Seasonable Sports

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 June 1930, Page 4

Seasonable Sports

T RUGBY NOTES COMPETITION POSITIONS

SATURDAY’S PLAYThe spell from Club football necessitated by the representative games recently evidently had an adverse effect on players, for competition games on Saturday did not provide Rugby up to the high standard of previous Club play this season. However, matches generally were interesting and provided plenty of scope for comment on individual play. . The Star-Rivals game was perhaps the, best draw of the four senior * clashes pet down for decision, and the Hokitika enthusiats were treated with some sterling forward play occasionally. One conclusion which critics have drawn from the game, that the Star pack is one of the most solid in the competition, was obvious. The yellow and black forwards on Saturday played at their best so far this season, and provided great opposition to the Rival seven, who themselves have a reputation for tireless grafting work. Stars developed fine play in the loose which was particularly hard in defence. Talbot, Cockrane, Meredith, and Furness are a quartet who should give opposing packs heaps of trouble in games to come. Talbot played soundly from bell to bell. .O’Donnell was played at full- - back and’in a strange position did well. He was missed in the pack, however, where lie plays a good game. Cochrane was at his best form this season. He is fit and has improved out of bounds since his first game, when an injury to his ribs proved something of a set-back. Seebeck was behind tile Star scrum aiid also • played a dependable game, although Star front rankers were often beaten for possession, by the more experienced Moynihan and his co-hooker. Seebeck’s play generally was safe. One of the outstanding backs was McGinley, ex full-back for his side, and temporarily promoted to the five-eight position. This is McGinley’s first year in senior Rugby, and he has already established himself as an indispensiblo unit in attack and defence. Ho has a sense of anticipation and is able to change defence into attack in

something after the style of his coback Arthur Fong, who played his usually fine game on Saturday and who so impressed critics in his play against the Britishers on Wednesday last. Until Brown was injured the Star defence, working hard against well managed Rival attacks by Houston, Muir, Pfahlert and party, was as sound as a bell. With the one man out however, Houston and the forwards soon penetrated to Stars line, and put the decisive points on. Stars were unlucky to lose the game. Rivals’ win gave the new senior team an extra two competition points which puts them even with Blaketown and Cobden, behind the leaders, United. Moynihan, Best, Pfahlert and Schist were outstanding Rival forwards. Schist is one of the most persistent of forwards and follows up every advantage gained by his pack. He is on the small side, but is indefatigable, and showed representative ability on Saturday. In the Rival backs Houston played another splendid game, reminiscent of his play in representative football. He works with and leads a good set of backs who run straight and tackle effectively. With Carter the full back and Pfahlert, who is not the shining light of a year or two ago, these Rival backs are going to make the leading team play all out when next they meet. United’s win on Saturday against Kiwis was easily gained, Kiwis being unable to field a team worthy of the occasion. The Club men are seriously considering reverting to' junior grade, and perhaps would be wise to do so. Hagar, one of the veterans, is reported to be finished for good, and it must be disheartening to the few senior men who have clung loyally to the team to see a weak fifteen field-

ed every Saturday. Some sidelights on the game may be of interests. Jamieson added to his big total of points scored in Club games by notching four’ tries, which were easily gained against weak opposition. F. Baldwin on the other wing developed real speed in gaining his two tries. F. R, Wilson played in the pack and showed a return, to his- last year’s form, playing well. A. Wilson stood down for the day, and A. Ferguson was also missing from the scrum. When Jenkins left the field with a bad knee, Gallagher replaced him. It is understood that this player, who camo from Wanganui at the beginning of the season, is leaving the district. Blaketown and the West Coast has lost a fine Rugby back in 11. Mason, who left on Monday on transfer to Christchurch, and the city has gained a, player who should prove a great asset to the Club fortunate enough to secure his services. Like many men

playing here, once in “big” company lie should improve greatly. McKechnie who turned out for Blaketown against Brunner on Saturday, and was one of the best backs on the field, was playing his first game for a couple of seasons. Incidentally Brunner’s great showing against Blaketown shows what a wonderful recovery the team has made after a period of stress. Brunner may still be reckoned as a force in future competition games. There were several minor accidents in Saturday’s games, which will incapacitate some players for a week or so. B. Brown a Star senior burst a blood-vessel in his arm at Hokitika and had to have surgical treatment. P. Dougherty, the Excelsior senior forward, suffered a damaged rib in the game at Greymouth, and in the junior game a United player, W. Tcnnent, had a minor rib fracture which will keep him away from football for some time. In the United-Kiwi game Jenkins (United) and McFarlane (Kiwi) ; had to leave the field owing to slight

injuries, Jenkins retiring owing to a bad knee. An amusing little occurrence after the game against Britain on Wednesday is worth noting. It was one of Mr W. Williams’, tho Combined team manager’s many duties to collect the balls used during tho game, but on going to do so he found that three ot the visitors had possessed themselves each of a ball, and were claiming them as trophies. Mr Williams eventually rescued the balls, although tho trophyhunters put up a worthy resistance, much to the amusement of the departing spectators. There can bo no doubt that whatever the material result of the tour of the British team, 'the men will leave behind them an enviable reputation as sportsmen, and already they have proved themselves as popular a team as has ever visited New Zealand. An incident which occurred during the Greymouth visit will show in what sportsmanlike way the visitors regard tho game. A local forward was chasing the ball near the British line during the game, and had a good chance of scoring when one oi the opposing pack in tho heat of tho moment held him back by his jersey and stopped his progress. The Combined man soon forgot about the incident, but at the dinner in the evening he heard the Britisher ' remark that he would like to know the name of the man he obstructed in order to tender an apology. The West Coaster said nothing, but just before the train conveying them to Christchurch left tho station, the Englishman discovered his man,, asked him if ho were tho player whom he obstructed, and modestly apologised for doing so. Needless to say, the apology was accepted, although tho Greymouth man protested that he had entirely forgotten the occurrence. The same man received a strong knock on his head in a scrum during tho game and was later apologised to by the British captain, F. D. Prentice. TO date, the- British Kugby team has Avon 6 of its 8 matches, and lost 2. Points scored by the team total 378, and against it 70. THE FIRST TEST. The New Zealand team to play in tho first Test against Britain will bo selected from the 19 players’.already published, after a trial match against North Otago at Oamaru to-day. D. Oliver (Wellington) and G. Hart (Canterbury) are new men without New Zealand caps, and of the nineteen have the least chance of final selection. What first strikes Rugby enthusiasts is the number of the “old guard” in the nineteen named— eight who went to Britain in 1924, six who were in South Africa two years ago, and only five who have since arrived

■ on the scene. It is distinctly an “old” 1 team, as may be gleaned from the ■ following list of ages of those who went to Britain and South Africa:—Johnson 32 years, Irvine 31, Porter 30, Mill 30, Nicholls 28, Lucas 28, Cooke .28, McWilliams 28, Finlayson 27, Stewart 26, Nepia 25, Hazlett 23, Lilburn© 22, and Here 22. It will be remembered that a somewhat similar selection, was made in 1908 for th© first Test against Harding’s team at Dunedin, when the All Black side included nine players who had visited England three years previously. There was a cry about the collection of “back numbers” in the side. New Zealand won the Test by 32 points to 5. In that 1908 team six of the nine players were above 25 ’ years of age; Cunningham 32, Gillett 31, Stead 31, Hunter 29, Thomson 27, ’ and Roberts 26. In the team just an- , nounced ten of the 14 old hands are i above 25 years of age-. \ Whatever the team selected it should be much stronger in all divisions than th© last All Black side, i which toured Australia last season, and well up to tho standard of the ’ .1928 team which toured South Africa. It is interesting to not© that several of tho Britishers with whom the writer discussed Test prospects, and some of whom saw the 1924 side in action in Great Britain, were emphatic in asserting that the 1930 fifteen could never reach th© great standard attained by the 1924 combination. The overwhelming defeat inflicted by th© visitors on the Otago team has added piquancy to discussion on the prospects of tho Test on Saturday. Critics who saw the side in 1905 the Australian team lost to

action hero were inclined to be dubious about the apparently poor standard of forward play reached by the touring side, but the showing of the British pack, fa strong/er one, on paper, against Otago, will perhaps lead to a modification of this opinion, and considerably brighten Britain’s chances. A great tradition centres round the Test,"for a team from the British Isles has never yet beaten the full strength of the Dominion on New Zealand soil, and New Zealand has never been beaten in a Test match with any country on the Dunedin ground. In New Zealand at Dunedin by 14 to 3, in 190 S, tho Anglo-Welsh side went down to the All Blacks by 32 points Io 5; Australia was beaten by 25 to 13 in 1013; the Springboks by 13 points to 5; and the 1923 Now South Wales loam and that of 1928 were also beaten in Tests at Dunedin. Saturday’s game will bo the fifth

» O Test between Great Britain and New Zealand, played in New Zealand since A. E. Stoddart’s side toured the Dominion in 188 S. The first was in 1904, when New Zealand defeated a British team by 9 points to 3. Tho next Tests were played in 1908, against tho Anglo-Welsh side. New Zealand won the first of these three games by 32 to 5, tho second was drawn, and the third was won by- the Dominion by 29 to 0. The second Test at Christchurch, will bo the first Test played in that city between British and Now Zealand teams. Tho name “All Blacks” rightly belongs to Ihe first New Zealand team that visited England in 1904-05 —the team which made New Zealand famous in the- Rugby world, and which won 32 out of its 33 games. Graham, tho Buller player, who filled the full-back position in tho combined West Coast-Buller team against tho Britishers, is reported to be leaving Westport for Wellington.

LEAGUE FOQTBALL. SENIOR LADDER

t NOTES AND COMMENTS. Tho only man in New Zealand today who has been actively associated ' with the administrative side of the Rugby League code continuously since its inception 21 years ago, Mr. A. Ferguson, will look after the New Zea- , land Council’s financial interests dur- ' ing the .Dominion team’s tour of Aus- ’ tralia. One of the finest referees the game in Auckland has known, Mr. Ferguson refereed the first EnglandAuckland match ever played, and in ; (addition has had control in many provincial and national matches. He should be of much assistance to his ’ co-manager, as he has a good know- ’ ledge of Australian playing conditions, . having travelled with a previous New Zealand team in the Commonwealth. ’ Mr. Ferguson is the representative of the Otago Rugby Football League on the New Zealand Council. The team manager of the New Zealand side to tour Australia, Mr. W. J. Taylor, has the distinction of being the youngest member of the New Zealand Council. He is just on tho wrong side of thirty, and has had a distinguished record on the administrative side of the code. He was secretary of the Hamilton Rugby League from 1917 to 1922, when the game made great progress in the Waikato. He was instrumental in procuring for the game from the Borough Council on lease, Hinemoa Park. Coming to Auckland, he was secretary of the Ponsonby Club for a couple of seasons, and in 192 G he took a seat on tho New Zealand Council ’ as the South Auckland representative. He travelled with the English party round New Zealand in 1928 as the councils official representative, and acted as manager of the New Zealand team for the two Southern test matches in (hat year.—“ Auckland Stm.” The Rugby League quarrel of many years’ standing between the Queensland League and the Brisbane League, which resulted in the isolation of the latter during the past two seasons, and was responsible for many conferences, has reached a stage where only the terms of peace settlement remain to be signed. Tho competitions run distinctly by both Leagues will probably be amalgamated with headquarters at the exhibition ground, where the Brisbane League holds the lease. The settlement is advantageous to the Queensland League, which has secured the dual leases of all grounds,

and lost nothing. On the contrary, the Brisbane League waived even a vital principle, and is in almost the same position as when the quarrel started. An amendment to the Q.R.C. constitution was sought, but at its annual meeting the Queensland League’s officers were elected unopposed. The Brisbane League will conduct its inter-city matches as before, and will have matches against inter-State and international teams, the latter being its only gain. The Queensland League has assets valued at more than £2OOO, but these include 60 loans to affiliated bodies, and property at Davies Park. The Brisbane League is in a bad way financially, and it was this more than anything else which forced it into a peace that amounted almost to complete surrender. Will the 1930 New Zealand League team be as strong as the side of 1925 which was undoubtedly one of the finest playing combinations which have been together? When the team returned from Australia it was a wonderful playing combination as it showed by its tremendous victory over an Auckland thirteen. The 1925 team won three out of four of its matches against New South Wales, but it was beaten in both games against Queensland, then the dominating factor in the League code in any part of the British Empire. In the past few years New Zealand has lost many of its most brilliant players, who have accepted offers from English clubs to play professionally. Think of Brown, Mason, Spillane, Hardgrave, Hall and Hutt, to mention only a few —all of them fit for any team in the world.

However, the prospects of a strong team going to Australia arc bright. Some good judges even go so far as to say that it will be stronger than that of 1925. It is particularly pleasing to the West Coast for Griffiths, Calder and Dodds to have been selected, and a fourth player in Mick O’Brien would have been the first forward chosen, had he not met with misfortune. The confidence of every West Coaster will repose in the doings of the three tourists, and it is unlikely that such confidence will ever be disturbed. The following letter from tho New Zealand Council will be considered at a meeting of referees on Saturday evening next: — The New Zealand Referees’ Association have.drawn the attention of the Now Zealand Council to the present unsatisfactory position with respect to the scrum. They aver, and your Council consider rightly, that the majority

z of the set scrums at present are but 3 a means to further penalties, and that _ it is the exception to witness a clean heel out, enabling the backs of either ’ side to inaugurate attack from the 1 base of tho scrum, thus providing the ' spectacular touch so essential to the ’ proper exposition of the Code. The J New Zealand Referees’ Executive have ' after consideration, arrived at the conclusion that the position at present taken up by the half back, when putting the ball in the scrum, is largely to blame for tho unsatisfactory state of affairs to-day, and are of opinion that if the Referees would all insist that the half back stand close up to the scrum when putting in the ball, a large amount of the trouble would be obviated. It is apparent, that with the half back standing well back, the bookers can watch his movements and anticipate the putting of the ball in the scrum and act accordingly, with the consequence that the referee probably has to impose a penalty. The . half back can make a point of putting I the ball in the serum and bring about. ’

iho penalising of his opposite hooker, and generally defeat tho object of League football. The Council desire then that you instruct your referees to insist upon the half back standing close up to the scrum (distance not in any case to exceed four feet, and closer when opportunity offers), when putting in the ball, with the purpose of obviating as much as possible the present incessant infringements on the occasion of the majority of set scrums. The lower grade players have been showing some nice football this season, and a. new arrival to the Marist fourth grade team in McHugh, has attracted favourable notice. He is a bustling’ type of forward, is fast and uses his head to advantage. In the recent seven-a-sidc tourney he was conspicuous for good play throughout. R. Pollock is playing attractive football, and as a centre-threequarter he is quite a success. He possesses a sense of anticipation which generally blossoms into fruitful results. One fault he has, and it is unfortunately a big one —he inclines to the belief that the ball would be unsafe in any other hands but his, and is continually loath to part with it. This player has received the necessary coaching and has represented the Coast on two occasions in the Norman Cox Cup matches, and his prospects of developing into a player of more than average ability are bright. One of the hardest working forwards is Hugh Blanchfield. He is a silent worker in the tight, and uses his weight to advantage. D. Greaney at five eighth is fast and knows how to handle the ball. He is also elusive, and is really a box of tricks confronting the opposition with many unorthodox movements. The medal for the best exhibition of football given by any lower grade player at the Recreation Ground on the King's Birthday was Avon by J. Roberts. Two years ago. Avhen a similar medal was awarded, the same player won it. There is no doubt that Roberts plays spectacular football. He possesses a clever sweiwe Avhicli in- i variably carries Him past one or two of the opposition, and he uses his head and knowledge of the finer points of the code to advantage.

r w L For Ag. Pts ■United G G • 111 is Biakctowil f> 4 82 39 8 Cobden (> 4 70 58 8 Rivals G ■1 36 .h> 8 Excelsiors G <) 88 1 1 6 Stars |> I .♦ 51 111. ' Kiwis G 1 .> 54 71 -i Brunner 6 1 5 .18 78 JUNIOR POINTS r W L For Ag. I'ts Cobden rj 5 - 49 14 10 Knmara 5 56' °5‘ G United 3 3 107 47 (i Blukctown •1 - t 6 89 -

1’ Won Dr. Jj For Ag. rts Runanga 8 5 1 86 56 ii Brunner .8 5 1 68 56 it Nelson' Creek .8 5 0 3 107 S3 10 Blackball H () St 78 10 Marist 8 1 ‘f *4 60 ■I Ixohinoor S 1 - 7 43 10S