AMONG THE PLAYERS

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 27 June 1935, Page 5

AMONG THE PLAYERS

EDWARDS BADLY TREATED MAIN PROBLEM STILL UNSOLVED GALBRAITH—O. BROWN—CLARKE (Comments by “Poster.”) The deciding factor in winning the match tvas the Taranaki forwards, as thov niia.de up in fast breaking-up what advantages they lost through the occasions when'they were not able to hook the ball from the set scrums. In the first few minutes it appeared as though the match was going to be a walk-over for Wellington, and Taranaki supporters sat back prepared for a repetition of the 1933 fiasco. Then it was that the Taranaki forward*; showed their nettle, and when the visiting backs got possession the home pack were round on to them, breaking up any concerted movements. The first try came in the first few minutes, before Taranaki had fourid their feet, and in that try was a certain element of luck. From the set scrums the advantage came in spasms. For a period Wellington would have it all their own way, and then the pendulum of fortune would swing the other way. . only to return again to give Wellington the advantage. In the first spell, Donnelly was the Wellington hooker, but after half time the visitors decided to put Ongley against Fowler. However, although the Taranaki man was badly beaten by Ongley in the trial match at Wanganui, such was not the case as far as yesterday was concerned, for Fowler got his share of the ball, and possibly a bit more. The replacement of Fustier owing to injury had a noticeable effect in the line-outs, where more often than not the advantage lay with Taranaki. The inclusion of Young made all the difference, and he was immensely valuable. Wellington had Peck

to knock back in the line-outs, but Young was more than a match for him, while he also worked hard in the tight and the loose. The two packs presented, in -some respects, contrasts. In the Taranaki side youth predominated in both

divisions, while in

the case of the visitors it was only in the rearguard where youth appeared to bo served to the same extent. As a matter of fact, one player in the Wellington pack was 35 years of age. It was this fact which told its own tale. Taranaki were able to keep moving from the beginning to the end of the match, while there were occasions when it appeared that the Wellington pack had nad enough and needed a spell. The home side were more fit all round, physically, and under the conditions, which were favrly heavy, it wins only to be expected that they would see the distance out much better. Playing his firsv match as an A team Taranaki representative, O. Brown, the ITawera forward, came through remarkably well, and proved conclusively that he is one who must be one of the first forwards selected when the next match eventuates. He was the thorn in the side of the Wellington attack, and he went round the scrum very quickly and harassed Kilby considerably. Once or twice he committed the mistake of not getting into the loose scrums, and stood off apparently from a sense of anticipation, but these breaches were not of frequent" occurrence land were not in any way serious. llis tackling was all that could be desired, and the Wellington backs had every reason to know it. Gardner and Gargan, the two Kaponga representatives in the team, undoubtedly earned their places, and the latter indicated that he is not by any means a spent force. Gargan worked exceedingly hard in the tight, while in the loose he was one of the outstanding forwards on the ground. O’Dowda was not conspicuous, but no one could truthfully say that he did not do his kit. Bay Clarke played in a manner which suggested in no small measure h:>w unlucky ho was to miss the trip to England. In more than one sense he was the outstanding player on the ground, and the way he went through the Wellington pack in the loose rushes was a pleasure to watch. Powler hooked better than he did in the two previous matches he played in, or rather, he was more success-

fill in getting possession of the ball. When Kilby was pTneing the ball in, it invariably went Wellington’s way, for the simple reason that for most of the time he did not put it in cleanly and the fart that Fowler did not hook it on those occasions could not be referred to .as his fault.

Tn the Wellington pack, McNeile land Harry were the shining lights tin the loose, the former being conspicuous by the manner in which he followed up. lie was exceptionally quick off the mark for a big man, and he stayed with the ball as long ms possible. Peck seemed to tire, but considering the fact that he has played very little club football this season, this wins only to be expected. The Wellington front row men were not balancing as well as the

Taranaki trio and this did not help matters to any extent. They were outclassed on the day’s play, and therein lay the secret of the success of Taranaki. Donnelly and Leahy have quite a good deal to learn from Taranaki forwards before- they will be able to benefit the Wellington pack to any great extent.

As far as the backs were concerned, Taranaki had more the "worst of matters, land seemed to be depending on individual effort rather than concerted movements. When thq Wellington backs started to move it was with the avowed intention, of getting somewhere, and the passes were sent out swiftly when the defence was drawn. On the other hand, the Taranaki rearguard did not always wait to draw the defence before passing on, with the obvious result. Again, the Taranaki rearguard movements were too slow for the reason that ■“Poster” has been hammering away at for months —the first five-eighth. The natural scoring men in the rear division are the threequarters and the ball must get out to them more swiftly than it did yesterday, and it will not until some change is made in the inside backs. As was the case in Wanganui, both in the trial match and in the match on June 3, Edwards- was starved, land never got the ball sent to him once throughout the match. This is not understand able, and it is quite time soihething was done about it. Edwar d s is the fastest back in Taranaki, and has proved his scoring lability in club football,

and yet there

seems to bo :i league against him in representative matches and the reason is not hard to find. Yesterday was productive of one glaring example of the manner in which he has been treated in every miateli. The ball went out to Sullivan, who looked to where Edwards was waiting for the ball unmarked, and yet he deliberately turned and sent the ball back to Galbraith, who had half the Wellington back division waiting for him. This sort of thing is not fair for one thing, and it savours either mi lack of football brains or else parochialism. In any case, it is quite time the question was taken up by the selectors or the coach.

■Sullivan was not as impressive as lie was against Wanganui, but Galbraith w.as sound, both in attack and defence. He lost very little, even by comparison with Eilburne, as far as his play was iconcerned yesterday, and once ’ beat the- exAll Black with a beautiful sidestep. Galbraith was the mainstay in the Taranaki attack, as was the case with Lilburne in the Wellington division. PORD SCORES TWICE.

Ford scored two tries which were made actually by Galbraith, one being the outcome of the side-step which beat Lilburne. Ford’s weakness was in his defence, but he shaped very well, and his defensive work should improve with more experience in representative matches which he is almost sure to get before the season ends.

Gudgeon played an orthodox halfback game and did not start out on his own initiative very often, but this may have been due to the fact that he was •‘nursing” his ankle. No fault could be found with the manner in which he shot the ball away from the serum and that the ball did not go out to its natural position was not his fault. Collins gave his usual solid display, as did his vis-a-vis, Pollock. He kicked only one goal, which, incidentally proved the deciding two points. The simple ones in front of the posts he missed, but the one with which lie was successful was kicked almost from the touchline.

The Wellington Tearguard was quite different from that to which Taranaki spectators have become accustomed during the past few years, land the only familiar faces were those of Kilby and Lilburne. In some respects they suffered by comparison with their predecessors, but there is undoubted ability among them, and they should develop into a strong combination. Ball, who is a brother of the All Black winger, is not very big as far as weight goes, but he has all the other marks of a winger of class and more should be heard of 'him in the future, lie has a determined run for a small man and has developed an ideal swerve for a winger, a swerve which beat Ford more than once. Hansen was not on the field very long, but long enough to prove that he is capable of doing things which should earn him a place in the Wellington side with Nelson Ball away in England. He was an excellent substitute for Wright, who was unable to make the trip at the last minute.

When it is remembered that Frank Kilby did not get a. place in the All Blacks it is an indication of how good the two chosen half-backs must be. In fact, if they develop any better ability than Kilby did yesterday, then they will uphold worthily the reputation sot by their predecessors. He and Lilburne were the. mainstay of the Wellington attack and they worked like Trojans. ■Quite a lot was expected of Lilburne, and he made a good showing, with few mistakes. lie very often changed the trend of the match by suddenly cutting round the blind side of the scrum to place the whole Taranaki rearguard out of position and give Ball a chance for the line. Tt was such a movement which resulted in the first try scored by Wellington, but it only happened thus once. Throughout the match Taranaki were given 14 free kicks to Wellington’s six.