PARS AND PERSONALITIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 219, 14 August 1935, Page 10

PARS AND PERSONALITIES.

(By “Cross Bar.”) Manawatu’s treble win. Although it sounds like a Grand National result, it is Manawatu’s record of Saturday and is one which any union might well be proud of. In 1932 Manawhenua beat Taranaki by 18-14, while the previous success over the amber and blacks was away back in 1927, so Saturday’s victory was overdue.

Reference to the 1927 contest between Taranaki-Manawhenua, when the combined union were the proud holders of the Ranfurly Shield, will bring to the memories of many local enthusiasts that memorable game on the Showgraunds when Manawhenua won 9-3 on a sea of; water—it could not be termed a playing field—a cloud hurst visiting Palmerston North while the match was in progress. It has long been contended that there are junior players locally who are superior to many seniors. While there were some uncertain, if not weak links in the Manawatu team which beat Wanganui on Saturday, there were others who fully bore out the statement.

Thorn, the Manawatu junior representative, showed the senior players points on Saturday in respect to keep, ing the ball under close control when out in the open. In addition to furnishing two crossings himself, the Kia Toa front-row man had a big hand in another.

Cutler, Kingsbecr, Simmonds, and Colo, who filled the second row of the Manawatu junior scrum, are a beautifully balanced quartette. Three of them at least are young and they should go far. Polglase, the last man down, went particularly well in the first spell. It was a had sign to see Wanganui taking scrums in preference to buyouts. They did not always win the ball, but they certainly secured more than a fair percentage. In the second spell, even when the greens hooked it, the ball hung badly at tire back of the scrum.

There were two splendid displays of the full-back position given on the oval on Saturday, a High School boy being responsible in each instance. In the curtain-raiser. the High School fifth grade custodian proved himself to be a regular bulwark against Old Boys, while I«\ Stuckey, who filled the position in the junior representative team, attained great heights, his work in the first spell in particular being fautless. W'hile some of the handling bouts by the Manawatu juniors were excellent, there was an element of uncertainty about the handling of tire inner men. Canton and Graham were the handy men, although the former, like Duthie and Sutherland, was subject to lapses. There was much about Sutherland’s work that was good, yet Ire never gives the writer a feeling of security. Miller, the High School centre who had been in scoring mood against Wanganui Technical College on the previous Wednesday, was included as a winger in the junior representatives on Saturday and tire position restricted his activities. When in possession lie turned on top speed very quickly and two tries were added to his account.

O’Siiaughnessy was one of the outstanding members of the Wanganui junior rearguard, his great pace enabling him to get back and save when a try promised to como the way ot Manawatu. As was instanced in the inter.sehool match, the Wanganui rearguard were not afraid to throw tire leather about, yet the necessary finish was absent. Two members of the native race, Yaitere and Maraenui, were great individualists and they took a power of stopping when on the move. The name of Fletcher has figured in Manawatu very prominently for some years past, “Curly” being the first one to gain representative honours. This year signalled the entry of a younger member of the family into the Manawatu team, while judging by the High School-Wanganui Technical College fixture there is still another edition in the moulding process. The last-named, Keith Fletcher, displayed an ability to cut through which was ridiculously simple, so brilliantly was it executed. A few weeks back “Curly” Fletcher, who is now a member of the Richmond League team—the champions of Auckland—came through to play an exhibition game in Wellington. The big brother decided to discard his old boots and leave them for his younger brother and Keith wore them last Wednesday with honour. However, they had to he sent to Auckland immediately after the game —the new boots had not proved to be a success. It was very pleasing to see the Maoris capable of turning the tables on New South “Wales in the final match, for the preceding game, which came immediately following upon a long train journey from Melbourne, was quite unfair to the tourists. In the 10 games the Maoris won eight, dropping one fixture to Queensland and one to New South Wales, while they scored 245 points with 142 against them. Although the teams cabled to the Dominion cannot be altogether relied on, for at least in one instance there was mention of a player retiring hurt wire was not included in the selected side, it would seem that only three of the team, Nepia, Phillips, aud G. Harrison, figured in all 10 engagements. Hemi and W. Cooper missed hut one game; N. Harrison, P. Smith, and B. Rogers two, and C. Smith, Chase, K. Reedy, Whiu, and Broderick three.

On practically every tour there are invariably one or more members of the team who do not fulfil expectations, and it would seem that Greening, one of the Maori representatives, did not take the field in Australia on a single occasion; Parata played but the once, Mitchell and Kotua twice, and Ngaio three times. They were tourists in the real sense of the word.

In two of the match results cabled from Australia, all the scoring contributors were not given, but so far as can be determined Hemi was responsible for at least 64 points on the tour, his aggregate being compiled from 2 tries, 8 penalty goals, and 17 goals from tries. Nepia was next in order with 35 points, from 2 tries, 2 field goals, 3 penalty goals, and 6 goals from tries. C. Smith, the big winger, effected 9 crossings and in only one match in which lie participated did he fail to score. G. Harrison was the freest contributor among the forwards, the Taranaki representative furnishing 4 tries, while Broderick got three.