RUGBY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 196, 18 July 1928, Page 10

RUGBY NOTES

THE THINNING RANKS. SENIOR PLAY LACKS STING. (By “Cross Bar.”) Subsidiary competition opened. Old Boys and l'eilding annex two points • each. i Athletic and Feilding Old Boys the losi ing sides. Kia Toa, the club champions, filled the role of onlookers on Saturday. Athletic’s re-adjusted side is now more : solid and they spell danger, i Ansell was a new recruit to the green and black ranks on Saturday who showed promise. McKnight moved from half to hooker . for Athletic on Saturday while Tremewan partnered Greig in the front row for Old Boys. The burliness of Tremewan makes it apparent what Manawhcnua have lost m weight in the front row by the defection of Anderson and his old partner. Old Boys' ranks invariably thin out before the close of each season and Saturday found three juniors assisting them, the trio having figured earlier in the day. Rangi Akuira did not take the field in the second half for Old Boys on Saturday and it appeared that disaster would overtake the side when Athletic were the first to score. An injured shoulder was tho cause. i Robb has proved himself to be a very live unit in the ranks of Athletic and his try was a fitting return for his fast following; up. Strangely enough, it was his first crossing for the season. 1 Field, like Robb, is of a light type and tho possessor of a fair command of pace, but ho went quite well behind tho scrum for Athletic on Saturday and, although ho did not see a great amount of ball, he made good use of it when it came his way. | While some of the handling bouts by tho [ Old Boys’ rearguard were spectacular enough, the necessary opening was never made for the wingers by the inner men, tho ball going straight out. Both McDowall and Seymour made valiant efforts, ! but they had weighty opponents facing thorn. ; , Burstall, the left winger for Athletic, played tho role of a centre in his ever . readiness to drop back to the support of his full-back, llis fielding is almost inj variably clean, while his powers of antici--1 pation are of no mean order—remarkably so for a player who originally filled a position in the scrum when following the j gamo moro seriously in tho north. Tay--1 lor, on the opposite wing, was sound, alj though his acceptances were not as clean ; as usual. 1 Ansell, while he did not attempt to link up with his fellow backs as much as ho might have done, proved quite sound as an individualist, stepping into the breach very opportunely on more than one occaion. It was his first game for tho season and ho was consequently out of condition. As ho i 6 stated to have played senior grado in Auckland, ho should prove very useful. Cooper, who occupied the position of centre, showed promise of big things at his first appearance locally. While he has not altogether fulfilled them, he has proved sufficiently rugged to merit his retaining his position in the ranks of the greens and, if better fed, might yet make good. Fearnlcy, while ho played his usual safe and sound game, did not fill tho spectacular role ho did at the earlier meeting between tiro two sides in tho inter-club competition. What free kicks came the way of the side were at too long range to turn to profit, while his shot at goal from tho crossing by Robb narrowly missed its objective and thereby spelt defeat to his side. t Evans reverted to his original role of half-back for Old Boys on Saturday, and, with his hookers securing an advantage in the- set scrums, ho was given plenty of ball. Tie fed his rearguard continuously for a period in the second spell when the side v-as three points down, but it did 'not have the desired effect. His general play was good. Williamson, who has been moved up from full-back in the blacks’ recont matches, fills the five-eighth position quite well, but after all such is not strange to him. Riddell did not accept his passes 'cleanly on Saturday, but several which came at him chest high did not make his task lighter. Page, who came on 1n the .second half as substitute lo Akuira, has not fulfilled the good things expected of him when in tho High School ranks. He is invariably anxious for work, but much of it ho performs too hurriedly which detracts from his general play. Coolness means much to a back in a tight comer and, after all, such can be developed.

Seymour is in several respects quite a finished player and lie was most unfortunato to bo beaten to the high bounce of the ball when Robb secured it to score from well out. The Old Roys winger endeavoured to make amends thereafter and was unlucky not to furnish an equalising try later, being; swept into touch-in-goal when actually over. By adding the two points to the try scored by Nield he, however, gave to his side the victory. McDowall, another recent promotion who filled the right wing position for Old Boys, put plenty of vim into his work, it being pleasing to witness the manner in which lie threw himself at the legs of an opponent. He went close to recording a try on one or two occasions, but he lost a golden opportunity at an all important moment when he looked for support outside him

when there were three men on the inside. Norris, the full-back, for Old Boys, had played no small role in the junior curtainraiser, yet ho followed on in tho senior gamo to see out the full journey in good stylo. While not spectacular, he was invariably sound. : Both sets of forwards waged the warfare with determination and there was little between tho rival packs. The rival rovers, O’Shea and Kells, both proved very active, while they were alike in that they both displayed a distinct tendency to carry through their tackle even after the ball had gone. Galpin was a prominent figure for the blacks and Payne for the greens, but Tremewan, Greig and Nield supported the former well us did Hutchins, Bryce and Taylor, their leader in' the ranks of Athletic. AMONG THE LOWER GRADES. Kia Toa juniors effected something in tho nature of a surpriso on Saturday when they inflicted a defeat upon Feilding—the yellows’ first reverse for the season, although they had to be content with draws against Old Boys and St. Patrick’s. Old Boys were matched against St. Patrick’s, the conquerors of Kia Toa on the previous Saturday, but the blacks ran out winners by nine points to three —a possibly flattering margin. At their meeting in May, Old Boys had been beaten by Kia Toa, they having previously drawn with Feilding, and ns a result of the outcome of Saturday’s games, the blacks now hold pride of place. Although St. Patrick’s are six points be-

hind Old Boys on the championship table, the greens had not sustained , eanie prior to Saturday since their sec °" if c ; n( r for the season, the side at that stag: all sixes and sevens. A dangerous combrna tion in both frontal and rearguard depa^ ments,. St. Patrick’s might well P »' e upsetting influence before the con p Hligh School have played a heavy role since the opening °f Show week and the strain has commenced to tell, f° Athletic found them compelled to default , —a side which they had beaten 3 -11 ‘ their first meeting—owing to illnesses ha ing made inroads upon the team. In their eleven games contested to date, inclusive of one which they . •’ Feilding Old Boys have failed to open their scoring; account on six occasions. y » against High School at bedding the g cen. registered nine points, but it was Saturday that 'they placed two champion ship points to their credit with a scoic of 3-0 against United Valley. The positions among the leaders m the third grade remain unaltered '\° Q <xU l ‘ having 21 points, St. Patrick s 19 and Bunnythorpc 16. Feilding High School had promised to be in the picture at one stage, but the schoolboys have lost two of the last three games they have played and arc now four championship pointy below Bunnythorpe with whom they shared the honours for the grade last season.