RUGBY ITEMS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1923, Page 10

RUGBY ITEMS

& PEAY: AND PLAYERS

KDTES I'RGM VARIOUS SOURCES

(By "Drop-Kick.")

'1t,13 pleasing-to'note that Richardson's recent run.--of ill-luck has not influenced

th§ selectors against giving the Southladder a place among the probables .for tßa first Test with N.S.W. A Southland wsiter had-the following to say abojit Richardson just betore Southland went oSitour :-rßugby Park has witnessed no better exhibition of football than that g»en by Richardson for Southland againsE -\h.6 Maoris. He was the best forward on the ground, being a tower of strength in line-out and scrum. ' His loose dribbles were worth watching. Richardson' is the best forward in New Zealand- to-day.

(Taranaki) was only an emergency for North Island this year. The chances are that'on the day, if he had been included in the North team he wguld have shown up well enough to be included among the twenty chosen in viSw ofthe first Test with N.S.W. Writing in respect to West, a Taranaki paper states that -he has already a good record, having been a member'of the New Zealand military team, represented TaraJiaki in 1920-21-22-23,. and represented New Zealand against the Springboks in 192JL. A young player yet, he is playing a great game at present, and it rests with f himself whether- he gets his Uew Zealand cap both this year and next year wheii. the team goes Home.

In commenting upon the performance ©^University A in winning the Dunedin .seiiior championship, "Dai-k Blue" ('SDunedin Star") states:—"The team's teogrd this'year is a splendid one, and wftlvprobsbly-be' fcimd on comparison to bSpthe"bes't~club record in the Dominion this.,,s..easpn., ..The proud,position of the 'Varsity A team is the result of persistent training, and, above all, specialisation in the finer points of the game. Probably the 'Varsity Club has a better opportunity of training than most of the ot&er-clnbs; but its performance is none th«le3s creditable. It should act as an irsenf}veCtp bther clubs to train legularlyjanc] persistently next year. The 'Varsity hack game this season -was as good % ever when the weather allowed of Bifch tactics, and the play of their forwards: was the best for some years."— •'Vaisifcy A were unbeaten, playing and •winning 12 matches. The points scored were and ..the' points registered against were 61.

JE. E. Booth witnessed the &ial club gajne3-in Dunedin, and came to Wellington for the inter-Island match.

Ih«™trouble which there was in the Wanganui Bugby TJnion camp over a player in a ; representative game being called upon to pay for a pair of pants legt to him'for a game, and which he had retained, hag been settled. The player was.asked by the union to give bis version of the incident. He wrote back a courteous note —which the union had to accept—saying that he would not belplaying Eugby any more this season.. ZThe selectors are still pursuing their policy of-looking for new blood, and no one will grumble much at that, states the Christchtirctt "Sun." A team is to toßf England next year, and it is obvijjus that it is a wise move this season tojgiye^preference to young players'i So wfiatevej lie side will' be to meet the STgw South, Welshmen this season, it will no}, comprise-many of the players who composed ".theuATL Black side that went a<a;oss the'Tasman last year. One innovation is th» strong infusion of Maori players. No fawer than six of those who ware in this season's New Zealand MSori team are among the twenty. ;;The opinion that H. E. Nicholls butshone J. Mill in the recent WellingtonHawkes Bay- patch is supported by a Waniranui critic who witnessed the game. He states: "Mill was overshadowed by Nicholls, but the difference in their, play may have been due to instructions. Obviously Nicholls was out to open up the game on the slightest chance, whereas Mil was' apparently instructed to keep the ball tight. The way in which H. Nicholls got the ball away from all positions and from the feet of the. Bay. forwards was an eye-opener^ On one occasion there was some hard play going oa- in the -corner a few yards from the home'team's:,line, when the ball was knocked, back to the 'Wellington half. One scoop and he shot the ball out beyond the five-eighths to the centre, who missed a rare chance to pot." ;Brown, the New Plymouth High School centre-threequarter, who is showing great promise, and- was nominated for the North Island team, was not able to assist Taranaki against Auckland to-day. He was required for the Moascar Cup match.

JPuring the past twenty years matches between and Southland have been few^and, like the provinces," fir befrweeaiijiSjia, moreover, they have been/ characterised by either side being not at lull strength, for the fixture. When-they-m%t. jn"l9:L4"at Auckland the Southerners werifdepleted by ten of their oiiginal selection ha vine enlisted for the T7ar and when Auckland went South last year they in turn suffered inability ..to get" the best men away for the trip. This year Southland had to keep their fixture^ wi%Jffi"a;,ql..their best men out for the S,°.S.&-I?JaS3 te?ra- and two others replaced on account of having contracted influenza on the trip. • This was unlucky fo.Ci!}e Southerners 1; for the Auckland team to-Uay is a better one than has represented the province for a number of years (states the "Auckland Star"). It looked like being a father slow game last Saturday when the Auckland scrum began to get the ball, and immediately the local backs flashed into action they rattled on 21 points in as many minutes. -Uiey had the opposition utterly puzzled, though-much of the Aucklandeis' success was due- ttf weak tackling by the Southern backs. Arnold was the outstanding forward on the day. Malloy was at fullback nids't'of'the match, on account of Gregory being injured, and he played a - bnlhant game. The whole threequarter_Jin e _ acquitted itself well. Lucas and Bade/ley.- being brilliant at times. Twomey- (formerly, of Wellington) was inside five-eighths on account of Ifwereen being" ill, and he played a nippy came, being nicely started of all the time by Wright, but the increase in pace ■was very marked when the ball got to Cooks, who, with Lucas and Badeley, shared- in the honours of the victory.' .The Marist team is to be congratulajed on'again winning the senior competition.- •- There is not the slightest doubt* (states a Ghri6tchurch writer) that itahas,jieen.the chief factor in improving the standard of play this season. Everybody is now discussing the match Marists v..' Otago University. It is a pity that there is an interval of six or seven weeks before the game . can .be played. There is ■ one thing—Otago University cannot afford to take Marists cheaply. ; ■Petone have mastered the new football as> well as any team in the competition. Separably trained,' they make a point of rujining\"th:eir "opponents' off their feet, and then piling up the score. It is quite clear tnafc "S(J -team M>ut of draining has a 'ghost..bf.a 'chance^iirider tha amended ruje conditions. .. It is probably here that the secret ■of Petone's success chiefly lies.

Football enthusiasts, when they sco Murray, the Otago 'Varsity centre three-quarter, still limping from the injury which he received to his knee in tho New South Wales tour, mnst have many regrets. This brilliant player ■would have, jna.de. a big bid. for EPsitisfi

in the All Black team this year. There is not another back in Ota go who nlays such a pretty game as Murray. * His method of running right up to* his man before passing, or, as -often happened, beating his opponent with a neat swerve, is always good to watch.— "Dark Blue", in the Dunedin "Star." "I can assure you that nest year we are going to make our presence felt in more than'one grade."—A note from the secretary-of the Olympic Club to the Wellington Rugby Union. '".'■■ . Hawkes'Bay met Poverty Bay >o-lay for the Ranfurl.y Shield. A Bay. <vriter states: "The most serious challenge for the Shield has been defeated. Poverty, Bay, Canterbury, and Horowhenua still have to be resisted. With ordinary luck and no carelessness, the Ranfurly Shield should still be here at the close of the season."

Why should,the North Island always play m New Zealand colours—black?' asks a southern writer ("Full-back"). Why should not the teams have H' turn about with the black and white" jerseys? It made little difference last Saturday, the colours were indistinguisable for most of the game. It was expected that H. Tancred, the ex-Petone player, would be among the New South. Wales players to tour New Zealand. Advice has been received' that he was not available for the trip. Fitzgerald and Brown of the Canterbury team, are said to be masters of' the art of dribbling. Both are backs. :. SHORT KICK-OFF. The short kick-off is the subject ofthe following letter by "Ex-Rep." in; the "Southland News" :—"ln. my opinion there should be a chalk line right across the ground, ten yards from halfway, and each side of it. Time after time you will see the ball kicked off at an angle and it only goes about six or seven yards up field, and the kicker's side catch the ball on the full and they get away with it. The penalty for so doing is the same as if they had kicked it out on the full, i.e., a scrum. That is what the other side would take in preference to a re-kick. Now, if a white line extended across the ground the referee: could tell instantly whether the ball reached the ten yards' limit. He could judge properly whether it reached the. line or was caught by the kicker's side, within the ten yards, or by any player on the opposing side crossing the line and catching the ball. He could apply the advantage rule. If the kicker's side gained ground, then he could order a scrum at the centre mark. There is too much guesswork at present and referees do not receive the assistance due to them. If you argue that a couple of yards is neither here- nor there in the centre of the ground, then it may also be contended that two yards do not matter at the end of tTie ground, and if a man grounds the ball near the goal line he should be awarded a try! Many a try is scored at the half-way mark, and the man with the clear run !in merely puts the ball down. ' With this illegal kick; even if a. team do not score straight from the kick, they gain a lot of ground, and are put in a.good attacking position, from which you will often see them score. It is not fair to their opponents and not fair to the [referee. But it is not the latter'a fault..', Instead of having a line there for his guidance, he is required, as the heads ■ say, to 'give it a guess.' "

... , : ' iA. LITTLE CONSF\BACY. ; - "That kick was: interfered with. Take'l another shot," said the referee. The !player who had' missed; the goal with his first penalty kick fried another.'; He 1: missed again. "Won't you give me another shot?" he pleaded. The referee shook his head. "Sorry, but I can't make it too hot." On one of the rgrandstands^ the time-keeper turned to. a friend. 'If those beggars don't score' pretty soon, I'll really have to ring the bell. The game already has gone eight minutes over time." Two minutes later, the timekeeper sorrowfully 'rang the bell to end the game. Even a time-keeper has a conscience. The referee and the time-keeper, in the'closing stages of the play, did' their best (states the Christchurch "Sun") to give ■ the Canterbury men to tour the West Coast the opportunity to beat the team thai is to play in the North Island, but the best that these players could do with an extra ten minutes of play was to come within two points of their opponents' total of 27. So there the game ended.

Trial games seldom are a real test." Last Saturday's match attracted scant interest from the public, Lancaster Park looking quite desolate with very few mora than ISOO people in attendance. Clearly, players missed the yells from a few thousand throats. They played quietly and placidly, until halfway through the second half. Then, the team for the North Island had established its supperiority by running up a score of 27 points to its opponents' nine points. So its players gently eased up.- , Here s our chance!" said the players via-, the side for the West Coast. And they went all out for a win.. The crowd en'deavourea to make a noise like that of i.the- previous Saturday, when Marists beat Menvale, just by way of encouragement. As stated, the referee and the .time-ieeper lent a sympathetic aid, to ,the amusement of the players of ' the northern side, when they learned, later, of the conspiracy. '