RUGBY FOOTBALL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21807, 23 May 1934, Page 17

RUGBY FOOTBALL

THE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP AVOIDANCE OF RELEGATION FIRST REPRESENTATIVE GAME A correspondent has requested a scttinf cut. of the arrangement to come into effect at the end of the first round of tho Auckland Rugby Union's senior 'championship. The position is that at the end of the first round the six leading teams will comprise the A grade for the remainder of the season. Jhe B erado will be composed of the remaining throe'teams in the present seniors ind the three leading teams in the present B section. The leading team in the B section at the end of tho season will go yip to the A grade next year, making seven teams in the first grade. Tho leading' team iu the C section will be promoted to the 13 section, while the remaining C "grade teams will revert to the junior competition. The anxiety of the various teams to retain their status in the A section has no doubt li6d an effect upon the play bo far this season. This fact is borne out by the even nature of the championship competition to date and the surprise defeats inflicted upon what were hitherto regarded as/ the strongest teams. The first round will not be concluded until June 23, and so, between now and that date, there/ will be some keenly-con-tested and exciting matches. Manukau in Lead Manukau/has a lead of four points at* present, but, seeing this team has not had its bye, it is actually only one win to the good over Grammar and Grafton. Manukau is the only unbeaten team so fat, and it looks one of the certainties to remain in the first six at the end of ihe opening round. Ihe contest to avoid relegation appears at the moment to, lie between four teams at the bottom of 'the list, and here the tussle for the survival of the fittest will be an earnest one. Taking a line through the way the matches have gone ,up to' the present, it is difficult to state which three teams will drop to the B section at the conclusion of tlie first round. There is /also keen competition going on in the /'senior B grade. The Eden, North Shore and University teams have nil won four matches each, and so are level in championship points. Tho senior matches for Saturday next will be as follows: —College Rifles v. Grammar, Ponsonby v. Manukau, Grafton v. Marist, Otahuhu v. Technical, University, a bye. Grammar, Manukau, Grafton and Technical will be the favourites in their respective matches, but will they all win? Grammar appears to have the hardest task. Selector's Problem As the day approaches for the first representative contest of the seasonthat against Waikato at Hamilton on June 4—the problem confronting the sole selector, Mr. V. R. Meredith, is not becoming any . easier. The choice ol: forwards does not look like presenting many difficulties, as there as several good men offering, and, as usual, some are going to be unfortunate. A few of the backs selected for practice have, not shown form anything like representative standard, and they will have to improve a great deal if triey hope to gain and retain their positions. This applies more particulaly to tho ■ five-eighths and wing-threequarters. Two five-eighths who came prominently under the eye at Eden Park last Saturday were Murdoch, of Technical Old Boys, and/ McCormick, College Rifles. Both played very fine games in their respective positions, and, being young, • they are likely to rise to greater heights. Wales was another back who created \a good impression. He is undoubtedly an improved player, capable of occupying either? the second five-eighths or centre positions. Haslam, who playec! such a fine game against tho British team in 1930, proved beyond any doubt on Saturday last that he is far from being a aj>ent light. Halfbacks' Weakness Brown, the College Rifles wing, displayed much dash last Saturday against Manukau,. and Smith, of Marist, is another who would show up well in good company. The match at Hamilton will find out weaknesses, if there are any, in the Auckland team, as the Waikato team looks like being a strong one, both back and forward. One serious defect in back play in Auckland is that both the five-eighths, centre and wings are too frequently smothered with tho ball. This is due in many instances to the habit developed by halfbacks of running too much with the ball. Variation of play is all very well, and 13 quite necessary, but, since the elimination of the wing-forward, halfbacks have lost that nippiness and ability to get tho ball away smartly from the base of the scrum. The result) has been that tho backs further out have been compelled to stop in their stride and take the ball practically flatfooted. Hence tho paucity of spectacular passing rushes. In past seasons Rugby in the Tarawa ki Province has been played in two divisions, the winner of each meeting to decide tho provincial champion. Thin year a new scheme whereby each team meets every other has been introduced and is finding more favour with tho public.

The performance of Union, the bottom team in the Otago Pugby championship, in drawing 11-all with Alhambra, the leading team, last Saturday, demonstrates that other centres are experiencing surprises similar to those being produced in Auckland Rugby this season. Alhambra, Southern and Pirates are now level at the head of the championship in Dunedin with 6 points, University A having 5 and Kaikorai and Jiingari <l.