RUGBY SEASON OF 1931.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20858, 28 April 1931, Page 14

RUGBY SEASON OF 1931.

OPENING ON SATURDAY.

THE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. , ' I

! PROSPECTS, OF THE TEAMS

several notable defections

The 1931 Rugby season in Auckland will on Saturday next, when the first round of matches in the senior championship will be played. Iho annual meeting of delegates to the New Zealand Rugby Union will decide in Wellington to-morrow whether there will be a reverfcion to the old rules, or a continuance of play under the dispensations which have been in existence for somo seasons past. However, no matter what rules are played, tho prospects are for a bright season. The tour of tho British team last year gave Rugby an additional boost, the /good results ot. which are likely to bo felt during the coining winter.

There is naturally a good deal of speculation as to % strength of the various fcenior teams. The forward position occupied by Ponsonby for several seasons has been the (neans of placing that combination before the public more than any ether side. This year, however, occupants of the facing No. 1 ground at Eden Park will miss some familiar faces from the-Ponsonby team. F. W. Lucas, who has led the team to ▼ictory in the successes it has gained in the past five years, will be the most missed figure aj; Eden Park. He has decided to give ' the game best, and his place will be hard to fill in tho club team as well as in representative football. Two oth,er backs who will be mis Bine are L. llook, who has, taken up his residence in Hamilton,- and G. McLeod, who has gonn abroad.

R. G. MeWilliams, the club's star forward of the past/ few seasons, has retired. C. Satherly, one of Manukau s best front row moil last year, has joined Ponsonby and he will W a welcome addition to the pack. Jamieson, Cammick and I raser •will all be playing again in the back division. The vacancies in the team will » be made up from the club's junior ranks, which have strong for some time past. Newdick, a Mount Albert Grammar School forward of two or three seasons ago, should strengthen the pack. Grammar Old Boys. There will be some vacancies to fill in the GrammaV Old Boys' team, lhe most prominent dejection here is that of L. Knight, has retired from the playing field, although, in conjunction with Mr. V. R. Meredith, he will coach the club's junior fifteen// In the hands of such experienced mentors the juhiors of this seaton should be ' found in a higher grade

next year. L. Greville, another good forward, has laid aside his togs, while G. L. W.eir and A. M. Matheson are away with the Kew . Zealand'cricket team. Weir's position in the five-eighths line will be hard to fill as he vvas a brainy player. W. Batty and A. Knight, the two All Blacks, will be in the pack again, and they shpuld bfe capable leaders for the juniors who j .will be promoted to fill the vacancies. There is likely to he keen competition for places in tf(e front. row and also for ether vacancies in the pack, which will not have quite so much weight as last year. H. Webb and W. M. Mclndoe, formerly of Shore, will probably fLI the five-eighths positions. Bell, who has had a season's -fepell owing to a knee injury, will be playing once more at centre. The', team will be coached by A. Francis.

Prospects of University

The prospects of University fielding a strong side loo,!* rosy, in spite of the fact that some of the leading players of last season will be absent. F. C. Minns, the Speedy wirtgery is in England; McKay, one of the has gone to Whangarei; Douglas, a hooker, has returned to Otago; while tfolly, the wing-forward, has taken up liis residence in Wellington. The club 'has gained Peacock, who played for ' Otago University and the Otago representative team last year. He formerly was a member of the Auckland Training College fifteen and represented the province two seasons ago. Since then Peacock has put on a good deal of weight and great things are expected of him this vear.'t

jNtcVeagh, who played for Marist last year and gained B representative honours, will be / assisting University this winter. Colgan, who played in 'the fifteen a coi/ple of seasons ago, has returned to take his place in the pack, while a further acquisition is Gray, a forward in the Otago University first fifteen last year.

The team's greatest gain in the back division is Caughey, who captained King's College last year. He is expected to be one of Jhe stars in senior football this season. Carter, who formerly played five-eighths, bjfit wJio had a spell last winter, is turning out again. Other newcomers in the back division are Bunt, who played halfback tor the VVestland representatives last/ season, and Wilcox, ol .Huntly, who played second five eighths for W'aikato.

S&und Fifteen,

City will field a sound fifteen this season with a good sprinkling of young players of proved ability. The backs will be fast ai/ld nippy and the forwards, as has been the case in the past, should be capable of extending any oilier pack. The tearn is not yet finally selected, but will in all probability be chosen from the following:—Fullback: IX Kerr-Taylor, winner of the trophy for the best allround player last season. Taylor played in several positions last year and proved himself resourceful. He should make a good custodial. Wing-threequarters: 0. A. Evans, laie of Taranaki, E. G. Carter, and T. Hill, late of Paniell. The new members. Evans and Hill, are players of more than average ability and should do well. Centre: H. Crook, who filled the position last/ season, has vastly improved and now carries a little more weight. Fivoeighths: A. Berridge and R. W. Stehr, , who should prove equal to the best in the competition. Halfback: A. Babbage, formerly of University, a reliable player >vho is not afraid to sijand up to his work. The forwards will comprise C. Sberjma tl A. C.' Bridle/ N.- Hartley, H. Barnes, V. Logan, 8. Whitehead, Mather,

Dodd, Holt, Kelly and Roberts. Sherman and Bridle will be the front row men. The first-named is an experienced hooker, while Bridle is a promoted junior who showed great promise lai>t season. The pack will be well balanced. The club has adopted the policy of promoting all juniors who were outstanding last season.

Cups Annexed

Prospects of the Marist Club enjoying a more successful season this year are fairly bright. This club commenced thn season well by annexing the Spillane and Moran Cups at Easter time in.the annual competition at Hamilton for Marist clubs of tho North Island

The forwards will bo strengthened by the inclusion of \V, E. Hadley, who has been reinstated from the League code, and this means that the three Hadley brothers will play in tho vanguard. No doubt S. Hadley, tho All Black, will prove the leader of the pack, which should present a formtdablo opposition, especially in scrum work.

The rearguard lias been considerably strengthened by the decision of Ryan, an ex-North Auckland representative, to play with the team. Ryan is a solid type of player who came into prominence for a good exhibition against the British team at YVhangarei last season and later against Auckland at Eden Park when the local representatives were defeated by North Auckland. Providing he retains his form Ryan should have a good chance 'of gaining provincial honours. He plays in the first five-eighths position, but should be equally at home outside a player like Jamieson, of Ponsonby. Another newcomer to the back division •is Harris, an ex-Hawke's Bay player, but his position in the line is not yet definite. Outside those mentioned the personnel of the Marist team will be much the same as that of last year. Weakness of Manukau. The Manukau Club will field the weakest side it has had for several seasons, and will experience difficulty in obtaining a fifteeen up to senior standard. The team will comprise 13 now players, only 'lurei and Stewart of last year's side being available. H°wever, the club is strong in junior players, and several who are to be promoted may maxe good in tho higher grade. All Rughy followers will regret to hear that Kaliu, the bij? Maori forward, is at present in hospital suffering from a strained back. He has been in the institution for th 6 past two months, and is likely to remain there for at least another month. Although he is anxious to don thb jersey agjin, it is probable his playing days are over owing to the nature of his injury. Another fine forward, C. Sathcrly, has joined the Ponsonby Club, and J. Brimble do;s not intend to play.

Jones, who showed promise last season of developing into a fine five-eighths in good company, is in Taumarunui, and there is no possibility of his coming to Auckland each Saturday to take the field. The clever little halfback Bycrs is doubtful about playing, and McGuire, a fine type of forward, and Albon, who has married, are two others unable to take the field this season.

Brightei Prospects

The College Riiles Club has lost all but seven of its list year's seniors, and so will be placing practically a new fifteen in the field. The prospects, however, are brighter than last year. There is likely to be a well-balanced pack comprised mostly of junior players. The club's junior fifteen won its section last season, being beaten by'Ponsonby in the final

The outstanding junior candidates for places in lhe first fifteen are:—Dickey, fullback; Vere, first five-eighths; llelliwell, centre or wing-threequarter; Jolson, Williams and Clarke, forwards. The team has gained du Temple, who fortnerly represented the club, but who has been playing regularly in Canada for the past three years. Rae, a Manawhcnua representative forward, will strengthen the pack.

Grafton's Improvement,

Grafton promises to field a better allround team than last year. There have been good attendances at training, and the general keenness displayed augurs well for the opening on Saturday. The yde will be as fit as my other when it lines out. G. Palmer, who was the best back in the Bay of Plenty last season, will be a decided acquisition. He plays in the five-eighths lire. Paton, the Marathon fullback last year, will occupy a similar position with Grafton this season. He is verv safe and sound.

The forwards will again bo led by A. Finlayson, who will liavo some extra assistance on thin occasion. Thomas, an ex-North Auckland back-row man, who toured with tho northern representative side last season, will be in the Grafton pack, which' has also acquired an Auckland B representative front-row man of last year. The biggest loss v sustained is the transference to Technical Old Boys of Saunders, one of last year's fiveeighths.

Acquisitions from Taranaki,

Trainirtg College lias but six of last year's tiileen left, and so t4ie side will be'practically a new one. The most notable detections are those of Ft. 0. Busli, the Auckland representative fullback and who is now playing for Otago Llni\eisity; Connolly, the speedy tlireerpiarter, who was of great service to the team last season, but who is now residing in Taumarunui; and j\lcKarlane, who plt.yed either on the wing or at centre. Several of the forwards will also be iri'issing. The team has acquired two players from Taranaki, who E.ro regarded as< great assets. They are Grossman, halfback, and Townsend, second live eighths. Both are expected to produce high-class football during the coming season. Davies, who played second live-eighths last year, has moved to fullback, in which position he is looked upon as being almost the equal of Bush. The side will he lighter than last season, but the back division will be a better average one tliar previously.

Good Back Team,

Like the otlu:r teams Technical Old Boys has had its share of losses since lastyear, but it has quite a number of goodplayers to call or! lo till the vacancies. The most notable absentees will be Malcolm, a trout row forward who is now in invciviirgili * C. Keane, wing-forward, who has gone to Hciensvillc; Edgars and Bishop, two goo J (orwards; and Couper, vving-thrccqiiai'icr. Malcolm's position will bo filled by Walker, a promoted junior. D. Keane, who played fullback last season, will move up to wing-forward. Perfect, a South Auckland forward, is expected to find a place in "he pack, and Spiers and Jones, two good junior forwards of last year, are almost certain to earn promotion. A Keane, Nelson and Blow, three of the best forwards last season, will all Le playing again. The piospects in (lie back division arc particularly bright; in fact team of hacks may turn out to be better than any in the competition. Saunders, first five-eighths, fonierlv of Grafton, is expected to do well this year in a stronger side. J. Ross, a Taranaki man who is able to play in either the five-eighths or threcquarter line, is hailed as a footballer of class. Hogg, who was injured and did not turn out lust season, will bo found at fullback. Harris, last year's halfback, and tinslam and Turbctt, the five-eighths, will foim the same combination behind the scrum. Common, wing-threequarter, is again available, and there are two or three possibilities for the other wing.