RUGBY FOOTBALL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10956, 19 July 1921, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL

TO MEET SPRINCBSKS IVEL LINGTON REPRESENTATIVE TEAM CHOSEN. A STRONG COMBINATION. Tho following team has been selected to represent Wellington against the Springboks on Saturday next: — Full-back, Siddells (University). Three - quarters, Ryan (Petone), Markham (Marist), Aitken (University). Five-eighths, E. Roberts (Athletic), M. Nicholls (Petone).

Half, H E; Nicholls (Petone). Forwards: Wing, E. King (Poneke); back rank, S. Shearer (Poneke), Parker (Petone); sides, Price (Petone) and Bruce (Athletic); lock, Moffitt (Oriental) ; hookers, Standeh (Berhampore), Hughes (Poneke). Reserves: Forwards, Hanson (University), Malin (Berhampore), De Clifton (Selwyn) ; backs, Jackson (University). B. Algar was not available owing to injuries. As the South Africans do not play a wing-forward King will be played as a ‘ rover.” The team will train at Poneke gymnasium to-night at 7.45. All members must be present, and any player not training will be replaced. Residents of the Otaki district will be pleased to learn that Mr W. H. Field, M.P., has been successful in his request to the Minister to have the evening train from Wellington delayed on Saturday. The train, which usually leaves at 4.13 p.m., will be delayed till 5.52. A REMARKABLE TRIBUTE REFEREE’S PRAISE OF VISITORS. During the course of the meeting of the Wellington Referees’ Association last evening, Mr A. E. Neilson, who refereed in the match Springboks v. Wanganui, paid a very high tribute to the visiting sportsmen. He stated that he had no trouble at "any stage of the game, and not once did tho visitors make an appeal for off-side or any breach of the rules. Their sportsmanship was of a very high quality. A noticeable feature o-f their play was that* they never called mark for a fair oatch off a forward pass, or passed any remark about decisions. Their play was very clean and their whole idea seemed to centre upon playing a good clean game of football.

COMPLAINTS BY REFEREES ADMISSION TO SPRINGBOKS* MATCHES. The annual weekly meeting of the Wellington Referees’ Association was held last evening, Mr R. T. Bailey presiding . over an attendance of sixteen members. A letter was received from the Auckland association with reference to concessions granted to referees throughout the Dominion by the N.Z.R.U. for the Springbok matches. The letter stated that, apart from special thanks in the annual reports of Rugby Unions, very little consideration was given to referees, and the Auckland association felt that it was a slight on the associations in New Zealand that the N.Z.R.U. should now acknowledge their services and issuing to eaoh individual referee a ticket which admits him to the ground only,, but does not include a lady. The Auckland association asked the Wellington association for support in a straight-out application to the N.Z.R.U. that referees should be issued with a pass to admit himself and his lady, not only to the ground, but also to che stand, and that such pass be available for all Springbok matches.

The Auckland association forwarded the following resolution, which has been forwarded to all associations whore the Springboks are playing: “That this association strongly protests against the action of the N.Z.R.U. in granting merely ground passes to referees for admission to Springbok matches. In view of the services which are rendered each week by all referees, this association is of the opinion that all affiliated referees’ associations should support this protest, with a view to obtaining proper recognition of services rendered, and to request that the N.Z.R.U. issue to all members of referee®’ associations complimentary passes for ground, enclosure, or stand.” In the course of discussion it .was stated that as complimentary passes were being issued to members of the N.Z. Rugby Union and the Wellington Rugby Union and their ladies the request of the referees was a reasonable one, and it was decided to give wholehearted support to the Auckland resolution.

® j - It was decided that Mr R. T. Bailey _; should represent the association at the ' m official welcome to the Springboks in Wellington. i . : l A COINCIDENCE [ WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF? • At last night’s meeting of the' Wellington Referees’ Association, Mr J. Mofiitt mentioned a noteworthy coincidence in connection with the test match between N.Z. and the Springboks at Athletic Park on August 13th. X In 1904, on August 13th, New Zealand 8 played a test against Beddell-Siev- • wnght’s English fifteen at Athletic • Park and won by 9 points to 3. SevenL teen years later will history Repeat itself? ' I ARRIVAL AT PALMERSTON : NORTH. • Per Press Association. l\ PALMERSTON N., July 18. ’ The South African footballers arriv- , ed here this afternoon, and were met .' by the Rugby Union officials.. Many . | motor-cars were waiting to take them >; on a cruise round the district. There ■ | was no official reception, thib being [ j merely a temporary stop, and the visi- , i tors proceed to Masterton to-morrow. 1 William Zeller, the speedy centre three- ! quarter, a member of the Springboks ■ team, is a nephew of Mrs L. Aspland, of 1 j Wellington. | Mr J. W. Stead, vice-captain of the | “All-Blacks,” 'has been appointed man- : ager of the New Zealand, team for the first Test match against tho Springboks, ! to’ bo played: at Dunedin on August 13tll, , and is also to coach the team. j . Speaking at a dinner accorded to the Springboks, Mr G. «la-do, chairman of the N.Z. Rugby Union, referred to the . agitation for an improvement in the i game of Rugby, and said that for i the purpose of conferring with those overseas, they welcomed the visit of tho South Africans. Mr Slade went on to i say (bat for some time now it was felt ' that an improvement would have to be mndo in order that Rugby might retain its poj.uua.rity. What was good twentyj lire years ago was not. good enough toi dni, and, lor that reason, a conference I with South African representatives ivasi | most desirable. I

ATHLETIC v. PETONE. NOTES ON* THE PLAY. Amontr the ■winners, Brook was considered by many to be the best all-round full-back seen in the grade competition this season. Bullard and Haughton were safe on the wings, and McCabe played a steady game at centre, being very sound in defence. Roberts gave one of his best displays to date at five-eighth. X good deal of interest centred in his form and that of Mark Nicholls, who was chosen in preference to Roberts as five-eighth for the All-Black's team. In this match, Roberts appeared to have the advantage. He was again consx>icuous in opening up play, and was the pivot of his side's defence in breaking the attacks of Petone. Hall and Sutton played sound, useful game.*, and, the forwards, all did well, but AV. ’Ryan was especially conspicuous, Bruce, Christie, and Par’sloe also doing well. For Petoue, Ei. Ryan played one of his finest games, lie invariably ran straight, gave and took his passes cleanly, and his tackling was deadly. His iinselfish act, in playing the game bv passing, is to his credit, although as it. turned out it helped to lose the match for his side. Riddell, at full-back, was unreliable. Thomas and Fitzgerald were fair. Corner played a very sound game at fixe-eigiith. Mark Nicholls was not so conspicuous as usual, although he took part in several attacking rushes by the Petone backs. H. Nicholls played a sound game at half, getting the out from his pack, which had the advantage over Athletic in the scrum. Ashton. Wylie, Price, and Arthur Parker played well, among the forwards. THE JUNIOR CURTAIN-RAISER. PETONE BEAT ST. PATRICK'S. As a curtain-raiser to the PetoneAthletie match the two leading teams in the third, grade.' Petone and St. Patrick's College, .provided very keen football, ui which the passing among the backs, particularly ‘St. Patrick's, was a bright feature. The collegians were without the services of Pothan, their crack plaver. who fractured his collarbone while playing against Wellington three Saturdays ago. Within ten minutes of the start college notched two tries, rln a good passing rush the ball went to Kennedy (centre), who scored. O'Regan, missed the goal. St. Patrick's 3, Petone 0. then Keogh, one of tho forwards, scored for college, O'Regan again missing the goal. tit. Patrick's 6, Petone 0. Shortly after, Bond, following up well, scored for Petone, Ambler missing the goal. St. Patrick's 6, Petone 3. A fine burst by Petone followed. From.a scrum in college twenty-five TJsmar secured, fended past a couple of tacklers, and ran well, passing to Rove, who transferred to Jenkins, who fooled several opponents and scored a good try. Ambler again missed the goal. St. Patrick's 6, Petone C. From a college Tush Aldridge scored in the corner, O'Regan missing the goal. St. Patrick's 9, Petone 6. College again scored, through the agency of McParland, wing three-quarter. Kennedy's kick hit the bar. St. Patrick's 12, Petone 6. Just before half-time Ambler kicked a penalty goal for Petone. St. Patrick's 12. Petone 9. Immediately on resuming Petone attacked, and, from a good passing rush by McArthur, Ambler, King and Jenkins, tne last-named scored. Ambler missed the goal. Petone 13, St. Patrick's 12. Mockridge. following up well, scored another try for the suburbanites, the kick .at goal tailing. Petone 15, St. Patrick's 12. Despite several counter-attacks by the collegians there was no further! score. Mr A. Smart refereed. THE GAME IN HOBOWHEKUA (Special to “Times.”) Matches played on Saturday resulted as follows: — Senior. —Levin 8 v. Hui Mai 3; Kuku 9 v. Foxton 0; Tokomaru 3 v. Shannon 0. junior.— Paraparaumu 3 v. Otaki 0; Hui Mai forfeited to Old Boys. Third Grade—Shannon forfeited to Otaki.