TO-MORROW’S RUGBY

Evening Star, Issue 21819, 7 September 1934, Page 9

TO-MORROW’S RUGBY

OTAGO V. WELLINGTON FORTIETH MATCH To-morrow’s game _ between Otago and Wellington at Carisbrook at 3 p.m. marks the fortieth encounter between the two provinces,' the fixture dating back as far as 1877, and whatever the reason it seems to be a fact that the meeting of Otago and Wellington almost invariably provides as good an exhibition of Rugby as is seen in Dun- ! edin during a season, and the same - remarks apply when an Otago team visits Wellington. An excellent feeling exists between the two provinces, this no doubt resulting in the fast, open stylo of play usually adopted by both sides in .this time-honoured fixture. Of the thirty-nine matches played between Wellington and Otago, Wellington has won 24, Otago 11, apd four games have been drawn. There have been many memorable games, and there will be some to recall the match at Wellington in 1908, when, after being 15 points down -at _ half-time, Otago tattled on-17, points in the second spell to win by 17 points to 15. It is a remarkable thing that the scoring in the games has usually been very close, and the biggest margin betweent the teams occurred at Wellington in. .1925, when Wellington won ,by 31 points ; to 10. Otago’s biggest margin of victory was recorded in 1885 at Dunedin, when the Park Blues won by 11 points to nil. Otago has not defeated. Wellington (inc© J 926, when at Dunedin the home ■ide finished victorious by 15 points to 5.. The only other win recorded by Otago since 1908 took place in 1922, when Otago,undefeated that, year, beat Wellington by 27 to 18. Last year, at Wellington, an exciting game was won by Wellington by 20 to 17, and at Dunedin in 1932, Wellington won by 14 to Hi- . The only members of the . present Wellington team who appeared in that game were Robins (who played five-eighth on that occasion, but w on the wing to-morrow), and Reid, the Petone forward, who will captain the Wellington team. Robins is a Hippy back, and last Saturday scored the. winning try for Wellington against Auckland as the result of a movement initiated by the versatile All Black, H. T. Lilburne.

Of the Otago team for to-morrow’s game, Dimne, Smith, Simon, Lucy, Bore, Allan, and Niven played against Wellington at Dunedin in 1932. .. Although Lilbume is the only one of this- season’s New Zealand team included in/the Wellington fifteen to-mor-row, the side with a leavening of two or three of the- old hands is a young one, full of promise, and considerable interest will attach to the battle between the two half-backs—Sadler (Wellington) and Simon (Otago)—both of whom are well-in the running for a trip to Britain with the New Zealand team next year. Simon has been showing brilliant form lately, and experienced judges consider him the finest half-back seen in Dunedin in recent years.. On the other hand, good reports have been received concerning the play of Sadler, and the ex-Otago and New Zealand rep., Mr Alex M'Donald, speaks in items of high praise concerning Sadler’s

play. It is a fact that when he came on to the field last Saturday after halftime in the Wellington-Auckland game, in relief to Kilby, who injured his ankle, Sadler proved himself conclusively in the first class. He shot over for .two quick tries, and played with great vim all the way._ Lilburne, of course, is no stronger to Otago teams, and as a Canterbury and Wellington representative he has proved himself one of the most übiquitous players among New Zealand backs in recent years. He is at home in any position in the backs, and is justly ■ regarded as the type of ■ player who would prove very valuable during the big tour next year. In the match against Auckland last Saturday, it was Lilburne who made the opening'that paved the way for the winning try. It is interesting to recall that last season, both Lilburne and Fuller (who will play on the wing to-morrow) each scored over 100 points in club games in Wellington, and Fuller maintained a. remarkable average of point-getting in the representative games as well. He is regarded as the best goal kick in the dominion, and before going to Wellington represented Wairarapa. Of the Wellington pack, R. Donnelly is 1 well known here, being a former Southland front-row forward. Roberts, Reid, and Hull were all to the fore last Saturday in a great battle in the tight with the weighty Aucklanders, and Wellington critics agree that the inclusion of Roberts as a .lock forward materially improved the pack. The Otago team has moulded into a strong combination, back and forward, and to date the only, defeat sustained was at Invercargill m the first of the home-and-home matches with Southland. . On Carisbrook the Dark Blues have not tasted defeat this season, and they have been playing so well together that their chances m to-morrow’s match are bright. There have been one or two changes since the earlier representative engagements, but the selectors have not made tbe mistake of chopping and changing the side at will, and the team is the same as that which came to light so well in the second spell against the South Canterbury team. W. Dunne has been playing football of real All Black class in recent games, and his showing to-morrow will be watched with considerable interest. The return of H. Smith from the Australian tour with the All Blacks has greatly strengthened the attacking ability of the Otago backs, and with _ Hore in great form—many spoke of him as the best forward in this year’s New Zealand team —the pack should be capably led. Given a continuance of- the present favourable conditions, football of a fast and spectacular type should be witnessed. The Wellington team, which is managed by Major T. J. King (a prominent and popular Wellington Rugby administrator), arrived last night, and is staying , at the Provincial Hotel. The players practised at Carisbrook this morning.' The teams will line out as follow: WELLINGTON, Full-back. —Cresswell (Wellington). Three - quarters. Fuller (Eastbourne), Upchurch (Athletic), and Robins (Marist). Five-eighths. —• Lilburne (Hutt), Langdon (Marist). Half-back.—Sadler (Old Boys). Forwards.—Hull (Poneke), Coulston (Hutt)* Donnelly (Wellington )_* [Wells

HOCKEY TEST AUSTRALIA V. NEW ZEALAND Commencing at 1.45, tbe only test of the Australian hockey team’s tour will be played as a curtain-raiser to the Wellington-Otago Rugby game. This is the first occasion on which si hockey test has been played at Dunedin, and both the New Zealand and Australian teams are expected to give a fine exposition of the. game. The New Zealand team arrives tonight, and will stay at the Hotel Carlton. Mr D. T. Woodfield (Dunedin) is manager of the New Zealand team, and the Australian team, which also arrives to-night, is under the managership of Mr W. Rothwell. Some of the Australian players are being billeted privately, and the remainder will stay, at Wain’s Hotel. The New Zealand team will practice at the Oval to-morrow morning at 9.20, a civic reception to both teams will he tendered at 11.30, and after the match both teams will be entertained at dinner. Later in the evening they will be the guests of the Albany and Technical Clubs at a dance ip the Pioneer Hall, and on Sunday they will be taken for a motor drive, leaving for the north on Monday morning. NEW ZEALAND TEAM. Goal.—C. M. Moore (Wellington). Backs. —T. A. Ewan (Waikato) and F. S. Clark (Auckland). Halves. —R. Vorcoe (Hawke's Bay), H. G. Hore (North Otago), and C. Hore (Canterbury). Forwards.—O. Dey (Otago), M. J. Bay (North Auckland), E. S. Watts (Auckland, captain), S. Betts (Taranaki), and F. De M. Wellbourne (Auckland). Reserves.—C. Rogers (Canterbury), R. Butler (Otago), and L. Silver (Otago). AUSTRALIAN TEAM. Although the Australian team had not definitely been announced this morning, it was regarded as likely to be the same as that which played against Canterbury last Saturday, this being:— Goal.—L. J. Reid. Backs.—J. Elliott, E. G. Rothwell. Halves.—E. W. Cullen, A. Lee (captain), A. J. Irvine. Forwards.—A. Leggett, M. .1. Stenning, K. M. Penman, J. L. Allen, and G. J. Milner. The box plan is open at Begg’s, and will close at 11.30 a.in. to-morrow. Official guides containing full particulars regarding the hockey and Rugby teams, interesting notes re the game of hockey, and other comment, will be on salo at the Otago Sports Depot, Jacobs’s, and at Carisbrook*