RANFURLY SHIELD CHALLENGE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27148, 18 September 1953, Page 10

RANFURLY SHIELD CHALLENGE

Canterbury Match Tomorrow ENORMOUS CROWD EXPECTED “The Press" Special Service WELLINGTON, September 17. .Judged by hotel bookings, rail and ■Steamer bookings, and the demand for seats, interest in the final Ranfurly Shield game on Saturday between Wellington and Canterbury is the greatest of the season. The capacity of Athletic Park is expected to be fully taxed. The biggest attendance was 37.000 for the Taranaki match, when upwards of 8000 Taranaki supporters came to Wellington by car, bus, rail, and other ineans. Saturday’s attendance will probably touch 40,000. From the moment Wellington won the shield the Canterbury game was looked on as likely to be the hardest. Public interest was temporarily diverted by the All Black trials, but since the announcing of the team to tour the British Isles Rugby. enthusiasts have settled back into shield discussions.

Both teams have the strongest re£resentation in the All Black side, as efitted their performances, and Canterbury’s might have been greater had R. H. Duff, generally looked on as a certainty for the tour, been available. Both captains, R. C. Stuart, now chosen to lead the All Blacks, and B. J. Lloyd, may have cause to remind each other that many a true word is spoken in jest. When Canterbury beat Wellington. 9-8, at Lancaster Park earlier this season, Lloyd said that Wellington expected to have the Ranfurly Shield and would try to hold it till Canterbury came up, “so that we can have another of these grand tussles that have been going on for some time.” Stuart replied that Canterbury regarded that as a very nice gesture, as Canterbury intended to bring the shield back to the South Island, and Wellington was the nearest place to go for it. Shield possession worked wonders in the Wellington team, which rose to great heights against Taranaki and Auckland. Odds were freely offered in those games, but none are forthcoming for the Canterbury game, even though many Wellington supporters will not hear of their team being beaten. Last-of-Season Matches The Wellington players showed their usual zest in a final work-out late this afternoon. There has been not the decline in the enthusiasm of the players, nor any wavering of the nvonderful team spirit in spite of the of many lasi-of-the-season •matches.

• After winning the Shield from Wellington in the last game of 1905. lost it in the last game of >1913 to Taranaki, which in turn lost 4o Wellington in the final game of < ; £914. Wellington held the trophy till jthe last match of 1921, when South- : "land took it. , In 1927 Canterbury won the Shield • from Manawhenua in the last match. | 7n 1929 Wairarapa, the holder, was , ■unexpectedly beaten in the last shield game by Southland, which in .turn was beaten in the final game of Q 930. in 1934 it was Auckland’s turn. Hawke’s Bay, the holder, was beaten in the final game. The shield found its way back in 1935 to Canterbury, but the last match brought the inevitable, or almost the inevitable, for Otago won. ..,, li The big question on Saturday will j be whether history will be repeated. \ The forecast is for fine weather, ’ and the ground is very hard. i . Canterbury supporters have been ; busy with all sorts of arrangements. • ? Such old representatives as C. J. Oliver i 1 and T. F. Mullin hope to organise a meeting of former Canterbury repre- • sentatives now in Wellington. The procession that was held for the Taranaki match is to be repeated, but is , expected to be bigger and better. Canterbury supporters from Christchurch are likely to see one or more floats I organised by Canterbury men now ; living here. i • PLAYERS LEAVE FOR WELLINGTON FINAL TEAM NOT YET ANNOUNCED Several members of the Canterbury Ranfurly Shield team left Christchurch last evening by the steamer express for Wellington to join the rest of the team which has remained in Wellington after the final All Black trials, s The two Canterbury selectors (Messrs • J. G. Rankin and D. P. White) accompanied the players. The team to play Wellington on Saturday was not available last evening, and it is expected that it will hot be announced before Saturday morning.