RUGBY GLEANINGS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 16 June 1928, Page 12

RUGBY GLEANINGS

FIELD AND SIDELINE. LISTS OF FIXTURES. TARANAKI REP. GAMES'.

.Tuae 4 —v. Wanganui, at Wanganui;

won 14 —0. July 4 —v. Wellington. ,at Hawera. July 11—v. Waikato, at Stratford. , Au°-. 9—v. Marlborough., in Taranaki. \ug 11—v. Hawke's Bay, in. Taranaki, w. 18—v. Wanganui, in Taranaki. Aug. 29 —v. Manawhonua, at Palmerstun North. . Sent. I—v. Wellington, at Wellington. g£,p,t s—v’. Momawhenua, in Taranaki. Sept! 15—v. Waikato, at Hamilton, Sept. 19—v. Thame ® Valley, at To Aroha. , .. , Sept. 22—v. Auckland, at Auckland. BANFURLY SHIELD. July v. Wairarapa. INTER-ISLAND MATCH. Aug. B—North8 —North Island v. South Island, at Christchurch. NEW SOUTH WALES TEAM.

A u cr 25 —v. Auckland, at Auckland. Aul! 29—v. Wanganui, at Wanganui. Sept I—v. Hawke's Bay ,at Napier. Sept. s—v. New Zealand (first test), at Wellington. Sept. B—v.8 —v. New Zealand (second test), at Dunedin. . Sept. 12 —v. Southland, at Invercargill. |ept. 15—v. New Zealand (third test), at Christchurch. Sept. 19 —v. Marlborough, at Blenheim. Key to Success. . Upon the young player it cannot be too strongly impressed that Kugj serious game ,and must bo .tokm ■ sen Oiusly in the interests of both a side! The mere turning np on a Satu • day to put on a jersey and turn out, with an irregular attendance at weeldy training, will never make a real foot bailer, nor is it fair to his team. Ab lutely physical fitness is an essential oi Rugbyf and that fitness cannot be secured without sacrifices which, for the benefits gained, are well worth while. Every youth should be justly , proud of the vigorous, healthy condition, Ms young body, but it is a duty that he owes to tie whole well as to himself, to preserve lta and not to min it by excesses of any kind. Excesses invariably spell the end of a football career. Wealth of Talent. , Can the Waratahs lick New ZealanQ now that twenty-eight All in South Africa? The Sydney Kefexee savs: “New Zealand is so in Rngbv that it will not be difficult to band" together very solid the tests. The presence of * he , Rant A. E. Cooke will give the backs a touch of inspiration. The forv [ are sure to be first-class. Those of the All Black jersey always are when the colours axe up." Stepped into Breach. The possibility of a Rugby football conference between, representatives _ of the Deminions in South Africa during the visit of the New Zealand Rugby team is regarded by a prominent Rugby correspondent in England as a danger signal that cannot be ignored. The unsatisfactory situation created by the International Board’s action ,or lack of action, in connection with the justifiable demands of the Rugby-playing countries within the Empire was net improved by the board’s non-acceptance of the invitation to send a team to New * Zealand and Australia in 1930. The English Union, however, has, stepped into the breach, and its action in deciding to send a team serves to show that it is genuinely concerned regarding New Zealand and its claims to better recognition.

On the Silver Screen. At the annual meeting of the South African Rugby Board a cablegram was received from the New Zealand Rugby Union asking for every facility to be given their official kinematographex who would accompany the touring, team. These pictures were to be exhibited in Australia and New Zealand. They would deal with all the scenes on the football field, scenic pictures of South Africa would be taken, and views of social functions and gatherings.. No exclusive rights could be granted, it was stated by Mr J. Dunn (Transvaal), and a communication was to be sent to the various unions asking them not to sell exclusive film rights.

Western Province Record. Over the last 40 years Western Province (S.A.) has a remarkable record, having played 70 interprovincial games and lost only three of them. Such a sustained sequence of wins far eclipses anything ever done by a provincial team in New Zealand, and easily establishes Western Province’s right to be termed the “Home of South African Rugby.” Western Province beat the 1903 British team 13—7 in the opening match of the tour and drew with them 3 all later in the programme; they ran the 1906 British team to 9 —3 and later beat them 8—0; they trounced the New Zealand Army team 17—3, and .upset the 1924 British team 7—C. First Shield Game.

Some comment, has been caused by the fact that the game between Canterbury and Wairarapa has been fixed foT a Wednesday, July 18. A Wednesday is said to be a most unsuitable day for a big Rugby fixture in Christchurch, but the point is to be .remembered that, in arranging the programme of interprovincial matches for the season, many unions have to be considered. The programme is naturally a difficult one to arrange, and some unions have to accept dates that are unsuitable from their point of view. After the Trophy. It is very evident Wairarapa is leaving no stone unturned to regain the rtanfuiiy Shield. Its representatives will have four opportunities of acquiring combination before journeying to Christchurch, as its early programme makes provision for the following games: June 20, v. Bush Districts, at Pahiatua; July 7, v. Hawke’s Bay, in the Wairarapa; July 11, v. Ma.nawhenua, at Palmerston North; July 18, v. Canterbury, at Christchurch.

Backs Seem Scarce. In view of the fact that Canterbury, with a team depleted of eight leading players .who are with the All Black team in South Africa, has to defend the Banfurly SMeld this season, the selectors of the canterbury team are already keenly on the look-out for likely players. Some of the positions in the reps, seem set for certain players, says the “Star,’’ but there are other positrons that are causing the selectors a good deal of anxiety. Canterbury should have a f o nd set of forwards this season, but outstanding backs seem to be scarce. Some Commercial Value.

Evidently the Banfurly Shield has some commercial value. At a recent meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union a tenderer for the right to sell sweets, soft idrinks and cigarettes in the park for the season .offered £5 as her contract price. She stated/that if Hawke’s Bay won the shield back tMs year she would willingly pay £lO for the monopoly. Members congratulated the lady on her business acumen, and gave her the contract. One member remarked that the offer was tantamount to a donation of £5 to the expenses of recovering the shield. Referees’ Lists Wanted.

The committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union appointed Messrs E. Wylie and E. McKenzie to act, with a member of the New Zealand Refeiees Association, as a referees’ appointment board for the season. It was decided to circularise affiliated unions to submit lists of referees competent and willing to act. lists to be in order of merit, and to be in the hands of the New Zealand Union by June 15. Retirement with Injury.

The unfairness of applying rigidly the English rule that injured players may not be replaced was exemplified in the recent final for the inter-service championships, at Twickenham. The match was between the Army and the Royal Air Force. In the very first minute the Army lost one of its forwards, and thereafter the R.A.F. pack had the upper hand of the Army forwards. That the Army won, 18 points to 6, was due to its backs and the weakness of the R.A.F. backs. Fashion to Tour.

This season the fas Mon is “tour south” (says a northern writer.) The fact that the Ranfuriy Shield has taken up its abode at Christchurch may have influenced this desire on the part of four North Island unions to cross the Strait. Still, this is not the sole reason. The southerners have had to come to tire North Island of late seasons to play for the shield, and naturally the North Island unions' have to pay return visits. Wairarapa, Mamawhenua, Auckland and Wellington will square up their accounts with the South Islanders this seasou. In addition to these games the South Island provinces will play their customary neighbourly matches as well as having a couple of test matches, Southern fans are in foT a rich harvest of representative games tMs season. Touching Down.

A good deal of controversy has tahen place in reference to the final try awarded to Ponsonby in a game played at Eden Park on May 5. The bone of contention is as to what constitutes a try. “Many (comments an Auckland paper) are of the opinion that it is necessary for a player to 'steady’ the ball when toucMug down for a try. This obtained in the distant past, but to-day a player has only to make contact between hand, ball, and ground to be awarded a try. It matters hot that the ball may be travelling along the ground very fast and a player place his hand on it to secure the coveted points. There is no time limit imposed on him, and so /long as he makes the contact as sot out the referee can ..do no other than award Mm the try. This explanation of the rule may save future arguments. ’ ’ Springboks’ Last Line. Jack Tindall, the probable South African last line of defence, is written up as a better full-back than was, G. Merkel, and if this is sound criticism Nepia’s' successor in' the All Blacks'’ position will have something to look up to. Tindall is faster than Morkel, but does not kick so far. On dry grounds the South African full-backs will not have so much time to kick as G. Morkel had in New Zealand, when our forwards had to kick the ball free from the gigantic forwards in green.

Inconsistent Scots. / The Scottish Rugby Union refuses' to number its players in international matches, because it regards Rugger as “a game and not a spectacle.’’ Yet it enlarged the Murrayfield ground to accommodate 120,000 spectators! Volatile French Fans.

Writing on April 12, a London cor re-1 spendent said: Rugby football has come to an end, and with it France gained their first 'win over "Wales. The match was played in Paris, and the result aroused tremendous enthusiasm. Forty thousand people were present, and at the finish they swept on to the enclosure and carried the victorious players from the field. It was a notable achievement, but not altogether a surprising one. France had all the power of the Welshmen forward, and, though still remiss from a tactical point of view behind the scrummage, they were represented by faster and clever backs. It was significant, too, that the Frenchmen plu.vod with great courage. They were a try behind at the half-time, but during the second half they scored twice, and one of the tries was converted. This gave them the match by 8 points to 3.

English Team’s “Father.” The captain of England’s Rugby team, If. Cove-Smith, is also the “father” of it, insomuch that, of all the players chosen for the first three representative matches last season, he was the oldest in international service. “Cove” played his first game for England at Edinburgh in 1921, and) when lie led his men on to the field at Dublin recently he was making his twenty-fifth appearance in the immaculate white jersey. Veteran’s Fatal Fall.

Arthur Hobbs, who was killed by falling down a cliff at Taylor’s Mistake, Christchurch, recently, had a fine record as a Canterbury Rugby representative from 1887 to 1895 (both years' inclusive). He was one of the earliest members of the old East Christ church 'Club, which in the early eighties played on a paddock at the corner of East Belt and Cambridge Terrace. Later_. when some of the East Christchurcll men formed the Linwood Club, Arthur Hobbs and Ms brother Fred joined the new organisation. Arthur Hobbs was a very sound three-quarter, not brilliant, but always reliable.