NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 1, 1 July 1922, Page 14

NOTES.

Prior to the meeting of the Eugby Reieree's' Association' each Monday night the referees have instructional talks, and the points brought- out 'are of- much valuer in. nuking for uniformity of rulings. There have been...'instances., in ■which " some refereee' '; interpretations differ! from those of others, and inorder that referee:; should be of one mind about the ; interpretations, -opportunity should be taken bj'.all members of the association, to be'vpresent at the-meetings-each week.. The business at. the ordinary meeting is also made up of. matters with which all referees should bejully conversant.- .7; - - .■!■-'•■•.-

"There is only one man in any part of New.'Zealand whom you could call a hooker, and that is Standen."—An opinion of "Ned" Hughes, a hooker of long and varied experience. v When matters in connection with, the representative tours were being discussed at-this, week's .meeting.of the . W.R.U. ■Management Committee a suggestion was made by the chairman (Mr. J. Prendeville), that it might be advisable for the selectors to choose twenty-five "probables" at an early date to enable the ■players to ascertain if they would be able to obtain leave to make the Southern tour. ■■■■'.■

Mr. A. I!. Neilson, chairman of the Wellington Etigby Beferees' Association, informed tha Management Committee of the AVellingiSon Rugby (Onion this week, that the referees were very well pleased with the marking out of the grounds. "Scrum", wrote as follow? in the Napier Telegraph last week : —Brownlie, and M'Nab, too (for I expect it will not •be long before he will be similarly honoured), are men of fine physique," even tempered and hard-playing. Both have years of football ahead of them. Browniie" has set .'a. high standard -in line-out play, and if he is on his game at Auckland, the selectors of the New Zealand team will not easily pass him over.

When,, a player is reported to the union by a referee, and a member of his club is a, member of the union committee, should that member exercise a vote when the case is considered ? The Waira?apa Union held a special meeting to decide the point, and decided that the member should neither vote nor take ■part in the discussion.—lt is severally ■recognised that club interest is put aside when delegates take their -seats on union management committees.: More than once this has-been emphasised by Wellington (Rugby Union officials. ."'■.'.

" The first'round of the club championship competitions under .the auspices of tlie Auckland Rugby Union was concluded on. Saturday, the results of the matches leaving the Grammar Old Boys with a clear lead of two points—a position the team has won by its "consistently clever play behind the scrum, supported, by a pack of fasMollowing forwards (states the Herald). The Grammar Old Boys team is to be congratulated on its game against College. Rifles. The^ game produced at times nearly all the Vest phases of Rugby—-fast forward play with, clever combined footwork and accurate combination in the backs, with, crisp, clean passing, certain 'fielding, clever cutting in and deceptive swerving, .together with tenacious tackling and longrange line-kicking. On the run of the play, Grammar was the better side. .Rarely have the.forwards played so well on line and loose, and rarely, too, have the backs shown such excellent combination. ..

Dealing with the play in the principal game at Auckland last week, the' Herald says:—X. Ifwerson and 0. Badeley combined cleverly at five-eighths, and we're instrumental in setting the threequarter .line in action with crisp openings, deceptive swerving, and swift, straight passes. Ifwerson -played liis best game of the-season,■'.fielding fault)-' lessly, running with great dash andwitli a- deceptive swerve which at times qpm* pletely beat, the defence. C. Badeley >

recovered from his recent injury, played, his usual iutelligerit and clever game, opening up the play "with crisp passing and superb running. ' "■' ■

Proof of the accuracy of'the turnstiles at Athletic Park was given last Saturday, when the amount of cash faiken at the gates was £615 11b Id. According .to the stiles the amount should have been fia 8d l'esa Such a small difference indicates tl\at the stiles are i" good working ord«r. Those- who wore in charge of the finance also'carried out theii. duties efficiently, the cash, being counted up ten'minutes after the match ended. Mr. F. J. M'Comisky (secretary of the -Wellington Rugby Union), Miss M. -Clark (assistant), and Mr. G. F. Jackson (treasurer) gave the Association people much assistance ■by undertaking the duties which fall to them each Saturday.at the Park.

The Poneke fifths, like Petone, are doing great things in their grade. They have not been defeated in eight g,ames, and have scored 216 points, while only 14 have been registered against _them:

Tlie two Southland representatives in the South Island team should uphold "the honour of the province as well as gaining fresh kudos'for themselves (states. " Onlooker "). White is so well known and his game so solid that it is unnecessary to 'enlarge upon his qualifications. St. George made, a name for himself as a half on tour last year in the match against Wellington," following up his success, in. that game by playing well against Hawkes Bay, and Canterbury. He is nippy, and varies his methods nicely, and when he elects to leave his scrum invariably makes good openings. After watching his. game against Wellington last year, Pienaar, the Springbok captain, expressed the opinion that he was one of the- best halves in New. Zealand. St. George was unable to go to Auckland on account of a bereavement in his family.

" The appetites of the gentle little Springboks in New Zealand last year were.a source of wonder and admiration to the home-grown article, which, accordingto Lord Northcliffe, is out on its own in the gastronomical line. But it looks as if the All-Bkcks were hiding their light under a bushel, even if the Springbok ' record of sixteen sausages at one sitting might give the girthy Bellis or big Jim Moffitt some trouble. After the unsatisfactory draw in last year's Tests, it's a pity the. teams weren/t matchedover ten courses, with a time limit, or, as an alternative,- a competition to a finish on tho principle the knock-out provided."—" Onside Mac." in the Southland Times. "" I understand that there is a committee in Wellington engaged in the work of coditying the laws of the game,." writes " Onside, Mac." " It's about time; a crankier set of patchwork rules I have never seen. ■ A lawyer would fairly revel in his job if he had to argue a case on the laws ofvßugby football. By the way, I hope the committee <vill not forget an index." j .. . :