RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 May 1934, Page 3

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

SHANNON V. FOXTON. (From Shannon News.) During the first half, the game proceeded up and down field with varying degrees of success. Both teams tried hard to score but failed, until shortly before half-time sounded a penalty was awarded to Shannon and Roddick raised the flags to give Shannon a three point lead. Foxton replied with a hard attack and Reed' made a brilliant run scoring iu the corner . Taylor failing to convert. Foxton l>, Shannon 3. After halt-time repeated attacks by Foxton found the Shannon defence too .strong and another penalty saw Shannon again i.u the lead, Roddick aga ; n raising the flags. Some fast attacking by both si;l?s • now took place, but the Foxton team were th 0 titter and Taylor equalised the scores from a penalty. Shannon now attacked to the line Avhere from a scrum on the line they, were awarded another-penalty, Roddick again, putting Shannon in the lead by. 9 points to 6". Reed who was playing a great game, now crossed the Shannon line for ,the second time and Taylor converted, putting Foxton in. the lead by It points to 9. Reed repeated, his effort a few minutes before time sounded and crossed in the cornel - , making Foxton victorious by 14 points to 9. Mr Hemi controlled the game. JUNIORS. SHANNON v. FOXTON. Mi- S. Graham kept excellent control of this game as usual. The game was played at a fast pace throughout and resulted in a win for Shannon by 9 points to 1). Cole scored two good tries and Puree! 1- converted a penalty. COMMENTS. Shannon, seniors met their Waterloo at Foxton as the writer predicted they would. It was a question of the survival of the fittest and Foxton ware the best trained team of the day on the field. The return match will be interesting. Shannon scored three penalty goals to Foxton's three tries by Eeed, one of which Taylor converted, and a penalty goal. The action of the selector in putting N. Robbie in as five-eighth can be queried. Robbie is essentially a wing threequarter and many people were surprised to see him in this position. The five-eighths were the missing link ]n an otherwise strong chain. Watch it Clarry. Roddick again proved his value as a place kick, scoring all nine points off his foot. •" Spencer had his first run for the season and will benefit by it. Tippler and Gee were on their game, but had a hard job owing to the fiveeighths crashing. Payrie was at it all the time and ■set a good example. In the juniors all the backs played well, Cole being outstanding. Pope at full back, played a sound safe game until he received a nasty kick on the head and had to leave the field. Of the forwards Woods and Satherley were outstanding. Whiteman wants to throw his weight about a bit more, at present he is inclined to be too gentle. Porter at second five-eighth was good. Purcell wants to remember that a still tongue is an infinitely more valuable asset than one that is continually wagging. He is a young player and has still a lot to learn. Shannon seniors lodged a protest at the refereeing of Mr Hemi and have refused to' play under his control again. This was not the outcome of the result of the game, because they iidmit they were beaten by a bettor team, but simply a protest against the referee. PROTESTS. The members of the JTorowhenua Rugby Union must be getting vevy tired of the continual protests tint are being lodged by the various teams, and the writer would like to suggest that the protest fee be considerably enalrged and only returned to clubs when the protest is valid When one comes to consider the protests that are lodged and the reasons most of them are lodged for, one is apt to wonder whether the questi m of sport,-ever enters in the game of Rugby. Admitted that all teams are keen to win the cup, but it is no excuse for protesting simply because a team loses a match. If a team protests because it loses, then they should be prepared to protest if they win. 3f they don't do this, then their protest, obviously won't hold water. The method in' vogue to-day is that if oac cannot win by making the larger score

then one has always the hist resomve of. winning by entering some farfetched protest. It is quite unnecessary to catalogue any examples of this, but any sane thinking football fan can enumerate at least a dozen cases .without much trouble. Let's hope ine Rugby Union will take the matter up and put their foot down once and for •all. Rugby football requiies sports both to play the game and support it. not bush lawyers. The same appjies to protests at the referees. Undoubtedly there are some referees who should not be allowed to control senior games, who are still blowing the whistle, and thus keep back others who are coming on.-- Its not always a. case of deliberate work on the part of the referee, but if a referee gets excited, or is suffering f rom a disability, then he is certainly not the man for the whistle. This union has lost the services of several good referees simply through clubs protesting at the referee. In every case the club in question has not bothered to learn the rules, and when, they have taken the field, have been penalised and have lost the game. When a good referee gts a protst lodged at his rulings and gets no support, he naturally decides to let ethers carry on. Lets hope that 1934 is going to see some ciecided improvements on the past four years. RUGBY REFEREES. HOLD MEETING AT OTAKI. ' A meeting that is likely to do much good was the one held at the Cosy theatre on Monday night, when a full muster of football referees of the Horowhenua district met a large number of players and enthusiasts. The utmost interest prevailed and rules were explained by aid of a board, etc., and thus matters of vital importance to all concerned well considered. It was admitted that several players and supporters were not conversant with the rules and this tended to make the duties of referees any but pleasant Many stood off and criticised, not knowing that they themselves were in the wrong. After various points had been fully explained the referees dealt with various reports on Saturday's matches. In the majority of these it was stated that games were of a very clean and interesting nature. In one match, however, it was stated that deliberate tripping had occurred and that, despite warnings, one player had persisted in offending. As a result he was ordered to the side-line and thus debarred the pleasure of participating further. Mr. Parsons, who proved a very able chairman, stated that such practices must not be tolerated and he advised referees to deal promptly with offenders. It was the aim of the Association to have nothing but good, clean games. Another player was reported for unseemly conduct, and he was also ordered to the side-line, but the referee had let him return and take part in play later. It was pointed out by the chairman that the player should not have been allowed back, and referees must see that once a player goes to the line he stays off the field till dealt with by the Rugby Council. It was pointed out by one referee that the postal service between Shannon and Levin was a poor one, hence the late arrival of his letter. Another referee stated that although his letter had been posted in Levin on Monday it had failed to reach the secretary in time for the following evening's meeting. After other business of a minor nature had been transacted members indulged in a convivial evening. At the conclusion of the meeting of referees and players Mr. D. Richards, on behalf of the Otaki Club, thanke 1 . the referees for attending and placing