RUGBY NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 102, 30 April 1921, Page 12

RUGBY NOTES

.COMMENT ON PLAY.

(By "Drop-kiok.")

Tho senior championship competition opened well in the Park last Saturday. The afternoon could not hjive been more pleasant for tho spectators, and the weathor WBB so mild and warm 'that many forsook the stand for the northern bank, where they got all the sun and dodged any strong breezes under the lee of the now fence. Incidentally, too, they were far more favourably placed for watching the game that mattered—Petone-Berham-I poro—than were the occupants of the stand. Quite apart from any other consideration, tho Rugby Jfnioa could not afford to continue the experiment of playing two games abreast' on Athletio Part. They would quickly find the stand half empty and the sixpenny sides of the ground drawing all the gate. As a speotator put it to "Dropkick" before tho match: "Tho bank^for mo if they are going to play two games." Football is dirt cheap at siipenee a time. There is no need to labour ths case against the two-matoh policy on the Park. When it was the regular thing, it was a failure, a>j'No. 2 invariably got the cold shoulder and players certainly got into a habit of a go-as-you-please under the "less favoured nation" clause in tho contract. Better to play without spectators at all or with tho handful of enthusiasts who used to brave the elements at Miramar than to be ignored; by a crowd at the Park. Both 'varsity and Ponoke suffered last Saturday from the neglect of the spectators —no inspiration from barraokers, nothing to give the men tho extra vim that wins a match, Has anybody ever seen a good game on No. 2 ground ? I£ io, what and when? If, is to bo hoped that the Rugby Union never again, except under the severest exigency, puts two games sido by side before the patrons of football. Fortunately, next Saturday we are to go back to the old style. Petona are a great team. They take their football seviously, and mako » job of it. They open the seaeon with every prospect, all being well^of pulling.os the championship. On Saturday they played, as, if in perfect training, and with UM accuracy and precision of long ■ practice, in Borhampore they met a strong toara, also well trained, young, and enthusiastic, with a host of warm supporters who encouraged them from the bank to do erear, deeds. Berhampore were entitled on the play to another try or go, but they had the luck -with the kicking at goal, and tho disparity between tho teams was just about what it iurned out on the play:—six or seven pointe to Petone. Tho Petono backs were excellent to watch, and in the brothers Niciiolls_ the suburban club has two splendid initiators of snecesaful movements, the best pair since the palmy, days of club football, with Clem Green and his followers. Corner is not quite up to the standard of tho rest'-of the backs, which is not to say he will not be good enough, later. Eddie _Ryan and tho two wingers are quite efficient in the scoring game, and Ryan adds to his gifts asa ground-gainer and a> defence-drawer — to general excellence in attack —& very scund defence. The forwards were rather eclipsed in the eyes of the crowd by the backs, but thoy are quite a good lot of battlers with a knack of getting the ball in tho scrum, and considerable abiliiy in the open. ■ ■ . Bcrhamporo had one outstanding pis-y----er, Fuller at full-l»ck, quite one of tho most promising full-backs seen at the Park for a long while, and certainly better on Saturday's performance than tho rep. full of last year. His placed goal— tho last score in the match—wa3 a superb kick against very long odds. Another Stohr, ono hopes. Tho forwardo are a .vory even, hard-battling crowd, with great possibilities as tli3 season gives practice and combination. Apart from Hickling, one did not notice anything out of the ordinary in <-ha backs, but tho conditions for following tho game were not good from the stand, and one would bo loth to make invidious comparisone.

Frankly, one must admit to not seeing much of the . Poneke-'Varsity, but what bno did see was not encouraging to look aprain: Poneke-made a, poor Bhow on the whole, dropping- passes, ' BcrambKng', sprawling about the ground like their opponents. There'l was really not much to pick between the two sides. 'Varsity are the biggest, heaviest, and most likelylooking team the college has put in the field for years, but tho greens did not play up to' appearances last Saturday. With #ood coaching and training they ought to go a long way, but then 'Varsity eeWom com© up to their promieo; probably lack of time and facilities for training are tho' drawbacks. By the way, I find in my notes of the game that Tunnington eoored Poneke's third try, which in the current' report wa^ attributed to F. Tilyard. It will bo^easier to follow play and players when the policy of one-ffround-one-gamo is put into effect next Saturday; also it will bo easier to check official programmes, whioh. aire not without errors. ■ . ' ■

If there was one thing that gave victory to Athletic in their match against Marist Old Boys last Saturday, it was a slight superiority in-thtf backs. Luck also came into the matter, but it was not solely. responsible. In the first place Brooks, the South lalandor, was absolutely dopondablo at full-back; hi« kicking took play into the gfeen territory time and again, and he showed a. facility for getting clear in the close work. Hall, at half, was not found wanting, but the passing rushes started by him in the. first half were frequently brpught to, nothing 'through faulty play by Sim Wilson, at second five-eighths. Wilson was ' much more at home in the second half,, when he was put on tho right wing. Roberts played his usual heady game, and has assured hia position in the team. One of the features of the game was tho showing made by a junior, Brooks, who came on as a substitute in tho. second half, after Poole, and then Hutchintforiu had fretired hurt. He took his passes beautifully—often they were not too well directed, but he picked them up on his finger ends—and, when he did get the ball 'he showed a fine turn of speed. The try he got from half-way, after the ball had come from Hall and Roberts, was pretty. His disadvantage is lack of weight.

Mariat Old Boys had slightly tho better of the game in the forwards; Marshall, Troy, White, and Somora all showed out in the heavy work. Marshall was also in all the looso play, and showed a determination —once rather belated —to bring down any man with the balL The weakness lay in the green backs; although this may only be tho usual eariy-ih-the-season uncertainly. Standing out Ijeyond the 'others was Markham, the big five-eighths, but ha was handicapped for lack of proper support. With more dependable associates he must be a dangerous man. Murphy, at full-back, was fairly sure, but slowness got him into trouble occasionally on Saturday. As a goal-kicker ho promises to add materially to the Marisfc tallies.

The Wellington-Sehvyn match last Saturday was not very inspiring, there being very littlo concerted play. Selwyn un- I doubtedly deserved their win, but al- | though they hold tho. upper hand most of the time, lack of finish to their work nearly prevented them from getting tho | necessary tries. Do Clifton played his i usual vigorous game in tho Selwyn forwards: Tho Selwyn backs givo promise of good work later in the sea-son; individually there was good play on Saturday, but tho lack of finish must be removed. Wellington appear a much improved team as compared vrith last season, ami it is said that four men who were absent on Saturday will make a big difference when they are available. Francis was a very solid proposition in the forwards, whi'lo in tho backs Hainea, fat half, had more than his share in the defence, and Scott did his part well at wing-throe-quar-ter when tho chanco was givon him. THE AMENDED RULES. Tho Council of tho New Zealand Rugby Union did a great work for tho Rugby game in New Zealand at the annual meeting on Thursday in clearing up the cmbroglio over the variations in tho rules of tho g»me as played in Auckland, provmo». Tho eifcußtion was most delicate, and ianything but the moet.Ufliiul.h&tta.

ling might have resulted in the withdrawal of the Auckland delegates from tho meeting and the secession of Auckland from the union, with the inevitable result I of a triumph for the League game in the | northern_ province. The trreatert credit i for finding a way out is due to the patience and skill of the president (Mr. J. M'Leod, of Taranaki), who has something of the ,qualities of a Lloyd George in an awkw>ardi predicament. He kept the meeting concentrated on the main issue of one rule—the kick into touch—and dismissed for tho time being the other variations in the rules played by Auckland — the "imaginary line" through the back of the scrum; tho referee to put the ball into the scrum, and the no-charge free luck. Theso were points for the discretion of the referee, said Mr. M'Leod. At the finish, Mr. H. Frost (Auckland) quite frankly admitted the other alteration Auckland had made and wanted to keep. A final amendment to the president's original motion—that Auckland be permitted to play their version of line-find-ing "subject to the approval of tho English Rugby Union," put forward by Mr. Clem Green, of the BuUor Union, late of Petone —was tactfully accepted by Mr. M'Leod in the place of his own wider concession, and this satisfied the old sfcalwarte, and the motion, so amended, was passed unanimously. It was a triumph of. tact, and Mir. M'Leod deserved the many encomiums passed upon him. There has been no better president of the N.Z.R.A. for many yeans, and this was recognised by a unanimous re-election of Mr. M'Leod for another term of office. The business on; Thursday was admirably run by the president as chairman. \

Auckland, then, is satisfied, and honour satisfied, too, in the staunch barrackers for the old game. Quito rightly they are opjxissd to any severance from, the English ftugby Union, but their union can be purchased a>t too great a orie-sided sacrifice. There is not the slightest doubt, from the letters of Mr. C. Wray, that the English Rugby Union suspects us here of a leaning towards the professional game; otherwise it would not stknd «&, pat on the old rules where any change might be towards tho League code, but yet is open to make alterations in other directions. With the present president, secretary, _ and management committee, tho public may rest assured that tho case is in the best- hands, and, if any adjustment can be made, it will be made. Big Rugby is dependent oil the gate here^—otherwise tho patronage of the public; it is not so in England, where the game is chiefly confined to public schools, colleges, and universities, and clubs largely composed of ex-studente. To them the gate is nothing; they are able to keep the game going out of their own jx>ckets, and, if the public does not like it, they can leave it. It is this misunderstanding of the situation here —this ignorance of our conditions—that lies at the back of England's refusal to eanotion changes to open up the game. Mr, V. Meredith, ex-ropresentative and ono 'of Wellington's greatest^ players in the palmy days of the Wellington K..F. Club's pre-eminence in the club championships, was the chief spokesman for Auckland, where he has been resident for the last three years. He said he went up to Auckland "to scoff," so to speak, at the now Auckland rules, but he "remained to pray," if one may judge of his ardent, enthusiastic defence of the Auckland movement and Auckland's attitude. He is convinced that the amended rules make fcur a vast improvement in the game, so much 6o that he oannot watch an oldetyle game with any pleasure now. Last time he was in Wellington he told "Dropkiok" he went up to the Park to see one of our star- fixtures, aaid —pulled out at half-time, dreadfully bored. If that is the case with an old Rugby enthusiast, what aboufc the ordinary crowd? Mr. Meredith would not agree to a compromise suggested by "Drop-kick" in the "line-kicking" rule —that every ball wbich went out between 25 line and the goal line should be thrown in from the point where it went out, and so also with every ball that was kicked out from any point between the 25 line and the goal line, no matter whore it went out. This woiiid put a premium on accurate line finding near the corner flags, but would penalise any kick ' from the centre part of the field between the two 25's, which did not reach the last stage of the touch line. Auckland players, said Mr. Meredith, have developed great skill in landing tho ball in pjay so that it bounces out, and this gets' over the difficulty. One would like to see a sample of the Auckland game played Awn hero. Mr. Meredith prophesies a groat team to represent Auckland this year. Club football is likely to bring out Bomo "star" baoks, who have been nursed through school football until, they are strong enough for the gruelling gamo among tho big seniors. Altogether, football, promises to bo extra good ,tho next three or four years with visits from England and France, and iii 1924 possibly an All Black trip Home to tho Old Country.