TO-DAY’S RUGBY

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 290, 2 September 1933, Page 9

TO-DAY’S RUGBY

Match With Taranaki THE COMPETING TEAMS ■' / ‘ •' ' •' ■ • : ■ The return match of the home-and-home series, played annually between Wellington and Taranaki, will take place to-day at Athletic Park.* The Taranaki team, under the managership of Mr. J. McLeod, chairman of the Taranaki Rugby Union, arrived in Wellington last evening on the first stage of their southern tour, which includes a match against Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield, providing,, of course, that the trophy has not been lifted by an invading union in the meantime. In their first meeting this season Wellington defeated Taranaki, ,at Hawera, to the tune of 44 points to 9, the metropolitan side giving the first indication of the excellent form they were to produce in later games against Wairarapa, Canterbury, and Southland. At Hawera, Wellington, through losing the toss, had to play agaipst the wind in the first spell, and kept the play, tight to suit the style of the Taranaki team. After changing over Wellington opened up the game, and, bringing their swift-moving backs into play, rattled on several tries, which were considerably improved by Fuller kicking eight goals. , , The Taranaki people were impressed with this performance, and immediately set about to improve their own team. Changes were brought about both forward and back, and in the next two inter-provincial engagements they defeated Waikato and Wanganui, in both cases the forwards making the way for good play by the backs. Last Saturday Taranaki, engaged Auckland in a match at New Plymouth, and went under by a narrow margin, indicating that they were little below the standard of the northern' union’s team, The team which will take the field to-day is vastly different in formation from that which suffered defeat by Wellington earlier in the season, and the visitors confidently expect to make a much better showing against Wellington, as was the case in the return match last year. The Wellington team is slightly altered from that which succeeded in recent matches against Southland and Killeen’s absence through injuries received in the National Mutual Cup game on Saturday necessitated a rearrangement of the backs, Lilburne who played five-eighth against Canterbury, goes to full-back, ■with Pollock moving up to centre three-quarters, and Griffiths coming in again at second five-eighth. Peck dropped out of the pack owing to a mild attack of poisoning in the legs, his place being taken by Butler, who played against Taranaki and Wairarapa, but had to give place to Barry against Canterbury, and then got a game against Southland through McLean hot being available. It is understood that Lamason, originally selected to play on the back rank of the scrum, will not play to-day, and will be replaced' by Wilson, of Hutt, a first-class forward, who has beep listed with the reserves for each rep. game this season. The teams are as follow:—

WELLINGTON. ■ Full-back: Lilburne (12st. 61b). Three-quarters: Fuller (list. 61b.), Pollock (10st.), Robins (list. 51b). Five-eighths: Page (list.), Griffiths (lOst. 31b). Half-back: Kilby (list. 31b).

Forwards: Bydder (12st.), Lambourn (13st.), Dellabarca (12st. 61b),; 'McLean (13st. 111 b), Butler (14st.), Reid (14st. 61b), Barry (14at.), Lamason (list.). . Reserves: Macdonald (list. 61b), -Wilson (13st. 41b). Quaid (12st. 121 b). ,

TARANAKI. / Full-back: Collins (list. 101 b). Three-quarters:; Hill (12st.), Rutherford (list. 101 b), Ross (12st. 81b).

: Crawford (12st. 101 b), Edwards (list. 71b). Half-back: Dymond (lOst. 21b). Forwards: Clarke (list. 41b), McLeod (13st. 81b), Wills (14st. 61b), Wetere (13st. 41b), R. Young (13st. 81b), S. Fookes,- (13st. 81b), Gargan (13st. 21b), Fowler (13st. 51b). Reserves: Mace, G. gangster, Burke, D. Murphy, E. Murphy. RANFURLY SHIELD GAME ' By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, September 1. The “West Coast team ,to play Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield is Gilbert, Schroder, Taaffe, Martyn, Fong, Hughes, B. Scandrett, .M. Kelly, Kirkland, M. Scwndrett, Hughes, Thomson, Freitas, King and Jones. . A crowd of 2000 Coast supporters is coming to Christchurch overnight by four special trains. A fifth would be put on, but there are not enough suitable carriages available on the Coast. The department is putting seats in the guards’ vans. Four trains is a record for one district in New Zealand Rugby excursions. RUGBY COLTS TEAM The Wellington provincial colts’ Rugby team to play Poverty Bay at Gisborne this afternoon is as follows: — O’Connor; Thompson, Chesterman, Nees; Baldwin, Atkins; Tindill: Watson, McNeile, Kenny, Howatson, Jolly, Grenfell, Clayton, Wright. Emergencies: Ball and Webb (backs) ; Ongley and Ward (forwards).