Rugby Senior Teams Hold More Practices

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29177, 11 April 1960, Page 25

Rugby Senior Teams Hold More Practices

.-L J 1 * 12 Chtotehurch senior Rugby teams held further practices on Saturday, and indications are that the province will- be at least as strong as last season. A number of provincial representatives from other centares have moved to Christchurch, and very few of last year s Canterbury team have moved away.

Representative players from other centres who will appear m Christchurch this season include M W Irwin, D. C. Leary and H. Edwards (Otago), T. Howse (Hawkes Bay), R. Abel (Waikato), Q. Tapsell (Bav of Plenty), A. McNabb (Mid-Canterbury and West Coast), L. Coulter (Mid-Canterbury), P. Robinson (New Zealand Navy), W. Flavell (West Coast) and P. Mann (Australian trialist).

Several of the teams engaged in friendly trial matches against other clubs on Saturday, and others practised among themselves. Changes in the teams this season are outlined below.

University With only four players from last year’s teams, J. McKay, N. Falloon, D. J. Davidson and J. Broomfield not available, University will again field a very strong side. New members include M. W. Irwin, the Otago and New Zealand representative, D. C. Leary, Otago and New Zealand Universities’ full-back and Q. Tapsell who played for Bay of Plenty as a centre last year. • The back line will be strong with B. M. J. Dineen, J. D. Pask, 8. O. Bremner, R. D, Hoskin, A. T. Om» and M. R. Taiaroa all available. Two promising junior players, B. Conradson, a fiveeighths, and A. T. Calder, a halfback, who have shown good form in club trials will also be in the running for the senior team. A strong forward pack will include M. W. Irwin. M. R. Dunne. C. R. Hockley. M. W. Allen, T. H. Moynihan and J. N. Creighton. One young forward who is highlyregarded by club officials is P. Bark a breakaway who showed considerable promise last season. P. R. Culley, a 15-stone lock, is another young player with a bright future.

Even with so many established players. It is certain that Univer* sity will use many new players this year. The New Zealand Universities tour of Australia in May win almost certainly have a good representation from Canterbury. The club’s lower grades will again be strong and it is expected that 12 open grade teams will be fielded. Christchurch Christchurch's main loss is that of the All Black wing B. E. McPhail, who has transferred to Nelson. Three other backs have also been lost—second fiveeighths, K. Harmon, who has gone to Nelson, the half-back, D. A. Harding, and P. B. Andrews, who played several matches for Christchurch on the wing. Andrews has transferred to Merivale. An Important gain for Christchurch is D. Ellison, who impressed as a breakaway last season for Lincoln College and the Country representative team. C. Mullaney has transferred from High School Old Boys, and other gains in the backs include C. Henderson, a full-back from the Alhambra (Dunedin) senior side

■nd T. Rutene. a senior flveeishths from Wellington. Finding a replacement for Harding behind the scrum will be a major worry for Christchurch Playing as half-backs in the trial match on Saturday were E. Conder. from University, and B. Ellis, from Linwood. I. McDonald, who played at centre in the team several years ago, has returned and J. H. Dawson, a promising winger who has come up through the grades, may also receive a chance in the senior side. Albion The Albion senior side will be very much the same as that of last season. N. Edgington, the Albion full-back who last season topped the posnts-scorers in the senior grade, has retired, and E. Neave. a wing, is doubtful for this season

The only forward to have retired is the lock H. Garlick. The club expects that several players from last year’s under-20 team, which finished second equal in that grade, will get their chance in the senior side this year. A senior reserve number eight from Teachers’ College, B. Bain, may gain a place in the senior side. Sydenham has lost its hooker from last season, J. MacNamara, who is now working in Malvern. The prop forward. W. A. White, is doubtful, as is D. BenfelL M. Jackson, a flanker, has retired but the prop forward, H. Fox. who withdrew towards the end of last season is now playing again.

The full-back. J. D. Clark, is not available, but he should be adequately replaced by B. Rossiter, who has transferred from New Brighton. A fast winger from the North Island, J. Whitehead, has also joined the club, but athletics have prevented him from taking part in practice matches. Whitehead was a finalist in the national 100 yards at Invercargill this year. Another new wing for the club will be G. Kinzett, formerly of Sunny-side-Spreydon. N. Lome, a Samoan, may gain a place on the side of the senior scrum. High School Old Boys The Old Boys senior side has lost several of last year's forwards. M. Hern has retired, as have K. Berry and R. Kirkland. The lock forward, D. Richards, has gone to North Canterbury, and a wrist injury will prevent I. R. Hartland from playing in the first few matches at least. Several members of the Boys’ High School first fifteen of last season will be pressing for places in the senior scrum. From the back* L. Johnsen has retired, and C. Mullaney has moved to Christchurch. The very promising five-eighths, P. Gregg, has returned from Lincoln College, and was playing at the Old Boys’ practice on Saturday. A centre from Teachers’ College, B. Robertson, may also gain a place in the senior side. Merivale Although soundly defeated by a very strong Lincoln College side in a practice match on Saturday, Merivale has gained some good players from other centres. A notable gain is H. Edwards, the Otago representative first fiveeighths from last season. Two new wings are P. B. Andrews, from Christchurch, and G. Skinner, a Country colts’ representative.

Other backs new to the club are P. Taylor (five-eighths) and M. Hemmann (half-back), both from Otago University senior sides. B. Tui, an Air Force fullback of last season, is also playing for Merivale this year. Gains in the forwards include G. Simpson, Otago University senior hooker from last' season, and a senior breakaway from the Dunedin Teachers’ College side, C. Reid. Two good forwards from the Country teams are M. Marshall (front row) and G. Hollow (number eight). Merivale’s losses include the brothers T. and I. Gallagher, fullback and lock forward respectively. I. Gallagher will be coaching the senior side this year. The five-eighths, R. Wilson, has retired and N. Williams has returned to the West Coast. J. Turner is a doubtful player because of injury, and the loose forward, E. Young, also may not Play. Linwood The *Linwood senior team will be very much the same as it was last year. Two interesting additions to the side will be the lock forwards, R. Abel and T. Howse. Abel was a member of the Waikato representative squad last season, and Howse represented Hawke’s Bay. B. Dailey, who played at fiveeighths and full-back for the Linwood senior side several seasons ago, has returned to the club from Nelson. A. Stubberfield, a half-back, has transferred from High School Old Boys. B. Ellis has transferred to Christchurch but the Linwood and Canterbury wing, G. McConchie, formerly thought unavailable, will be playing for Linwood again this season. Snnnyside-Spreydon Sunny si de-Sprey don has lost C. Payne, a front ranker, who played for Canterbury last season, G. Hughes, a five-eighths, who has been transferred and R. Waller, a forward, who has moved to Lower Hutt. The coach (Mr L. Stirton) expects the team to be stronger than last year, especially, in the backs where R. Logan, a five-eighths from Thnaru Od Boys and several promising juniors are expected to do well. Tire inside back combination of R. Templeton (half), V. C- Sykes and T. Tiplady (flveeighths) is again available. A valuable addition to the forwards is P. Robinson, of Auckland, who locked the New Zealand Navy scrum last year. Marist The Marist scrum will be the lighest for some years. P. Burns, lock and the heaviest forward last season, has retired, and W. L’Estrange injured his ankle in practice and will be out for some weeks.

Several of Marist’s enterprising backs of recent years have retired and their places will be taken by promoted senior reserve and junior players. Both halfbacks. J. Stuart and W. Collins, will be absent. Stuart has retired and Collins has transferred to Technical-Shi'rley. G. McCort. first five-eighths. C. McDonald, centre three-quarters and K. Brown, full-back, three of the team’s best attacking backs last year, will not be available for selection. McCort has moved to Hamilton and McDonald and Brown have both retired.

New players in line for the senior team are L. Coulter, the Mid-Canterbury half-back last year, A. McMaster, who was the senior Onslow half-back, and two senior five-eighths from Rotorua, K. Campbell and B. Robinson. N. Orr, who played senior Rugby for Marist two seasons ago, has returned from Southland. Belfast Belfast has lost three senior players and gained two. C. Cassidy, an enterprising centre-three-quarters. S. Tunstall, a flanker and T. Gilmour, a front-row prop, have retired. L. Odgers. who left Belfast two seasorts ago to play for New Brighton, has returned and will probably play at first five-eighths. T. Wright, who played well for Kaiapoi last season, is expected to be half-back. The coach. Mr E. Brown, says Belfast should field a reasonably strong side. Technical -Shirley W. Flavell, the former West Coast number eight has reinforced the big Technical-Shirley pack which includes D. Young, B. Arthur. T. Egerton and E. Veal. W. Collins, formerly of Marist, will probably be the senior halfback. Outs’de him will be the Mid-Canterbury and West Coast utility back, A. McNabb. D. Taylor has moved into second fiveeighths. inside P. Mann, who was a trialist for the Australian Rugby team which toured New Zealand two seasons ago. Mann, tall and well-built, played for the strong Randwick club in Sydney. B. Richards, who played in the five-eighths for most of last season, will be full-back and J. Hamilton, a member of the Technical College first fifteen last year, and M. Tyrell are prospects for the wing positions. New Brighton B. Rossiter. New Brighton’s fullback last year has changed to Sydenham and L. Odgers. a fiveeighths who came from the Belfast senior team, has returned to his old club. New Brighton should field a good back line, with the promising players of last season. W. Harris, B. Bowick and F. Bishop, again turning out. New Brighton showed good form against the Ashburton Rugby Club, Hampshire on Saturday and won 5-3.