RUGBY FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21233, 13 July 1932, Page 14

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

REPRESENTATIVE - CONTEST.

MATCH WITH NORTH AUCKLAND.

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP' GAMES.

Auckland's fourth representative Rugby match of the season will be played against North Auckland at Eden Park next Saturday. The Auckland pack remains the satna as that which played against Thames and in the second Waikato match, with tho exception that W. Batty, who did not play in the latter game, owing to an injury, now takes his place in preference to Wiklund. "While the selector appears to he satisfied with tho forwards, it is evident he is not so regarding tho backs. Two new five-eighths have been chosen, R. Stuart end Heazlowood taking the places of Weir and C. Stuart respectively. The firstnamed will have a great chance to make good and he will have to do well to gain future preference over Macindoe, Mulvihill and Jamieson. The three latter players are alt regular first five-eighths. Macindoe is fast off the mark and, what is essential for a player in this position, ho runs straight and uses his head. Mulvihill is a similar type of player, perhaps not quite 60 fast as Macindoe. Both these five-eighths played good games on Saturday. Jamieson has been showing better form of late and at his best would be a valuable acquisition to the toping team. Heazlewood Moved.

For half a club game earlier in the season Heazlewood came up from fullback to centre, where he gave a highly impressivo display, being quick off the mark nnd showing. that he knew what to do with tho ball when it came his way. He is a good, safe handler and may do well in his new position. Haslam, 'who played such a fine game against the British team last season, is

back in the side at centre. In his best

form ho would have littlo difficulty in retaining a position in the team, but he has not yet produced such • form this season. K. Carter's good showing in the match against Thames has retained for him his position on the left wing. - Tho selector is still looking for a right wing and on this occasion he has placed Cornthwaite there. Tho last-named is such a versatile player that he will no doubt do well on the wing. The policy of the selector in playing centres on the wing has not yet proved a success, however. It will be recollected that in tho match against, Thames three centres formed the threequarter line and the only one to prove a success was Corntbwaite, who occupied his usual position of centre. The moving-up of Heazlewood to the five-eighths, lines has made room for Bush at fullback. Although Bush made one or two mistakes on Saturday, he has been playing well, and the double-barrelled lane-kicking of him and Heazlewood should be of immense service to Auckland. Players Feel the Cold.

Rugby players generally voiced loud complaints against the action of the Auckland Rugby Union in deciding to go on ■with its matches on Saturday afternoon. Football, of course, is a winter game, and may be played under any conditions, but when one Saturday would make no difference it would have been a kindly action to consider the players, who were- nearly perished with the cold. There is no possibility of completing two rounds of tho senior championship and so the loss of one day would not have made any differ* ence. The public has been following the games each week with the greatest enthusiasm and the meeting of Grammar and University would have drawn a big crowd on a fine Judging by what was seen on Saturday, the teams would have given a great exhibition on a' dry ground and there will be many disappointed patrons who have hissed what should have been one of the brightest matches of the season. Grammar's lead is a handy one, as it means that the team will now have to be beaten twice before any other team can take first position. On present form it is not easy to select two teams capable of defeating the championship leaders, more especially as the second round will have to be considerably curtailed. There will be no championship matches next Saturday on account of the representative match against North Auckland, but the Pollard Cup competition will be commenced. The second round will open on Saturday week and then the team will leave on its Soothem tour. Twenty-two players will go South under the managership of the sole selectc/jr, Mr. F. E. Sutherland. The touring side/will be away four Saturdays, upon which the Pollard Cup games will be played in Auckland. / Inconsistent Rulings. Tho rulings of some of the referees in

eenior matches. this season have be?n a.

little inconsistent arid at times incorrect. . iWhen a scrum is formed near the goalline and the defending side; heels the ball back and forces it down, • another eoruin take place at the spot from where the ball was*heeled back. Yet there havo been occasions wfrfen referees have ordered a drop-out from the twenty-five. A question submitted to the New Zealand Rugby Union a few weeks ago was: When the ball is clear of the feet of the second-row forwards in a three-four-ouo scrum,;: can the back row man detach himself from the scrum and pick up the ball without retiring behind it? Tho answer given by the parent body was in the affirmative. Yet there have been instances at Eden Park since this ruling was given of controlling officials penalising the back-row man for picking up the ball. The All Blacks have now completed half their itinerary of matches in Australia, having played five, of the ten arranged. -They have been defeated only in the first test. To-morrow the All Blacks will play p Brisbane-IpsWich. team at Ipswich and tho second test Will be played there on' Saturday. The touring team will meet Darling Downs at Toowoomba next Wednesday and' the third test will bo played at Sydney on : Saturday week. A match against. Victoria at Melbourne on July 27 completes the tour.

ItUGHY DISTINCTION. -' v . r . • t r. .. , RECORD OF SIX PLAYERS. Apropos of the Iptir of tho All Blacks it is of interest to note that there is a select little band of six who have represented both New Zealand and New South Wales- on the Rugby field. These are:— F. Surman, New South Wales, 1884, and New Zealand, 1896; W. Hardcastle, New Zealand, 1897, and New South Wales, 1908; T.. Pauling, New Zealand, 1896, and Now South Wales, 1898; H. Y. Braddon, New Zealand, 1884, and New South Wales, 1888; J. New Zealand, 1884, and New South Wales, 1884; E. E. Booth, New Zealand, 1905 and 1907, and New South Wales, 1908. The lato T. Pauling, who was New Wales' most prominent referee from 3902 to 1908, controlled more representative fixtures in this country than any <rtbQr Official. Sir Henry Braddon rose to 4he presidency of the New South Wales Slugfiy Union. :