THE RUGBY GAME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20243, 1 May 1929, Page 18

THE RUGBY GAME.

INTERESTING COMPETITION. PONSONBY BACKS' DEFENCE. NEW ZEALAND SELECTORS. The surprise defeats of Ponsonby and University on Saturday at tho hands of Grammar Old Boys and Training College respectively will have the effect of making this year's competition most interest- ' ing. The results will do the game an immense amount of good and enthusiasts <:an look forward to some stirring contests in the near future. Spectators who have been following the game for years 'must have been delighted with the splendid exhibition of the Grammar Old Boys against Ponsonby. There were many old-time players who held the opinion that such forward play was a lost but their opinions must haVe been reversed after tho game. A good deal of credit for tho fbrward display is due to A. IT. Francis, All Black representative in 1907, 1908- and 1910. He had the vanguard ,under his care a fortnight before the match. Supporters of the team are now wondering whether; tho d'"splay was just, a flash and arc preparing themselves for the team to so down to,a much weaker combination as has been the- case in past seasons. However, with such a great pack a setback will occasion considerable surprise. Promising Players.

Tho old belief that a good forward team can, with reasonable support from its backs, always beat a good back team was borne out on Saturday. The usual perfect understanding between the Ponsonby backs Was missing except that between Lucas anu Cammick. There aro times, when it is vitally necessary for a hack to go down to check a forward rush, but throughout most of the game on Saturday the Ponsoubv backs decided otherwise, much to the detriment of the team. At tho same tune many of the Grammar rushes would'have taken a power of stop-

ping. Bell, the Grammar centre, who was a junior last. seasons-Showed great promise, and marked the experienced Lucas to such purpose that 'only once was the clever All Black able to get away. That once, however, resulted in a try for Ponsonby. / Corner, the halfback, was another player who caught the eye, and may follow in his father's footsteps in gaining a representative cap later on. By the form displayed in the match against Training College, University will have to improve vastly before it can hope to be in the /running for final honours this season. Last year, in their opening game against Grafton, the subsequent champions also met defeat, but their dis--1 play ort that occasion was superior to the sluggish exhibition on Saturday. Few of the members of the team appeared to be

fit. The new hookers must have made J- tho University hacks sigh for a few minutes of Hindeuach and Black, and two such brilliant wingers as Minns ancl Goodwin had to make for themselves the few opportunities they received faring the game. Ail Experimental Team. However, in Lome respects, it is; understood, University last Saturday fielded what was rea,lly an experimental team. Stotter will shortly be available for the

centre threequartcr position and other VJ hookers arc to be tried out. Naturally, University thought it would be safe to try experiments against Training College, but it did not <jk"pecfc to meet a combination of players so physically fit 'ancl so quick to profit by. the mistakes of others. Training College's display' on Saturday did not hav.fe the appearance of a mere iiash in the pari. The forwards, of course, have yet to be fully tested, but the backs ' J are a versatile and brilliant combination. G. L. Weir played halfback for Grammar Old Boys last year and at first fiveeighths for Training College ho seems to have invested liis football with -those qualities of coolness and soundness which j characterised his cricket during, tho namrner. .

With Connolly and Abbott opposed to Minns and Gdodwin four outstanding ving-threequafters ■jverc seen in action, in the one game. The Training College pair won, the honours of the day, due princij pally to the play of their ceutrc, G. D. Lawne, who generally heat Matheson and drew the wing outside. Connolly showed rare pace, while Abbott Was revealed as a most determined hrnricr, with a shrewd eye W an opening infield. A Reliable Player.

V. C. Butler is always a reliable player and, having fully recovered from the illness which presented him from doing himself justice in the Alt Black trials 6i 1927, he should have strong claims to wear again the national colours which he won for the first *;ime last year. He led /his team admirably on Saturday. He has magnificent physique for a fullback and he is constantly adding to his knowledge of Ilugby tactics. - Technical College Old Boys, the new senior team this season, will be watched with interest after its initial success. It is composed chiefly of, young players, fast and willing, but it is open to doubt whether the forwards will he able to stand up to the heavier packs. They had the better of the Marist pack last Saturday, but'the Marist pack was not composed of seven fii men. R. Coupcr, of Technical, is,a further addition to Auckland's long list of good ' wingers'. Si; Hadley played his typically game for Marist and will doubtless: be •a■ force •in the representative side* later in the season. Auckland Selector.

Aucklanders will bo pleased that G. Nicholson, ISO 3-4-5-7 All Black, lias been appointed to the New Zealand selection •committee. There arc three changes from ]ast Reason's selectors. T. Mil'iken, Canterbury, did not seek re-election and is replaced by W. /Maxwell, of the same - province. Maxwell, although light,, was si fine forward in his time and represented the South Island in 1912. His football ! was cut short/yheii he lost a log in the Great War. Another new member is A. McDonald, Otago, ! who replaces A. Adams, West Coast. McDonald represented New Zealand in 1905-7 8-13. ]<l McKenzic, Wairarapa (chairman), N. McKenzie (Hawke's Bay) and A. Geddes (Southland) are the other members of the committee and have acted in this capacity for several seasons; Four teams dva to be entered in the Rugby Union competitions by thci re-cently-formed Is'orthcote and Birkenhead Club. Two. of the teams will be third intermediate grade, one fourth grade and the other seventh grqcle A. Over 70 players have been./ enrolled and the promising material- "available augurs well for .the future prospects of !ho new. club. Some 50 players indulged in practice on Saturday afternoon in Little Shoal Bay reserve. The third team bait tl.o fourth team by 8 points-to 3. , The Waikato Rugby team his generally- fielded a good set. of forwards' and in the annual match against Auckland oil Juno 3 the Waikato pack will i» all probability be strengthened by the inclusion of a new forward from (ho Sontlt .'lsland, E. Halstcad, who represented South Canterbury lapt season. Ifalitead was recently transferred to Hamilton and liejntends to play for the Old Boys' Club. Although he flayed rover for South Canterbury in mosj, of that union's representative games last season, ITalstead is keen to pack down on the side of the "-'scrum again'. Si ill a young player., lie stands 6ft. 2in,, weighs 13sL. 71b.. and has a fair turn' of speed. He should be ' a valuable newcomer to Waikato Rugby. ■ ■* i. ' •