Our National Field Game

NZ Truth, Issue 973, 19 July 1924, Page 9

Our National Field Game

players On The Bai

In Town And Country

The 1924 All Blacks are timed, to leave, Sydney at noon td-day by the Ulimaroa- fbiy Auckland. On Wednesday i neit the '"All Blacks will meet ah Auckland representative team at Auckland. , , To-day week, 'at Palmerston Jlorth, the All Blacks yrijl.be called on to fa'/e . .a, ; combined.. . Maria watu r Horowhenua .^fifteen. „' . '-: 7"' ; -*-'_t ■_";*." ' .'."'■ '"' I^obilliard, the it All Black winger, .','..' met' with an accident while playing m a, club match at Christchurch last week. . Fortunately (for him) it was •' not serious. i Dug Falrbrother, who was ruled out of -the All Blacks by the medical examination,: played a very fine game * at x'imaru last Saturday. < . Friend Percy Storey, at five-eighths, was a - .melon. • Percy is hot m the South Canterbury reps., picked last week— but,. then, he may not have been fi. VB.ild.bl6 , Jock Murray, the Otago. centre three-quarter, who injured a,' knee last season; is not playing U P to form this year. When "Tadkletf'f recalls the little fellow's brilliancy of ,two years ago, it almost makes him cry to>see some <-f the alleged centres we ljave nowa- ■• days. : -:- 1 - ■ ■ *„ „* ■:;• -■-'.. ;;.■:... Dr. Fred; Perry is playing good, defensive football at Dunedin, but onlookers reckon lie has forgotten all about the attacking side of the game. If anyone has reason to curse' his luck it is Dave McMeeking, of Dun- • fidln. He was a moral for, the Home trip till he smashdd his hand. up. The member is now .well, and Dave, is playing the best of games. The po3i{ion arising but of the action of the Pirates Club m sending to the Otago Union a letter objecting to a referee has at present resolved Itself Into, somethlng ; (jlf a wrangle between the Referees' Association ? and the union Overt the question of procedure to be adopted m such cases. The referees are now taking s ( teps to amend their by-laws m the direction of getting the Jurisdiction they feel, they are entitled to m any case that concerns a member of the association. At last week's meeting .the v following motion wad carried: : "That this association records Its strong disapproval cf the Unsportsmanlike 'of the Pirates Club m sending a letter to the ' Otago Rugby Football Union : objecting to one of , Our members;" . ... •■ In their treasurer, the Hastings SubUnion possesses 1 , the greatest grafter '. In .', the province. ; For years now Mr. ! John A. Fraser hap done a great deal for all kinds of sport In this part of Hawkes Bay without ever once try? Jhg to claim flimelightk* Saturday after Saturday, wet oi,' fine, sees him doing his best -for players or public alike. While Mr. . Fraser Is,-, connected wi th the sub-union \t mugt always go ahead. Tlie public and players appreciate hid efforts, and sincerely hope next Beason to see him president of che sub-union. •} : :" " All - Black ' Alf yj West did not . play In Hawera ,on Saturday. Alf had undergone ' a slight operation during the week for an injured ear, but is now about again. He will not bej seen out again this season. , Something bright was expected m . the match. -Petorie . v.' 'Varsity which" oye'n tuatedV last. Saturday m Welling- ,. t'ohi'but It iwas 'under; conditions quite averse' to good football. H-^d' it been . .-. a .Ane tlay^ the game would no doubt have been^a-. good open display, but the heavy gale blowing made it Impossible for the teams to throw the ball about with any precision. Petone came out Victors! by .l4. points to 6, but the score -is .■•«(d--*,. indication that the game was m any way one-sided. The result leaves Petone still' high and dry at. the top of the, ladder. " ;■•'•■' Oriental's hopes of overtaking Petone m the championship ladder were daah- . Ed to the ground last Saturday, when ■ they were downed by Marist, and now the n^agples.are a cool five points behind /the leaders. Oriental were without the services of four or'*. five of their best players, and although unlucky to. lose, . they, didn't deserve to win. -.'■ ji" . ' .•■ " Moffltt, the veteran lock of the magpies, was amongst, the absentees from his team, suffering from a strained tendon, and it is unlikely that this popular player >vill be^seen out, again. It is beHeyied that the 'injury sustained by him Is more serious than he will admit, and it Is because of this fact that many think Jim has played his last game. That Hutt is a steadily improving team was . shown on Saturday, whan they came within ah ace of defeating Berhampore, one of the teams nexr the. top of the ladder,' and it was purely hard luck that took the victory from them. The game was a most interesting ono to watch, and there were , ;, times when the supporters of the Reds thought that Hutt would do the trick. -iHowever,, after drawing first blood, and keeping the score equal until just before the; final bell sounded, they let Berhampore catch them napping, with tho Result that.iiafter, "an excellent passing rush, the latter scored the winning try of. the game and came out a icto*rs by. the ihfl.rgln of 11 points* to 8. Southland's first rep. fixture takes place at Invercargill on August 13, the opposing side, being Canterbury. The first trial match for the. Southland team will be between a town' team and a combined Wcstorn-Central fifteen. The country pilayers are being given every opportunity to prove their mettle this season and the personnel of the rep. team" may possibly be made up of several players outside of the town: /' v .**■*: „-- Star's position m. the Southland premiership ,- now , seems assured as they have a alx-polntlead. One of the Southland selectors this season is Jim Stobo, w,ho is a. master v, at the Southland . Technical Collese. [* /'Hfif played for Otago University m pro-Li-'j-- whr days and jilater Joined the InvorT\ Cfl'rglll Club, then playing for SouthL^Jfihd. He conches the Technical Col-f^leg«-;flrßt fifteen with groat success, [■"■•% arid 'm the Inistt three years his team ' has won. the (South Island Technical Colleges' tourriament twice. This ia h ln first season .on the Southland Union Managehient Committee and he Is proving a reiU live member. W. Johnston^ the Pirates (InVer- ' carglll) and eix-Southland rep. wingforward, has decided to give up tho game. Pat has been captain of the Pirn tes Club fOr two seasons past and his loss will bo seriously felt. He plnye'd 'some vory flno games for /Southland two seasons back, bolng a particularly good loose forward. Wampy Bell, Star (Invercargill) socond flve-oighth, has struck form again and should show to advantage tn Southland representative fixtures.

One of the certainties m the Southland rep. team is Percy Rice, the Invercargill front-ranker, who is the best hooker m Southland. He learnt his ■ football --.at*:*, the Boys' High School, where he won . first fifteen honors m 1d1'5... -He had a period of active service and returned to Invercargill, playing for the Invercargill Club m 1919, since when he has missed only one club match. He first represented Southland m 1920, and he has repre-sented*-'the. province successively . ever since. Ha is a solid grafter,. arid a great tight .work forward.- ..':' At the last meeting of the Southland Rugby Union, the chairman (Mr.: t. Meredith), m accordance with notice of .motion, , moved that a previous motion placing H, '., Agnew's (istar) name on the caution list be resclnde.d. (This was m connection with the case referred to m last week's .-. "Truth.") Mr. A. J. Geddes expressed the opinion that the motion was. out of order, there being no 1 fresh evidence .before the meeting. The chairman, however, put the motion; which; was lost by six votes to five. „.■'■. > D. T. Maxwell, of the Pirates (Invercargill) 'Club, is one* of the lightest forwards m senior football, but he is also one of. ihe'. soundest clubmen. He is a splendid dribbler, being a. product of the Ch.'lstchurch Boys' High School, Where he captained the first fifteen' m 191 6. . Later 4 he represented. Duntroon Military College m Nefr South Wales, and ohreturhingto New Zealand played for Old Boys m Christchurch^ This is his first season m Invercargill. .'> The. decision of the union to charge 2a. admission and lsv'for thfe stand for the. rep. matches against Wellington and -Hawkes, Bay was not too well received by the Wairarapa public, who consider the nimble shilling for admission quite -sufficient , for ordinary rep. games. Sam Murray, who has represented Wairarapa on numerous occasions, appeared m a new role last Saturday, when he' armed himself with a whistle und took control- of one of the lower grade , fixtures. . Sahi was orte of tl|e most popular players who ever donned a jersey m. Walrarapa, and his many friends will wish 'him success m his new sphere of usefulness to Rugby. He should prove a decided acquisition to the ranks of the^Wairarapa Referees' Association if he decides .to take up refereeing Jn earnest. The Wairarapa Referees^ Association, m a letter -above, the signatures of Bert. McKenzie and Ted Freeman, to the last, meeting of the Wairarapa CJhibn, expressed dissatisfaction wlMi the lenient treatment meted out to of-' fenders reported. tovtbe.union by members .of the Referees' Association. After a discussion the Rugby Union decided to ask the Referees' Assoclaioh to quote specific ' instances. Jack Hirotl, the .Greytown and Wairarapa rep. half, delayed his intended departure from. Greytown, and was selected ln the Walrarapa team which played Wellington last Wednesday. It is understood that this will be his last game m Wairarapa this season.

A. Darby, who went to Auckland, and then to Napier early m the seaion m the hope of playing his way into the All Black team, but had no luck, turned out for Kaierau at: Wanganui on Saturday. Mick had not played, for some weeks owing to an injury 'received at Napier, and no doubt his want of form accounted for him not shining.