SEASONABLE SPORTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1936, Page 12

SEASONABLE SPORTS

SOCCER FOOTBALL.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Taylorville’s win on Saturday, although somewhat lucky, was a meiitorious effort in the circumstances, anu reflects credit on the opportunism of their forwards. Taylorville now bavd twelve points in the Westland Cup competition, equal with the leaders, Runanga, and a play-off is to take place on Saturday next. Although many will favour Runanga on account of their good form in the iccent Chatham Cup series, the records of the two teams’ encounters would seem to indicate that a Red victory is not improbable. In the five games played betwen them the following have been the scores (Runanga mentioned first): 6—2, o—6, I—o, 2—2, and 7—l. Brilliant Defence:

The Taylorville defence could apparently do nothing wrong on Saturday. The Marist attack lacked thrust, but even so, the fact tnat they hamnmred at the Taylorville goal for practically 30 minutes on end, in the first spell, indicates that something more than mere had shooting kept them out. Miller was the hardest worked man on the field, and, with Lee, who was seldom at fault, kept the greens at bay. Even then Marist must have scored on many occasions but for the splendid keeping of Tennant. No matter what angle the ball came from he always seemed to be there to take it. His anticipation was uncanny. On several occasions green forwards broke away and seemed certain to score, but Tennant was always in the way. More than any other man, have Taylorville to thank him, for their victory.

Lost the Baine: There is no doubt but. that had the Marist forwards shown just a little bit of dash in their play on Saturday, their team would have walked off the field easy victors. They were presented with a feast of the ball, but their attempts at scoring were pitiful. Time and again a green man would receive in a handy position, but would either hang on in an endeavour to manoeuvre for a “sitter” or shoot weakly by. Woods and McKenzie were the only two who looked like scoring, at any stage, and their shooting, although fairly well directed, lacked the sting necessary to get past Tennant. Marist will have to make drastic improvements in their forward division if they hope to hold their own in the Heslin Cup competition.

Did His Share: M. Marshall at right back for Marist gave another fine display on Saturday. He was not taxed to the extent that the Taylorville backs were, but showed himself more than capable of coping with any attack. Neither of the two goals scored by the Reds were in any measure his fault, while the manner in which he kept Coutts in subjection was a feature.

Not Impressive: At no stage did the Taylorville attack impress as dangerous on Saturday. The lack of one man in the forward division naturally threw the line out of balance, but, individually, the forwards showed' little penetration. Bateman was perhaps the best on the day, and even he missed some grand openings. Coutts on the left found Marshall a stumbling block, and made the mistake of trying to trick him, instead of swinging the ball in quickly.

Long Shooting* Pays: A feature of Saturday’s Westland Cup fixture was the success attending long shots.at goal. It was a long drive from forty yards out that gave Marist the lead early in the second spell, Marshall scoring a beauty from a free kick. Then on Taylorville side there was the long shot tried by Cameron, which Anderson deflected past the ’keeper. This shot was not a .dangerous one in itself, but deserved the. success it obtained. Long shooting is all 100 infrequently indulged in by our local inside men, and half-backs. By all means should the attack be brought as close to goal as possible,'but when an opening occurs for a drive at goal the player should not be afraid to put his loot to the ball. With a good ’keeper the chances may be against success, but the unexpected is always likely to occur, and although the first shot might be unsuccessful, a rebound will often give another forward an opening. Date Altered:

Alteration in the date of the South Island final of the Chatham Cup competition has affected the date arranged for the Peter Dawson Cup match with Buller. The Millerton All Blacks have now to play Western A on August 22, consequently Buller is unable to meet Westland on that date. It is anticipated that the game will be put forward a fortnight and played on September 5. Advice has been received from the Buller Association that the junior representative game suggested, has been arranged as a curtain-raiser. A Selection:

The good form displayed on defence recently has made the part of the selectors difficult in picking the team to meet Buller. Much will depend on the form displayed in the next few games, but, on present form, the following should give a good account of themselves:—Goal, Perrin; backsParkinson and Marshall; halves’. Cowc, Armstrong, Anderson; forwards: Crowe, Timlin, Pollock, Cameron and Coutts.

FIXTURES. Senior: Westland Cup Final: Runanga v. Taylorville, Victoria Park, 2.45 (C. Hogg). Marist v. Waiuta, at Waiuta, 2.45 (J. Scott). Junior: Marist v. Tech., at Park, 1-30; Runanga v. Blackball, at Donollie, 2.45 (P. Barnes). Third Grade; Taylorville v. Runanga, at Taylorville (McMullan).

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

NOTES AND COMMENTS

On the run of the play, Maoist seniors were undoubtedly a little lucky to win the Knock-out Cup final on Sunday, especially by such a margin as If)’points to 5. In the second spell Blackball repeatedly launched attacks which carried them right to the Marist. line, but a lack of finish, and often over-eagerness prevented them from gaining points which seemed imminent. The reversal of form which Marist showed after the first twenty minutes was remarkable, and they were apparently bustled by the vigorous Blackball pack. The young Blackball team shows considerable promise, and if it is kept together, it will bo found taking a more prominent part in the competitions next season. Blackball has had to take a back seat now for several years, but their turn is coming. This has undoubtedly been Marist’s year, but they have been more seriously extended than the scores would indicate on several occasions, and luck has undoubtedly been with them to date. A Good Game:

Contrary to expectations, the Runanga-Brunner game on Sunday provided much better football than the chief attraction at Wingliam Park, although Runanga had a comfortable victory. Some of the young Brunner boys turned on a very fair class of football, and their efforts were deserving of more success.

Promising Boy: One of the most promising boys in the game at present is C. Meadowcroft, the young Blackball full-back, and it his present, rate of progress is maintained, ho can be expected to wear the red and white jersey before many seasons are past. He played a particularly sound game on Sunday, and. despite his youth and lack of weight, he took everything that came his way, and was looking for more. With experience, he should develop into a first class full-back.

Showed Form: After being off the scene for a while, G. Ware took his place in the Blackball team on Sunday, and filled the second five-eighth berth creditably, working in well with W.Ritchie. Ware gave promise of better things last year, but. so far he has failed to fulfil that promise, being solid, without being anyway brilliant. Art Needs Learning:

On at least two occasions on Sunday tries were given away by players kicking too hard when they were dribbling the ball. There are few players in local teams who can keep the ball properly under control when they have it at toe and players would be wise to give this phase of the game attention when training. A good dribbler is invaluable on a wet ground, and on the Coast the art would be well worth mastering. W. Glynn, the Runanga forward, who has risen to New Zealand honours, is one player who has good bail control, and he made several spectacular breakaways in the England v. South Island game simply because he was able to carry the ball through, without kicking it into the hands of opposing players, as is so often done.

Good Beginning: T. McKenzie, the ex-Inangahua representative full-back made a good beginning with Pirates on Sunday, scoring five points against Ngahere. Next season Pirates should feel the full value of his being a member of the club, as his keenness for the game should do much to remove the apathy which has existed among the Pirates in the past.

Should be Included: The selectors cannot overlook the claims of S. Perrin to be included in the representative team to be chosen after next Sunday's games. He made a wonderful leader for the Blackball pack last week-end, and in fact he outshine several of th'* Marist players who had risen higher than club football. Many would have liked to see him given a trial in the Blackball team as a hooker, but Blackball thought differently and played Martin in that position. The last-named was undoubtedly a success as he gained far more than his fair share of the hall, and also played well in the loose. A Firm Hand:

The referee of the Blackball-Marist game, Stan Smith, gave an example to some of the other referees on Sunday, by the way in which he controlled the game when rough play started to creep in. The first instance of playing-the-inan which caught his eye brought a penalty kick in its wake, and in a hard-fought, game this drastic measure had a soothing effect on ruffled tempers, which is not always produced by a warning, no matter how strongly worded it may be.

Lower Grade Results: It is regrettable to see some of the lower grade teams repeatedly defaulting, and the matter is aggravated when they do not show even enough ccnsideration to notify their opponents in advance. Unless sickness or injuries deplete teams, defaults show a deplorable lack of interest and organisation in clubs, and very often the boys are not so much to blame as officers of the club, who think they have done their duty as long as their senior thirteen takes the field. Defaulting teams are a bad advertisement for any code, and the League Centre should take drastic action where a default goes unexplained, especially when the club concerned fails to notify the opposing team before it arrives on the ground. It may be a good idea in these cases for the League to lay down a rule that the defaulting club shall pay the expenses of the other team.

Barrytown Juniors Improve: Although beaten 14 —3 by Marist, Barrytown juniors showed improved form on their home ground on Sunday, and displayed a better knowledge of the gam than in their previous matches, ’.’heir five-eighths were impressive, ad Dunn played a fine game in the forwards. L. Wilson, a promoted third-grader did well on the wing .'or Marist, and it will not be surp. ..ring if he is retained in the junk." grade. P. O’Brien played his best game to date for Marls!, but has one skious fault, in that

he stands flat-footed waiting for the ball.

Marist-Waratah Clash

Exceptional interest is being taken in the Inangahua-West Coast final of the Thacker Shield, between Waratah and Marist. to be played next week-end. As these two teams have not previously met, it is difficult to gauge the prospects, but on paper Waratahs should have an excellent chance of lowering the colours of the greens for the first time this season. Waratahs’ already good back-line will be strengthened by the inclusion of J. Cutbusli, who has just returned to Reefton, after playing professional football in England. Cutbush has only played one club game in Inangahua since his return, but Marist have consented to his inclusion, a precedent having been established for this action when Marist included W. McNeight in a final last season, after he had played only one game. Both sides are confident of victory, and the match should produce the best club football of the season.

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

PLAY AND PLAYERS

Greymouth Rugby enthusiasts received a rude shock on Saturday last, when the South Westland representatives gave the Greyniouth fifteen a close game. Greymouth won by a margin of six points, but the southerners put up a splendid light, and the game might easily have gone the other way, more especially had the formation of the Grey backs been allowed to remain throughout the game as in the first spell. The South backs gave a bright display, handling the greasy ball remarkably well, while the vigour) and liveliness of their forwards, made) the Grey eight look decidedly slow andi cumbersome by comparison. The Grey team disappointed, but due ere-! dit should be given the South West.j landers for their share in upsetting the home team. The selection of eight of, the southern players among the num-) her chosen for special training, in view, of the coming representative matches, was only their due. Likely Half-back:

West Coast look to have discovered a new half-back in R. Vincent, of South Westland. On Saturday last, he gave a splendid display behind / the South Westland pack. He was game in going down to the heavy Grey forwards, passed and handled well, and generally impressed as at least the equal of Davidson, and he was superior to Allsopp on the day. His snappy, accurate passing from the scrum was a pleasing feature, and he varied his play well. He will be closely watched on a fine day, but, on present form, looks to have a second to none chance for the first half-back’s job.

Unlucky? P. Allsopp, the Grey half-back last Saturday, was unlucky to strike the Grey forwards in a more or less lethargic mood, for he received much less than his due protection from the attentions of the virile South Westlanders. The constant harassing he had to suffer, appeared to upset his game, and he was considerably below his club form. Even his passing, usually reliable, lacked its usual snap. It was hardly his true form. Had His Chance: M. Connolly, Star’s new five-eighth, received his chance on Saturday, when Collins dropped out of the Grey fifteen, but he failed to take it. He had shown distinctly promising form in his only two matches for his new club, but, on Saturday, his display was distinctly disappointing. His handling

was poor, and, when he did take his passes, he gave those outside him few chances. He was more impressive when sent back to full-back, late in the game, making a couple of creditable clearances.

Timely Move: The Grey backs were hot at all impressive in the first spell on Saturday, and the moving of Gilbert from fullback to centre in the second spell, invested their work with a great deal more thrust. Gilbert supplied the necessary penetration on attack, at centre, but the way he hung back, instead of coming up swiftly to tackle, when the South backs were on attack, gave them more than their share of room, and must have been disconcerting to his wingers.

Good Tackler:

W. Mann was expected to provide his share of the fireworks on Saturday, but with slow inside backs he was given little room, and even when he did get chances, the splendid tackling of McMillan gave him few opportunities for runaways. He made one splendid run, which led to a try, but beyond that, was seldom allowed to go far. McMillan, Mann’s opposite, showed a lot of pace, and determined low tackling, but poor handling spoiled an otherwise fine display. He trailed Mann all day, and his superb tackling did the rest. Too Slow:

J. Costello, given his chance at first live-eighth, for Grey, was handicapped by a weak knee, and, on attack was much too slow, even considering the service from the base of the scrum. On defence, however, he was a tower of strength, tackling and kicking splendidly, and going down to the lively South forwards gamely. ” He is a reliable back, solid as a rock on defence, but may bo too slow for such a vital position, on attack.

Looks the Part: The South Westland centre, F. Wyatt, looked the part of a footballer on Saturday, though he did little that was outstanding. His handling might have been improved, but he tackled well, and showed pace, and a deceptive .side-step. He impressed as one likely to be dangerous on a fine day.

Improved Player: W. McNabb, who filled the first liveeighth berth for South Westland on Saturday, had been seen out in mouth before, he having played for thei United Club. Then he was no morel than an average club back, but he ap-i pears to have developed considerably in the South. He was one of the best of the South backs on Saturday, handling well, running straight and fast, and tackling soundly. His display" was highly impressive, and assured his selection for special training.

In Front all Day: J. Cox, who was a member of last year’s Seddon Shield team, was at the head of the South forwards all day in last week’s match, and played a valuable loose forward game, his ball control being surprisingly good. Cox was not a success in last year’s team, being too much of a rover, when solid scrummagers were required against the big Marlborough pack men, and preference will probably be given this year, for the looose forward’s position, can do his share with the rest, in the to a heavier man, of some pace, who hard rucking, sure to be necessary in the Shield games. Played Well: R. Birchfield consolidated his strong claims for inclusion in the Shield team, by a fine game last Saturday. He and Kirkwood were two Grey forwards

who played up to form, which could not be said for all the others.

Three Coasters In: The selection in the South Island team for next Saturday of the only three West Coast nominees, R. R. King, G. D. M. Gilbert, and W. Mann, with King as vice-captain, will give entire satisfaction in the province. Mann, who played for the South Island last season, when the game was played in atrocious weather conditions, will get a chance he has deserved, on Saturday

next, outside the All Black success, Mitchell. King was one of the big successes of the All Black tour, and has proved a brilliant forward, in club and representative matches this season. He can be expected to do credit to the province. Gilbert’s selection was obvious, after a successful tour. He has improved his all-round play considerably, his handling and positional play, at full-back, being especial features. Last Saturday, he looked a class full-back, when he played in that position in the first spell, his handlin'g of the greasy ball being remarkable. but his line-kicking fell a good deal short of what was expected of an All Black custodian. However, he should have little difficulty in making the New Zealand team to meet the Australians.