RUGBY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 105, 15 April 1933, Page 2

RUGBY

THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP BAY TEAMS BEING PREPARED. REVIEW OF THE CANDIDATES. (By “Omni.”) Club selectors and secretaries have been busy during the last week with the annual sorting-out of the players in preparation for the opening of the new season after the Easter holidays. So far as the Hastings area is concerned there appear to be few importations. Hastings Old Boys, the champion team last season in the sub-union, for example, have adhered strictly to the principle of giving the juniors a chance. In consequence the dark blue brigade will contain a number of familiar faces but only in so far as they were prominent in junior football last season. Places to be filled include those occupied last season by the Hannigan brothers, Percy Botherway, Len Heaton and Duigan. The Hannigan family have left Hastings, Lourie going to the Wairarapa while Percy is to adopt the role of coach. The Hawke’s Bay last line of defence, Varton, will again be available and the three-quarter line is likely to be Otto Jonson, Les McCarthy and Phil Graham. Two provincial junior reps., Apsey and Renouf, are to be promoted and with lan Johnson will fill the inside positions of the rearguard. A doubtful starter among the forwards is Palmer, but the old familiars, Reg. Colwill, Jim Symons, Tom Grace and “Hefty” Mac Duff will be a stout backbone for the pack. Flowers, Irwin (both Hawke’s Bay junior reps.). Trunipler and Twentyman are all juniors who will be given promotion. The team will bo a light and fast one, exceptionally so. and if there are not too many wet Saturdays during the year Hastings Old Boys should figure prominently among the winners. Hastings a Bit Side. With an ex-Hawke’s Bay re., Baron de Castro, at the helm, the Hastings Club is taking a most serious view of the championship and is not going to be caught out on the score of fitness.

There is no particular shortage of candidates and the full-back position will find either Hugh Wilson or Bill Calder (from the wing) in action. Rangi Joll, Colin Le Qucsre and Jim Cameron appear to be tho likely threequarter division, though Crawford, Calder and Latham are also in the hunt. A decided acquisition will bo Dyer, from Central Hawke’s Bay, who was prominent last season. He is to be second five-eighths with Goldsmith, of last year’s provincial junior team and Hutchinson filling the connection to the scrum. The pack will be minus a lot of weight without “Tubby” Campbell, but “Lofty” Wellwood, Collett and the two Pearsons are good old thoroughbreds, and to them will be added “Doggy” Bark, who last season gained further experience at Christchurch. MeKennie, Couper, of the Havelock North juniors, Friodsberg, of the provincial juniors, and Les Palmer. The last named is reputed to be a “find” from Manawatu. Coach de Castro is a firm believer of fast open play, the style that pleases the public, and this year the Hastings team will no doubt discard tho tendency to make the game a forward ono and cator more to the public. Celtic in the Boom. A revival movement on the part of the Celtic officials has resulted in brightening considerably that club's prospects for the coming season. There is no dearth of material, as the list of players is over twenty. The King family has been extended to three, Jim and Joe being joined by John, a Poverty Bay resresontative, while two membc’s of the MeKennie family are to be included arao.ip the backs. Other rearguardsmen will be McKenzie, Jimmy Seal, “Tut” Gcddis and Hollis. A Marist flavour to tho pack will be tho inclusion of Wagg, Brady, Tremaine and Ireland, all good rucking forwards, whilst. Kelly is reported to have transferred his affections from Hastings to the Celts. Taylor and Joe Townsend, two juniors, aro among the other candidates, who include Camber, Large, Keith and Walter Wilson, the last-named being of an uncertain mind on the matter of starting. With tho infusion of now blood Celtic have greatly strengthened their

team-and they should prove a difficult side to beat. The forward division appears to be in for the bulk of the work. The Championship Holders. Napier senior fifteens did exceptionally well in the combined championship last year, H. 5.0.8., Tee. Old Boys and Marist filling the leading three places on the premiership ladder. In the review last week of H. 5.0.8., Harry Bolls was omitted from the pack. Needless to say, he will be one of the first chosen. Wearers of the Grey eJrsey. Tec. Old Boys are, as usual, very keen and they have a very likely set of officials to lead them. Their secretary, Mr. Vic Bouse, is an inspiration to the club and he is beyond doubt the finest sports secretary the writer has over had experience of.

The Tec. executive, unlike those of other Napier clubs, are not worrying about fresh captures but are relying on promoting their promising juniors to fill gaps in the senior fifteen. In all probability “Kip” Lyons, .junior rep. full-back of last season, will be the senior custodian, with McKenzie, Setford and I. Evans in the threequaiter line, and Tom and Eric Evans as fiveeighths. There is a doubt about the half-back’s job, but it will in all probability be filled by either Percy Jane or “Hope” Hodge. The forwards will be much the same as last year with the exception of Musket, who is not available, but Hutton and Mayne will get promotion from the junior ranks. Altogether, Tec. will be as difficult this year as last to upend. Marists up to Standard. Marists are keen but thfey do not appear likely to be as strong as last year. Heifford (full-back), Kenny, Browne. Plested, Hannan, Benson, Mahony- is not a very impressive rearguard and they will miss Satherly in the pack, but they are rumoured to have obtained the services of Mat. O’Brien, who has previously assisted Tec. 0.8. Mat will be handy- in the goal-kicking department at odd times. “Bowser” King, Wagg (a hefty and promising junior), Exeter (a good young forward), Parker and F. Mahony are all training seriously and the majority of these will find places in the scrum. At the moment Brady and Ireland are undecided whether to play for the Greens or not. Pirates Show Little Improvement. Pirates, the Cinderella of the Napier teams last winter, appear to be in for another lean season. They have lost the two Howells and Dick Bird from the rearguard and the gaps have yet to be filled. Dave Jones and Stanford will come up from the junior ranks, the latter as half-back, and H. Jones, Farquhar and Broad will turn out again. This leaves two places still vacant in the back division. The forwards are definitely a stronger set than last season’s. Jones, a member of last year’s New Zealand Maori team, and a young giant at that, will wear the black jersey providing he remains in Napier, and Fleming last year of Hastings H. 5.0.8., and Charles, from Wellington, are three good acquisitions for the pack. Mercer, a Hastings junior, will be another new face and there will bo R. Keeble, Mclvor and Paynter to lend a bund also. Present indications point to weakened back divisions in each of the four Napier fifteens compared with those of last season and at first glance H. 5.0.8. and Tec. Old Boys appear definitely stronger than Marist and Pirates.