GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25128, 8 March 1947, Page 6

GAMES AND PLAYERS

ATHLETIC SPORTS

(By MILES.) Remits to Rugby Conference The New Zealand Rugby Union delegates to the International Conference to be held in England in December will have a big task to persuade the conference that certain amendments to the rules of Rugby football, as proposed at the recent meeting of delegates to the New Zealand Rugby Union, are necessary for the welfare of the game. The remit which aims for a two-front scrum will probably meet nothing but frowns from representatives of other unions, for a twofront scrum must necessarily mean the re-establishment of the wing-forward. About 15 years ago New Zealand was told that the wing-forward would not be further tolerated in international games, and New Zealand was forced to experiment (and experiment it has only been) with a 3-2-3 or 3-4-1 formation. Australia, England, and South Africa have not

played a two-front scrum with a wingforward. This remit may be taken as lost. New Zealand will also ask for a general review on professionalism. The following is the introduction to the "Rules as to Professionalism” published in the Canterbury Rugby Football Union’s Annual. “Adopted at the Rugby Union meeting, September, 1895, which shall take the place of the rules . . . which were in operation previously and altered in conjunction with the Welsh Union in 1899-1900.” Nearly half a century has passed (the Rugby League code was es-. tablished in England in 1895), and with changing conditions no alteration has been made in the laws governing professionalism. The All Blacks of 1905-06 should have been classed professionals when they accepted 21 shillings a week when on tour. Later All Black teams have been given coupons to use in the places at which they have been staying; but no actual money allowance has been made. The New Zealand cricketers received 10s a day when touring England and Australia. The “Rules as to Professionalism” need revision. New Zealand delegates should receive almost unanimous support in efforts to ensu* that the Dominion in future tours will be represented by the very best players without there being

any unfair financial sacrifice by these players.

Australia’s Win Australia’s win in the test series against England could hardly have been more clear-cut and decisive. Australia won three tests, and two were drawn, and only on rare occasions did the Englishmen find themselves in a position from which a win might conceivably be forced. Before the tests began, it was generally agreed that both sides were very strong in batting and weak in bowling, and it was thought that the first four tests might all be drawn. The Australians, however, demonstrated clearly that their bowling was better than had been.anticipated, and the English batting, until the closing stages of the tour, was a rather uncertain quantity. Spin bowling, which worried English batsmen in the 1930, 193132, 1934, 1936-37, and 1938 series, was again the chief contributing cause to the downfall of the Englishmen. Excluding the first test, when a Brisbane sticky wicket made almost any bowling extremely difficult to play, England found most difficulty with the slow bowling, although two fast men, R, Lindwall anef K. Miller, both finished with impressive averages. However. Mi[ler obtained most of his wickets at Brisbane, and Lindwall, whose best performance, before the last test was his four for 52 at Adelaide, included three tail-enders in his bag on that occasion. Thus in the second test I. Johnson took six wickets in the first innings, and C. V. McCool five in the second. In the third test B. Dooland took four wickets in the first innings; in the fourth test? E. Toshack took four wickets, and McCool took five in the last English innings of the series. It does seem, however, that the English team failed to do itself justice, and although it was soundly beaten by a better combination, luck seemed to favour the Australians all through the,, series. “Hands Off Davis Cup Team”

Several provincial lawn tennis associations are likely to seek an assurance from the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association that the players selected for the Davis Cup team this year. R. S. McKenzie. J. A. Barry, and J. E. Robson, will be allowed to represent the Dominion without "assistance” from New Zealand players domiciled in New Zealand. Interviewed in London after the New Zealand team was announced. E. D. Andrews, who is to be manager of the team, said he assumed that the side to play Norway would be chosen from these three and New Zealanders resident in England. He named C. E. Malfroy. D. C. Coombe, and J. M. Cope. The Otago Association at once protested and a writer in the Auckland Association’s official magazine has also said, in effect: “Hands Off the Davis Cup team.” It is claimed that the object of selecting young players will be defeated if they are not given the experience of Davis Cup play. It is in New Zealand’s interest to be represented by the strongest possible team, but of the expatriate players mentioned—including Andrews—only Malfroy would appear likely to strengthen the side, and there is no reliable guide to his form because he did not play in major tournaments last season. All things considered, the New Zealand Association would be wise to let the chosen team take its chance. All are young players who should represent New Zealand worthily for many years to come. Sign of the Packhorse

The news that the neglected Sign of the Packhorse on Mount Herbert, Banks Peninsula, is to be restored by the Youth Hostels Association and used in its chain Of accommodation houses throughout the peninsula,, will be heartening to Christchurch trampers who have been hoping for some time that an effort would be made to save this fine building from ruin. The experiment which the association is making in entrusting the control of the Packhorse to a group of its young tramping club members will be watched with interest, for it points the way to a solution of an identical problem—the '.upkeep of another neglected building—the Sign of the Bellbird at Kennedy’s Bush on the Summit road. Occupying a position of vantage over the Canterbury Plains, and within easy reach of the city, it suffered severely at the hands of vandals while it was untenanted during the war. In enterprising hands it could, at the very pay for its maintenance by the sale of refreshments to visitors in the week-ends, and many suggestions have been made for its future. One proposal was that it should be moved down the Summit road to Gebbie’s Pass, where it could provide a much-needed service to motorists and trampers, who now find it possible to move further afield than was possible in the days when the original site was chosen

Senior Cricket

The final rounds of matches in the senior cricket competition will begin today, and the fact that three teams have prospects of winning, will lend the games more than usual interest. The leading teams, High School Old Boys and East Christchurch, meet at Lancaster Park. High School Old Boys, with 43 points, is three points ahead of East Christchurch, and needs only a first innings win to finish on top. as Lancaster Park, the third tcaVn would finish with only 47 goints if it beats West Old Boys outright, towever, if East Christchurch should win on the first innings, an outright win would give Lancaster Park the cham-. pionship. The matches will conclude on March 15, on the following Saturday there will be no club cricket, as the English team will be playing New Zealand at Lancaster Park, and friendly matches are likely to be played on the one remaining Saturday, March 29. The suggestion has been made that the Canterbury Colts team play the winner of the senior championship. Such a game would be a popular one, and would be more good match practice for the young cricketers on both sides. Too Many Teams?

The Canterbury Cricket Association and the Canterbury Rugby Union are not the only bodies controlling a sport in which the disadvantages of having too many teams playing in the senior grade have become apparent. The annual meeting of the Canterbury Football Association, to be held on Tuesday, is to discuss a recommendation from the Western Club that the number of teams in the senior grade be limited to six, and that the system of relegation and promotion between senior, senior B. and junior grades be put into effect. If. in a town the size of Christchurch, there are enough players of senior calibre for eight senior teams—in any sport—and they play in a competition containing 12 teams, the standard of the game is bound to deteriorate, and there are at least four teams not up to senior standard.

No Swimming Lanes One oversight marred an otherwise well conducted meeting at the annual swimming sports of a secondary school at Christchurch recently. The championship events drew large entries for some races—too large for the width of the baths—but no rope lanes were provided for the trimmers. In the intermediate 100 yards championship race, there were no fewer than nine starters and a certain amount of confusion resulted when the leading swimmers made the first turn. Several of the seven competitors in the 33 1-3 yards senior championship failed to keep straight, and interfered with the , chances of the others by swimming into

them. This difficulty could be overcome by running heats and finals ot events for which there were more than five, or at the outside, six entries. Rope lanes should be provided to give the competitors protection from unintentional interference. At the Tepid Baths, only five lanes are used for championship events, the distance between each being six feet, which gives ample room to each swimmer. “Goodwill” Tour An attack on Australian newspaper criticism of English batting in the match against New South Wales which preceded the fifth test at Sydney is made by Charles Bray in the “Daily Herald,” London. It had been emphasised over and over again that the M.C.C. did not want to send a team so soon after the war. Mr Bray wrote, but the goodwill side seemed to have been ignored by certain sections of the Australian press. Although Hutton had been knocked out and had to have two stitches in his jaw, and Edrich laid low for several minutes, both by fast bumpers, the following had appeared in a leading Sydney Sunday paper:—“Test batsmen who potter about as England's stars did should be charged with a parking fee. This is the most pathetic Internationa) match we have ever had to sit out. After yesterday’s traversty, fans must seriously consider whether they would not have more entertainment watching lads in the public parks. Fishlock and Hardstaff were miles below Ironmonger’s class at his worst.” Compton, with a bad back, had stayed to make 75, but his innings has been described as “spineless aggression minus quantity.” Many reasons had been advanced for Hammond’s lack of success, but the only correct one was that he had been worried and upset by the fierce and often totally unjustified castigation erf his players by the Australian press. Hammond intended to take home with him a collection of newspaper cuttings which would startle the powers-that-be at Lord’s. Anyone who believed that a goodwill tour would be accepted in that sense and viewed as such in Australia was living In a fool’s paradise, Mr Bray concluded.