BLUES' PACK IS BLACKED OUT

NZ Truth, Issue 1228, 13 June 1929, Page 16

BLUES' PACK IS BLACKED OUT

Country Trials Are Promising (From "N.Z. Truth's" Invercargill Rep.) Last week was a big one for Southland Rugby. The* annual, Country, Day trials were'staged on the Monday (King's' -Birthday) and the usual Galbraith Shield competition was-proceeded with on Saturday, when Pirates' No. 1 team defeated the crack Blues' team and let Star slip out two notches forward on the championship ladder. DIRATES are now cobbers with Blues on the second rung, and. as only two points separate them from the leaders the next few games promise to be full of interest. There wa3 representation from every corner of the province on Rugby Park| on the Monday to witness the countrymen m action. With but one exception, all of the six sub-unions fielded teams, Wakatipu being the only delinquent. A Town team took its.place m the fix-

tures and was matched against the Eastern District, -until last year holders of the Sports Trust Cup for. several seasons, and which is causing . some controversy over All Black H o 1d c n being granted' permission to play m the Invereargill competi--ti.on. There is little love lost , between. Eastern and the parent body, and just by .way of tell - . ing Eastern that they can't have

dy conditions; consequently good play was out of the question. .Blues went down to Pirates, the blacks' forwards being too heavy arid clashing:. Bird and. B'Atehelor. back from the "Wellington trials, made a. big difference to the pack, but it was a younger member In Metcalfe, who did a lot of damage. Metcalfe is yet a youngster, but h.e has already

matters ( aUvays 'their own way,, the Town team overwhelmed the visitors by 33 •points to three. N. McLeod, "Eastern District forward and Southland rep. for some years, played a leader's game until .-he was knocked out. . Tie is retaining his dashing form well and looks like making another tour, with the maroons. Town were led by "Wampy" , Bell and for a team playing together for the first time, put up a good show. • The whole back line went well." Ho.den played ducks and drakes with his markers and made: many- -brilliant * openings. He rubbed it m by potting v. fjoal. ■.•••': ■■•";' .:-.;' ' .SUibbs, on the wing, sot "a: couple of trios i;i his IScst- style and looker! like turning on some more, but . was jammed' on the line loo; often. ■' ' ... '~> ' . He has the wares to display for a maroon jersey,. ■ -" : j Kastern were disappointing -and -on< IMondfiy's form ; do' not sippear. to have a chance of regaining

the Sports .Trust Cu\) from Northern District -•• (present .hpl'dersj).. . ..' . . : The '-surprise of the - day- was the defeat of Northern by 'Central District Bill liazlett /turned out for ; Northern, but . was : obviously short. of a -gallop. . He hasi now deoitled to make himself available for , Southland** northern tour, and" it transpires that he would have liked to have taken part m the . North - South

trial match at Wellington. . Northern had all the best of the game with Central; but could not finish off 'their back movements. , . ' ' THey tIUV not reckon that Frank "Ariderson (Central wing three-quarter). 'had two potted goals with him that afternoon. That upset the applecart completely. There was much jubilation inHHe Central charabancs on the way home that evening. . , The Western -South era clash was poor, but Western, who won. showed they possessed some forwards worthy of the onceover for rep. honors. Aa, trials, the games served a good purpose and the following country players 'should have their right ears burning during the next week or two. . Crosbie, Johnson, Hazlett, Tither (Northern); McLeod, Fitzgerald (Eastern); Lalng, Anderson, McKenzle (Central); Purdue, McCoy, Nichol and Flndlay (Western). Saturday's games were played m raw weather and mud- . . .

represented the province m the pack and looks like doing so again. Side-row or hooker, he is equally at home. The blues' pack which played such a pronounced part m Blues' victory over Star . a few weeks previously-, went to the pack and could not withstand the fierce onslaughts- of the blacks. . , , Star bolted. in against AVaikiwi. Stubbs bagged another couple of tries arid G. Ough.ton varied his full-back .play by racing over, to score at the end of a passing rush. . . . - ... Next Saturday's big clash is ■ the StarPirates second "test." On Saturday's form it looks like Pirates, but even the Star supporters do not know their Stars.