RUGBY FOOTBALL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 192, 18 July 1925, Page 13

RUGBY FOOTBALL

AMONG THE PLAYERS. JOTTINGS FROM ALL SOURCES. (By “Cross Bar.”) J. Richardson and W. J. Stead, vicecaptains of the 1924 ancj 1905 Alt Black teams, have been asked to coach the Southland representative team this year, they should prove a happy combination, one being a star forward and the other a stui back. It is not an attack of malaria that prevents J. 11. Parker, the All Black “winger, from donning the jersey this season, but a strained heart. Parker explained to a Christchurch scribe that after any burst ot running his pulse races, and he is resigned to giving up Rugby, at any rate for this season, and also athletics. . Feilding juniors on Saturday improved their position by accounting for High School in a free-scoring game by 15 —11. At their previous meeting the yellow and blacks likewise gained tlie honours by 6 —3. Old Boys had a hard fight with Kia Toa in the junior grade on Saturday, the double blues holding the blacks for a period, but before full time was called Old Boys ran up 14 points, and now share tho top rung of the ladder with Feilding. Western United proved too many for Linton and added their third successive victory, while a bloodless victory over Woodville brought to Jackeytown their fourth successive win, and as a. result the suburban team depose Kia Toa on tho ladder. Kia Toa thirds met with their first reverse in the third grade, Feilding Old Boys being tho contributing agency. Although at their earlier meeting the double blues won through by a bare three points, Feilding turned the tables in unmistakable manner on Saturday, when they ran up 16 points against the leaders’ 6. The reverse leaves them on even fooling, well in advance of any of the other competing teams. The fifth grade competition is proving thoroughly interesting, for Technical A and Albion are fighting out the honours with very little between the two teams. At their first meeting a drawn game resulted, while on Saturday the score of 5 —3 favoured Technical. The High School Club team was unfortunate in that they had two or three of their prominent players absent, and their next meeting should prove a battle royal. There are a number of players in the Whakarongo district who do not, however, engage in competition play, although Western United draw some of their players from that area. Last week-end a friendly game was played at Whakarongo, and a fairly strong team from the red and blacks was accounted for by the suburban players. ■ The decision of the union to close' the third grade competitions at the termination of the second round, a “sudden death” series being proceeded with, is not finding favour with some of the team members, they being of the opinion that it would be pre : ferable that a further round of the competitions he played instead, particularly in view of a return match with Te Kawau juniors. The Canterbury Union held its Charity Day on the Saturday when Old Boys and Christchurch met, there being an attendance of 9000 spectators. At the local Charity Saturday cn Old Boys team will be also one of the competing teams, but probably the similarity will end there, although, if the societies which are to benefit interest themselves in the sale of tickets, a record attendance should likewise be forthcoming.Some dissatisfaction was expressed at the awarding of the try which gave Old Boys the victory over Christchurch, it being the general opinion that Robilliard had forced the oval.

Although paid special attention by the Christchurch wing-forward, Dailey is reported to have played the best game he has ever figured in at Lancaster Park in the Old Boys Christchurch match. Masters, the 1924 All Black, played a big part towards Albion’s big fight against Mcrivale, the latter team winning through in the final minute from a break away in their own territory.

W .A. Ford, the N.Z.E.F. wing-three-quarter, is still playing brilliant football in Christchurch, despite the added years. Tulcapa and Stratford promise to win their respective divisions in the Taranaki competitions. The first have not yet sustained a reverse, and bold a points advantage of eight in the championship, while Stratford holds a two-point advantage over Kaponga, and have a match in hand. Marlborough and Nelson, despite the fact that conditions made the struggle a forward one, put up an exhibition of very free scoring in their match, the points being 24—21 at conclusion, the three points margin favouring Marlborough. There is every prospect that New South Wales will adopt the New Zealand 3-2-3 scrum formation, various Sydney writers stressing its advantages. For sonic seasons past Otago and Southland have had some battle royals in their home and home matches, two games being contested each season. Fortunes vary for, although the one team proves successful in its home match, when it comes to the away, match the tables are almost invariably turned.

If the number of points scored against a side is any criterion, (ho Alhambra (Dunedin) team must be sound on defence this season. To date the senior fifteen has had only 43 points scored against them in nine matches —an average of 4.77. On the other hand the team has only scored 34 points, their aggregate being less than four of the lower teams. The Alhanibras are considered to have the best set of packmen in the competition, but their backs, while sound on defence, arc lucking in attacking qualifications. There have been eight drawn matches in the Dunedin senior competitions this season, Alhambra figuring therein on four occasions while Kaikorai, Dunedin, Zingari and Taicri Rovers have had one each.

The annual game between the first and second fifteens of the Otago Boys’ High School and Waitaki will eventuate on Wednesday week. St. George, the Otago and South Island half-back, whose claims for inclusion in the 1924 All Blacks were strongly urged by bis admirers, but who failed badly in the tests, is reported to be playing at the top of his form again. A junior player at a RtrTiy football match at Petone last Saturday, on returning to the dressing-shed, found that someone had stolen his clothes while the game had been in progress, and the player in question had to proceed, home in his football clothes. It was decided to place the matter iit the hands of the police.

HOOTS AND BLOWS TROUBLE ON JOHNSONVILLE RUGBY GROUND. Tho grim earnestness with which Rttghy "followers at Johnsonvillo support their team each Saturday has been made manifest for some time past, but matters appear to have readied a climax Inst week-end, when the spectators became incensed because Mnrist A defeated Johnsonvillo in the junior grade match by 6 points to 5 (says tho Dominion). The referee, Mr Anslow, described his exciting experience to the management committee of the Wellington Rugby Union at its meeting during tho week. He explained that he had occasion to order a player off, and this player made an attempt to strike him as he left tfie field, and would have done so had lie nob been prevented by more rational members of tho team. The crowd hooted the referee vigorously, and hurled at him the most contemptuous remarks concerning his ability. “They were after me all right,” said Mr Anslow, “and there was talk of following me to the train. One woman camo up to mo with a baby in her arms, and almost spat in my face, while she abused my ability as' a referee in unmeasured terms'. Two young girls also. approached me, and ono of them said, ‘I suppose you are glad that they won, seeing that you had your money on them.’ To make matters wofso I had

used the Johnsonville dressing shed, and I got a bad time.” These apparently were not the only incidents of the afternoon. The Marist Chib wrote,-reporting that as one of their players was leaving the field a Johrisojiville .player, demanded the ball' he was carrying, declaring that it belonged to the Johnsonville Club. The Marist player assured him that the ball belonged to the Marist Club, whereupon the Johnsonville player struck him.

The player reported by the referee did not attend the meeting, and it was decided to suspend him until lie; did so. :

It. was decided to take action against the Johnsonville player who was reported to have struck the Martist player. “A member of the Junior Advisory Board attended this match at Johnsonville last Saturday,” remarked Mr G. F. Jackson, “and he assures mo that all tho elements of a first-class riot were present. Had tho Marist player retaliated when he was struck, there would have been a regular Donnybrook.” Mr Anslow stated that the difficulties of controlling matches at Johnsonville were increased through the spectators encroaching on the field of play. He had been told that the local police were so tired of attempting to control the rowdy element at Johnsonville matches that they gave the ground a wide berth on Saturday afternoons.

It was decided to request the Johnsonville Town Board to rope off the playing field, and to request the police to attend Rugby matches in order to restrain the rowdy element amongst the spectators.