RUGBY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12252, 6 April 1935, Page 11

RUGBY

WILL NEB IA BE NEEDED?

Dll, HARR OP ON N.Z. STANDARD

I hay© just returned from a long visit to the Dominion, during which I saw many Rugby matches in different, parts of the country, .including t\vo principal matches of the season— North v. South Island and the New Zealand team just back from Australia v. The Rest at Wellington, writes Dr A. J. Harrop in an excellent summary in an English paper of New Zealand Rugby Football as it was last season.

There is a definite shortage of brilliant centres in the Dominion, he proceeds. There is no A. E. Cooke aiid no .Mark -Nicholls on the horizon at present, though one may, ol course be discovered before the team leaves later in the year.

Is there anybody to take the place of the other great star of the -1924, team—George N : epia, the smiling Maori back who played in every match ? '

There are at least four hacks of high standard, but it i;s not impossible that Nepia may he here again, though this may appear incredible to those who think a man is too old for serious Rugby at 27. Nepia is much more than that, but lie was playing with some of his old brilliance a season ago and has not definitely retired from the game.

For the three-quarter line (of three players) New Zealand will have several good men available, but G. F. Hart,T. H. C. Caugliey and a Maori player frqm Hawke’s Bay with the deceptive name of Smith may possibly form the international line. England will be able to match this line with ©layers of somewhat similar type and at least equal brilliance in Heaton, Cranmer, Leyland, and Booth. At scrum half the veteran New Zealand Captain, F. D. Kilby, who has played for three provinces and both islands as well as New Zealand, may be past liis best, but there is nobody obvious to supplant him. The diminutive M. Corner, of Auck land, who is oft ofin and weighs 9.12, might be in the team, though he was not at his best in the North v. South Island match. J. L. Giles, who played for the "Rost at Twickenham, gave a display better than I saw from a scrum half in New Zealand. The New Zealand forwards have not yet thoroughly mastered the eiglit-In-scruin formation, and there are many advocates of a return to the 2-'3-2 and wing-forward style. But the decision' to give up wing-forward was a concession to opinion in this country-, and it will certainly not be revoked before the tour begins. The forwards will be as active and capable as ever in the loose, but unless something very unexpected happens their work in the isci’um will not be as effective as that of 1924. -No undue importance is attached in New Zealand to the preservation of the unbeaten record of the last tour, ns it is widely realised that international sport—as .sport—is on trial. I have talked with. many of the probable members of next season’s team, and am quite confident that their ideas of the game as it should bo played will find favour in tliis country.

NEW -ZEALAND'S HEAVY PROGRAMME.

BUSY TIME AHEAD

The busy time ahead of Rugby players in the Dominion is outlined in the annual report of the New Zealand Rugby Union. The programme includes a tour of Great Britain by a New Zealand team, and a tour of ■Australia, by a Maori team this year,; a visit to New Zealand by an Australian team next year; and a tour of the Dominon by a South African side in 1937. “It is anticipated that a thoroughly representative team will be selected, and the executive is confident the members of the team will uphold the great traditions which are associated with the game of Rugby in every way,” states .the report, in referring to the Niew Zealand team’s visit to Britain this year. The team will sail for London by the Rangitiki .from Wellington on July 31; and will at the special invitation of the townspeople of . Newton Abbot, Devon, make that town their headquarters preliminary to the first match. Twenty-eight matches will he played, including international matches against England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. An exhaustive series of trial matches will be played prior to the team’s departure. Mr V. R. Meredith (Auckland) has been appointed the managerCof the .team. Invitations have been extended by the Vancouver (Canada), Eastern New York itugby Unions, and from California, to play a series of matches on the return voyage, and the committee is at present' in negotiation wltiij these bodies in an endeavour to finalise arrangements, and enable the team .to return to New Zealand via Canada. MATCHES WITH AUSTRALIA.

According to .the terms, of the agreement, Australia should have visited New Zealand last season,- -but on account of the difficulty of’players, securing leave of i absence so soon after. their,tour ofSouth -Africa, and at the special request of the Australian Unions, the to.ur \vas postponed. The executive has been advised that the Australian team wit} be willing tp yistt,New Zealand during the 1936 season, and is p.f 'opinion that the tour should be accepted. .

Following the recommendations of the delegates at the last ’ annual meeting, negotiations have been entered into with the New South Wales Rugby Union, acting on behalf of the Australian Unions, for a tour of a Maori team to Australia this season. It is-.anticipated that.the team will leavo for Australia about July 12, and play a scries of games in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Negotiations' are still in progress, and finality is anticipated in time to report the position to delegates at the annual meeting. ANOTHER SPRINGBOK INVASION. Tlie report goes on to state that the South -African Board lias accept•Cirtlfc New Zealand Union’s invitaton to tour New Zealand and Australia during the 1937 (season. Breliininary negotiations are in progress with tlie Australian Unions through the New South Wales Rugby Union regarding the details of finance and the number of matches to be played. The South AiTcaii team L, assured of a very warm welcome to these shores. IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. The Rugby Football Union (England) has convened a conference and lias issued invitations to- Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and has generously offered to pay the return first-class passage of two delegates. It is proposed after th e conference with the Rugby Union to be held in London on December 12, 1935, to hold a further 'Conference with tlie International Board in London in the first week of January’, 1936. The executive has accepted the invitation to attend the conferences, and i» confident that great benefit to the game must ultimately result there,fnqm. Remits from affiliated unions and the executive have been circularised to unions. and will be discussed at the annual general meeting-