A TRIAL GAME

NZ Truth, Issue 1080, 12 August 1926, Page 15

A TRIAL GAME

Canterbury League

Rep. TeanriChosen (From "Truth's" Special Christchurclv \, s: -. R<?p.) •■• ■■ : The Canterbury Rugby Football League played only one senior game on Saturday. THIS was a trial . game between A. and B teams with a view to choosing the provincial representatives to meet Otago, now on tour, this weekend. The selection of' five players to play m England has not robbed the province of all it-s best players and Canterbury's prestige should be xipheld worthily m the representative series. Otago is a couple of games up on Canterbury, .which is straining &vwy sinew to score a win on this occasion. • . There was such uniformity m the standard of play m the trial game that the selectors. Messrs. F. Smyth, W. Healey and C B. Hardingham, had a hard task m choosing the side. The B team won by 25 points to 23, superior dash plus cohesion and positional play turning the trick. J .Dlackaby, Wing, and F. Warr, fullback, . were the best of the A backs, with E. Spencer, A. Collie and S. Pplaschek m the forwards. P. Smith, centre, F. Tonkin,' fiveeighths, W. Woodgate, S. Sisson and P. Burns forwards were.the choice of the B team. The team selected was as follows: Full-back, F. Warr; three-quarters, J. Blackaby, F. Tonkin,,C. Batchelor; five-eighths, A.. Mundy, E. Fitzgerald; half-back, A. Mackie; forwards, W. Woodgate, C. Sisson,- E. H. Ellis, A. Collie, E. Spencer and S. Polaschek. Certainties for inclusion m the representative side were L. Vivian,. E O'Malley and G. Falgar, but they were unable to take part m the trial game. Canterbury will play-Otago this week-end, West Coast on August 28 and Auckland on; September 4. • It is rumored that Li. (Punch) Vivian, the husky Hornby for,ward, has retired from the game. He will be a big loss.