RUGBY FOOTBALL

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 150, 24 May 1930, Page 6

RUGBY FOOTBALL

MATCH AGAINST BRITAIN. MANAAVHENUA TEAM SELECTED. Representatives of Manawhenua to meet the British team in the Rugby match at Palmerston North on 'Wednesday have been chosen by the selectors (Messrs J. Ryan and M. AViniata). They are as follow, tlieir weights being given in parentheses: Full-back. —Meta Johnson (11.0). Three-quarters. —M. Strange (10.12), E. Fletcher (11.2), R. Page (12.1). Five-eighths.—R. Akuira (12.0), G. Riddell (10.5). Half-back.—W.. Parata (11.5). Wing-forward.—T. Parata (10. 4). Hookers.—Henry (12.13), Fitzgerald (12.10). Lock. —T. Miles (14.0). Side row. —O. Galpin (14.3), A. Conrad (14.6). Back row. —A. Satherley (13.5), TV. Tatana (13.7). Crawford, Gordon, Shapleski and Taylor will be held in reserve for any replacements prior to tho match, under the international rules no replacements are allowed during the game. Youth, weight and pace are outstanding features in the selection of the Manawhenua team and it is held that it will give every satisfaction to its supporters. MATCH WITH TARANAKI. The British team met the Taranaki representatives at New Plymouth this afternoon, and a great gamo was anticipated, as the Taranaki team had never yet been defeated in an international match. Its record is as follows: —1888, Taranaki won; 1904, Taranaki drew; 1908, Taranaki won; 1921, Taranaki drew (Springboks). It is estimated that the aggregate receipts for the British football match at Wanganui on Wednesday last will be between £I2OO and £I3OO. There are a number of adjustments yet to be made in regard to the sale of tickets in shops before tho actual amount can be arrived at. TOD MUCH HOSPITALITY. It is very evident the British team will have to decline a great deal of tho hospitality that is being offered it. The manager, Mr James Baxter, emphasised this fact in the course of his reply to the official welcome in New Plymouth, says the Taranaki News. Ho pointed out that the team was in New Zealand to play football, and lie regretted as much as the members did that they would be unable to accept all the hospitality that was being showered upon them. The visitors had been in the Dominion just over a week and have been royally treated everywhere. It is all done with good intentions, but the players must have an opportunity of getting thoroughly fit. ALL BLACK TRIAL TEAMS. SELECTORS CRITICISED. (By “Cross Bar.”) “What about Porter, Kilby and Dailey?” were the questions heard on all sides following the announcement of the teams to take part in the Now Zealand trial game at Wellington on June 11. Two of those players have been engaged in top class football since 1924 at least, both Porter and Dailey having been members of the team which toured Great Britain in that winter, but whether time and tho hardships of the game have told their tale, the majority of those closely connected with their play of to-day decline to admit. Kilby burst into the limelight prior to the tour of South Africa, and it was apparent in tho recent trial match at the Showgrounds that his playing days nre far from over, he being still a solid half-back with that occasional touch of brilliance which places him still in the forefront of Dominion footballers. Many well-known supporters of the Rugby code wondered wliy the selectors refrained from taking .ill© obvious course in not only the North Island trial, but also in that of the South Island, of making changes in the positions of the players, either at the interval or during the progress of the game. In the Palmerston North match the Probabies had the better of the play, insofar as the hooking of the ball in the set scrums was concerned, until Irvine was compelled to ratire. His retirement has not, however, prevented his being, given another trial along with K. Reid, who was on the opposing side on that earlier occasion. A different position of affairs is, however, reported from Christchurch where Burrows and Souter, who hooked for the Possibles (the winners) secured a two-to-one advantage in tho battle for possession, yet they have been passed by and the opposing pair, Cottrell and Hore, go on to the further trial. Tho Possible forwards at Christchurch are reported to have been only a trifle taller, on the average, than their opponents, but they were heavier, faster, and more dashing in the loose. Three huge fellows—Hazlett, Collett (lock) ana Stewart —formed the middle row of the Possibles’ pack and such no doubt assisted the hookers, but it would appear to be quite unfair to Burrows and Souter for the selectors to presumably accept such as the reason of their superiority without giving them a try-out under less favourable circumstances. A DEFINITE PROGRAMME. It would almost appear as though the selectors 6et out with a definite programme drawn up, for despite the time accepted belief that a probable side is preferable to the possible one, it was the latter combination which wore the All Black garb in the South Island as well as in the North Island trial, and duly carried the day. Porter was the leader of the blacks in the Palmerston North game when his generalship was strikingly in evidence —a feature which was lacking in Solomon’s play. The big Aucklander is, nevertheless, a type of player who should go far, and the fact that he did not displav the same tendency to get off-side as Porter might well have swayed the selectors. In Scrimshaw, Solomon will now be opposing a type of player who might prove more harmonious as a rover in the eyes of the referee who is endeavouring to follow the spirit of the English interpretation of the off-side position. In the opening spell of the Palmerston North trial, Kilby, despite being somewhat shaky in his snapping up of the ball in the early stages, quite outplayed the Auckland half, Corner. Under much more favourable conditions as the result of his hookers securing the ball, Corner showed to greater advantage in the second half lvhen his handling and general work were of quito a high standard. Meantime, Kilby ‘had been thrown back on the defensive, yet he did not flinch,

and time after time got his side out of difficulties. In comparison with Corner, the AVellingtonian was much more solid and promises to be vastly superior when facing a burly pack of fast breaking scrummages. DALLEY’S POSITION. Is history about to repeat itself, might well bo asked in the case of Daliey. On the occasion of the trial matches of 1924, H. E. Nicholls, brother of the more famous Mark, appeared to be a certainty for the second half (position in the All Blacks side to tour Britain, Jimmy Mill, who then resided in Hawke’s Bay, being the first choice. However, a surprise awaited selectors and “fans” alike for a fair-headed little fellow, who was later/ to be familiarly, known throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion as “Snowy” Dailey, was given a trial in opposition to Nicholls and, under the terrible conditions which prevailed that day, forced H. E. Nicholls into the background. Now on the eve of another international engagement Fate appears to be decreeing that Dailey is to be repaid in similar coin. To Canterbury enthusiasts the defection of Dallev from the New Zealand trial fifteens came as a severe blow and, if the following comment taken from Christchurch journals can be accepted at its face value, it would appear that the selectors have flattered Holden by giving him preference when viewed on his game on AVednesdav.

The Christchurch Sun said:—“Behind the winning pack A. AV. Holden got the ball away without much cause for complaint, although some of his passes were not timed as weil a 6 they should have been. AV. C. Dailey had a gruelling time behind the Probables pack in trying to stop the big,. fast Black forwards, it was not surprising, then, that bis play in the second half of the game lacked his usual verve, and that, having suffered some hard knocks, lie slowed down before the finish of the game. It was not fair to him to keep him behind the beaten pack ail the time and then to judge him entirely on that game.”

Tho Christchurch Star critic wrote: “Some surprise will be caused by the non-inclusion of AV. Dailey (Canterbury) as half-back, and the substitution of Holden in that position. On form in the South Island trial match Dailey was the better, even when the greater help he received from Iris hookers, Cottrell and Hore, is discounted. Holden gave out some very erratic passes and did not have the gcneralsnip of his opxionent in initiating attacks. - Daileys defence was also better, and his omission from the team for the final trial suggests that ho may be more or less of a certainty for All Black honours, and that tho selectors have adopted the procedure of trying out others on the chance that they may discover someone who has the ability to oust the Canterbury man from the position. This may be tho case also with one or two other positions. Though Dailey played better than Holden, he "was only in patches tho famous Dailey of a couple of years ago.” PROMISE OF GREAT SIDE. AVitla Nepia coming back as an active seeker for All Black honours, the struggle for supremacy between him ana Heazlewood promises to be interesting. It would certainly be delightful to find tho Maori exponent regain his old form for he can attain great heights. It is possibly unfortunate that Lindsay, who made his name in South Africa—he was originally selected as centre for that tour—did not take part in tho South Island trials, for it had been reported that he was playing great football in the south. it would almost appear as though the Aucklander, Minns, will be the one winger, while Mackay, of AVellington, is well in the running for the opposite wing. Although Cooke has been included as centre in the ranks of the Possibles, when it comes to selecting the final side to represent New Zealand he should be found one place closer in, with Lucas occupying the centre position, even though the latter did not impress one particularly in the local trial. AVhether the selectors will risk Mark Nicliolls’s knee is unknown, but the non-replace-ment rule makes his selection somewhat uncertain. In the event of their declining to take (hat risk, probably Lilburne would partner Cooke. Meantime, “Cross Bar” does not like either of the half-backs, he considering that Kilby is preferable. Scrimshaw appeals slightly more than Solomon for the rover position. For the pack, “Cross Bar” would vote for Irvine and Reid as hookers, Steere as lock, Finlayson and Stewart in the support ranks, and McAA’illiams and Hazlett, ih the back row. Meantime, there are 21 North Island players included in the trial as compared with 13 South Islanders, and it would appear that in the actual side which takes the field in the initial Test there will be 10 North Island representatives to five South Islanders.

“A GOOD TEAM.” WILL BE HARD TO BEAT. VIEWS OF OFFICIAL JUDGES. The Wanganui correspondent of the Auckland Star writes : —One of the shrewdest judges of Rugby'in the Dominion. a Wanganui representative player of a decade ago, a selector and Maori adviser, Mr Alex Takarangi, said of the Wanganui-Britain match: “I think the British team was quito impressive, considering it was their first match, and they no doubt will improve as the tour progresses. Their scrummage work was splendid. Their footwork was also good to watch. One of the most impressive features of their play was their work in the tight, which I thought was a revelation. Their backs are very fast, and display good cohesive qualities, while their connecting link with the wings was one of the features of the game. Their chain passing was crisp, each man being able to take the ball going at top speed.” Mr W. F. Hornig, manager of the 1928 All Blacks in South Africa said it was too early to form a definite opinion. What was seen gave one the impression that it would take a good side to beat the visitors. THE CRITICS CRITICISE. Former famous figures on the Rugby field who watched the match make interesting comment on the play of the British team. A. F. Harding, captain of the 1908 British team which toured New Zealand, said: “On their form to-day, the Englishmen have the makings of a great side, but we must take into consideration that they are not quite fit yet. The forwards are very good in the scrum, and they work very hard in the tight. One of the features of their play was the way the forwards combined with their three-quarter line. Ivor Jones was the best forward. He has a beautiful pair of hands. It must be remembered when commenting that the back line was disorganised by the accident to Sobey. The backs,

when they get together will, I think, take a tremendous amount of stopping. Football has changed so much since the old days, that I would not like to make any comment on the respective merits of Bedell-Sivright’s team, the side I captained and. the present tourists.” Famous Taranaki and New Zealand three-quarter of 1893, Ally Good, said: “They will develop into a fine side. Their forwards were out of condition to-day, but they are bound to improve. Their backs are an evenlybalanced lot. They kick, pass and run well and they are fast. I was very much impressed with Aarvold’s style of play.” • F. 13. Prentice, the English captain, after the match said: “AVe are very pleased. It is hard to judge on the first match, because our fellows aro noff fit by a long way. It was a very satisfactory result.”