SOUTHERN TOUR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 201, 15 July 1936, Page 7

SOUTHERN TOUR.

' ITINERARY APPROVED. The secretary submitted the following itinerary ior the southern tour to the Manawatu Rugby Union last evening and it ivas approved: August G. —Leave Palmerston North (3.1 G p.m.j to connect with Lyttelton ferry. August 7. —Travel from Christchurch to Oamaru. August B.—Play North Otago at Oamaru. August 10. —Leave for Dunedin. August 12.—Plav Otago, at Dunedin (Kanfurly Shield). August 13. —Leave for Invercargill. August 15. —Play Southland, at Invercargill. August 16. Return to Christchurch. August 19.—Play Canterbury, at Christchurch. August 19. —Leave by ferry for Wellington. I August 20.—Return to Palmerston I North. I

NOTES ON THE GAME. OTAGO’S SHIELD TEAM. (By “Half-Back.”) The first match for the Ranfully Shield is Southland's challenge to Otago, oil August 1, and if the shield is retained Auckland come next on August 5. The holders are leaving no stone unturned to resist all challengers.l' Thirty players have been chosen for representative practice, ensuring that for each position two players of class will' he available. Discussing the prospective Ranfurly Shield team, a Dunedin writer says that up till a few weeks ago Taylor was looked on as a centaint.v for the full-back position, but he has suffered some loss of form in recent games. However, lie is the only regular full-back selected in the .‘fO players, and will receive strong consideration. In the event of his being passed over, the selectors may elect to try D. Trevathan, or McSkimming, at full-back, but Taylor may get the vote for the first game, as ho lias represented Otago both at fullback an:i centre throe-rpiaitor. The three-quarter line presents no difficulties and should consist of Black, Smith and Watt, 'flic last-named was a member of the New Zealand University team in Japan and both he and Black have been prolific try-getters this season. Smith, who represented New Zealand on its tour of Australia in 1931, is playing consistently brilliant football at centre. The line as a whole is one of the strongest available for many years.

j Gillies,was one of the “stars” of ! the New Zealand University team in Japan and has been playing classy i football at first five-eighth. Trevathan has scored well over a century in ; points this season and has drop-kicked ! nine goals’ in club games. Though lie plays at No. 1 iu club games, he is likely to partner Gillies in representative games. Should the selectors elect to try Trevathan at full-back, then Townsend or McSkimniing may lie played in one of the inside positions. Otago has two half-backs of real class in Simon and Saxton, but on the | season’s play Simon is the logical : choice. | The selection of the forwards will I puzzle the selectors—not who are to ! go in, but those to bo omitted. Quaid, Campbell, and McDonald should comprise the front row. Campbell is the host hooker in Otago. Quaid (former Wellington and Canterbury representative) and McDonald were both out-

standing members of the Otago pack last season, and both represented the South Island. Parkin 11, Green, Niven, Hore and Vorrath should comprise the remainder of a great pack. The Southland News states than on present indications the Southland representative side to meet Otago in the Kanfurly /(Shield match may bo .something like the following:—Fullback, Hamilton ; three-quarters. Mitchell, Sharp, Thornbury ; five-eighths, Sutherland, Wesnoy; half-back, Purdue ; forwards, Metcalfe, Irwin, Ward, L. George, W. Southern, J. Hamilton, W. Lucy, and J. Mattingly. The above side would be a solid combination, with a good blend of experience, and would make a good game with Otago, says a Dunedin writer. The hacks of a team such as the above would not he as fast as those of Otago, Imt the forwards would probably he heavier. 4 Palmerstonian just returned from Dunedin after a five weeks’ visit remarked on Saturday that Manawatu had no chance of beating Otago. “We may he able to hold them in the forwards,” ho said, “but their backs will run rings round ours. They will have a very powerful rearguard.” The outstanding forward in the Old Boys-Feilding A match on Saturday was O’Dea, of Old Boys, who put in a great afternoon’s work. He was on the ball all the time, and was the most conspicuous forward. He seems a certainty to be told to pack Ill’s bag for the southern tour. Thomas was another who never let up for a minute and his prospects of a trip south look rosy.

C. Le Quesnc is not yet ready to take his place in the Hawke’s Bay representative team. The former Bay captain is still having trouble with his knee, and L. Clothier, the Napier H. 5.0.8. half, will lead the side for tlie second time this season when the match with Wairarapa is played this week. A high opinion of Clothier’s ability is hekl by Rugby authorities in Hawke’s Bay. New South Wales has a champion sprinter who is also a great footballer. E. W. O’Brien, the New South Wales three-quarter, holds the 440 yards running championship of his State with the excellent time of 49 9sec. and he is a flier on the football field. Ho is regarded as a likely visitor to New Zealand with the Australian team this season

In the team to meet Wairarapa next Saturday Hawke’s Bay has a new fullback in Bassett, the consistent East Coast representative. Hutchinson (Napier H. 5.0.8.), who was full-back in the King’s Birthday fixture, was not considered for the post owing to injuries.

B.»S. Sadler, one of the half-backs in the 1935 All-Black combination, lias been standing down for a few Saturdays with a strained shoulder. He sustained the injury when playing for Wellington College Old Boys against Wellington two or three weeks ago. A. Wright, who has been playing for the Christchurch Club this season, has returned to Wellington and will return to the fold of his old team, Wellington College Old Boys. His ability on the wing should help his club considerably. Dr. D. R. L. Stevenson, the former Otago and New Zealand Rugby representative, has been “ elected honorary coach to the Scarborough Rugby Club in England. Dr. Stevenson was fullback in the New Zealand team which visited Australia in 1920. He is now in practice in Scarborough. An unusual incident occurred in the Rugby game between Sunnyside and Sydenham in Christchurch. The play was near the touchline. Cliiimery, Sunnyside’s winger, tackled his marker, and there was a tangle of legs and arms, in which the Jine umpire, Mr A. L. Keys, became involved. When the taugle sorted itself, Mr Keys was lying motionless on the ground, with an injury to his leg. He was taken to hospital. and treated, then.driven home. For the second year in succession Southern have finished on top in the senior Rugby competition at 1 Dunedin, their decisive victory over Varsity A last Saturday making them the virtual premiers for 1936. Though the match may not be the final for the season, the result gave Southern a lead that cannot be overtaken. Commenting on the Queensland Rugby Union players who have an eye on the chances of a trip to New Zealand this season, a Brisbane critic writes: “Warwick unearthed a manmountain of a forwa’d for the occasion in Burgess, who is the bare 6ft. oin. tall and weighs just on lGst.” G. T. Nolan, the Canterbury fullback. had to leave the field in the second spell of tlie match against West Coast and it has now been found that the injuiry to his ankle is worse than was at first thought. He is suffering from a bad strain and the ankle is in plaster. This means that it will be some weeks before Nolan is able to play again.