COMING MATCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23058, 8 June 1938, Page 20

COMING MATCH

FIXTURE ON SATURDAY PERSONNEL OF THE TEAMS CHANGES FROM LAST YEAR NEW BACK COMBINATIONS ' .The annual inter-island Rugby match will be played at Athletic Park, Wellington, on Saturday next, and it will have special importance for those engaged. Players in both teams will he under the watchful eye of Mr. E. McKenzie, of Wairarapa, who has been entrusted with the sole selection of the All Black team which is to tour Australia later in the season. Mr. McKenzie stated at Hamilton on Monday, however, that he would not necessarily confine his selection to those who take part in the inter-island contest. The teams this year differ a good deal from those which took the field at Wellington on July 10 last season. Sullivan, Phillips and Grossman are the only three backs in the North side to retain their places. Sullivan was on the wing last year and is now at centre. Cameron and Russell have taken the places of D. Solomon and Clothier as second five-eighths and halfback respectively, so that it is practically a new inside back formation. >• Jackson, Lambourne and Dalton formed the front row of the North scrum last year, and now Lambourne is omitted, Dalton takes the hooker's position and Pearce that of the latter. Bowman and McKenzie are the only other forwards to retain their places. Bowman was injured in the first spell of last year's game and was replaced bv Anderson, of Auckland. Carson is in the back of the scrum in the position vacated by Pearce. Taylor, Morrison and Mitchell are the only South backs who were seen last year. The latter, who captained the side, plaved at centre, but is now on the wing' A clean sweep has heen of the inside backs, who on th « Jast occasion comprised tban-Hooner. This trio has given way to SaxtoS-B.rgh.n-Botots, ing South Canterbury, Otagoi and U est Coast respectively —a widely distributed choice, more especially as the centre, Wesnev, hails from Southland. Mi Hi ken, King and Parkhill are the only three forwards who took part in last year's match, so that the South team has undergone a g re ater change than that of the North,.: seeing that nine players in the latter v> ere . jngton last season against only six trom "year's match was won by South by 30 points to 21. Trie.. for the winnprs wor© scored by Mitclioll —)> vfn Morrison and Cobden.. Trevathan converted three tries and kicked three SVf. f°' <in ' on K„rth TolCk Crossman scored for North. JL ouo converting all the tries and g itwo penalty goals. / .representative play AUCKLAND TEAMS' WINS RETURN WAIKATO MATCH The Auckland representatives started off the season well with a handsome win over Waikato at Hamilton on Monday, while the second fifteen proved too strong for Thames at Eden Park. Ihe match at Hamilton was quite satisfactory from an Auckland point of view. The forwards played with plenty of dash, Hull being perhaps the most prominent right throughout. Only good tackling and smart moving up on their opponents by the Jaikato backs prevented the Auckland from running up more points in the first spell The latter dominated the situation in the second spell, with the resu t that some spectacular tries were scored. Dick was the bright star, his trick} runs proving too much for the opposite attack of the inside backs would bo smartened up a good deal by a haltback with the ability and ™PPiness of Corner. As it is there should be better understanding when the team next takes the field. This_will be m the return game against Waikato at Eden Park on Saturday week. , , Apart from any improvement the selector may think fit to effect, the team as a whole demonstrated in its first match that it possesses undoubted ibilitv. both back and forward, and will/ be harder to dispose °f when the Payers themselves have remedied the snialldefects that were in evidence on Monday last. . CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES ENDING OF FIRST ROUND The last series of games in the first round of the Auckland Rugby Union s senior competition will be P la y ed next Saturday afternoon. , One of the key matches will be decided, that between Grafton and Grammar, which lead in tho championship with Ponsonby, each having 10 points. 'lhorc is bound to be much interest in the outcome of this particular match, and on recent performances the result is not easy to foreCa 'Poiisonby, which has been drawn to meet University, should maintain lis position, and, unless the Grafton-Gram-mar encounter is drawn, two teams \\ ll be left at the top of the ladder at the completion of the round. Ihe c^ ec ' lsl °"® in the other contests will not affect the leading position. Marist, which at present has six points, has been matched with North Shore, which has seven points, and here an even game shou d bo witnessed if the former is at full of relegation is at stake in tho match between Manukau and Otahuhu. Bv reason of its win over Uni versitv last Saturday Otahuhu now has two points and Manukau has three, Ihe loser will go down into the second division. The prospects favour Manukau if it can reproduce the fonn it clis played last week when it extended Grafton. ___ PROMOTION 3"OR TECHNICAL SECOND DIVISION COMPETITION Plav in the second division next Saturday will decide which teams will be seen in the second round of the senior first division matches foi thi Jubilee Trophy. One thing is certain, Technical will be one of the teams to come up. Until last week technical led TaU a pun a bv one point. When these, two teams met on Saturday Technical won and improved its position by two points. Lying in second place now are Training Collego and Takapuna, with eight points each * Takapuua will meet College Rifles, which has only one win to its credit, next Saturday, and should win if previous performances can be taken as u criterion. Training College lost to Tnleapuna and Technical, and will meet a fairly strong team in Suburbs, which is immediately behind with seven points. In the event of Takapuna losing its match the winner of the Training Col-lege-Suburbs game will go into the first division. Technical will meet the lowest team on the ladder, Northcote, while and the former with four points and the latter with six. will play in the remaining contest.