RUGBY FOOTBALL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21263, 17 August 1932, Page 15

RUGBY FOOTBALL

AUCKLAND TOURING TEAM

RANFURLY SHIELD FIXTURE

CORNER AND SOLOMON TO PLAY

The success /of the Auckland touring team against Wellington made its prospects bright for matches in tho South tut the two rather severe reverses suffered at the hands of Otago and Southland respectively came as a disappointment to 'Auckland enthusiasts. The injury to Carter has severely handicapped the leam as slthough Ja.nieson is reported to be playing a fail" ganie at halfback lie is a far greater asset to the side as a five-eighths. The inability of Solomon and Corner to go on with the team after the Wellington match greatly weakened the touring side. The absence of two such experienced players would make a vast, difference to Auckland's all-round strengtn. It appears when the Auckland forwards .were beaten in both the Otago and Southland matches the backs failed badly As a set. The southern provinces always field

clever forwards who are especially adept /.at dribbling. Most of the Auckland backs did not relish these rushes and made weak efforts to check their progress. With Corner behind the scrum it is safe to assume that the majority of these would have been checked at the commencement and the confidence in him would have had a r -.. great effect an the team as a whole. The Auckland team will play the West Coast representatives at Ureymout.li today and the final match of the tour against Canterbury at- Christchurch on Saturday. Great interest centres in the Canterbury game as it will be for the Ranfurly Shield. Auckland' was the first holder 6f the trophy from 1902 to 1904. It lost the shield to Wellington in 1904 and won it Lack tho following season, then holding possession until 1913 when Taranaki lifted the trophy. Auckland has not held possession since that season. In spite of its failure against Otago and } Southland Auckland should have good prospects of lifting the shield from Canterbury. The southern province has not proved as strong as in other seasons judging by its rather poor showing against South Canterbury last Saturday. Auckland will be represented by its strongest fifteen and local enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that Solomon, Corner and Bush are to leave for the south by train this evening. It is understood Heazlewood is suffering from an injured > shoulder. The fact that Bush has been asked to

go south for the final match makes it certain he is to play. In many quarters lie inspires much more confidence than Heazlewood and there is little doubt but for an injury early in the season Bush would have'been selected for the All Black team .which toured Australia recently. To date the touring team has played live ma f clips, winning three and losing two. Follwiving is the record:— Against Hawkc's Bay.—Won. 10—8. Against Wairarapa.—Won, 12—3. Against Wellington.—Won. 24—14. Against Ota go.—Lost, 5—17. Against Southland.—Lost, 8—32. Points for, -59; points against, 74.

An Auckland representative team will meet South Auckland at Eden Park on Saturday. A better exhibition is expected than that in the match against Thames last Saturday. TEfc a'nnual Rugby match between the first fifteens of Auckland Grammar School and New Plymouth High School will be played at New Plymouth on Saturday. This season New Plymouth has not played as well as in former years, so that Grammar, which has won the last three matches, has a good chance of winping again."

BOXING RING AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS RECORD ENTRIES RECEIVED That amateur boxing in Auckland is still improving its position in the favour of the younger generation is shown by the record entries which have been received by the Northern Boxing Association for the Auckland provincial amateur championships, which will be held in the Town Hall next, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Last year over 70 entries were received, establishing a record for New Zealand. This year more than 80 amateurs will compete, which augurs well for the coming season when a revival in boxing is expected. Not only will all the well-known local amateurs be competing but also a few good fighters of three or four years ago. With the addition of a much larger entry than usual from country districts, the tourney promises to be very successful. Perhaps the most surprising feature of the entries is the increase in the number of competitors in the heavier divisions. .Usually the feather and light-weight classes carry the largest number of entries, with welter-weight and middleweight next, and light-heavy-weight, heavy-weight, fly-weight and bantamweight last on the list. Competitors in the last-mentioned divisions have not usually had to fight many times, but according to the entries received there will be a change this year. The light-weight class heads the list with 16 entries, followed by welter-weight 14, middle 11, feather li, fly 11, heavy 8, light-heavy 7, and bantam 4. These figures, however, will probably undergo some alteration, as some of the boys usually weigh-in at a higher figure than they expect. A further cause for alteration, especially in thp case of country entries and novices, is that fon the first time in amateur championships the divisions will btfclassed under the professional scale, as follows, the previous weights being given in parentheses Fly-weight, Bst. (7st. 101b.); bantam, Bst. 6lb. (8st); feather, 9st. (9st.) ; ' light, 9st. 91 b. (10st.); welter, lOst. 71b. (lOst. 91b.); middle, list. 61b. (list. 41b.); light-heavy, 12st. 71t>. (12st.); heavy, over 12st. 7ib. (over 12st.). Cyril Smith, the Takapuna featherweight who has been showing such promising work, will be unable to compete at the amateur championships on account of business reasons. Smith is a clever two-handed boxer-fighter, who was considered to be the most likely to take the title in the absence of Bobbie I'urdie, who visited the Olympic Games.

WICKETS FOR CRICKET

SLOW BOWLERS' DIFFICULTIES

C. Geary, (lie Leicester and England Cricketer, is bewailing the fact that in these days it. is practically impossible to make the ball turn on the over-prepared .wickets, so beloved of the modern groundsman. Geary says he has almost worn his lingers to the bono in a heart-break-ing effort to spin tho ' ball, and the majority of other spin bowlers tell a similar tale.

The Cambridge bowler, F. Jl. Brown, is an exception, however. Slrudwick, the famous wicketkeeper, asserts that if Brown has one fault it is that he overspins the ball. lie makes it turn too much, says Strudwick, and that is why Bi •own should be more effective in Australia, where it is extremely difficult to turn the ball on the sunbaked wickets*