NOTES ON THE GAME.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 259, 30 September 1936, Page 6

NOTES ON THE GAME.

THE SEASON CLOSES. IvNOCK-OUT CUP FINAL. Ringing the curtain down on the 1936 Rugby season in the Manawatu, the Feilding Old Boys side on Saturday made no mistake with their grasp 011 the Goldfinch and Cousins Cup when they defeated Palmerston Nortn Old Boys by 27 points to 14. Playing into the wind in the first half, the Feilding team were leading at half-time by one point, 9—B. -Matters did not look too promising for the Palmerston North team when tlie second spoil was opened and quickly took shape to give an indication ol the tinaJ result. There was a quiet period, but the last stages oi the game saw Feilding Old Boys definitely on top and Amadio leading the scoring. He Jett the field witli a record of having scored 18 out ol his side’s 27 points. Palmerston North Old Boys did not seem to be able to swing into their stride in tlie opening stages of tlie match, and the bail was secured consistently from tlie scrums by tlie Feilding players, and when they did have it they generally made possession worth while. The Palmerston North inside backs were inclined to prefer kicking to throwing the ball about, and while that brought good advances into tlie others’ territory in tlie first half, it was successful only in a smeall measure in tlie second, when the wind had changed slightly. On several occasions tlie ball passed along tlie whole line of the Feilding backs, and Betteridge, tlie Old Boys full-back, frequently found himself called on to defend.

Dewe, at half, got the ball out to his five-eighths whenever lie could, hut Irvine, tlie opposing half, appeared a trifle slow at times and was caught in possession still behind the scrums.

In tiie position of full-back, too, the Feilding team had tlie better ol matters. Betteridge was not playing his best game, and besides being caught in possession badiy once, ins general work was not of tlie standard he lias displayed 011 other occasions. Wilson took the bail well on the majority of occasions and put in some good kicks. He varied his activities between kicking and carrying tlie ball well up before kicking or passing, and lie was seldom caught in possession in tlie latter manoeuvre.

Amadio had a day out and his T 8 points came from four tries and three conversions. Having weight on his side, and running with determined speed, he proved to be a very hard man to stop. He was the side’s scoring man, and every opportunity was seized to send the ball to him 111 the latter stages of the match. IN OTHER QUARTERS.

The highest scorer in Ranfurly Shield games is B. Grenside, of Hawke’s Bay. He played in 24 shield games and scored 144 points, consisting of 30 tries, 21 conversions, and four penalty goals. New Zealand and South Africa have each sent three official teams to Britain. In the international games, the All Blacks lost to Wales twice (1905 and 1935), and England once (1935)- The 1924 side was unbeaten, in 1906 tlie Springboks were beaten by Scotland and drew with England. They were unbeaten in the Tests of 1912 and 1931. So that taking all the tours together South Africa beat Wales three times, and lost one Test only; while New Zealand were doleated in three Tests.

Cardiff beat the 1906 Springboks; and tlie 1912 team, although winning all the international games, lost to Newport, Loudon Counties, and Swansea, in that order. The 1931 South Africans also succeeded in all Tests, but lost a high-scoring match against East Midlands, and p.ayed a 110-score draw with South of Scotland, and a three-points draw with CornwallDevonshire.

Taking all the games into consideration, New Zealand produced the only unbeaten side (1924). J. Hore, the Otago captain, has announced his retirement. He has been playing for his province since 1926, and has represented Otago on no fewer than 48 occasions. He played in all the Ranfurly {Shield games at Dunedin this year, but did not go to Invercargill for the return match. In 1928 Hore was a member of tlie Ney Zealand team which toured in South Africa. Seven years later—in 1935 he was selected to tour in Great Britain witli the All Black team. He played in Australia with the 1932 and 1934 New Zealand teams. For New Zealand against the 1930 British team Hore played at Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland. He played for the Soutli Island against the North Island in 1927, 1931, 1932, 1933,

and 1934. How many games of football Hore has played no one could calculate—not even the popular Otago skipper himself. The fact remains that ho has without doubt archieved a record which no other footballer in New Zealand lias ever approached, says tlie Otago Daily Times.

Witli the selection of M. O’Connor ns full-back for tlie Maori All Black team which played against the Australians at Palmerston North last week, the Temuka Club lias now had two Maoris to play for New Zealand Maori teams, tlie other being Te Tuini Manning, who toured France , and Great Britain in 192(3. O’Connor, who was nominated by the Soutli Canterbury Rugby Union, showed every promise of being a good footballer, even when he played for his primary school at Seadown some years back. During the past three seasons he has played for the Temuka Club, tliis year gaming South Canterbury representative honours. Team-building still goes on in South Africa, states a correspondent under date August 17, but there are no sensational developments. The search for an outstanding fly-half continues, but no genius has appeared. Bennie Ostler, who lias just retired from an international career in that position, has mentioned a young player named Evans, of Border, as an excellent candidate for that position. But Evans is not even a regular player in tiie Border team. He lias played in only one match this season. Centre three-quarters are being carefully studied and some of tiie more experienced players who have worn South African colours in previous years are showing form that cannot altogether be ignored by the selectors. It is within the bounds of possibilities that tiie whole of the Western Province centre three-quarter line, which lias played regularly in the interprovinical tournament, may go to New Zealand. It is: D. O. Williams, S. Hofmeyr, L. Babrow, and A. D. Lawton. Hofmeyr and Babrow are brilliant young players wito have only just started their careers in big Rugby. Only when the selectors have announced tlie team for the North v. South match, and a curtain-raiser including players from Western Transvaal and North-eastern Cape, at Jo- 1 hannesburg on October 10, will tlie public everywhere know tlie “possibles and probables” for tlie New Zealand tour.