OUR NATIONAL FIELD GAME

NZ Truth, Issue 931, 29 September 1923, Page 11

OUR NATIONAL FIELD GAME

Season's Big Rugby

Concluded

Notes on Final Fixtures.

(By "Tackier.")

Hawkes Bay ... 20 Auckland ...... 5 Manawptu .... 16 Wellington .... 14 Golden Bay .... 9 Marlborough . . 9 Auckland 18 King Country.. 9 Southland 21 Otago ; 11 Season ends to-day. Hawkes Bay the season's champion team; Manawatu defeat •. Wellington m an exciting game. '

Poneke draw with Athletic for the National Mutual Cup. Golden Bay by withstanding Marlborough's challenge hold the Seddpn Shield; for the season. Onform Auckland had little chance with Hawkes Bay. , - The northerners relied on their backs to ; do the trick, but the Bay rearguard is, by no means ■a dud one. And when one comes to compare the forwards, it simply can't be done. , . . The incident reported m last week's "Truth" of an Aussie trying to beat Nicholls for possession of the ball used m the third test, had its parallel m the matcj&jtfajretf, kgalnst Wairarapa-Bush. An Auss% Qfrp.t a^play'er) j*6;t;possession of; "one j of the balls ujsed m the game, and o^as walking oft the field with .it' carefully concealed ; ift a big muffler; when he. was intercepted by a W.R.U.. official. with a request to hand the leather over. . The, visitor's attempt to bluff it but was met by the official calmly yanking ball and . muffler from under his' arm,. The ball was dropped, into the bag": prdvidecT'fdr.' the /.purpose, and the muffler dropped 6n the ground for the owner to retrieve. Apparently our friends from • across . the Tasman make a. hobby of,, collecting, mementos of then* leatherings. "" ■ ■',

The expenses of the Manawatu representative team on! its southern tour amounted to approximately £425, all of which was borne by the Manawatu

Union. This was the first time for eighteen years that a , Manawatu team

went south', arid the cost of the trip made' a big hole m the Union's finances, which haye; been carefully built up during the last few years. However, it Is hoped that next year will- see them back to their, former : state as the Unions placed 'against will pay return visits.. "The father of Invercargill footballers" is an apt title for 'TBobby" Stead, an uncle of the famous "Billy," who turns up at Rugby Park at every match to see to the welfare of the players m various ways. "Bobby" has been connected with the Star Club since its inception In the '80's and has done great work for the game m Southland, where he is deservedly popular with all players. He accompanied the Southland team on its recent tour. Ollle Galpin, who has : , represented Manawatu for several seasons back and who was included m the Wellingr

ton team to play N.S.W., has left Palmerston North for Waiwera, Southland. Galpin was a real honest forward, one who never failed to do : his bit m the tight, and his departure will bo a big loss to the Manawatu team. J. Dalgleish, who has been stationed over m the Golden Bay province for some ' time, has left for Melbourne, where he will practise asia civil engineer and surveyor. •Dalgloish -has represented .Squ^hland, and. afterwards' ho went to,- Canterbury College, and m 1&21 he went on tour with the New Zealand' 'Varsities to Sydney. . He , broke down In health soon afterwards, and for the past two years has been ' engaged m farming operations at Motueka. ' { If there ever was a popular player hht name was ■ Charles Brown. This season ho was unfortunate enough to ;■ get hurt m a, match, and ever since

he has been undergoing medical treat-

: ment. And so to give him a hand along < the Taranaki Union staged a benefit match at New Plymouth last week. ; Brownie has a fine record on the playing field, and, m addition 'to representing his province 'for a long span

Of years, he has also been included In

the All Black team on two occasions — £018 and 1920. In the latter year he was called on to fill half-back, fullback and hooker positions. He captained the Army team when it stopped

at South Africa on the way home from the war, fifteen matches being played, for eleven wins, three defeats and one draw. "Tackier" will be very pleased to hear that the Tukapa player Is on tho high road to recovery. Sixteen years to win it, and seven weeks to lose it, Is the West Coast reps.* history of the Seddon Shield.

Right from: the Inauguration of the

shield, teams carrying the Red and White had unsuccessfully challenged , for the trophy, and It was only on July 28 last (captained by All Black Jack ; Steel) did they succeed m bringing it to Qreymouth, after decisively beating Nelson. Subsequently the, same team defeated Canterbury B team fairly comfortably (the laUer's only reverse on their tour) and then they were lucky to make a draw with Buller, the score In this shield game being a try for Buller, to a penalty for the holders. Then a Golden Bay-^-Motueka fifteen .came along-- and tried conclusions with ; the Coasters and were victorious by three points to nil — a try scored m the / last eight minutes of the game. The :■ game was one of the cleanest ever \i played on Victoria Park, Qreymouth, 1.-; and while the visitors appeared to | have had slightly the better of the play i a draw would have, been a good ending. !-, For this match tho conditions were ; probably the worst that any big game > has been played under for many years ! the ground being under water In many [■>■ parts, while several downpours prior ; 1 to and during the game did not help to make good football. Good luck to the > Bays is the wish of all West Coast ; sport*. Jack Steel, the All Bln,ck winger, is Btlll very lame as tho reault of injuries v received In the test match played at •;■■''■ Dunedln. Tho Coast " team missed j Stoel m their last Seddon Shield game. ; When Mr. S. F. Wilson, president of • '•■ the N.Z. Rugby Union, was on tho West Coast with tho Canterbury B team, ho made references to tho professional spirit which he consldored was nnterlnß into Seddon Shield games, and unfortunately his remarks wore later taken up by Dr. Noble- Adams, of Blenheim, and a whole lot of trouble has boon caused m the area comprising \he shield district, ever since. It was rather regrettable that the doctor waited until the West Coast won the much- * coveted shield before he* ventilated his opinions on tho question, and it was also very unfortunato that the West Coast Ruprby Union took notice of outside talk and dropped tho training and coaching of Its reps. The fifteen was properly fitted for the Nelson game, but since the above mentioned Incidents, the players had to train when they could, while no one was secured ta coach thorn. The result was defeat tho hands of Golden Bay. Probably \JHia explanation of tho shield jroing ' m-om tho Coast Is found In tho remarks oit one local Rugby ofllcial: "Wo are pleased to part with It." Not much encouragement for the reps, themselves who played as welt as they COUld; - :