GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26117, 20 May 1950, Page 4

GAMES AND PLAYERS

ATHLETIC SPORTS

(By “MILESr) Test for British Isles Team The British Isles team, which has had three good, if easy, trials against Nelson Combined, Buller, and West Coast, will have its first real test of ability to-day when it meets Otagc-, which includes 11 men who have played for New Zealand and eight in South Africa. The visitors play the open game, and though the forwards are good handlers and ever ready to join in passing rushes, their one object seems to be to get the ball out to the wing three-quarters, who attempts to run round his opposing wing. In the three games played, K. J. Jones and M. C. Thomas, the Welsh wings, have not shown anything exceptional except speed, and the writer does not expect to find them outpacing W. A. Meates or R. H. Bell. Neither is it likely that the really fine stand-off half-back, J. W. Kyle, will leave the five-eighths standing as he did at Grey mouth. Keen observers will find much to admire in Kyle, whose handling of a greasy ball at Greymouth was remarkable. They will also see in J. Matthews, the Welsh centre, a straight runner with a flair for making openings for his wings. It is doubtful whether B. L. Williams, the Welsh star who partnered Matthews in the international fixtures, will be fit enough to take the field. He is still nursing a strained ligament; he has not had a game, and with no replacements allowed it might be thought inadvisable to run the risk, of being left with only 14 men to battle through the game. The game against Otago will provide a severe test, and after this match and one against Southland next Wednesday the players should be ready for the first test next Saturday. Judging by the three games he has seen them play, the writer does not think the British team is rugged enough nor sufficiently trained to beat a good team such as Otago. Front-row Forwards K-. Mullen (Ireland), the captain of the British Isles team and. specialist hooker, and another front-ranker in the -Scot, G. M. Budge, are right up to the best standard of front-row men. Like other forwards in the team, each man can handle a ball as well as any back, and any short kicks that are sent to them will be marked and returned with interest. Although the full-back, G. W. Norton, is the ace goal-kicker, and M. C. Thomas kicked six penalty goals against Nelson, the long-range penalties are sometimes taken by T. Clifford and J. D. Robins, the latter a Welsh forward, who attempted a goal from 10 yards past half-way against Buller, the ball going just outside the posts. If persevered with Robins may prove to be another Okey Geffen. Like Davies. MUllen, and Clifford, he is a front-row man. All four have the physique of professional wrestlers. Two other men who will provide thrills are the side-row men, J. S. McCarthy (Ireland) and R. T. Evans (Wales). McCarthy is a will o’ the wisp and breaks from a scrum quicker than anv forward the writer has seen. Against Nelson he was penalised often. Against West Coast he was the model boy on his best behaviour, and struck no trouble. McCarthy is a tireless worker amongst backs and forwards. Australian Davis Cup Prospects Mr Harry Hopman, manager of the Australian Davis Cup team which left Sydney for London recently, thinks that the team will have to improve to have a chance of winning the cup this year. If our young players improve as much as we expect them to over the next few months we have a chance of bringing the cup back to Australia,” he said. “The boys’ form at the moment could not be considered better than the Americans’ known form with a leader like Ted Schroder to battle against. I expect that the lads will improve after the coming tournament play and John Bromwich will surprise his critics.” The team members will play in the French championships at Paris on May 21, but it has yet to be decided if they will appear in the Queen’s Club tournament before the Wimbledon championships. The opening Davis Cup match will be against Canada at Montreal from July 20 to 22. The players took about five dozen rackets as well as ample supplies of gut for the tour. Bromwich, who was not considered for the 1948 side after refusing to travel by plane, -was not worried before his i departure. Bromwich had been averse to 1 air travel because he suffered badly I from air sickness, but travelled twice to Tasmania and returned during the last month and considered that he had settled down to air travel. Before leaving he said: ”1 don’t know how this long trip will affect me I only hope I do not become too tired and get air sick again.” Batting Record The outstanding performance in English cricket during the week was the partnership of 343 by J. G. Dewes and D. Sheppard for Cambridge University.' against the West Indians, a first wicket record against any touring team anywhere in the world. Dewes is one of the young batsmen on whom faith was pinned a couple of years ago. He -won his way into. the English test eleven against the Australians in 1948, but failed, in company with many with more illustrious records. Last season, also early in May. Dewes and G. H. G. Doggart scored 429 in an opening partnership for their university against Essex, an English record, and they needed only 27 more to beat the world record when the innings was declared closed. On that occasion Doggart made 219 not out and Dewes 204 not out. When the English team leaves for Australia towards the end of the’ year, Dewes may be one of the party. In spite of his test failure, he has been consistently successful since he entered firstclass cricket. Entries in Kennett Cup

With the present ground conditions, it looks as if the Dunedin harriers will be favoured with the traditional muddy course so much to their liking when the Kennett Cup steeplechase is held at the Riccarton Racecourse to-day. Since the revival of the race in 1946, there has not been a dry day for the event. A record number of runners have been entered for the cup, which will be run under the supervision of the Christchurch Harrier Club. In the senior A grade there are bo competitors, in the senior B there are i E th 6 l unior there are 65, a total Entries have been received from Civil Service and Caversham, both of Dunedin. A New Pass Introduced

Many different kinds of passes from the scrum had been tried—lob. low. high, and fast—before Danny Craven came to New Zealand with the Springboks and introduced the dive pass, a Danny Craven special, which every halfback from schoolboy to All Black tried to do. More often than not the so-called dive pass has been more like a belly-flop. Another pass that has brought results usually in potted goals is a pass straight through the half-back’s legs to a first fiveeighths. This was a favourite move when C. E. Guiney played for Canterbury, and it was also tried with success by “Ginger" and Mark Nicholls. The British Isles half-backs, W. R. Willis, A. Black, and G. Rimmer, have a new idea in scrum passing. This is what might be described as a back-hand -pass. The half-back does not pivot on his feet to meet the five-eighths. He is still facing the scrum when the ball is passed to open or blind side. The length of the passes and the certainty with which the stand-off half. J. E. Kyle, took the ball in the last two games, showed this method to be quite workable and certainly an improvement on the dive-pass as practised in New Zealand football. Day of World Football

I One minute’s silence, in memory of the t 18 players and officials who were killed when an aeroplane crashed at Turin, was observed in all first division matches in the j Canterbury Football Association’s compe- | titions last Saturday. This was done in response to a request from the Federation of Football Associations which had I directed that a day to be known as a j Day of World Football should be kept •in memory of the players and officials J who were killed. The ■federation asked I that the silence be observed during some i stage of the games played on Saturday, May 13. Ben Hogan’s Return to Golf Fame Soon after the war Ben Hogan became known as the golfer who strove only for birdies and aimed for the pin instead of the green, and in 1948, became the first golfer for 26 years to win the three major American golf titles—the Professional Goif Association Open, United States Open, and the Western Open. In February, 1949, "Blazing Ben” Hogan suffered severe injuries when he was involved in an accident. One of his collar-bones and one rib were broken, his pelvis was crushed, and an emergency operation had to be performed to save his life when blood clots formed. When he came out of hospital it was believed that he might handle his clubs again, but that he would never again play the “Big Game." Last January, however, he announced his intention of playing in the Los Angeles Open and returned exhausted after the first day with a two over par 73. No one thought that either his legs or his physique would stand the strain of the three later rounds, but he caught the field, passed it, and in the last round ended well ahead of everyone except Sammy Snead, who recorded a phenomenal 66 for a tie. Recently, he showed the world that he can split the pins even better than before. He recorded a 66 to equal the world record for 72 holes on a par 70 course with a 259, to win the Greenbrier open golf title at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Four Bouts for Dawson Freddie Dawson, the American lightweight, who knocked out Vic Patrick, the former light-weight champion of Australia, when he was last in Australia

in 1947, has four bouts .lined up for him during his current tour of Australia. It is apparent that he, will fight in both the light-weight ’and welter-weight divisions. Since his last trip to Australia Dawson has been narrowly outpointed by the world light-weight champion, Ike Williams, once in 1948 and again in 1949. Sutcliffe “Sportsman of the Year” Bert Sutcliffe, the brilliant Otago and New Zealand batsman, has been awarded the New Zealand Sportsman’s trophy for the outstanding sportsman of the year. Of the 15 sports editors from all over New Zealand, . who formed the panel of judges, the overwhelming majority voted for Sutcliffe. “Sutcliffe’s deeds on the cricket field are fresh in the minds of everyone,” says the donors of the trophy, the magazine the “New Zealand Sportsman,” in announcing '.the award. “It is no exaggeration to state that he ranks as the greatest batsman ever born in New Zealand. Further, he has the facility for making his runs in such a dashing, attractive manner that his appeal to the cricketing public is unprecedented." New Zealand records Tield by Sutcliffe are:—highest average in all first-class cricket by a New Zealander; highest score by a New Zealander, 355; highest score made in New Zealand. 355; highest aggregate in a New Zealand season, 747 (1947-48); greatest average in a New Zealand season, 106.71 (1947-48); aggregate of 200 runs or mere in one match, eight times; double century and century in the same match, 243 and 100 not out v. Essex; three centuries in successive innings, twice; century in each innings of a match, four times (no other New Zealander had done this more than once); highest aggregate by a New Zealand cricketer in England, 2627; highest score by . a New Zealand cricketer in England, 243; double-centur}' partnership in each innings of a match (world’s record); highest average in New Zealand four seasons in succession. Mr Norman R. Jacobsen

One of New Zealand’s greatest allround athletes, Mr Norman R. Jacobsen, died at his home in Wellington at the age of 61 recently. He was manager of the Wellington Sports Centre since its inception five years ago. He captained New Zealand and Australia at hockey, and had an excellent record in inter-provincial cricket, played senior Rugby, played off scratch at golf, was a brilliant runner and rifle shot, and expert boxer and jiujitsu exponent. He won every handicap and championship race at the Auckland Grammar School. He represented Auckland University College at running, tennis, jumping, cricket, and hockey. He was an Auckland representative at the New Zealand athletic championships. Against the American athletes at Hamilton in 1914, he beat Parker (the United States champion) over 100 yards. Starting off six yards, he ran the distance in 9 2-ssec. Off 10 yards he won the 440 yards against Power (United States), and off 45 yards he won the 880 yards in Imin 52 3-ssec. He represented South Auckland and Hawke's Bay at cricket and hockey. Football Association Trophy

Canterbury has a wealth of talent to represent it in defence of the English Football Association's Trophy, which will be competed for at Auckland during the King’s Birthday week-end. Lambert (Thistle), Laing (Western), and McKenzie (Technical), are all in line for representative honours. The full-backs will be from a select class of whom Harris and i Dean (Technical). Saunderson (Western), and Gowans (Thistle) have the most claims. The choice of a half line will cause the most difficulty. A. Laffey (Western), N. King, V. Smith, and J. Cook (Technical), H. Lloyd (Wigram), and J. McGrath and A. McAnulty (Thistle) are all in the running with little between them. There is also no 1 lack of candidates for the forward line.' R. Dowker,*G. Smith, R. Smith (Western), J. Gordon. A. Davies, R. Wilson (Wig-, ram), P. O’Malley, and C. Bailey (Tech-1 nical), and G. McAnulty' (Thistle), all: have the qualifications. Bid to Retain Standard

"The decision to transfer coaching responsibilities to the Australian captain is interpreted as a bid to letain the position Australia now has in the Rugby world.” writes Frank Tierney, in the “Sydney Morning Herald.” “Since the war Australia has been successful in Britain and New Zealand. In matches against Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and England in 1948, the Australian line was not crossed. Every previous international team had at least one try scored against it,” says Tierney. “The outcome of these successes has meant improved standard and. to-day, Australia’s reputation in the Rugby world is at the highest in its history. To Trevor Allan (or whoever succeeds him as Australian captain) will fall the task of developing plans to ensure Australia's continued success in the international field ” Players Selected for Training

The following are the details of the players who have been training for the match between Canterbury and the British team:—L. T. Savage, aged 22, lOst 71b, sft 6in; P. B. Vincent, 24, 12st, sft 7in; P. Kearney. 24, list 21b. sft lOin; J. Houghton, 191, list 81b, sft 7in; D. G. Reid, 20, 12st 11b, sft Bin; D. Reeves, 24, 13st 41b, sft Ilin; R. Smith, 21, list 41b, sft J. Kennedy, 21, 13st 51b, sft Ilin; K. C. Stuart, 21, 12st 111 b, 6ft; G. Bond, 29. 14st 11b, sft lOin; O. Seiwood, 28. list 111 b, sft 7in; D. Young, 20. 13st 21b, sft 9in; A. Couling, 23, 13st 111 b, sft 11 ‘jin; J. Stewart. 24, 12st 111 b, sft 9in: S. Eastgate. 22, 14st 11b, sft 9in; N. Dalzell, 28, 15st 81b. 6ft 2in; N. Teague, 21, 14st 11b, 6ft; C. Hardie. 28, 13st 101 b, 6ft lin; R. C. Stuart, 28, 14st 41b, 6ft OJin; M. Henderson. 25, 12st 111 b, 6ft; Z. Dalzell, 23, 13st 131 b, 6ft 4‘ 2 in; D. Herman, 31. 15st 21b. 6ft 2in. J. Fraser (Albion), replaces Kitchingham,- who has been injured.