RUGBY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 208, 1 August 1928, Page 10

RUGBY NOTES

MANAWATU'S RECORD.

IN INTER-TRIAL GAMES.

(By “Cross Bar.”)

History repeated itself on Saturday when Manawatir A’s again suffered defeat against Horowhenua. 'Jhe B’s made amends to some extent by again carrying the day. The rival councils had three teams in the field on Saturday last. In two instances the honours lay with Manawatu —the B’s and the juniors. In all trials in all three divisions this season Manawatu has registered 64 points as compared with Horowhenua’s 55.

Thq green aryd whites’ total was compiled from 16 tries, two penalty goals and five conversions. The blue and reds’ compiled their figures from 13 tries, two penalty goals, one field goal and three conversions. Last season two senior trial games were played, the honours being evenly distributed. Manawatu scored 32 points as against 25 by Horowhenua. The value of the introduction of A and B trials this year was strikingly evidenced on Saturday when two B members made good their claims to inclusion in the Manawlienua fifteen. GAINED PROMOTION.

Summers was relegated to the B team by the trio of Manawatu selectors, but the two Manawlienua selectors have now passed over the two Manawatu A hookers and have matched Summers with Hakaraia. Want of ball crippled Manawatu in the Shannon game, yet the selectors took no steps to remedy the very evident fault and as a result Horowhenua had a preponderance of ball again on Saturday. Stevenson, of l'oxton, who has been seen but little in senior football, displayed a fund of ah-lity in the B match and the selectors were fully justified in furnishing him witih the opportunity to make good in higher ranks. Another B player who showed distinct possibilities was Ryder, of Horowhenua. The possessor of plenty of pace, ho always threatened danger when en route for the line. His handling, however, was far from certain. While the A trial match opened in sparkling manner on Saturday, it . degenerated as it proceeded, for in the second half the forwards waged the battle practically continuously, and with an entire absence of scoring the spectators lost interest. . , A marked feature of the game was the indifferent kicking, not only in place-kicking, but in punting. The ball —the only one incidentally—was a disgrace, being slack and loose and without doubt its condition, coupled with the hardness of the ground, assisted towards marring the display. GOOD AND BAD POINTS.

Taylor, the Horowhenua full-back, while he made mistakes, was very sure in his line finding when facing .the wind and with a better ball his magnificent kicking would have been more strikingly demonstrated. With Williamson coming up to centre threequarter, ho lost all claims to the fullback position and on his showing in his new role he is somewhat fortunate to be included in the 21 to go on tour.

With Fearnley having unexpectedly been removed to hospital to undergo an operation, Wasle.v was promoted from the B ranks to take the full-back position for Manawatu. While he was a little shaky at times and allowed a ground ball- to beat him two or three times, lie Camd- through his ordeal very satisfactorily. It was apparent that with more experience of big football he will improve still further.' ,

The three-quarters of the two combinations were but little in evidence after the first twenty minutes. Dais, the introduction from Oroua. making one typical scoring effort early in the game, but it was apparent that he does not appreciate defensive work. Roberts was active only at intervals, while the burly Warren made one or two formidable runs without' mucll avail. Strange was but a shadow of himself, some of his errors being bad ones, although Hie ran boldly enough when in possession. Want of ball .naturally restricted the activities . of the .wingers, and it was peculiar < that Horowhenua d.d i\it make greater use of their rearguard in the second spell. The B’s, on the other hand, threw the ball about at every opportunity, even though their work was far from faultless. Griffin when in possession of the leather always presented danger to Horowhenua, as did Ryder to Manawatu when ho received in a handling bout. Probably Strange’s superior defence enabled him to gain the vacancy in the Manawlienua side. Neither Westwood nor Williamson was impressive in the centre position, although the former participated quite freely in' the early handling bouts by the blue and reds. All the five-eighths were subject to lapses, even Akuira being far below his usual standard. Itobb displayed plenty of energy, and had the green and whites got more ball he might have been seen to better advantage. While T. Parata has

been proving fairly solid, the partnering of Akuira and Stevenson might provo quite happy. W. Parata, behind the Horowhenua pack, was -seen to better advantage than Shapleski as the result of his being given more ball. Nevertheless, he also showed more finish in his general work than the local donkeyman. The latter was gamencss itself, but his want of poundage counts seriously against him. FRONTAL DIVISION. Gleeson, the Horowhenua rover, is an offside artist and repeatedly he was caught offending by the referee. M. Walain was not over-impressive tor Manawatu, and he was guilty of shepherding on more than one occasion. The rilling of the gap caused by the retirement of Jacob promises to be an extremely difficult one. If anything, Gleeson joined in the passing rushes the happier, and probably such was sufficient to carry him into the Manawatu side. Hakaraia has always proved himself to be a very useful worker in the open, but whether he is a finished hooker is open to question and the writer is of the opinion that in this department Moody is preferable. However, the selectors have matched the former with Summers and the game at Wanganui on Saturday will demonstrate whether their judgment is correct.

The rival packs, as a whole, were two formidable sets, although the green and whites kept their opponents in almost complete restraint in the second half, but their work lacked finish when down to the goal line. Conrad, who will lock the Manawlienua scrum against Wanganui, is fully qualified for the position, while Galpin and Tatana, in the supports, will form quite a good partnership. Crawford and Dalzeil have been selected for the back row, but they are not so happily matched as the others. Last season Crawford was playing excellent football in the back row, despite his disadvantage from point of stature and poundage. He has been filling the front row position of late with indifferent success and he has probably not been seen in the picture so much as a result. While ho may re-pnoduce his old form, “Cross Bar”’ would have preferred bis club mate. Parsons, opposite Tatana with Galpin in the back row with Dalzeil.

REQUIRES REMEDYING. On the occasion of the visit of the A and- B teams to shannon in June, mere were" numerous detections from tne ranks of tlie two teams and trie B team actually left Palmerston North with 10 men, trio lateness of notification having prevented substitutes being secured, baturday found a somewhat similar position or affairs prevailing and it is high time the council took steps to amend matters. Saturday found the whole threequarter line of the B team absentees, „ line the full-back was required by trio A team and, with two or the forwards'also absent, re-shutfling had to take place. The manager was at a loss to know wliat sort of a side was to.take the field, but substitutes rolled along and they “duly entered the arena with a full fifteen, if somewhat behind schedule time.

Junior players; with the exception of those who represented Manawatu versus Horowhenua at Levin, had a day off on Saturday. The contest with the southern district was the second occasion on which the juniors had been in action in representative engagements this season and it furnished them with their second victory, it was a free scoring game in which the green and whites had but a slight advantage. The meeting was in the nature or a trial of strength to determine the rival merits and the joint selectors have now determined the composition of the side to oppose Wellington at Wellington later on. The juniors hav© displayed great keepness m their engagements and furnish a distinct contrast to the seniors. To date they have registered 35 points with 23 against.

INTER-ISLAND MATCH

WELLINGTON NOMINEES

Per Press Association

WELLINGTON, July 31. The ■Wellington llAtgby Union tonight nominated the following players for the North Island team against South Island : E. A. Brown (’Varsity), three-quarter; R. H. C. McKenzie (’Varsity), five-eighth; J. Cow.an (Pctone), half-back; C. Porter (Athletic), wing-forward; J. Shearer (Poneke), back or side of scrum.