RUGBY FOOTBALL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 237, 4 September 1928, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL

HAWKE’S BAY v. MANAWHENUA. TO-MORROW’S BIG GAME. e With Manawhenua at homo to Hawke’s Bay to-morrow, local Rugby enthusiasts aro assured of another interesting contest for supremacy and, as tho playing area will have improved as tho result of tho rainfall, a high standard of the code should be .forthcoming. Hawke's Bay, past holders oh’the Ranfurly Shield over a long period of years, aro possibly not tho mighty force they onco wore, but they havo evidenced in their more recent matches that they are still in tho forefront of Dominion teams. Early in the season tho “magpies” met Wairarapa in homo and homo matches, and they wero thus fully into their stride long beforo other unions had contemplated their representative programmes seriously. On those two occasions tho honours were with Wairarapa, and tho dark greens then went on to wrest tho Ranfurly Shield from Canterbury, who had lifted it from Manawhenua in tho final challenge match for the 1927 season. Hawke’s Bay visited Taranaki some few weeks back when they wero considered somewhat unlucky not to carry tho day. Sinco then Taranaki havo in turn toured and been beaten by Manawhenua, so on that basis, and allowing for the fact that'Taranaki wero without the services of some of their regulars, to-morrow’s meeting should furnish a battle royal between Hawke’s Bay and Manawhenua. Probably it will not attain those heights of two years ago when tho mighty shield holders only managed to draw level with tho homesters in tho closing moments, each..side registering 14 points. Tho passage of timo has brought wit it many changes and of tho 16 players (an emergency having boon called on) who took tho field for Manawhenua on that occasion, at least 12 havo boon lost to local football, while Hawke’s Bay was minus many of thoso well known exponents whoso names at one period wore almost famous. In their place havo como younger, if lessor known exponents, tho majority of whom aro steadily building up a reputation for themselves, and Manawhenua entertain hopes that tho new material will provo capablo of once again triumphing over Wairarapa at tho Ranfurly Shield meeting next week.

WELLINGTON TEAM ON TOUR. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. The following team has been selected for the AA'ellington team’s southern tour : —Heazlewood, Elliott, Broderick, Pickering, Chaney, Peterson, Mackenzie, Leys, Co.man, Jessup, Coulston, Shearer, Sly, McPherson, Graham, Williams, Giaridge, Wilson and McLean. ■ Players not available are: Blacker, O’Regan, Mackay, Ramson .and Edgar. Porter’s omission is no doubt due to tho fact that ho will be representing New Zealand during the progress of the tour. The New Zealand team for the first test against New South Wales had a practico this afternoon. FOOTBALL IN FIJI. CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Sept. 3. The Auckland University footballers returned by the Tofua from Fiji where they lost two test matches, tho third being drawn. They found the heat excessive especially during the last quarter. They expressed tho opinion that Fiji Rugby had improved a good deal since their visit in 1926.