivale’s team of last year will be available again, and it will be good news to Rugby enthusiasts that H. Deavoll will be playing in the forwards. This fine forward had to take things lightly last season, and he played at full-back in order to give his arm injury, received the previous year, a chance to mend thoroughly. I. Mavitty, who has represented Ulster as a wing three-quarters, and R. Rudkin, who was kept out of the game by injury last season, are to find places in the team. A New Senior Team

The extension of the New Zealand air defence forces has brought many young men from all parts of the Dominion to Wigram aerodrome, and it is not surprising that there are many footballers among them. The new club hopes to enter three teams in the competitions, and although they have not yet been graded, it is almost certain that the first team will have to be ranked in the seniors. The Air Force played a strong Sunnyside team last Saturday and lost only by 11 points to 6. The club will have at least 25 players who have played senior football in various parts of New Zealand, among them being Clifford-Jones, Taranaki representative three-quar-ters; N. Svenson (Auckland), a brother of the 1924 All Black; Pearson, a Waikato representative; George. Perrott, and Ritchie, all Auckland seniors; Cunningham, a Wellington senior. Rankin (a Hawke’s Bay representative emergency); and possibly J. D. Carmichael, University and Canterbury representative winger last year. poaching the Air Force team will be J. D'. Mackay, the All Black wing three-quarters of 1928. Linwood is in the fortunate position of having a strong junior team to call on, and the club will again have a powerful forward pack. The backs will be fast but inexperienced; The club has lost a good forward in Revell, now on the West Coast, but it is possible that G. S. Cooper, high-scoring loose forward who played for Canterbury in 1936, will be back again after a season in Wellington. G. Arps, a country representative, may be an acquisition to the backs, and his brother may find a place in the pack. Gray, brilliant young five-eighths, will stand down this season on account of injury, and Linwood will thus lose its most effective penetrating force in the backs. Brown had also retired. Matterson, Armour, and Monk (forwards), and Quaid, Hewitt, Empson, Collett, and Nelson (backs) will probably find places in the side. Athletic’s Policemen Athletic, one of the strongest forward teams in the competition last season, will again call on a considerable number of the Police Force, including W. Coll, a Canterbury representative, T. Knowles, and A. Tait, newcomers from Wellington. Mclvor, Carter, and Hack. D. Whillans, captain of the team last year, is now a member of the detective staff in Auckland, and this fine forward will be missed, as will B. Constable and G. Salisbury, two more policemen-foot-ballers. The club has a promising recruit in B. O’Fagan, a St. Patrick’s (Silverstreaxn), Wellington threequarters. Young players will be given a trial ip a'match against Technical on Saturday. Albion will also have to promote" some juniors this sbason, but the club has good reserves. Notable absentees this season will be G. B. Eathorne, representative wing three-quarters, nnd W. Thompson, a utility back who has given the club good service. The former is resting from injuries received last year, and the latter is in Australia, J. Hobson, better known as a dirt-track rider, who played well as a five-eighths when Albion won the championship in 1934, will be avialable again after an absence in England. Technical, a newcomer to the competition last season, will have all its 1937 players with the exception of Todd, a wing three-quarters. This team is young and no doubt will show the benefit of a season’s first-grade experience, TEAMS FOR SATURDAY UNITED CLUB To play Sheffield. Cars leave 1 p.m.—V. Greenslade, I. Beid, V. Klraber, K. Woods, R. Harris, p. Thomas, T. Guilford, D. Guilford, I. Oldman, G. Scott, K. Bailey, C. Bailey, S. Simpson. T. Opie, D. Everest, P. Byan, G. Thomas, K. Gallagher. —6

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL LEITH V. CANTERBURY The following players have bera selected to play against a team from H.M.S. Leith, at English Park next Sunday:—D.Mcßae, S Cawtheray. A. McMillan, G. Browne, M Gordon, A. Gordon, M. Bumand, D. Souter, G. Smith, K. Smith. A. Almond. R Any^playe^not 3 available is requested to notify the selector (Mr F. ,T. H. Bell) immediately.