RUGBY.

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1927, Page 2 (Supplement)

RUGBY.

(By

Goal-Post.)

Through such bad weather as was the order last Saturday, the Union fixtures were all postponed, but practically the same fixtures that were set down for the above will take place to-day. First of all the Park attraction in the senior grade will be Stars v. Excelsiors. Their last match was “dingdong” at Hokitika, Stars only winning by the try converted by Stevens. At Hokitika Magpies play Kanieri. This will be the second meeting of the above-mentioned teams. Kanieri piled up 29 to 3 on the last occasion, but it will not bo the ease this lime. Magpies have vastly improved, alnd will climb the ladder before the competition is finished. Blaketown will 1 ravel to Gladstone to moot the Magpie juniors. This game should b< int (sting, for the omission of Melrose and McDonald is sure to weaken Blaketown, but “Buck” Hannam is to turn out for them again. Kumara and I nited play at the Park in what will be a keen tussle. Kumara won last time G to 0. Cobßflen and Stars will be another solid game. These two teams arc lying oven in the competition, and the winner of to-day’s game is sure to give Blaketown a shake in the run for the cup. Tn the fourth grade, the two champion teams will meet, United A and United B. Seeing that both teams are four points, this match will be a “bound r” from start to finish. Technical plaji Combined at Cobden. Providing T< • field their best fifteen. Combined will have to go hard. It will be interesting to note if Cobden fifths can beat Tee, after the good performance Tee made against Blaketown. K. S. Svenson, the All Black wing-three-quarter, has given the game best. The prevailing feeling in Wellington is that Hawke’s Bay -will not -win the Shield back on July 9. Ted McKenzie also reckons Wairarapa will stick to it. Cliff Porter, captain of the 1924 All Blacks, has not turned ou£ this season so far. He hopes to play in the second round, as he has the South African trip in view next season.

Tt is said that one reason the New Zealand University Rugby team did

not do as well in Sydney as was expected was because the grounds there were as hard as concrete. A heavy fall was no joke, an dafter every match the players were very stiff and sore. This business of putting a Rugby representative team into camp for a week’s special training before a big fixture seems to be getting overdone. After all, Rugby is only a game, hut with some unions it seems to be becoming a business, especially where the Ranfurly Shield is concerned. While forward play is up to the mark in Wellington, the scarcity of conspicuous -backs is most notable and does not bode well for Wellington’s representation in the team for Africa. Apart from M. Nicholls, it is doubtful if there is another back at present who can claim to be in the front rank. Club football in Wellington this season is regarded up there as being very weak. At present six teams are level for the senior championship. In the past the Wellington rep. team has been selected mostly from the Petone, Poneke and Athletic teams, but it appears as though the younger clubs will have a much bigger say this year than has previously been their lot. At least five All Blacks arc i vailable for the Canterbury representative team—Steell, Robilliard, Harris, McGregor, and Dailey. The forwards will bo hard to sort out. At least two good solid packs could be picked from tfie town players, and there are several eountty forwards, Robinson, ’for instance, who toured with the Maori team, whose claims must be considered.

A match between the combined nations (England, Scotland, Ireland, and Males) against New South Wales is being seriously discussed in the English press. “It’s a bonny idea to pick a team from England, 'Scotland, Ireland and M ales to play out next season’s visitors from New South Wales, ” says the Athletic News, “but bonny ideas, whenu they mean breaking frosh ground are not likely to appeal to the die-hards. . . . There is a tremendous glamour about a touring side that can go through without being beaten.” The “Star’s” Auckland correspondent telegraphs: Lance Johnson, 1925 All Black, has already left for Masterton, and will make the sixth New Zealand representative to appear in the Wairarapa ’team to defend the Shield against Hawke’s Bay on July 9. North Island opinion appears generally antagonistic to a Bay challenge so soon after losing the shield. The projected action com parrs unfavourably with Auckland’s after losing the shield in 1913. No chalk!." ■ was then lodged against Taranaki on a subsequent southern tour, in which Auckland beat the new holders 11 $ New Plymouth.

In a highly-coloured reminiscence of the first Springbok test in 1921, one northern writer lets his pen run uway with him. He does not exaggerate it all in describing the sensational scene that followed Jack Steel’s famous try, but his story is hopelessly astray when it attempts to laud the “lion-hearted”

display of 11. E. Nicholls behind the scrum and the “great” hooking of Ned Hughes, then forty-one years of age. As a matter of fact, both Nicholls and Hughes were much below New Zealand standard. Nicholls was dropped from the two subsequent tests, and Hughes did not play in the third.

An Auckland Rugby correspondent telegraphs: “In connection with the Christchurch 1 Star ’s’ Rugby criticism of the personnel of the South Island selection committee, the fact is apparently overlooked that Mr Alan Adams, the West Coaster, is no stranger to Otago Rugby. For several years ho was one of the king pins of the famous Varsity rearguard, and when wearing the Otago provincial blue jersey in 1906 was capped for the south, playing a fine game at centre in that year’s inter-island flutter at Wellington. Later Adams wore the red rose for England in the 1910 international match with France. With regard to the statements: (1) The West Coast is only a minor union and has produced in Jack Steel only one good footballer in a decade, and (2) that surely a little thought should have been given to Otago, it may be pointed out that Bill Duncan was the only dark blue in the 1920 All Blacks, and 11. G. Munro the only Otago man in the more famous side of 1924. Yet in 1920 Otago had one man (Donald Stuart) on the international selection committee of three.”

..It takes a good man to measure up to “Son” White’s test af a champion Rugby player, and the veteran consid. ered that A. Cave, the giant young policeman who made his first appearance in first-grade footbell in Christchurch witpi the Christchurch team is going to make an All Black. That is enough to indicate, at any rate, that Cave is something beyond the ordinary. Cave, who is about 22 years of age, camo to Christchurch with the last batch af young constables from the depot says an exchange. Ho had previously played for the Baweiio first grade team in the North Island, but has not had much experience in the game.. A great virtue is that he knows he has a great deal to learn, for his team-mates say he is always asking questions on points of play. A nonsmoker and a non-drinker, this fine young athlete trains for about an hour each day at Hagley Park.

The Railway Loco Staff have decided to take advantage of the special train to Christchurch on July 2nd, by sending a Rugby football team over to play the Christchurch Loco Staff. “Smokebox” thinks that the following team is the best available: Ful-back, Spas Gray; three-quarters: Beau Smith (eapt.), R. Carruthers, Neil Me Ara; five-eighths, Bert Dunford and Johnnie Ory; half, 11. O. Moss (vice-capt.); wing forward, Tiger Jackson; hookers, Tiny Bennett, Dad Eustace; lock, Lofty Kear; sides. Sol Garforth, E. P. O’Donnell; back row, W. McKcchnie, Herb Faulkiner. Emergencies:—Backs, Nicholson, J. Mosley, Barney Brown; forwards, E. Furness, J. Rodgers, W. Currie. Manager, Frank Bateman.