IN WELLINGTON.

NZ Truth, Issue 868, 15 July 1922, Page 7

IN WELLINGTON.

Lowest Team Break Their Duck.

The senior championship was advanced; a stage further last Saturday without causing much* change m the positions of the teams. Among the results, however, there Was' b"ne surprise, Wellington breaking their duck by ; defeating • Old Boys. Although the Wellington - Cliib is the oldest established m the province, its part- m the senior: Competition over a period o? about "forty years-^actually the club was formed m 1871, but it was not until about ten years later that recognised championship competitions were held — has not been marked by any great degree of consistency. Senicr honors- have gone to Wellington on a number of . occasions, and it has not been an unusual experience for them to -accept the wooden spoon. Always, however, the •

FINE SPORTING SPIRIT

of. the pioneers of Rugby m this city has remained with the Wellington club, and it stands to their credit that m lean years they have stuck together, never disheartened by any long series of. defeats. Ten -successive losses this seaspn made them likely candidates for.;.the wooden spoon, but they were' still smiling last Saturday when they turned .out to meet Old Boys. At the end of; the game they had their 'first experience of calling for cheers for the losers;,. It was a win well earned and. weir deserved; and if, during the concluding stages of the championship,- Wellington " can improve upon their ganie. last -week, they may yet rise from the bottom rung of the ladder. It is now late m the day to pu,t. m a run, however, as the championship is likely to be closed before the. .end- of the next, month, m order to. carry on with the representative fixtures. .•••'.

.Prominent on Old Boys' side lust Saturday was Colonel H; E. Avsry, who. was a Wellington representat've for a number of years from 1905, and .who filled a place m the New Zealand team which toured Australia m 1910. Avery was a fine wing- forward m his time, and when back again with his old cliib last week he showed remarkably good form for one who has been so long out of the game. He played as wing-forward.

Poneke, without the services of Ted King, Doug. Algar, and Sid, Shearer, easily accounted for Oriental, who, with all their weight, cannot seem to do much. The early reports about the chances of the "Magpies" this season Were all at sea. . .'

." After next week Poneke will need those who have been absent lately, as S. Shearer and Calcinai will be with the New Zealand team. Eyen so Poneke -will still be hard to beat. The team likely to give them a run for their , money is Marist; and it looks as though Marist have already

"PUT THE WIND UP""

the championship leaders. A request was made to the Wellington Rugby Union by ' Potieke— unknown, by the way, to many of the club's players — for the match with Marist to be played when the team was at full strength. Perhaps the Poneke officials overlooked the fact, that Marist played, . and defeated, Petone when the latter were without Mark and "Ginger" NJchollP. It is desirable, of .course, that the teams, engaged, .m the. big. matches of the competition should be at full strength, and -• the public would like to see the best teams possible m the field, but if the Rugby Union were to study the convenience of any particular club it would be looking for more trouble than it has to put up with at the^ present time m the engagement of fixtures. Petone are to lose Mark and "Ginger" Nicholis on account of the' New Zealand team's tour, but they have made no request to the Union. Because of the absencs of those two players, Poneke were agreeable" to playing Petone at any time while the All Blacks were away. The Rugby Union rightly turned down Poneke's request.

Jimmy Tilyard reproduced some of his best form last Saturday. He scored seven of Poneke's points — badly beating the opposition m getting a try, .and potting a very fine pjoal.

The Petone baoks, with "Poc" Nicholls behind the pack m place of H. E. Nicholis (absent), had a merry time m t>e match with Selwyn, and took plenty of risks. Their play was at tinieß brilliant, indicating that the championship is not out of their reach; but •vyheh they meet, Poneke they will .be up 1 against • something very tough; ■ Eddie Ryan did a lot "of good- work until he was inju-ed. "Doc" Nicholis was also put out of action. It is worthy of note that two 'fifthrblass- boys filled the vacancies, and they did well. That, however, was to be expected from Petone Fifth's reoord m their grade. '

• Marist added another big "Win to itheir tally by romping over Athletic m a game which did not arouse much '■interest until the latter stages, when the Green-andrwhites put on points at a great rate. Murphy has apparently deserted the full-back-; position, &S he was 'again assisting Markhnm as a flve-eighth, m which position he cai> show points to a good many of the playerß;in the same place m ofcl.er ■teams, Puring the Marist- Athletic match Griffin; at fullback, made good 'use Qt his hefty, -bogf , by a fine pot from well out, " the' bair goj|ng high jover the posts. . ■•••..;: ..., ;; -^; University and •Berhampore haft., an '.interesting encounter',", . in3y : which the Collegians saved defeat: judt ■ before time, the gamejendihgl.m a-draw. Berhampore will .^probably have '; Mouatt back witH them for :the matbh against Poneke vthis r Saturday, that player having '^completed his period of' suspension, -.jlickling may also be ;wlth the teattif'as i ;.he made a satisfactory "explanstitipn > 'about his appearance m a League l'irfatch recently.

•'Billy^'-'V^ilson, after a fairly long period with 'the League game, is reinstated and. back with his old club, iAthletic. He is not yet up with the seniors. "Bangi" Wilson, one of the Wellington^ selectors, went to Haw«ra ■with the- Wellington team last we 3k to watch form there. ■' Jim Moffltt met with another , injury to his thumb last, Saturday, and It may keep him on the bank this S week. He was Wellington's best forwarl m the'. Taranaki- match.' ' ■ ~ , » The scores last week were: Marist 28, Athletic 3; 'Varsity 8," Berhamporo S> Vqtono 88, ( Sftlwyii 11;, Poneko. 37,

Orierital 3; Wellington 12, Old Boys 8. The CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE - is as follows: Poneke 19, Petone: 17, Marist 16, 'University and Berhamnbre 13, Athletic 12, Oriental 8, Old Boys 6, Selwyn 4, Wellington 2.

Ward Udy and H. E. Nicholis were unable, to play last week- on account of -injuries, but they should be ---withthe Pet6rie backs " this Saturday; E.Ryan/ however, may rest this . week. It is expected that Ted King (Poneke), will be fit : enough to help his team this Saturday. - . :: George Aitken, the 'Varsity skipper, is ; to leave for England by the Ruapehu, sailing about the 12th of August, lie will probably finish up. with his club a couple of weeks henco. George will carry the. best' wishes' of all Rugbyites, and the hope that" the honors- won by him on the field m New .Zealand will-be added to when he steps but at Home,' ' ' .

M. L. Smith, the 'Varsity wing-for-ward, who ■ represented Wellington ugaihst Taranaki, has gone to Napier where he should do well m Rugby if he carries on with the game; Commenting ori the fact that Wellington had-: difficulty m souring a, team to make the trip to Hawera, and that the fifteen that did get away was far below, the city union's strength, a <New Plymouth writer emphasises that Tarariaki will have to show considerable improvement if the prqy.nce is to make; a. respectable showing m the South. Island match next month. Forward the. Taranaki team, was all right, but the backs - were, frankly, disappointing- Individually there, were some good backs, but there was a lepk of cphension. m attack. Seldom did the ball get out. to the wings, and when it. did the wingers were crowded on to the line, and had no room to operate. Wellington : backs,- on the other hand, threw the ;: leather about very cheerfully, and at times, it apipeared, haphazardly, but therie -was generally someone handy. The local backs: were sound m defence, but to win matched they must learn to at-, tack as a team. Forward the team is a great one, eveny man doing ihis share m great style. It is a long time since Taranaki possessed a scrum that packed so well, Masters, at lock, holding it well. : ,

The Wanganui reps, meet the elect of Taihape at Wanganui to-day. While the suspensions of several players this season appear to have had the effect of lessening the rough play there are still some players who have apparently pai<l no heed to the warnings. In a senior match out of town last week two well-known players

- ' EXCHANGED BLOWS .; and the fact that neither fellow was ordered off suggests that the occurrence waa'not viewed- in a very serious light by the i-eferee, if, of course, ihe happened to notice it. When such tactics are used on the flel£ it often happens th^t ,a plgyor has some cause for departure from the.'rules of fair play, and -it would be well , for referees to endeavor to 'dgte.pt the cause. Sometimes m breaking, away m pursuit of the.'' ipall a player is hampered by an ■opponent • tugging; at hig jeTsey, and m an effort to f reo himself he swings shis arms rather' freely. Result, a, caution or an order to go off ! The player who has caused the annoyance .is not penaiised. In the jine-out such practice is not uncommon. There is this point to remember, however, that a player must control his temper [on the field of play. For obstructi j.i tWere is, ,of course, a penalty) but tip number of cases that; pass unnoticed by -.the referee 'is surprising. '. .,.-.-.- .-.. ;' -... ;.- ';:•..■ - . •: . ". .

The use of bad language is becoming very noticeable, particularly ; among some'of - the lower grade team 3. It .is" ■heard mainly' after the gamea; when the players, while changing, are dip-, cussing incident!, and referees' rulings. Just after a recent match at Miramar,-

THE AIR WAS VERY THICiq

as some members of one team (attached to a senior club) expressed their disapproval of the referee's action m ordering off player.- The referee, by the way, did not report the player to, the Union, but gave, him some sound advice. There are young players who want to get it right out of their heads that the use of bad language indicates manliness.

A .bad case of a fourth grade player using "very high" language at Johnsonville recently was dealt with by the Wellington Rugby - Union • this week, the offender : getting 1 off pretty well by being put on the bank for the rest of the season. The chairman of the Johnsonvilie Town Board was informed of the matter, and made a report as follows; "I am- in receipt of a" letter from our ground caretaker, Mr. Washing-? ton, complaining of filthy language, used by — : — , who played for : — — fourth grade here on Saturday, Ist inst. As "the language complained of was used within, hearing of ladies, I would 'ask your union" to deal' with tho culprit, as my Board will not tolerate such behavior on it's grounds, and-" I feel -sure'-' of yoir Union's co-operation m dealing with men who haye

NO SENSE OF DECENCY.

Unfortunately, the referee did not hear this man's epithets' or he would have been dealt with m the usual way. Shoukl evidence be necessary I can produce sanie."' The Union's Management Committee got all the evidence it required- from the caretaker and the player concerrica (only a youth). When Mr. J. Prendeville (the chairman) was handing out the dose of medicine to the offender he did not forget to mention the Rugby Union's attitude. It ...was „np.t going, to have bad language on or about the football field.. The player had to learn to control his tongue.

It was not the youth's first offence, as he was up. before the Union last season. ' Apparently that experience did not tighten his tongue.

There shouM be some good midweek football m Wellington shortly. The Moascar Cup match, St. Patrick's College v. Scots College, is to be played at ' Athletic-P ark on Wednesday, the 26th July, and the annual- match, between the Wellington College and. St. Patrick's College first fifteens, which are playing m the W.R.U. third grade competition, is to take place' on the same ground - oiv -Wednesday,- the 16th August. Good progress is being made vj-ith the negotiations for a: ... ' . ,

WELLIN^'i,ON 3 REP.. TEAM

to tour Marlbbrough, Nelson, and the West- PbastV: Some of the unions have already agreed to dates and conditions.

The Wellington Union is also anxious to arrange games for the junior and third grade representatives, and requests are being made to Canterbury and Manawatu respectively. Those play«rs who (have landed the trip to Australia this season are to fall m at Wellington on Monday next. The New Zealand Union does not intend to pay the expenses of any men who are not likely to be of much use on the tour, and every man will be required to furnish proof that ihe is m good nick. Ag the team is composed mostly of young players, it should do Well on the other side, and it will need to; as the Aussies have already had some excellent preliminaries m meeting, the Maoris. Mention was made of several- players whose selection would have improve! the combination. Another worthy man has since come under notice— W. Dustin, of Palmerston Norjth. He. is said to be playing better .than eve;:, and at his ibest he is entitled to a place among the players of Moke Bellis's type.