HOCKEY

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 50, 27 August 1932, Page 20

HOCKEY

; • By "Sticks" A GREAT RECORD

NEW ZEALAND TEAM

SELECTION JUSTIFIED

Those who criticised the selection of the New Zealand team, which has just completed the Australian tour, must long ago have come to the conclusion that their fears for the success of the tourists were ill-founded. It is only necessary to look at the record which the New Zealanders have put up to be convinced that the side is one of the strongest the Dominion has ever fielded. The tour was a particularly strenuous one, involving the playing of no fewer than seventeen games in under five weeks, and also a considerable amount of travelling. The record of goals for and against is easily the best established in the three tours which New Zealand sides have undertaken in Australia. According to the cable messages, the tourists scored 128 goals and had only fifteen registered against them. Fourteen games were won, five of them with double-figure scores (one of them -was 18 to nil, a record for any tour), and three were drawn. Metropolitan, Victoria and New South Wales were the teams which held the visitors to a draw in each case. The only Test match of the tour, played at Sydney, resulted in a hollow victory for New Zealand by 7 goals to nil, truly a noteworthy achievement. As was expected, the final game of the tour, against New South "Wales, proved one of the most strenuous of all, and considering that the visitors were "stale," they did very well to maintain their unbeaten record. A comparison of the present team's record with those put up by the two previous touring sides is most interesting. The first New Zealand tour to Australia took place in 1923, when twelve matches were played and eleven, including the Test, were won. The only defeat was at the hands of New South Wales, who won by 5 goals to nil, and that after the New Zealanders' victory in the Test. The goals for and against were 59 and 14 repectively. Coming now to the 1927 tour in Australia, it is found that the Dominion side played fourteen games, winning twelve and drawing the other two. The total number of goals scored for was 109; and against, 15. Whereas the 1932 team played a fair number of country districts, the 1927 side, for the most part, played in stronger centres. One of the hardest games, not included in the itinerary of the present team, was against Gou'lburn, which at that time was regarded as the home of hockey in Australia. Against New South Wales the 1927 team won by 4 goals to 2, and also defeated Metropolitan by 3 goals to 2. Theso were two games drawn by the present team. The Test, which resulted in a draw, 3-all, was played in Brisbane in very hot weather, which considerably affected the visitors' play, and the Australian side was a very strong one, being mostly New South Wales representatives. Considering that at the start the 1927 side had no fewer than sis centre-forwards and no wings, the performances were distinctly creditable.. Australia's rqeord in the three visits made to New Zealand is not impressive. The 1922 side played seven games and won only one of them, one being drawn and five lost. The same scanty success came the way of the 1925 team, who won only two out of nine matches, drawing , one . and losing six. A much stronger. side visited New Zealand in 1929. On that tour eleven matches were played, and the Australians won six, lost three, and drew two. Their goal record was 31 for and 21 against. Philpotts Cup. The annual competition between the Wesley Clubs for the Philpotts Cup is to be held at Kilbirnie on 3rd September, when Wanganui (holders) will meet Wellington. The local club is anxious to avenge its narrow defeat of last year, and is fielding a strong eleven. Under the rules not more than three senior A and five senior B players are allowed in a team, so that practically all grades in the club will be represented. The match will be preceded by a novel curtain-raiser, in which teams selected from the Ladies' Club and the rest of the men will play. The annual banquet of the combined clubs will be held at the conclusion of the match, and in the evening the teams will visit one of the local theatres. Dominion Ladies' Tourney. The Otago Hockey Association has spared no effort in the matter of arranging entertainment for the visiting teams competing in the Dominion ladies' tournament at Dunedin. This morning the visitors were accorded a civic reception, and this evening a social has been arranged in the Otago Women's Club rooms. Other arrangements are as follows: —Tuesday, 30th August, unemployment concert; Thursday, Ist September, ball in Concert Chamber; Saturday, 3rd September, farewell social and presentation of cups. Test Match in Sydney. Commenting on the Test match between New Zealand and Australia, played in Sydney last Saturday week, a Sydney paper states that the Australian selectors could not feel satisfied about the team they picked to meet New Zealand. The Sydney "Eeferee" states that New Zealand literally ran rings around their opponents, who played just as well as the tourists let them. Commenting on the New Zealand team, the " Eeferee" states that Munro, the captain, deserved special praise for the manner in which, he kept his forwards on the attack. Joblin, too, was a tower of strength, while Spiers and Ewan were magnificent in defence. Among the forwards, Bay and Turbitt were outstanding, and, strangely enough, Anthony, the crack of them all, failed to score. Moore, in goal, was always reliable, saving three certain goals with magnificent kicks. Notes. All followers of hoc&ey, and particularly supporters of the Wesley Club, will regret to learn that Eay Philpotts, veteran Wellington and New Zealand representative, has been transferred to Auckland, and has donned the light blue jersey for the last time. He signalled his farewell appearance last Saturday by scoring two goals against Karori in his best style. For many years past Philpotts has been the mainstay of the senior A team, and his loss will be greatly felt by the team. The annual smoke concert of the Huia Hockey Club is to bo held at the Eitz at 8 p.m. on Saturday next. The publication of the ladies' championship tables will be held over for two or three weeks.