SPORTS AND PASTIMES

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6142, 28 July 1921, Page 7

SPORTS AND PASTIMES

HOCKEY.

COAST HOCKEY,

NOTES BY “HOWARD.”

Remember that the object of every player, whether she be back, halfback, or forward, is to place the ball in the best position for one of here own side and not to hit indiscriminately up the field to one of the opposing teams. Combination amongst the whole team is an essential factqr of success frequently a team of brilliant individualists will find tlieirfselves defeated bv a team of average ability, who study combination arid are unselfish instead of each one trying to do everything on her own. The good player is the one who makes openings for a better placed player to score. The personnel of the Tokomaru Bay team is :

B. Forrester—goal-keeper. New to the position. Stops a ball well. Must learn to clear quickly from the circle, especially from the front of the goal. ,' .Full-backs: Mrs. Lynex. A very safe player of long experience and a valuable acquisition to the team. Seldom at practice. H. Mulligan—regular at practice. Has very little direction when hitting; should read above notes. N. Hutchins—should should more energy on the field. Half - backs : L. Tamepo gives sticks too often; also must learn to keep her place. A promising player. D. Hale—must learn to stop ball. Hits without direction. Should tackle at once and endeavour to pass ball to best placed forward; too much sticks. E. Hale —a powerful hitter. Inclined to give sticks at end of stroke. Too much individual play. Hangs on to the ball too long, which drives the forwards up the field and possibly puts them off-side. Should read above notes. R. McCormick—a keen player; good battler. Takes notice of coach’s advice; slow to hit. Forwards: F. Mulligan a very keen player; must learn to pass and keep lier place. P. Mulligan—must learn to hit and keep on-side. C. Oates—should learn to draw defence before passing; do not hesitate. F. Burdrtt—should, learn to hit to the right, but, when in the opponent’s 25, passing to the wine should not be indulged in. L. Forrester, A. White, H. Potai, E. Newton—all regular at practices. No definite positions allotted yet. All show promise and should study the opening notes.

FOOTBALL NOTES (By “MATAHIKI.”)

Thu game, Y.M.P. v. Olcl Boys, on Saturday, was one of the best seen . here this season. In both spells, play was fast, the ball travelling from one end, of the field to the other with loose forward rushes interspersed with back passing; but in the last twenty minutes Y.M.P. had the upper hand. Old Boys, minus Hundleby in the

backs, turned out a strong forward team, playing two wing-forwards and one five-eighth. Playing with great dash, they had the best of the first quarter-of-an-hour, narrowly missing, a score on one occasion. After this, though they held their end up pretty well for the rest of the game, they really never looked like scoring, ex- . cept from penalties, and at the latter end of the second spell had evidently begun to find their opponents* weight telling against them. The teams were evenly matched on the line, where neither side though much of packing and heeling to their backs, and on several occasions an unmarked man was allowed to break away. Old Boys had much the better of the scrums in the first spell, and in spite of their lesser weight often pushed their more solid: (opponents. Chrisp (Old Boys* half) generally ran with the ball from the scrums, doing his best to get an opening for Mouat, but failing to succeed. He did the right thing in this, for it was obviously useless passing to backs outflanked by tbeir opponents. Certainly Old Boys, playing six backs against seven, meant to win with their forwards if they could. In any case their combined play was not at all good, and never looked like leading to a score. Old Boys’ back defence was much sounder than their attack. A .M.P. had much the' better of the set scrums in. the second spell, and got the ball often enough in the first to show some pretty passing, the ball on many occasions going along the chain of' backs to the wing - threequarter. The Maoris’ back play was much more open than that of their opponents, their combination and passing being quite good. For the successful opening out of this back play, the chief credit must be given to Tureia, who contented himself with sending on the ball instead of trying to break through from the set scrums. But, in spite of neat passing, and the shortage of backs on the other side, none of Y.M.P.’s back play looked really dangerous, and often the ball travelled straight across the field without gaining any ground. Good tackling by Old Boys’ backs would account for some of this, but it surely indicates that, outside of Tureia., Y.M.P. backs are not adepts at making openings? Still there is hope for a team that is not afraid to pass the ball about, and success comes with the confidence that practice gives. Tureia was the outstanding figure in the match, for, though he fed his outside backs in proper first-fige-eiglith way, thereby cramping his natural style, be still found enough openings, in loose play and from his opponents’ mistakes, to put in some great dashes. He had bad luck in being refused a try from the end of the line-out in the. first spell, but made no mistakes with another

effort towards the end of the game, when, he intercepted a pass from Devery. Without Tureia, Y.M.P. could hardly have won; and, if Ilundlehy had been playing on the other side, Old Boys would have shown brighter attack. So we don’t know yet which is really the better team. Macdonald and Piki Smith took turn about at half and centre-threequarter. Both did well at half, Piki being better served by his forwards, while Macdonald showed the more dash at centre. Mafe Pere was sound at second-five-eight, without being in any way brilliant; and Smiler had more of tbe ball and rr av e a more spirited display than Scott. Priestley, at full, handled and kicked better than was expected, but was not given a very severe test. Of the forwards, Jones, Matthews and Turuki Pere showed out well, while Babington worked better than usual. Langlauds again, had a lot of defensive work to do and came out creditably, except for a missed tackle at Tureia. Maude was more confident than usual, and Leckie showed plenty of pluck. Harris, an inconsistent player, comes to light- when liis side is weakest, and in this match played a fairly good game. Mon at,, somewhat weak in ground defence, tackled strongly and occasionally got in a smart dash. Chrisii, at half, put in a lot ofvwork in defence and attack and would have been placed at first.fivceight, where be might have opened up the game. Devery, playing a. roving game, with Langlands at wing and McPhail in the line-out, were noticeable among Old Boy forwards, where all played well. Among others, Winter and Hansen brought u off some smart .tackles. While recognising that Tureia, in. Ins present form, is the best attacking back in Gisborne, we are convinced that he is not playing in his proper position at fibst-five-eight. In a good ’ team the first-five-eight should be a strong defensive player, with ability to open up the attack. The ipsidcbacks most brilliant on the attack should play at second-five-eight or 4

centre, where ’ they arc further away from the forwards and have a better chance of breaking through.

[REPRESENTATIVE PLAYERS,

In view of the approaching representative matches, the Union desires all players chosen by the selectors to mee the coaches at the Garrison Hall his evening at 7 p.m. NOTES AND NEWS. The Springboks backs are reported from Sydney to bo far less orthodox in their attack, than Australasians had been led to believe. Most of the forwards of the South African Rugby football team are brawny miners from Johannesburg., They average 6ft, in height and a trifle over 14.1 in weight. Commenting on the match between Heriot and Wakoiki, played last Saturday, the Tapanui Courier says: "Crookston is rather given to rabbiting. To bear out this contention we give what was heard on the ground: —A spectator and Crookston sport. Spectator: "Did your men bring thentraps with them?” Crookston sport; "No! Why?” Spectator; ‘ Thought they seemed rather good oil the rabbiting stunt.” Though he has failed to gain a place in the N.Z. Rugby Union team which is to meet the Springboks in the first test match, in Dunedin, on August 13, S. Cabot (Otago), who was the wingforward of the New Zealand University team which recently visited Australia, and subsequently of the South Island team, should be a New Zealand representative in another season or two. Only three years ago Cabot was playing for Timaru High School in secondary school Rugby.