Current Sporting Notes

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XV, Issue 125, 2 May 1925, Page 11

Current Sporting Notes

Desert

(Notes by “Toush.”) 7TVHE present long run of dry weather is making conditions rather unpleasant for football, and some of tlie grounds have a brick-like surface closely resembling South African playing fields. Things are not so bad on Nelson Park and similar well-turfed fields—though even there the ground is very hard—but the racecourse is distinctly trying at present. A couple of days’ good soaking rain and a good rolling would make a world of difference, and for the sake of the lower grade players it is to be hoped the present mild drought will soon break.

The sub-union has gone to some pains to make Nelson Park available for night training, and it is to be hoped players will take advantage of the facilities provided. The want of a suitable training hall has been severely felt in previous seasons, and failing the necessary funds to erect a properly-equipped gym., the present scheme is a good solution of the difficulty. It is manifestly impossible to provide lighting approximating daylight conditions, but the present outfit will enable scrum work and passing to be carried out with some degree of accuracy, and given suitable coaching good results should follow. Napier clubs have made good use of the lighting on McLean Park, and their combination has notably improved. If it should prove to be possible to make use of the hot showers also the benefit of the scheme will be immeasurably extended.

Competent critics who saw the Celtic team defeat Pirates in the opening game were greatly struck with Jack Blake’s play. Both his tries were the result of spectacular runs following the seizing of a momentary opening. Not one player m a thousand would have even seen the openings, let alone had the wit to turn them to account. Blake’s play all through was sound, for he handled the hall cleanly, tackled hard and kicked powerfully and accurately. The Celts nave the makings of a fine, wellbalanced team, and they’ll take a power of beating.

Pirates are hardly ko strong as in previous seasons on their showing in this game, but they are such a wellorganised club that they are bound to improve, and they’ll be close up at the finish, as usual. Kivell revealed an old weakness in an exaggerated fondness for the short kick—placing the ball neatly and accurately into the safe hands of Barney, whose hefty Kicking gained long stretches of ground for the greens. One point upon which the Celts are to bo congratulated is the neatness of the team’s turn-out. The club’s striking and attractive uniform is most effective, and Napier folk were greatly impressed.

A trouble which is beginning to make itself felt in this district—and particularly in Napier—is the reluctance of good junior players to move up into senior ranks when opportunity offers. It seems a strange thing that players should take up this attitude, but it is undoubtedly true that many prefer shining in junior football to being merely one of the ruck in better class play. And it is probable that the policy of rewarding mediocrity by means of junior tours is also a factor ni bringing about this most undesirable result. * * * By the death of George Williams on Monday, New Zealand loses another of the famous Maori team of 1888, the pioneers of colonial tours in the Home Country. Mr. Williams was one of the finest forwards in that famous band, and indeed it is probable that few better have ever played in New Zealand. A man of magnificent physique, he also possessed a sound knowledge of the game, and oil the return of the Maori team from England ho published a notable sound textbook upon Rugby. The late Mr. Williams attended the farewell banquet to the 1921 All Blacks immediately prior to their departure for England, and was also present at the welcome home to the team after their victorious tour. He leaves a widow and a family of three sons and one daughter. Not all the long-distance footballers play in the North Island. A Christchurch player named Ellis travels eighty miles every Saturday to assist his club. The ultra-English attitude of mind of the headmaster of Christ’s College is apparently going to cause the dropping of one of the most attractive Rugby games played in New Zealand, the annual match between Christ’s College and Christchurch Boys’ High School. Mr. Crosse evidently feels that his boys’ amateurism would be seriously contaminated if they were allowed to play in front of a crowd, and earnestly desires the game to take place almost in private, or at any rate in front of a very small and very select assemblage of spectators. So, in the sacred name of English amateur principles, the game must either be dropped altogether or else played on a poor pitch. The same reasoning aparently prompts the headmaster of the Wanganui Collegiate School, and that institution’s annual match with To Aute will this year he played at Poukawa. * * * Some people have no luck. lan Harvey, the youthful Wairarapa giant, who had such a bad spin through illness while in England with the All Black team, has bumped into hard luck again. By way of variation, his trouble this time is influenza, which is expected to keep him out of the game for a week or two. South Africa wants a New Zealand team. The Natal Rugby Union is making a recommendation to the South African Rugby Board that an invitation be issued to the N.Z.R.U. to send a team to South Africa during 1926. A South African writer says: “ft will be remembered that after our trip to New Zealand in 1921 there was some talk of an official visit by the All Blacks in 1925 In view, however, of their tour to England last year, this is practically impossible, and it is highly improbable they will even be able to send a team away again next year. We are entitled to this visit, for, although we have had the military side here, it was not an official visit, and no test matches were played. In the light of this we may consider we have been badly treated, but it must not be forgotten that in 1912. when New Zealand extended an invitation to South Africa, this country stated that they would be unable to send a team away that year; and yet, when England pressed for a side. New Zealand was practically side-stepped, and a team under the captaincy of ‘Billy’ Millar toured the United Kingdom." The Christchurch ‘‘Star” suggests the following back team for the New Zealand Rugby team to tour Australia Full-back. J. Harris (Canterbury) ; threequarters, W. Elvey (Canterbury), J. Blake (Hawke’s Bay), Morgan Otago); five-eighths, Bell (Southland). Johnson (Wellington); half-bark, E. Nicholls (Wellington). The “Star'' man has probably never heard of Falwasser, Gronside or Curkill, to ,-ay nothing of Waight (Au. kland). And why drag in 11. E. Nicholls ?

Rugby prospects in Wellington this season appear to be unusually bright, and the club football should be of a particularly good class. Of the throe Wellington All Blacks, Svenson and Mark Nicholls impressed the critics On the opening day as vastly improved. Svenson’s quickness off the mark and wonderful defence were specially remarked on. Mark Nicholls also appears to be faster off the mark and cleverer all round than when he left New Zealand. Porter was sadly out of condition, and he was not so impressive as the other two. Also, he was well looked after by the opposition, who gave him no rope. Two of the most impressive backs on the first day’s play were Hawkins (Petone) and Johnson (Wellington). The former is a solid and speedy wing threequarter, who takes the shortest possible route to the line. He made a good start last season, but faded out towards the end of the season. Johnson is a very dashing and clever five-eighths, and is looked upon as one of the coming men in New Zealand football. His tackling is remarkably sound and clean.

E. E. (“General”) Booth, the All Black “original,” has a habit of bobbing up in all sorts of unexpected places like a cork in a whirlpool. The 1924 All Blacks lost him after France —he followed the party round on its tour—and ho has now bobbed up in Australia. He arrived in Sydney as welfare officer on the Jervois Bay, and he was then in charge of a number of immigrants for Queensland.

England had a bad season at Rugby, for after going down, to New Zealand she beat Wales very flukilv, and was also lucky to draw with Ireland. Scotland beat England, and France was onlj r just beaten after a desperate struggle, in which France scored three tries to Enkland’s two, Buddington’s place-kicking saving the day for England.

Franco has never beaten England, this being the fifteenth match, 14 having been won by England and one drawn. This is the fourth time France has scored double figures against England. France has beaten Scotland and Ireland three times each, but has yet to win against either England or Wales.

The All Blacks must have deeply impressed the French authorities in Rugby since they are adopting New Zealand ideas in relation to the laws of the game. How far they are prepared to go in this direction is. however, not clear; that is, whether it applies to the scrummage formation and the packing in of seven forwards or deviations from the laws as observed in Britain, which provide for the more general application of the advantage principle and the five yards’ throw-out from touch, etc., or otherwise. In any case, it indicates that the French are thinking differently from their Rugby brethren across the Channel.

The New Zealand delegates to the Imperial Rugby conference found themselves up against a brick wall several times during the discussions on proposed amendments to the rules. Every proposal from the dominions was viewed with suspicion, and the Home Country delegates displayed an almost unbelievable amount of conservatism. Several important New Zealand remits were deliberately omitted from the order paper, and despite official protests the chairman steadfastly refused to allow these matters to bo discussed. One of these matters was the vexed question of allowances to players touring overseas. The 1908 British team in New Zealand received a daily allowance, but when the All Blacks went Home last year the Home authorities would not tolerate the arrangement. and our delegates naturally wanted to know the reason therefor. Mr. Dean made a great point of the fact that in the last twenty years New Zealand has sent Home 20 remits on suggested alterations to the rules, etc. Each of these remits was turned down in turn as received, yet to-dav wo find 17 of the 20 embodied in both the Home and New Zealand rule books. We do not profess that New’ Zealand possesses all the football brains of the world, yet there can be no doubt wo take the game more seriously and do a great deal more earnest thinking on the question of rules, etc., than do these dear old gentlemen of the International Board.