ON TOUR.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2764, 19 August 1931, Page 5

ON TOUR.

THAMES VALLEY TEAM. $ THE GAMES REVIEWED. LESSONS LEARNT. (By the Staff Reporter who accompanied- the team).

. Great hopes were entertained by selectors and management alike for the success of the Thames Valley Rugby Union’s team which was sent on tour to the Unions on the East Ccrist, but in the first engagement against Poverty Bay at Gisborne it appeared doubtful if a number of the team were entitled to representative honours. The game was disappointing in more ways than one. Had the game, been closer, or. had Valley carried off the day, then the ground at Taloga Bay would never have accommodated the crowd that would have attended the match with East Coast. Poverty Bay was not reckoned the strongest Union on the Coast. The East Coast Union was reported to have a much superior team and, based on the Gisborne match, prophesies were dismal for the engagement at ,Tol;cga Bay.- “Forty to nil” was the gloomy forecast, while some even regarded the coming’ match with amusement. '■ ■

Valley, on the Tuesday at Tologa Bay, before a ’ fairly large crowd, played a wonderful game. Coast was exceedingly lucky to have come out with colours flying, a fact that was recognised by all who saw the game. It was clean, fast and open. The light forwards were too fast for their heavier opponents. But the question immediately arose: ‘Why did Valley make such a poor showing at Gisborne?” The answer; for one ( who made the trip, was self-evident.

The team left Paeroa in the early hours of Thursday morning and travelled in one day to Gisborne, an arduous trip from a physical point cf view, over 200 miles of the most difficult roads in New Zealand. The team arrived in Gisborne late on Thursday night. On Friday morning a practice was held, and the team left free for the' remainder of the day. Most of the boys walked about' the town, as is only natural.they should in a place that was new to them, but were all in bed early on Friday evening. On Saturday morning, however, the effects of the long .trip were just beginning to make themselves felt. Walking on hard pavements had not improved the physical condition of many x of the members of the team and the player§.who took the field on Saturday afternoon were not in the best of form. Another day of real rest would have made a wonderful difference, as a later match proved conclusively. Then, to the above factors detracting from the success of the game, add that the match was the first of the tour and that many of the team were young players of relative inexperience, and it will be seen that the Thames Valley representatives were faced with a difficult proposition. The team in itself was not a happy combination. The backs were slow getting under way, while their opponents were fast and confident. Bad tackling by the majority of the team, and the forwards in particular, let more past than should have been the case, and these points, together with the fact that the Valley backs and forwards did not have implicit trust in one another, could indicate nothing but a disastrous termination to the match. The team played quite well in the first half of the game, but the pace was too solid, and it was then that the wisdom of allowing the play-, ers a longer rest between travelling and playing made itself evident. The result of the game, 23 points to three, overshadowed the remainder of the tour, though it cannot be denied that the Valley boys fought valiantly to regain their shattered reputation.

On the Coast they left behind a name that will be honoured in the traditions of football there as long as it is the national game. “We are meeting giants,” was the message despatched to the President of the Union. There is no doubt of the validity of the message. The team that the Coast lined out against the Valley averaged two stone heavier, man for man, and, what was more, a number of the men had a reputation behind them —Nepia an All Black; Ferris, Reid, Leach and Brooking, all of whom had represented the Maoris against the Englishmen...-, But the Valley were on the peak of form. With the best part of three days’ rest after the Gisborne game, and only a short run of an hour and' a half to Tologa Bay, the team had 'ho reason to be tired. The men knew, individually, that they were up against a hard team, . they determined to take man for man; j and went on to the field with the words in their ears—“A man on the'ground is a man out of action.” From first to last the tackling was deadly. The' game was reminisient of

the match between Valley and Auckland B at Paeroa a few seasons ago, for .no sooner did a Coast man handle the ball than a man, or several men, were on him. The Valley forwards played a wonderful game,‘.they seemed tireless; they ran their heavy opponents to a standstill; they did not allow the backs to move in action, and; had they, been supported by backs with an element of luck,‘the tables would have been reversed on the Coast team. Valley was. extremely unfortunate, particularly the backs, and everyone was agreed that the better team lost the day. Valley received a splendid ovation at Tologa Bay, and has inspired in East Coast players a respect for the light forward.

It was a wonderful exhibition of all that is good in Rugby; the spirit of the game was friendly and’ the play was clean. Valley had an opportunity to show the- true worth of its players,- and they made a wonderful showing. The Coast game dispelled all doubt left by the match at Gisborne, and proved conclusively that, given a fair opportunity, every man in the team was of representative standard. It seems a pity that the High standard could not have been improved upon, or at least maintained; but again the effects of a long trip made f themselves, evident. Leaving Tologa .Bay on Wednesday morning, the team, suffering from the effects of a strenuous game against exceptionally heavy opponents, travelled to Opotiki, arriving well after dark. There the players had one night’s rest and were called out next day'to defend the honour of their Union. Several of the men were in no fit condition to take the field, but the game'had to go on. It was a tired team that lined out to face doughty opponents. Valley stood the pace in the first fifteen minutes and then began to tire. It was matched against a determined team, and one that used Valley’s own tactics —fast .forward work and deadly tackling. Injuries made a number of the Valley men diffident about packing down or going low for their meh, with the result that’ the Bay of Plenty backs .saw more than their fair share of the ball. The Bay’backs were a good combination. arid the feeding suited them. Under the circumstances Valley put up a valiant fight, but the scores mounted up in a rather poor exhibition of the Rugby code.

Over the whole tour, however, one vital point stands out: it is that an - insufficient time was allowed between the matches. The journey • for the ' time at the disposal of the team was made in forced stages ’and could not but have a detrimental effect on the physique of the team. -The Thames Valley Union, however, must be given credit for attempting a:tour at such a time, and for the earnest endeavours thereby made to promote the spirit of the game; but it must be agreed upon , ' as fair to neither players nor Union to expect a team to play three matches, and to do a great deal of travelling besides, in the course of six days. It must, of necessity, cost extra money to prolong a tour, but success would have, been assured for the touring team if games could have been arranged for Wednesdays and Saturdays. It would seem a wise step to endeavour 1 to do this in future, even if a tour has to be deferred for a season to allow the accumulating of the necessary money. In the last game, also, three men at least who were physically unfit had to take ,the field. It would be a wise move, if possible, on next occasion to send more men with the team.

Taking the past tour as a criterion, the Thames Valley team has an excellent chance of defeating Waikato in the coming engagement. A week’s rest will make a wonderful difference to the team, and if the tackling is as good as it was at TologaHjlay, Waikato backs will be faced Wtti a very unpleasant task. ThamesWalley has an opportunity to prove what can be done, given a fair and proper chance.