RUGBY

Evening Star, Issue 21523, 22 September 1933, Page 4

RUGBY

[By Dark Blue.]

INTERISLAND GAME TO-MORROW

To-morrow the North and South Island teams will meet; at Wellington in the annual match, and, in view of the decision to send a New Zealand team to Australia next year, the younger players, will be keen to make a good impression. Of _ the games which have been .played since 1897 the' North Island has’won 15, South Island -9, and 3 have been drawn. Otago is represented in the South Island by Hore, Dunne, and Smith. Hore first secured New Zealand honours in 1928, when he went to South Africa, and is now twenty-four years of age., This season he has played as well as ever, and, as he has some years of football ahead of him yet, he should be <a strong claimant for inclusion in the New Zealand team next year for Australia and the New Zealand team of 1936 for Great Britain. Dunne, who is is the youngest player in the South Island team this year, and should have years of football ahead oij hiin yet. The same applies to Smith, who is twenty-two years of age. Smith played a very good game in the Otago-Canterbury match at Christchurch, and a number of. goodjudges of the game there considered lie has the makings of- a star if he were playing regularly behind sound five-eighths. The visit of an Australian team to New Zealand has been postponed til] 1935. and - an All Black side will visit the. Commonwealth next . year. The Australians should really have paid a visit here next year, but could hardly be expected to come over on the heels of the visit to Africa this season. A Springbok . team is to visit Australia and New Zealand in 1937, the year after the New Zealand team visits Great Britain. A South African team was here last in 1921, and won one test match with New Zealand, drew one, and lost one. When the All Blacks went to South Africa in 1928 four test. matches were played, each side winning two. Honours are therefore even, and some great battles of skill and strength should be seen in 1937. ‘ By the time the Springboks come here in 1937 New Zealand, after the tour of Great Britain in 1936, should have a strong side together. The young players of to-day who reach the first flight have something worth while ahead of them in aspiring to the 1934 trip to Australia, the 1936 trip to Great Britain, and games against the Springboks in New Zealand in 1937. The following particulars regarding the players selected for the South Island team should prove of interest: Full-hack.—

A drawn game, each side scoring 15 points, between Taranaki and Canterbtiry at Lancaster Park, allowed the Ranfurly Shield to remain in Canterbury’s possesion after the thirteenth challenge the province has had for the trophy since it was won from Wellington two years ago. With only a few minutes to go Taranaki was leading 15-11, when R. Hazlehurst potted a goal and kept the shield in Canterbury. It was a hard game, with some fast flashes in it, but it was also notable for the great number of scrums and line-outs, the referee having to whistle about twice a minute. The Taranaki forwards were 101 b a man heavier than Canterbury’s, and very vigorous. They gave Canterbury a very hard time, but the Canterbury backs were superior. A feature of the game was that each full-back opened his team’s scoring— French (Canterbury) with a try and a conversion from it, and Collins (laranaki) with a potted goal. It was by goats that Canterbury held the shield., for Taranaki scored three tries to Canterbury's two.—Christchurch ‘ Sun.’

Age. Haht. Waht. J. Granger (North (Otago) .... ... 27 5 8 11 5 Three-quarters.— G. F. Hart (Canterbury) 25 5 9 11 8 H. Smith (Otago) 22 5 8 11 7 W. T. Dunne (Otago) ... ... 20 5 9 12 7 Five-eighths.— it. Hazlehurst (Canterbury) ... 23 5 10 11 7 C. J. Oliver (Canterbury) 27 5 11 12 2 Half-back.— R. B.- Scrandrett (West Coast) ... 25 5 6 11 3 Back Row Forward. — T. Metcalfe (Southland) , ... 25 5 11 13 10 Side Supports.— J. Manchester (Canterbury) ... 24 6 1 14 0 J. T. Andrews (Canterbury) ... — 6 0 13 5 Lock Forwards.— D. Mas (Nelson) 27 6 2i 16 0 G. B. Purdue (Southland) ... 24 G 2 14 10 Front Row Forwards A. J. Cottrell (Canterbury) ... 2G 5 11 13 3 J. Hore (Otago) 24 5 7 13 9 L. George (Southland) 23 5 10 13 10 Reserve Back.— E. C. Holder (Buller) ... ... 23 6 0 13 8 Reserve Forward.— R. K. King (Canterbury) ... ... 22 6 0 13 10