GAME IN WAIKATO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23160, 5 October 1938, Page 25

GAME IN WAIKATO

REM! ESENTATIVE SIDE LACKING IN FIVE.&tGHTHS —K ' V ' ;* NEED FOR TRAINING SCHEME f FROM OUIt OWN COUHKSI'ONDENT] .HAMILTON, Tuesday The iack , of, two first-class fiveeighths and the absence of some scheme under -which Waikato Rugby representatives' could train together prior to their, fixtures were revealed as the reatly urgent needs of Waikato football' during,the season just closed. The true standard of Rugby in the Waikato district will neyer be adequately shown by n representative team until it is given an opportunity to work up combination, The five-eighths, and often' the back'lin<y as>,a whole, were changed frequently during the season, and it was not' an uncommon thing for representative players to meet each other for the first time on the field of play. yThe "inability of the inside backs to combine resulted in the ball hardly ever reaching the threeqttarters, whiie the almost entire abspnco of brisk, clean passing was also a very, noticeable fsiult t The five-eighths selected would have played' much better had; they had an opportunity of, training together. The Waikato forwards always giye their side a oliance of victory, but the bncks seldom turned their opportunities to advantage. ** '■■■':■.. • The match against Auckland is usually the first that Waikato plays during the season, and. it is indeed an unhappy position that, year in and year out, Waikato take the field as indi-j viduals in this contest to meet sides that have been graining &nd practising together. It is to be hoped that the position is remedied next season. The Waikato representatives played seven games for three wins, three, losses and one draw. The Hamilton team contested three matches for one win and j two losses. Neither record is imposing, but if the faults that are only too! apparent are rectified next year both teams should meet with a much greater] measure of success. A feature of the season was the Ham- j ilton Rugby Union's inter-club competition for tne Stag Trophy. The championship was the closest in the history of the competition, and halfway through the second round seven teams all had a winning chance. Two teams, Frankton and Te Awamutu Rovers, finally divided the honours. They met four times during the season and in each case a draw" resulted.. Frankton's effort was a creditable one, as at the end of the first round it «was, the bottom team. It did not suffer a defeat in the second' round, however, playing grand football throughout. -•

' JUNIOR COMPETITIONS PERFORMANCE OF* MANUKAU The winners of the junior grade competitions of the Auckland Rugby Union were as follows: — . Reserve Grade. —Manukau. Junior Grade. —Grammar. Third Grade.—Grammar' and' Techni- • cal, bracketed. . . • ■ Intermediate Grade.- —Manukau. . Fourth Grade.—Suburbs. , Fifth Grade.—Parnell. Sixth Grade.—Otahnhu. * . Seventh .Grade. —Senior: Suburbs. Intermediates Takapuna and Otahubu, bracketed. Junior: Takapuna. < t The Southland Shield was \von by Technical, and the sitter football, for the club gaining- the, highest, sun?ber of championship points in all grades, was annexed by' Manukau for' the .third year in - succession. l*fr