ON TOUR.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2765, 21 August 1931, Page 5

ON TOUR.

/t.V.R.U. TEAM REVIEWED. HOW THEY PLAYED. PROSPECTS FOR WAIKATO. (By Staff Reporter who accompanied the team.) While it would be scarcely fair or logical to condemn or appraise a footballer, or member of any other team for that matter, on his performance in any one match, a series of say three games gives an observer a very fair idea of a player’s capabilities. When the Thames Valley touring team played its first game at ■ Gisborne agains* Poverty Bay, a match that was attended with somewhat disastrous results, those who fancied themselves fooftball ’.critics immediately condemned the {earn and its individual players and prophesied total failure for the tour. The amount of wisdom underlying their words was proved in the n atch against East Coast. The games, however,. provided, for one who saw them all, an excellent opportunity to form some opinion of the capabilities of each player. The Backs. In the rearguard qf the Thames Valley team three men were always outstanding. The most consistent back over the whole tour was, without a doubt, the half, H. Moore, of Paeroa. He perhaps failed tc show up in the first game as much” as should have been ,the case, because his forwards did not give him a fair share of the ball, but apart from setting his backs in action,Moore played avery good game, saving his team on numerous occasions' with well placed line kicks. In the second game, Moore made a still better showing. He saw more of the ball and made good use of it to send his backs away. His tackling on that occasion was also good, and more than once he went low at big sixteen stone forwards, | Right throughout the tour* Moore made good use of the line, and especially in the third match, when he was playing behind a tired pack of forwards, he saved them time and again by finding the line in a good position. Moore, in the last game played at Opotiki, was everywhere on the field. On several occasions he found his. way back to 'save an awkward position when Jacobs misjudged a ball, .

Jacobs, at full back, although consistently good over ■ the tour, varied, in\fqrm from gahie tJ game. As a full back his kicking in. all three matches was not well placed, but he could almost’ always be depended upon t’o take a ball. 'As a rule Jacobs is a good tackler, but there were times in the East Coast and Bay of' Plenty games when he let men past who should have been well grassed. Even with his faults, however, it is doubtful whether : there is a better man in the position. Jacobs'is safe with, thb ball and can generally put it out, though he does not make the best use cf his kicks. As a tackler he is. generally dependable. Next to Moore, in. order of merit as a back, should come Lysaght, the Waihi centre threequarter. Although he played out of position at. fiveeighths for the greater part of the tour, his game was always outstanding. He suffered from a bad foot in thq last two games, but was the life of the inside, backs and his tackling was particularly good. Lysaght can be termed the only penetrating back in the Valley team during the tour.

Delamore and Walford, who generally played in the five-eighths line, were not especially suitable to . the position. Delamore was | really not a representative five-eighths of the standard of his opponents. He and Waiford by weak passing allowed more chances to be lost than the team could afford to lose. Walford tackled well and took his passes quite well, and would probably shape better on the wing than, in near the pack. ‘ It is significant that he has been shifted to that position for the Waikato game. Over the whole tour it is not surprising that, Dillamqre hals been dropped in favour of Lipsey. Madgwick, from Plains, fills the' position left vacant by Walford’s shift, though nt is just questionable that Madgwick and Lysaght may not change positions. ’■ I ,• . Madgwick, so far, has proved himself a good man, is 7 fast, reliable, and a safe tackler. He may make quite an appreciable difference in- the fiveeighths or threequarter line. (Lipsey should also be an improvement cii Dillamore or Walford in the inside backs. . , Jacob, Moore, and Lysaght could rjpt be excluded from the team to meet Waikato. Wing Threequarters. Of the wing threequarters, Pilkington was the most consistent and best

player. He is not brilliant and lacks the determination to finish a movement, but he showed himself a safe defensive player, with a good turn of speed. He should improve considerably. with experience. Roach, another wing man, played one game at centre on the tour, but showed he was not reliable enough for that position. Like Pilkington, when on the wing, he lacked finishing determination. He also was weak on defence at times, though he proved that he was able to tackle a man in the engagement with the East Coast. • It is not altogether surprising that he has been dropped in favour of Walford. Pilkington is' worth his place in the team, if it is only to give hinr a better chance to learn. He , will probably prove that he is worthy of the position. The two remaining backs, Lawrence and Johns, only played a game apiece. Both men were weak on their sole performance, but it would be unfair, to condemn them on this basis. They are both promising young players, with considerable scope-for improvement, and they have probably gained useful experience from the trip, which will serve them in good stead for the .future. The Forwards. bn the whole the Valley forwards were a very useful pack. They all proved their claim to representative football, and demonstrated that they could be a very dangerous combination. Light as they were, they were almost itoo good for their heavier opponents, and proved that a light '■ young pack can be very effective. . Over the tour the outstanding player would be hard to select. Burgess certainly has a very strong 1 claim' to it, while it is questionable if honours should not go to Riddell or Walfprd. These three men are all of the best, ’ and Burgess' and Walford especially, ' who are both young players, have a wonderful opportunity ahead of them. Burgess has the speed of a back and is always on the ball. Walford is not quite so fleet, but is a solid grafter in the tight, while Riddell can' claim both fast following up and hard toil in the tight. Viewing matters from every point, Riddell has perhaps the best, claim, to iconsistency .over the tour. ' ( Walford was unfortunate to be injured at Tologa Bay, and the team , suffered from the loss at bpotiki. It / is indeed unfortunate that he cannot / take his place in the pack against Waikato on Saturday. . ■ , ' Thomas, who played ; only two games, proved himself a good worker, a fast forward, and a player with a good/football head. He is much more suited to, the position of rover than is Burgess, who played there against Poverty Bay. Burgess is too wild a player for such a responsible position. Thomas is a good rover. , Of the remaining forwards Palmer is probably the pick, though fie had bad luck to be injured at Gisborne. He did not play at Tologa , Bay, and in the game at Opotiki was still suffering from his injury and played a very medium game. It would be unfair to pass judgment on Carrick, who did not play well, but who at the same time was suffering from a sore neck and should not- have been expected to take the field. He played quite wellat Gisborne, but was ' “off” in the other two games. The remaining forwards, Keaney, Stirect and Makers, are the type ' who do a great deal of hard, unseen work. They are worth their place in any team at any time, and can always j be relied upon to work solidly the ’ whole game through.. Thomas should be playing in • the pack. Burgess, as rover, does not shelter his half, and is a man of, only half Thomas’s I roving experience. On the whole, however, the team as selected should present Waikato with a very difficult proposition.