THE RUGBY GAME

Evening Star, Issue 21078, 15 April 1932, Page 14

THE RUGBY GAME

PROSPECTS FOR THE SEASON ROUND THE CLUBS [By, Daek Blue.] The local Rugby season will start next Saturday, and soon all the old familiar scenes will be re-enacted at Carisbrook and the other grounds on which the national winter game of young New Zealand is played. At .Carisbrook to-morrow a seven-a-sido tournament will be held, the proceeds of this fixture being divided among the various clubs. Ten teams have again entered for [the senior competition, which promises to bo a well-contested one. As most of the teams have lost a number of players, and as few players from other centres have been transferred here, many of the promising juniors of last year should be proipoted to senior grades. The promotion of juniors who shape well should be the aim of every club.

Alhambra will have only a small proportion of the players of last year. Bob Souter, who recently married, will be greatly missed from the forward pack. He was a useful player for his club for about six years, during which he gained representative and New Zealand honours. Bert Davis, who desires to devote his attention to boxing, may not bo playing, and Berry may also be an absentee. W. Griffin, who has suffered an injury to his eye, will probably not be playing again, and Ron Callander may not be able to get away ifrom his employment every Saturday afternoon. Among those of last year’s team available will be T. Griffin, Flint, (Williamson, Johnston, Frond, Earl, Didham, and Davis. Though losing so many of the players of last year, Alhambra has a liberal supply of junior players to take their places. The Alhambra B second grade team won the junior flag last year, and the A team finished in third place. At Easter time (Alhambra played the Meriyale team, being beaten at the last minute by 9 to 8, and for so early in the season gave a very creditable display. _ Though Pirates will miss a number of last year’s players, they should have plenty of material available from the fine junior sides of last year. lan Glendining, who won rep. honours several years ago, and who played in England last year, will again take the field, and newcomers will oe G. Waddell, an exTaieri player, and Trevathan, a fiveeighths from the Waitaki Hydro Club, Giles (who has joined the ranks of the benedicts), Fitzgerald, Robilliard, and Ottrey have retired from the game, hut it would not be surprising to see some of them in action during the season. W. Noble and A. Waddell are now living in Christchurch, and T. Ritchie has been transferred to Wellington. It is reported that U. Walker may again turn out. University A will again have a wide choice for the selection of the A team. The full-back position will probably be filled by Nicholson, who was in that position in the B team last year, and among the backs will be Fookes, Pryde, M'Kenzie, and Gillies (an ex-Waitaki High School five-eighths). The pack should be a strong one, including Hartnell, Abel, Service, Hamilton, and Strang. It is probable that Ruff, who played so well as full-back and centre for the High School first fifteen last year, .will also find a place in the A team. The B team will probably be lighter, but it should have a good deal of speed. ... Southern again have the makings ot 5; fine side. Bolton will probably again ha the full-hack, while Casey, Smith (who shaped well in the rep. team), and Purvis will again form the threequarter line. Simon, Wilson, and Chooqueo are likely to be the inside backs. The forwards will miss Dr R. F-. Wilson (now in New Plymouth) and A. Hill (in Wellington), but there remain All Black Jack Hore, Niven, Inghs, Carnegie, and Cavanagb. Several forwards from the juniors should hnd places in the senior pack. _ Practically the same Taieri team as last year will take the field. It will include Finlayson, Findlay, Pearce, Stevenson, F. Scott, Brown, Bathgate, Oshorn (promoted from the juniors), Diddle, Murdoch, Phillips, and Stevens. The pack will he a strong one. The Dunedin Club has lost more than half of its senior team of last year, but, with promotions from the junior grades, hopes to field a good all-round side. Only Herbert, Martin, Hayes (the diminutive full-back), and Lee, of the team of last year, will take the field. It is said that Frank Toomey (fiveeighth) , to remove any temptation to play, has given away his jersey, pants, and boots. Fulton (half-back) lias been transferred to Napier, Cahill has joined University, Talk is in Wellington, and O’Reillv 'is teaching at Kurow. Hayes and M'Erido (five-eighths) have given [up the game. The prospects for the Union senior team are brighter than they have been for several years. Garden, Dumb, Hen'derson, Silver, lan Smith, Stokes, and Duff will turn out again, and newcomers are Jones (from Eastern Districts) and Norris (Christchurch Old Boys’ juniors). Allan (centre) has not vet decided whether he will play again this year. The team will miss M'Kenzie '(hooker), who was employed by the reserves department, and who has secured a job at Kew, England; and Churchill, who was so useful for his solid defence. Kaikorai should again field a fairly solid side, Charlie Sonntag, who first Obtained a place in the Kaikorai senior tean of 1914. and who later played with 'the N.Z.E.F. in Palestine, has turned out to training. Organ, a forward from the Poneke Club, Wellington, has joined up, and of the pack of last year there will he Allan (who showed fine form in the rep. team last year), Lucy, M'Hardy, Watkins, Watts, Bartlett, and Percy. Among the hacks will bo Lewis (full-back), Stewart, M'Farlanc. Salt, Cameron, Francis, and Ross. Bolting will not bo playing this year. Zingari will have in action this year Procter, Caradus, Cassidy, Rapson, Cranefield, and Foote, and there will be one or two new players, including a five-eighth from the Palmerston district. Rivett, one of the forwards of last year, has left Dunedin. Probably a number of juniors will find places in the senior team. The forwards may bo a little on tho light side, but the backs, if they fulfil the promise given last year, should play well together.