SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 20987, 29 December 1931, Page 8

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[From Our English Correspondent.}

LONDON, November 18 RUGBY FOOTBALL.

It is an absolute truth to say that the first defeat of tho South African Rugby team in England was partly due to an accident. Owing to the inability of a prominent player to turn out, C. Slow, of Northampton came in as substitute at stand-off half-back, and he was largely responsible for the Leicester and East Midland team decisively beating the Springboks. Snow was a junior last season, and being slightly built and pale of face, he docs not look tho sort of player one would imagine as the hero of an important Rugger match. Early in the game ho dropped a goal and scored two trios, and ho certainly made an opening for another try. If he is not given further opportunities to show his ability in big football it will bo a sad oversight on the part of the selectors. It is qnly right to say that the South African side lacked "a few of its recognised stars, who were being rested. Nevertheless, every credit is due the Midland players, who performed so well at Leicester on Saturday. It was a very pretty game to watch, the play being open, as tho scores, 30 points to 21, indicate. The meeting of Harlequins and Richmond always proves a big attraction, and tho match between these metropolitan clubs at Twickenham last Saturday drew _ a splendid gate. The Harlequins carried most of the scrums, and with greater opportunities the men behind were able to score 13 points to 3 by Richmond. Blackheath received a visit from the Oxford Uinversity team, but the Dark Blues were not at full strength, so that a win for the “ Heathen ” by 14 points to 8 was not altogether surprising. SOCCER.

Wonderful Dixie Dean! This amazing player scored five goals for Everton against Chelsea in the first half of the match at Goodison Park on Saturday, and his remarkable return to form this season makes it look as though England can do with his services in the Internationals. It is largely due to Dean that Everton has scored thirty-two goals in the last six engagements, whilst only conceding nine. Dean has been responsible for fifteen of the goals, which illustrates his worth. There were 35,000 people at the match, and oven this big total was dwarfed by the gates at the Arsenal v. West Ham and West Bromwich Albion v. Aston Villa fixtures, which were 45,000 and 60,000 respectively. The biggest figures prove how local rivals in opposition draw the public, and the result, 3-0 in favour of West Bromwich serves to show how well the F.A. Cup winners are doing’ in first league football. —Amateurs in International.— The international match between amateurs of England and Ireland at York provided a thrilling struggle. England got 3 goals before the interval, but Ireland rallied and registered 9 goals, though a fourth for England enabled the home team to just scrape home. A feature of the match was the appearance of Boy Martin, of the Royal Ulster Rifles, who is not yet seventeen years of age. Ho showed his form when playing for the British Army against Belgium, and his display on Saturday suggests ho will have a fine career. In gaining international rank when only sixteen years of age, Martin has created a record of its kind. GOLF. American players helped Oxford to victory in the golf match against Addington on Saturday. Both C. Sweeny and R. Sweeny won their matches in the singlesj and in combination proved successful in the foursomes against D. H. Fish and F. W. H. Weaver. AnotlVsr overseas player in H. B. Dugmore, from Rhodesia, won his singles match, and was one of_ the Oxford University foursomes pair which came out on top. Dugmore has been promoted in the order, having been removed from the bottom to ninth on the list. Cambridge University golfers had a busy week-end, engaging in singles, foursomes, and, four-ball matches against The League, a combination of well-known amateurs. I. K. M'Rosty, the loader of the Cantabs, went down badly in the top match of the singles against R. W. Hartley, the latter winning by 5 and 3. BOXING. Most of the experts expected Charlie Smith, of London, to defeat R. Meen, of Market Harborough, in their fifteen rounds boxing contest at Leicester this week. He is the more experienced, besides which ho had already defeated Meen in their two previous encounters. Meen was boxing,before his own supporters, and he certainly gave the best display of his career. Once he had settled down he commenced to land some telling punches, and in the sixth ho sent his rival down from a particularly fine blow. Smith recovered, but in the last five rounds it was clear that Meen was outstaying him. Whilst Meen came up fresh it was noticed that Smith was tired and slowing up. Nevertheless, Smith lasted out the fifteen rounds, although he was sent through the ropes and was clearly in difficulties at times. The lesson of the contest is that Meen has improved in that ho can now use his right to better advantage. Ho also has youth and strength in his favour, and with list of good weight behind his blows ho ought to bo able to develop a knock-out punch. What he lacks is speed and timing of his punches. That may come with more experience and good teaching. So far Meen has not taken boxing very seriously, but now that ho is the acknowledged heavy-weight champion of England ho may be inspired to greater things. Of other important bouts this week the Harry Creasley v. B. Carvill contest at Newcastle aroused much interest. It proved rather one-sided, however, Carvill being unable to make much of a showing against tho light heavy-weight champion. Another easy task was found for J. Petersen at the Stadium _ Club, T. Wailes, of Blackheath, taking such severe punishment in tho first round that the referee stopped tho bout. Petersen certainly does shape well, and tho time is drawing near when ho will probably be pitted against one of the “top liners,” and so really put to the test. BILLIARDS. Claud Falkiner is one of the most attractive of the English professional billiard players to watch. It would give many supporters of the game much satisfaction if he were seen in big matches more frequently, but he probably finds it pays him hotter to watch his business interests in other directions. How good a player he is, was well revealed during the opening week ol his match against M. Inman, tho latter with 3,000 points start in a two-weeks’ ffibsa to fealfwa® as-

rived, the scratch man was alreadv in front. He played particularly well on the sixth day of the match, when ho made breaks of 460, 607, and 643. Scoring of this character suggests that Falkiner might develop into a sound rival for Smith, Davies, and Newman, if he entered into serious fray with those leading English players. Falkiner, by the way, is one of the many players who think the coup,_ or deliberately putting the cue ball into a pocket, might be abolished. —Amateurs. — The excellent entry received for the London section of the , amateur championship ensures this being a big attraction to followers of amateur billiards. A veteran in H. B. Marshall has entered, and some of the new players are expected to do well. Naturally with L. Steeples, the Empire champion, and S. Lee, who so surprisingly defeated him last year, competing few critics look beyond, these two for the absolute winner of the English title._ The London section competition opened this week at Thurston’s Hall, a well-known player in Captain A. Cronen meeting W. M. Kidd in the first match. ATHLETICS. It is a well-known fact that any event which stimulates an athlete to special effort and arouses his ambition, frequently leads to his showing extra good form. , . No better illustration of this can bo suggested than the Olympic Games and a fixture of this character is bound to fill the majority of athletes with a desire to excel. From now until the various trials next summer, athletes will shape their course so as to bo at their best when they are called on to make their bids for inclusion in Olympic teams. Over-keenness is a mistake, and just how to make the best of natural ability is not an easy matter. What suits one man may not bring forth the same results in another. A safe course is to never prolong training to such a length that it becomes a task. So long as a man enjovs his exercises and training, all’s well, but an “ easy ” should be the order when it feels a trouble. During the winter is the time for athletes to try new methods as to style, or starting to name two branches of running. It is not necessary _ to over-exert oneself when doing this, if ordinary common sense is observed. Above all, athletes, whether field or track exponents, will benefit by taking a couple of very slow trots over country each week. A steady run of four to six miles,' at a pace no faster than 7min or Bmin per mile, will keep a man in good physical condition, so that he is ready to resume track training in the early spring. It is a mistake for an athlete to rest entirely from training during the winter or off season. Two easy rims over country, with a walk of a few miles on other days, coupled with a few simple physical exercises, will keep a man or woman athlete in sound condition during the non-competitive period. A RHODESIAN STAR. It seems likely that Rhodesia will have a strong entry for the 400 metres race at the next Olympiad Games, providing all goes well with F. W. Flynn. Athletes from the overseas part of the Empire, where genial sunshine is the rule when athletics arc in season, find it difficult to show their best form in England during the sort of weather usually prevailing from November to March. In spite of this handicap, Flynn has already shown in his races at Oxford ‘that he is a real “ flier,” and good judges expect ho will get inside SOsec for a quarter before very long. Oxford University appears to be rich in good athletes from overseas just now. At the trials held at Ifley road track this week J, 1\ Scott and W. Poole, Americans from Wyoming and Swartmore respectively, showed themselves sprinters of no mean ability. Australians in C. A. Lee-Star and O. M. Davies are also hurdlers of promise.. The former, from Adelaide, in particular should do well in the near future. When ho gets used to English conditions it is likely that G. G. O’Hagen, who comes from the St. Lawrence Military College, Ceylon, may trouble the high hurdlers at Oxford. With other overseas athletes available the Oxford University athletic team will be very international in character. As to home talent, J. E. Comes ran 880yds in Imin 56sec, and a mile in 4min 22sec yesterday, and this natural runner may surprise the best during 1932. —Over the Country.— It is also likely that an American stayer in T. W. Fellows may he very prominent in the inter’-varsity crosscountry race. That he is finding some of his home form was shown over the Shotover course last Saturday, when the man from Wisconsin led the field in a triangular match in which Oxford University, Woodford A.C., and the Oi'ion Harriers joined issue. Oxford must have a strong cross-country team, as the first six to arrive were all Dark Blues.

E. W. Denison, of Cambridge University, ran well to finish second to L. H. '"etherill (Southern cross-country champion) in the match between the Cantabs and the South London Harriers, which the latter won by 2 points.