NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 105, 6 May 1933, Page 20

NOTES AND COMMENTS

NEWS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES

Tho observance of the rule against leaving the field at half-time was observed in a somewhat free-and-easy fashion at Athletic Park last Saturday. When the whistle blew at the end of the first spell most of tho members of one team congregated in the middle of the field, but the majority of the other team disappeared into the pavilion, some of thorn .having a word with the referee before doing so. Challenges for tlio '■ Banfurly Shield were received from the West coast and tho Buller Unions at this week's meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union. "We should try to give the West Coast! preference over all of them," said Mr. J. K. Moloney. "After the unfortunate incident in their game last year they still came over to play in the special charity match, and they were one of the finest sides to play on Lancaster Park last season." Mainly through the agency of Barry and Peek, Hutt gained a very large share of the ball in the line-outs against Poneke on Saturday. The two big Hutt forwards towered above tho other players, but unfortunately their backs could not turn the possession of the ball to any great account. An injured foot kept the Poneke captain, A. C. McPherson, out of the game against Hutt last Saturday, but it was expected that he would be playing again today. McPherson will bind the pack together, and it should prove a very formidable combination as the season progresses. A pleasing feature of the opening ot the local season was the fact that no players were called upon to appear before the management committee as the result of offences on the field of play. Eighteen meetings of the management committee of the New Zealand Union were held during the year. The attendances were:—Messrs. S. S. Dean, 17; A. C. Kitto, 18; T. A. Fletcher, 7; H S. Leith, 18; J. Koache, 16; F. Glasgow, 18; W. J. Wallace, 17; C. S. Hylton, 18; K. Tahiwi (Maori Advisory Board), 16. In addition to the regular meetings a number of sub-committee meetings were held. L. Elias (Sydney), who is included in the Australian Universities' team, is the veteran of his side, but is still young, and should be good for some time yet. In every position of the pack ho has shown form (according to a Sydney report) which few forwards have, bettered, and only lack of weight has prevented him from gaining tho highest honours. Early in his career ho was chosen to play against New Zealand, but his lightness caused him to be dropped, and since then he has not gone higher than city and metropolitan sides. J. Richardson, the former All Black forward, played in Sydney recently for Manly against Merewether-Carlton, Newcastle's premier team. Early in the game he was outstanding, but he broke his nose half-way through the first spell, and was'forced to retiro. Another New Zealander, H. McLaren, formerly of Wellington, was Manly's half-back during tho first spell, and his passes from the scrum were much admired. At present playing for Western Suburbs- in Sydney is T. Pauling, son of the famous All Black forward of 1896-97, who afterwards represented New South Wales. Young Pauling is a- half-back. B. WestfieM,' one of the full-backs in the Australian Universities' team, has previously visited New Zealand as a New South Wales representative. Place-kickers had a day off in the Hutt-Poneke game, and had the regular kickers on either sido availed themselves of the numerous opportunities, there would have been a bigger margin in the final score. Caughey was outstanding at eentre-thrce-quarter for Auckland University against Training College. Milliken displayed great dash at wing-three-quarter, and Bush was safe at fullback. Tho following are captains of this year's senior A teams:—Athletic, I. Jolly; Berhampor©; T. Cameron; Eastbourne, J. Coman; Hutt, H. T. Lilburne; Marist, C. Robins; Oriental, G. MeIhvraith; Johnsonville, H. E. Chancy; Petone, E. Read; Poneke, A. C. McPherson; St. Patrick's College Old Boys, P. J. O'Connor; University, R. E. Diederich;' Wellington College Old Boys, J. Lamason; Wellington, F. D. Kilby;! Upper Hutt, G. T. Campbell. J