McBRIDE STRUCK HIS BEST FORM AGAINST RUNANGA

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1948, Page 3 (Supplement)

McBRIDE STRUCK HIS BEST FORM AGAINST RUNANGA

C. Mcßride, the Kiwi forward gave the spectators at Blackball on Sunday an indication of the type of football which has stamped him as one of the best Rugby League forwards in New Zealand, and it was obvious that he has overcome the staleness which caused him to give one or two rather mediocre displays on his return from Australia.

He made opening after opening for the Blackball team and if some of the other forwards had been quicker to anticipate his movements, Runanga’s task would have been much more difficult. It was his defensive play, however, which stamped him as a forward far above the average. On numerous occasions, a Runanga player macle a break, only to be tackled hard and cleanly by Mcßride just as it appeared that he had beaten the defence. Not once did Mcßride miss his man when he got within striking distance.

Newton Lagged In comparison with Mcßride, the opposing Kiwi, J. Newton, was mediocre. In the first half it appeared that his heart was not in the game and he did not pull his full weight, but when his team was facing defeat in the second half, spectators saw a new Newton. He battled on gamely when Runanga was a man short in the forwards and his try was the result of smart following up, plus initiative when the opportunity presented itself. The other Runanga Kiwi, J. Forrest, was also below form on Sunday, although it appeared, on the run of the play that it would have been wiser to have moved him from the wing to centre fairly early in the game. With the deadly Blackball tackling, and the opposing backs standing up on the five-eighths, Forrest was given little room in which to work and it has been proved on numerous occasions, that he is never at his best when j cramped. Not Consistent Although he made several serious, mistakes on Sunday, the Blackball five-eighths, A. O'Donnell got through a lot of good work and he is somewhat of an enigma. At times, he can produce excellent football, but on other occasions he falls below standard." If he was consistent, he would be in the first flight of inside backs, as he has pace and he can tackle well. His handling remains his most vulnerable point. The manner in which he swung play back infield to produce Blackball’s first try was one of the highlights of the match and if some of the Runanga backs could have done the same thing towards the end of the game, when Blackball found a counter for Runanga’s orthodox football, the final result mav have been different. Although he has given Blackball yeoman service this year, and for many previous years, it appears that J. McNaughton is not the right man in the right place as half back. In the two most recent games, the Blackball backs have not received the service they might expect from the back of the scrum. McNaughton is full of tricks, but trickiness is a trait which can be overdone in a half-back.