RUGBY FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19717, 17 August 1927, Page 15

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

THE MANAWHENUA TEAM.

SOME NOTES ON THE PLAYERS.

fBV TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] PALMERSTON NORTH. Tuesday.

The Manawhenaa Rugby team left this morning on their tour of a portion of the North Island. They are to meet King Country at Ohakune to-morrow, and Auckland on the following Saturday. They will play Waikato at Hamilton on August 24 and Wellington at Wellington on August 27. Members of the team are drawn from the northern and southern ends of the districts of Manawatu and Horowhenua. The club football has not been of a particularly high standard in recent years, still Masawhenua has always been an unknown quantity in the football world On the occasion of their victory over Wairarapa this season the better team undoubtedly won. The Manawhenua forwards followed up like Trojans, keeping the Wairarapa hacks almost always on the defensive On the other hand, the backs are only fair, and the fact that Brophy, the brilliant five-eighths, was injured in the match at Carterton has not improved matters

The average age of the Manawhenua backs is about 21 years their weight on the average is 12 Btone The average age of the forwards ia 25 years. They are a hefty lot, averaging over 13 stone. The oldest man in the team is Jacob, the captain, who is 33 years old He knows the game and plays it as a wing-forward should. He is always after the ball and is not to be enticed into playing the man. Of the backs, Mullins and Macdon.ald are generally safe, but not brilliant, while Roberts and Parata are at times well in the limelight. The forwards are fast and heavy and they tackle well. Their scrum and line-out work generally is good and they follow up well. There may be no stars among them, but Parsons, Galfin, Heatley and others can always bo depended upon to put up a good game. The team can be summed up as one that will give a good exhibition of forward play and the backs may get going. There are, however, no star-backs like Cooke, or any forwards like the Brownlie3 or Quentin Oonald. NEW THAMES RUGBY GROUND. TRIBUTE TO MR. R. M. RHODES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] THAMES. Tuesday. The Thames Rugby Onion met last evening, Mr. R. M. Rhodes presiding. It was decided to play Paeroa at Paeroa on Aug-ust 20 and at Thames on September 24. Mr. J. M. Crosby was selected referee. A request from Coromandel Union for a return match with Thames was referred to the Match Committee. < On the motion of J M. Murray it was resolved to name the union's new playing area Rhodes Park in recognition of the services of Mr. R. M. Rhodes. WAIPA UNION PLAYERS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TE AWAMUTU, Tuesday. The Waipa Rugby Union's representative team to meet Matamata at Te Awamutu' on Saturday in an elimination match in connection with challenges for the Peace Cup will be chosen from the following:—F. Nesdale, B. O'Halloran R Hunt, F. Beet, J. Macßae, E Storey. H UrquhaJ-t, L. Kay, E. Kirk. H. Fergus. R. Head, S. Macky, fi. Wilkes, L. Shepherd J. Davis, B. Kelly, M. Wenter, F. McDonald, P. Quin. The Waipa junior representative team to travel to Auckland has been altered since first selected and now comprises Johnston, Gregory, Glasgow W. Pollard, Hagen, _G. Cruickshank, Grace. Owens, Long, Crozier, R. Parish. Skinner. Brill. Balme. Foley. F. Johnson, Taylor, R. Jackson. The final for the Teddy Shield competed for by the Waikato and King Country District High School representatives is to be Elayed here on Saturday between Otoroanga, southern section winners, and Cambridge, northern section winners. J TURUA AND WAIT AKA RUBU. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] THAMES, Tuesday. The game between the Turua and Waitakaruru Rugby teams for the Stretton Cup ended in a draw, neither side scoring. The teams will play again for the trophy next Saturday. The Ngatea junior team defeated Turua B by 3 points to 0 and will meet Turua A in the shield final on Saturday.