COMBINED TEAM HAS A WIN

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

COMBINED TEAM HAS A WIN

CANTERBURY

Merivale Go Down To Pick Of Club Players (From "Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative.) Last Saturday was originally set aside for a challenge match between Merivale and Old Boys to decide the holders of the special challenge cup given by the Rugby Union to the winners of the final round. c

AAERIVALE won the final round, anr^ Vil were justly entitled to the cup without any challenging at all. In fairness to the winners of the final round, the rule relating to a challenge by the leaders at the end of the third round should be deleted. Old Boys were, unable to challenge on account of five or six of their regular players benig laid aside through injuries. They were quite willing to' play thf following week, however, but the Rugby Union were not prepared to wait a week, and they awarded the cup to Merivalt. ■ • In place of the challenge match a game between Merivale and a team picked from the rest of the clubs was played. It resulted m an interesting contesi. The weather conditions were not the best. Rain had fallen the previous night and throughout Saturday morning, making the ground heavy, and the ball was very dead. Merivale were without the services of Charlie Oliver and Fred Partridgo. Fred had been married two or three days previous and was away on his honeymoon. Rich replaced Oliver, and Eberl played m the front rank vice Partridge. Oliver was very much missed, the Merivale backs not being a very happy combination. The combined team got a fair share of the ball, thanks to Thompson and Ivor Gray, and the backs should have piled up a big number of points. That they • did not was due to the shocking passes handed out by the five-eighths, D. Grant and J. Payne!" Apart, from these two, the other backs threw' the ball about fairly accurately. Brodie. was nippy behind tht: scrum, though his attempts to run through the .loose scrums invariably came to a sudden end.

Syd. Carleton played a very .fine game at centre, his hard, straight running being a feature of his play. Had he received decent passes it is hard- to say how big v the combined team's score would have been. The combirted team's forwards played well. Dickson was ever to the fore, and. ne showed a ■ lot of pace m following up and keeping up with the backs. Jockey Ford was the outstanding man ■ m the Merivale backs, ( though young Norrie also;.caught the ,'eye for good play on several occasions.

It is hard to say at the .present' time what sort of a team\ Canterbury will get away for the southern tour, as Dalley, Elvy, and.v.Robilliard may find it hard to make the trip after having had. so; much leave recently. ..•• Everybody here is ' hoping- thnt I-lawkes Bay wilt make their •'match against Canterbury -next mojpth. a shield one — that is, providing they are still m possession of the trophy. ' ' . ' . ' .' ■ i..\