Our National Field Game

NZ Truth, Issue 1016, 16 May 1925, Page 11

Our National Field Game

Doings m Town and Country

Notes About the Players and their Play . —- •■. ■ ■ ■

; T,;;V (By "Tackier.").'- - :.'

Taranaki has a big programme .of representative matches this year starting with Wanganui on June 3 and finishing with Auckland on October 3, a four months' period. Included m the season's work are trips to Wanganui on June 3, a tour which,!,, embraces Marlborough, Wairarapa, Hawkes Bay and Manawatu m August and another to Auckland and Whangarei early m October. Home matches comprise Wellington, Wanganui, v Auckland^ South Canterbury and Bay of Plenty. In addition New South . Wales meet 'fTaranaki after a lapse of fourteen years to play a combined Taranaki— Wanganui team. The Taranaki ' Rugby Union has nominated Jas. : McLeod to complete the selection committee which now comprises W. A. Guy, Charlie Brown and J. McLeod, the latter as chairman. With this trio the public can rely on Taranaki being represented by the best available, whilst every player can be sure that his claims to wear the coveted amber and black will have due consideration. : Marlborough, with the Seddon Shield, expect to have a treat of Rugby this season. They have Paddy Byrne back to help them hold the trophy against the onslaughts of Nelson and the Coast provinces. Comparatively speaking Poverty Bay is cmt m tile cold, in the Rugby world, and for that reason the players up that way do not receive much encouragement to give of their best, for the All Black selectors will never see them. Notwithstanding this disability, and it is a really marked one, there is a player m Gisborne worth the once over by the selectors. By name Langlands, he played m the Auckland trial last year as full -back*, but Avas not a success. He is now playing m the five-eighths line, and he has found his right possy. He has pace, solid defence, and a fine knowledge of inside back^ play. Little Jim McCleary, Brian's brother, is playing down m Hokitika this season, and he is the star of his team. Jim was always a heady player, both when he played for Alhambra m Dunedin and for Marist m Wellington. ■ West Coast reports state that Jack Steel is playing great football. In the first club game lie scored all his side's eight points and m the next out of a total of twenty-four points Jack was responsible for sixteen, / including four fine tries. "*■ Thomas, who played with Ifwerson m Auckland, is ' a member of Jack Steel's team, the .Stars. A Coast critic says it is a treat to see him and Steel ■■ working. Lan Harvey expects to be playing m the Wairarapa again this Saturday. The big fellow had a recent recurrence of his old throat trouble, and was ordered to take a fortnight's spell. He is otherwise fit and anxious to get into | it again. It is rumored! that Dave Provan is shortly returning to the Wairarapa I from Dunedin. If this is correct it will prove good news for the Masterton Club, who could easily do with several more backs of Dave's stamp. Asa tackier Dave stood out on his own, and he could greatly stiffen the Masterton defence. Pat O'Regan ' is the backbone of Reefton football and the New Zealand selectors should not forget the way this big forward fought his way into the final for AUBlack honors last .year. A great day, Wellington's "- contingent of All Blacks, all backs (for Porter's roving makes him all things at once) facing each other on opposing Petone and Athletic sides, and what more could Wellington enthusiasts have asked of Saturday's football m Wellington? They received more than they expected. Only (the third game of the ' season and it was the very champagne of Rugby. "Great football Great football!" was the,, em-' phatic declaration as the crowd crushed from the grounds m the. wake of Porter and Warwick high on the shoulders /of ecstatic supporters. Petone, crestfallen, had preceded Athletic from the ground. The final score, 11—8 m favor v of Athletic, was the logical termination of jthe game, but there were few who earlier m the afternoon would have wagered on such an outcome. Petone came unbeaten to the field; Athletic with a record of two successive defeats. . . The pace was a cracker from the start, and back play all the time, with Athletic gathering, the; ball from the scrum unfailingly. , : Porter has definitely re-asserted himself as: the favorite of the- crowd and the greatest opportunist and grafter of them all. He never let up from start to finish, and m his old familiar posture, bent double at the, side of the scrum, arms flapping like a penguin's, set off a dozen rushes

that left Stuclsy . Fitzgerald wondering what had. happened. Little Mai Warwick deservedly went off shoulder .high. It. is true that he had by far the greater share, of the ball coming to him, but never once did he hatch it or misdirect it into Gibson's arms. Out it would go to Svenson arid then to either « of the speedy wingers, Malmanche .o^ Sutton.' Both teams had pace online extremities, the two, Petone 'men, Hawkins and Cornaga, both being geared fairly high. "Ginger" Nicholls is a sei'ious defection from Petone ranks this year, and no one suffers more from his absence than brother Mark. The latter had a bad bump early m the game, and thereafter was off color. Mat Corner played a distinctly fine : game for the losers. Love, an immense Maori forward for Petone, who bulks larger than ever this year, was an exceptional and effective worker. Thomas was as fiery as of yore. On Athletics side, John Duncan's weight always made itself felt. Petone's pack was well v beaten m the second half, and their hooking being almost non-effective, the fine back team from the village is at a discount.; This turn of events puts an entirely new aspect on "Wellington championship results, the unknown quantity so far, except insofar as three preliminary victories go, is Berhampore. Some fireworks may be expected when they meet either Petone or Athletic. ■,■••■•■ For the rest of, the teams, Wellington were among those looked to for great events, but having gone down to : Old Boys by 11 to 6 their earlier form doesn't ring true. ■ • Oriental, with a series of duck'seggs on the table of points, appear to have been infected with football paralysis this Season. The Otago Rugby Union is determined to do its best to foster country football within the province, and .with that object m view a conference of those interested ,was held recently at Alexandra. The somewhat ambitious scheme decided on has not yet been published, but the writier is m a, position to' state that each of the subunions will send a representative team 'on tour through the province, such tours to include a visit to Dunedin to play a metropolitan team. It looks as though Abey Munro has played his last game. The knee that gave all the trouble m the All Black tour has given out again, and Abey says he thinks it is the end of him as a player. The- 'Varsity will miss him. . . . Went out over the border m Dunedin last week Dave Simpson, one of the province's best known old-time footballers. Dave played half-back for Montecillo m the 'eighties, and represented Otago against Auckland and Hawkes Bay m 18S7 and against England m» 18S8. In the. latter game he kicked a goal that is spoken about even to this day. The question, of replacement during play of players m Canterbury has apparently not yet been ■ settled, as at last week's meeting of the Rugby Union Mr. Geo. Payne gave notice of motion to rescind a resolution passed at the previous meeting prohibiting the replacement of players after halftime. The mover thinks he has a great show of getting his proposition carried, ..as there were three members of the committee absent when the first motion was passed. ' In support of the argument against replacements Sam Wilson quoted Mark Nicholls, :the Petone skipper, whom, he averred, had come back from his All Black tour a rank conservative and would not allow replacements at all. Mr. Wilson said Nicholls held the view that it was much better for a club to have eleven teams than ten teams with two emergencies each. Maybe, from a player's point of view, but who. supports the game? What will the public say the first time they see a full team .playing another, one, two or three men short? Pat Ward, the-, Linwood and Canterbury forward, who played m. the All Black trial m Christchurch last season, left for Taranaki last week. He will m future reside at Waitara, a few miles north of New Plymouth, and will no doubt be collared by the Clifton Club. He is a fine forward, and it will surprise Canterbury supporters .of the game if he doesnot find a place m the Taranaki reps. The loss of Ward and • Blve'y (who will probably be away with the New Zealand team m Australia for a few weeks) will perhaps cost Linwood the championship. Had they been able to retain throughout the season the side which dished Christchurch they w6uld have taken /a lot of beating. The 'Hawkes Bay Union have agreed to pay,:ithe expenses of the Canterbury players from;' Wellington to Napier and., back and so tlie match will cost the/ Canterbury Union nothing. A union ehtering^a special challenge is entitled to £50 oi the gate money according to the rules but the Canterbury peopie thought *.they ..were doing very well 'in getting out ofi; ! it,ifree of cost. . Xjri.; vie\yvof;,'th'&"fact that when the .teamsr<m|t ..two -years ago m Napier, Canterbury were beaten m the last/ few minutes by 9 points to S the match/ this year should be a tremendous drav^ and the. Hawkes Bay Union are not 'likely to be anything out of pocket bjy getting the Canterbury side up there. At the time of writing the Canterbury nominations for the New .Zealand team "are not known. Jack/ Harris (Old Boys' full-back) and Bi/ly . Elvey .(Linwood's wing-threequarter» are assured of nomination and it will be a big surprise if they are not included m the final selection. On last year's form they can scarcely be left out, and they are both playing as well, as ever this season. . ■ . ;, : . ■ : The last x time Canterteurjy played' the Maori team they won a very hard and keenly contested game. The gate was £ 640. , The news that Iffed Parata is likely to bring round another team containing Nepia, Pae\tfai and Mill is therefore especially -wjelcome m the city of the plains. . Nobody has seen mufch of Len Simpson since he arrived-,' m Christchurch from Wellington. Hits, occupation takes him out of town ffopd deal. In any case he is; not'.lceeo about refereeing again, though- the Canterbury public would not mind haying another look at the man. who oaCTied/.tha whistle m the famous game'iri \vhich; Canterbury beat the Springboks 6-^-4. . ' *• .. "

principle., of the champion team of New Zealand fighting for its title only on its own ground? Then, a very apparent alternative was open to them— limitation of the number of teams eligible to. play m the first-class Rugby championship of the Dominion. Many teams are now going to TWapier and Hastings who should not be going there: It is open for the six weakestunions m New Zealand to get "special".' shield.matches m the one season if early enough m (getting their challenges m. lit,Svas- surely never intended/that the ordinary course of inter- , provincial Rugby 'Should be- interfered with by the Shield provisions. /Things have got to such a pass that the outcome of the collaboration between the Wellington and' Canterbury chairman jvill no doubt lead to proposals making (it harder for the minor unions to get ■ games'Avith the "heads." An article appeared last year suggesting the grading of New Zealand. Rugby into two divisions.' Those m the "first" should be Auckland, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay," Wellington, Wairarapa, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. The Ranfurly Shield should be open only to them, and every match' m, which' the holder plays at home or away should be a challenge match. The only special challenges permitted should be