RUGBY FOOTBALL

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 April 1928, Page 3

RUGBY FOOTBALL

NOTES ON THE PLAYERS.

(By

“Scrum.”)

After a. spell from the active area for a season, A. Walton, the West Coast representative half, was behind the United pack in their first match of the season on Saturday against Corsair Bay, and had the good fortune to score the first try of the season. Walton showed clearly that he has lost none of his skill, handling the heavy ball safely. ‘Heady short punts to the line were a feature of his play, which gained considerable ground. There was an All Black touch in the manner in which he took a brilliant mark right off the toes of the Corsair Bay forwards early in the first spell.

The United team was by no means up to full strength, and when the visitors stepped on to the field, they appeared a much heavier side, but under heavy conditions they made the mistake of attempting to open up the play in the endeavour to get the ball out to the crack Canterbury three-

’ quarter, N. Doreen. By keeping the ball at their feet, the local team met with more success and were rewarded with three tries, the first a smart effort by Walton, who slipped cleverly round the scrum, the second due to good following up by Burley, who took an awkward pass right in his stride to go over at the corner. The third try was the result of fast following up by F. Baldwin. R. Bunt played in the United pack and gave a rattling good display. If the United pack were all Bunts, it would be a light, but nippy and lively affai’. What he lacks in weight, Bunt compensates with tireless energy. Rathbun was going great guns throughout and was the best forward on the giound in both loose and tight. He macle several bright dashes from the line outs, one leading up to a try. Rathbun keeps himself in good fettle. Rear did some solid tackling and heaved his weight round to effect. He brought Doreen down in great style

when the Canterbury flier looked set for a sure try. Straight running and snappy passing were features of E. Bunt’s play. He is an ideal type of five-eighth, quick off the mark, and a sound handler. He made several openings, but poor support nullified most of his efforts. Fergusson at centre was responsible for several good runs. He an aggressive three-quarter, and willing to give everything a go. One of (he shining lights of last year’s crack fourth grade team, F. Baldwin, made a good debut as full for the seniors, a position which he fiills with ability. There is a keen sense of alertness about Baldwin, and the try he scored through fast following up, was well deserved. A noticeable feature about Saturday’s game was the unnecessary amount of long punting indulged in. There are occasions when this is essential, particularly when a defending

team is out of position. A back to whom the ball is coming should have a good knowledge of where his for- 1 wards are. If they are reliable, a 1 high up and under enabling the kick- 1 er to put his team on side, saves an ' unnecessary amount of running about. 1 This was a favourite move of the All Black half, W. C. Dailey, who frequently gives an opposing back plenty of room to move in, and immediately puts him on the attack. Coasters know well what it meant to Steel to 1 get a long punt with room to move 1 in, and while there are not many Steels about at present, the principle applies. If the forwards are reliable, an up and under can be taken on by

them as a dribbling rush, and enable the backs to get into position for launching the final attack. There is a certain amount of speculation regarding the future football career of Tom Lawton, the brilliant Waratah five-eighth. It is known that the King’s School has offered him an important post on its teaching staff, but it is also known that Lawton left England to fulfil a business engagement, the nature of which is not yet known. What his intentions .are will not be known until his arrival home. Since leaving London Lawton lias been engaged in Egypt with Mr Carter, the world-renowned Egyptologist. Lawton’s enthusiasm for football is notorious. He has been known to travel 300 miles per car, in record time, to fulfil a football engagement, and it was an Australian Rules engagement at that, no Rugby being available in that particular district. The brilliant young French international Rugby player, Lieutenant Yves Du Manoir, was killed in an aeroplane, accident near Reuilly. He was carrying out his military service as an air Lieutenant, and was making a practice flight, when his aero- -

plane, wdiich was flying very low, caught the top of a tall poplai- tree and crashed. Du Manoir was killed almost immediately. Y. du Manoir was a brilliant stand-off half-back, well-known to English Rugby players, for, apart from his -appearances in the French team, he had more than once been over to England with his club, the Racing Club de France, for the annual match with Blackheath, and with the French Army fifteen. He first came into prominence in the season 1924-5, when he played in five games for his country, one of them against the unbeaten All Blacks, from New Zealand. The following year he played only against Scotland, and in 1926-7, had the honour of captaining the French team at Edinburgh. In all, he had eight international appearances to his credit.

In a review of the All Black team 1 for South Africa, Jock Richardson, vice-captain of the 1924 team picks the following as the best side: —Full back, H. Lilburne 11.21; three-quar-ters: A. C. Robilliard 11.8, T. R. Sheen 11.8, R. Grenside 13.6; five-eighths: M. Nicholls 11.0, L. M. Johnson 12.3; half,'W. Dailey 10.10; hookers, H. J. Swain 13.2, J. T. Burrows 12.10; lock, I. H. Harvey 15.12; sides: M. Brownlie 14.3, B. Finlayson 15.4; back row, R. F. Stewart 15.1, W. Hazlett 14.7; wing-forward, G. Scrimshaw 12.6. A selector’s opinion of W. Dailey’s football was forthcoming when that player and S. R. Carleton were farewelled. by the Christchurch High School Old Boys’ club on Saturday night. Mr T. Milliken, one of the All Blacks selectors, said that it had been the opinion of some critics that Dailey would be lucky in getting into the South Island team last season, “in view of very strong opposition from a certain player in Otago.” Mr Milliken said that there was no doubt that Dailey played at the top of his form in the North v. South Island match. He would continue to play up to that standard, and much was expected of him. oaonnmaumrararaMm.