RUGBY FOOTBALL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 29 September 1927, Page 3

RUGBY FOOTBALL

SOUTH ISLAND TRIAL INDIVIDUAL PLAY GOOD. SOUTH ISLANDERS PICKED. Christchurch, Sept. 28. Play was rather disappointing in the South Island All Black trial match to-day. The selectors had apparently grouped the best forwards with a second solutions of backs, calling this team the Possibles, and the best backs with a second selection of forwards, called the Probables. Probables wore red and black and the the Possibles black. The ground was fast and a cool breeze tempered the ■heat of the sunshine. Conditions were ideal for football. Play was disappointing on the whole, although there were flashes of individual rather than combined brilliance. The black forwards won the match, completely outclassing their opponents. Possibles won by 31 points to 15. The first score was a penalty goal for the Possibles, kicked by D. Lindsay. A red forward had been too. eager on the side of the scrum well inside his own 25. HARD LUCK. Almost immediately afterwards the blacks lost another score by the hardest of luck. Lindsay and Snodgress had gained ground with good runs and passed until Snodgrass passed in-field to Scrimshaw. The latter took the pass well with a clear run in of only 20 yards, when he stumbled and fell. The blacks, generally, were having the best of play. From a scrum Holden flicked the ball out like a flash to Reed, who swerved to beat his man and passed to Snodgrass. The big speedy winger completely outran Steele, bumped hard into Lilburne and had speed enough to get over at the corner. Lindsay kicked a beautiful goal. Blacks B—Reds 0. The blacks’ next try was a beauty. After a few indifferent passes Reed gave the ball to Snodgrass, who fenced a couple of men, bustled Steele and passed in-field to R. Stewart, who was backing up fast. The big forward was well tackled by Lilburne, but he was almost on the line and grounded the ball safely. LINDSAY’S THIRD KICK. Lindsay kicked another goal—his third—a very fine kick. Blacks 13— Reds 0. Steele had a chance to show his quality as a strong runner two minutes later.- From a formless scramble McGregor secured, cut in cleverly and passed to Steele. The latter, after one of his characteristic bumping and fending runs, covered forty yards to the line and scored. His own kick failed. Blacks 13— Reds 3. Fortunes varied until halftime, but there was no further score.

Possibles 13 Probables 3 The Blacks played against the wind in the second spell, but the forwards had the best of all the loose play and two or three times the backs were set going. The red tackling was safe, however. From the blacks’ side of half-way McGregor took a pass well, swerved and passed to Steele who was thrown over the corner flag by Snodgrass with a very good tackle. Steele had revenge five minutes later, Taking a pass from Dailey Steele raced for the line, shook off Snodgrass, but was tackled round the neck very well by Heazlewood. Almost the same manoeuvre led to almost the same result a moment later, but this time Steele fended Snodgrass as if he were a schoolboy. Heazlewood brought Steele down, but over the line, however, with a good try. Steele failed with the kick. Blacks 13, Reds 6.

Steele, the only scorer to date for the reds, added three more points by a brilliant penalty goal from the line. The black forwards were always better in the loose. They swept down field, and Hore, picking up near the line, ran round to score behind the posts. Lindsay goaled. Blacks 18—Reds 9. TWO PENALTIES.

After an interval, of which the reds had the better, the blacks were forced. From the drop-out the forwards broke loose with the ball at toe. Hazlett picked up, passed to Snodgrass, who was surrounded. Snodgrass dropped the ball to his feet, went on with it, dribbled over the line and fell on the ball to score. Lindsay missed the shot at goal. Blacks 21—Reds 9. From the kick-out the reds attacked and a penalty against Alley for flagrant off-side play allowed Strang to kick a goal.

Another penalty for holding the ball gave Strang another chance to goal, which he accepted. Blacks 21, Reds 15. Strang had still another shot from another penalty, but this one he missed. From a line-out on the reds’ line the ball went to Reed, who dived over. Lindsay goaled. Blacks 26— Reds 15. The best piece of passing in the match resulted in the blacks scoring again. Holden shot the ball to Jamieson, to Reed,' to Lindsay, who ran round and scored behind the posts. Lindsay goaled. Blacks 31— Reds 15. This was the final score. OUTSTANDING PLAYERS.

Very few of the players reproduced their best form. In the match the selectors would have no difficulty in selecting Lindsay as the best centre three-quarter. Robilliard had little to do, but his form this season has been uniformly good and to-day he gave flashes of good play on his few opportunities. Steele’s display was mixed. Snodgrass was yards faster and always dangerous, but he had not learned the trick of tackling Steele and consequently allowed Steele to beat him twice.

Holden on to-day’s play, was more interesting than Dailey. His passing from the scrum was immeasurably faster, but he did not show Dailey’s enthusiasm on defence. As an attacking half he seemed definitely Dailey’s superior. Neither Lilburne nor Heazlewood were very convincing, but Lilburne will improve with experience in the position. Scrimshaw was much superior to Johnson as wing-forward. The selectors have left their original choice of pack unchanged. The only other forward who on to-day’s play deseryed consideration was Freitas (West Coast), who led nearly all the red and black forward rushes.

SOUTH ISLAND TEAM. Following is the selected South Island team;— Full-back: Lilburne. Three-quarters: Robilliard, Lindsay, Steele. Five-eighths: McGregor and Strang. Half-back: Dailey, Wing-forward: Scrimshaw. forwards: Burrows, Hore, Stewart, Alley, Hazlett, Marslin, Snow. Reserves: Backs, Holden, Snodgrass, Carleton; forwards, Godfrey, Young. SOUTH AFRICAN PREPARATIONS Wellington, Sept. 28. Mr. H. J. McKenzie (Wairarapa) has been appointed referee for the North v. South Island match on Saturday, and Mr. E. Empson (Cantembury) for the Possibles v. Probables match on Wednesday. The dates for leaving New Zealand, arriving in South Africa and leaving from tnere have now been finalised. Leave Auckland by the Aorangi on April 17, leave Sydney by the Euripides on April 21, arrive Durban May 21, arrive Capetown May 26, leave South Africa by the Ceramic September 4. A cable received to-day from the South African Union states that an easy match is being arranged, making 22 matches, and a trip also is to be made to Victoria Falls, The question of an extra match will be discussed by the union when the cable is confirmed.