RUGBY FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18876, 31 May 1923, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL

By Full Back.

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. Dear “Pull Back,”—l would like to liavo your ruling' on a question. I was at a fool ball match last Saturday, and 1 was appointed linesman with another man of the opposing side. A player marked and had a kick at goal. Both linesmen gave a goal, but the referee gave a poster. If the three points had been necessary to win, how would an appeal have got on? Was there any chance of whining? No chance. The reicree’s decision is final. As a matter of fact line judges should not hold up their flags under the circumstances related unless appealed to by the referee.

The match between University A and Pirates (36 points to 8 points) was a good one to watch. _ notwithstanding that the Light Blues quickly held the upper hand, and were on top of their opponents, so to speak, from then onwards. After the first five minutes it was quite apparent that the Blacks were going to have a strenuous time if they were to hold their opponents, but even tho most enthusiastic followers of the University Club never anticipated that their team was going to win by such a large margin. The Blues are a much improved team all round. Their forwards now go in more for holding the opposing pack instead of Irving to get the ball in any position and throw it to their backs. They are a weighty lot, and although they were generally beaten for the ball in the scrums they quickly made up for this disadvantage by breaking into the poor passing of the Black backs. They have also learnt to screw the scrums, and to shove hard and follow tho ball through when they have failed to hook it in the scrums. Their line-out play and dribbling likewise show a great improvement. The Blue forwards are young and strong, they are anxious to learn, and they consequently listen to the advice of their coach with interest, and try to put his teaching into effect. Dickson played a very fine game for his side, lie was alike excellent in the line-outs, the loose dribbling and forward passing rushes, and the heavy work. Harty and Williams wore a very solid pair in the heavy work, and Ciibot (wing forward) opened up the game well when he got the ball. lie threw away one try, however, by hanging to it too long. Owen played in tho lock and moved quite an acquisition to his side, and "it is only fair to mention that Bridgman, Webb, and Penuycook vvere also in the thick of it from start to finish. The Jiiluo backs had plenty of opportunities to handle the ball, ami though some of (he passing was faulty and the movements broke down they nevertheless joined up in several brilliant passing bouts. Sinclair (full back) put in some huge kicks, and ho generally had plenty _ of time to get in his returns. Ho was, in fact, only caught with the ball about once during l:ho game. Webb played a dashing game at centre three-quarter, and should do even better on the wing. He is very fast, gathers his speed quickly, and. goes right; into ms man, but his passing lacks finish, Mackereth was seen to advantage on the wing. He has regained all his old-time dash, and his play was marked with intelligence and method. Mackereth, indeed, exercised more judgment than any of the three-quarters on cither aide. Ferry (second five-eighth) got the ball away well, and was sound in both attack and defence, and _ Tea, and Lusk also played their part in getting the ball away from tho scrums, the speed of the Blue backs quite broke ,up the defence, and as a result they took chances which They would not otherwise have taken. The long passes from the scrum straight across to tho wing three-quarter proved very effective on occasions, as it at once cut out most of the defence Only a fast back team can adopt this style of play, and even then it is not without an element ° f 'The'" Pirates had not much chance to show ittlioir football ability. Tjiey vjere indeed mostly on defence. ben' /" r , nr " battled hard, but were well beaten long before' the end of the game. Milne played a starling game for the Blacks, and LhmSU f. Wilson, and M’Donald were also fesponsible for solid displays. - Ihf Bta* bX°x!”■ pre! . o! i .in. ta”hTp ™»i ttot if. I.« w «» d m neA runner, a fine kick, and a solid SSlet. When under way he reminded me * !; i'■Rob’ Deans, the famous All form -was Wise, and he, , however. hS made er good of the oppor: tunityj The Pirates backs madejhe irm take of stopping to passthat tv ben the man the ban stopped the maw who received rf down ely A* totf * fast? 2i quickly Stifled any attempt at Thelmatoh Sc'Caledonian Ground between Alhambra and Dunedin (w °4\hcr Alhambra by 2D • pomts are- -E & “r Campbell proved to be a fast and hardworkteg ?rio and the last-named ih^‘Alhambra 1 halte" c3uld be relied upon to |2tfive-Sh^, a showed plenty of dnsh andSi Sveteran M’Dougall at ieoml five eighths, was the most versa lie Sc on the ground, and was more in the okture than any other player on the ground. <>£ the wing three-quarters, Anderson v ?; them by what appeared to be lack ofconfidence Several times he kicked feebly tiacnce. y obviously the Sr courst King! on tho other wing did iot have many chances to show what ne could do Famous, the full-back, was sound t defence, and also inhiatedsomegood Attackin'' movements. Both 0 Reilly ani Hmiralan of the Dark Blues’ forwards, attracted attention by their speedy and do-termim-d charges up the line, and they were oftS fbe means of saving a score. DonTiohv the wing-forward, was another whose elorts wero af considerable value to ms side Dey, the first five-eighths, was strong in defence, and varied his play with a good nf success. Baker, one of the wing ■three-quarters, was the only other Dunedin back to gain prominence. , The match between the Southern and the Union (24 points to 3 points) _ was not marked by many outstanding incidents. The game, indeed, was of a scrambling nature right through. Aljati playod a good game in the backs for Union, .fielding tho ball well and doing some serviceable stopping and returning. Taverner and Shugrue were the most prominent of the forwards Mitchell was most in the picture amongst the Southern backs, and he scored no fewer than four tries, all obtained by determined dashes for the line. Prebble (Ml back) played a safe game, and followed up his kick on opts' occasion and scored. Gantley, W ■ Bain (wing forward), and Carnegie showed out in the Southern forwards. Kaikorai did not have much difficulty in beating the University. B v2l .points to 8 points). The Kaikorai were without the services of, Dickinson, tho All Black fiveeighth and it is understood tha-fc he will only take the field in the future when bis side is short of a man. lbs hill team had the advantage of weight in the forwards. and they easi y held the upper hand in the forward play. Ibo hill backs were consequently given many opportunities of handling the ball. Fountain, a strong, Straight runner, was tho host back for Kaikorai. but M'Dougall and b. Knight also showed up in effective attacking movements. Crossan (full back) was safe, and his potted goal was well timed. Duncan, Ferry, and Sonntag proved a solid trio in the forward ranks. Williams turned out again for Kaikorai. but he is-not nearly in form yet. Mff.ean. Gilberd. Allan, and Dunne w-ere tho most prominent amongst the Light Blues. The pace in tho first spell of the ZingunTaieri Rovers match was very JT" Colours’ backs throwing the ball about in good style. More tries would have come their way, however, if M Naughton had

varied his tactics a little. Hickey, too, on occasions showed lack of judgment in cutting in towards the centre when he had a practically open field in front of him AinOfig' the forwards Brien play'od a fine game and showed intelligence throughout. There is plenty of keenness in the play of the Taieri team, but there is a want of method in it.and twice at least after gaining big stretches of ground they throw away good opportunities by kicking too hard. NOTES. The Otago selectors will have a task when they come to select the interprovincial threequarter line, if all the possibles are available. There is no doubt that Murray will be selected as centre throe;()uarter, but for the wings there are Diack, M‘ Donald, Webb, Stewart, Morgan. Mackercth, and maybe Wise. Stewart should have a chance of again representing Otago, but he. will certainly have to improve on his play if ho is going to be successful ifl the final selection.

Reg. Matheson, the old Pirates player, who represented Otago against Southland as far back as 1896, was a spectator at the Pirates and University match on Saturday. Mr Mntheson has lived in Australia for many years, and is at present on a visit to his old town. Ho told mo that this was the first game of Rugby bo bud seen for 15 yeais. I asked him how he liked the game, and he laughingly replied that it was not very satisfactory from his point of view—that is, as an old wearer of the black,, jersey. Like all veterans of tiie Rugby game, Mr Matheson delights to talk of football ami. footballers when ho enjoyed the game on the turf instead of from the bank. ]lc told mo that he had practically talked nothing else but football since he had returned to Dunedin. Ah, mo, the fleeting years! It is the English Rugby Pinion, not the , International Board, which has extended the invitation to Now Zealand to send homo a strong All Black team next year. On tho other hand, it is the International Board which has asked tho South Africans to make the trip Homo at the end of this year. The gate at the Pirates-Univorsity A match on Saturday—£2o2 15s 9d— is a record for Dunedin for a first round senior club game. I have received a copy of the Otago Rugby Union’s annual for 1925. It is an excellent production, and contains a wide fund of information relating to the game and also many valuable records. The editor (Mr 11. .Harris) and his assistant (Mr U. Beeby) are to be congratulated on the results of their labours.

I wag surprised at flic stand taken by Mr J. Wootton, who may be said to he tho delegate of the Southern Club on the Committee of Management of the Otago Union, at its meeting on Monday. Mr Renwiek, referee in the Pirates-Southern second match, had reported having ordered a, Southern player off for striking at nn opposing player. Mr Renwiek appeared before the committee and amplified the statement in his letter by saying that he had warned the Southern man on two occasions before ordering liim off. He had discovered that the offender had come back to the field, and he had had to order him off again, when he had been "politely told to go to h 1." Mr Wootton said that they had only Mr Renvvick's written statement to go on—they should not consider his verbal amplification-- and moved that tho youth be only cautioned! None of the other members, however, would second the amendment—and rightly so —and it lapsed. Mr Renwiek shoukl however, under tho circumstances, have included all the details in his letter. The Southern youth was suspended till the end of the season. The South Otago competitions on Saturday resulted as follows:—Crescent I (10) v. Clutha I (6); Owaka I (31) v. Clinton (3); Crescent II (15) v. Clutha II (12): Toko I (8) v. Milbum (6); Owaka II defaulted to Roniahapa. In the goldfields competitions on Saturday Alexandra beat Tarras (3 points to nil), Cromwell beat Clyde (6 < points to 3 points), and Wanaka beat Lovvburn (10 points to nil) ; Cromwell B beat Alexandra B (11 points to nil). The first round of the South Canterbury Kugby Union's competitions concluded on Saturday, leaving Old Boys and Zingari with an equal number of points in the lead, and Waihi and Celtic equal, two points behind the leaders. Tho big game of the season, Zingari v. Old Boys, attracted a big crowd to the Athletic Grounds, and a hard-fought game resulted in Old Boys' first defeat this season (12 points to 9 points). Waihi just managed to beat Star (3 points to nil), and at Temuka Celtic defeated Temuka by 22 points to 8 points. J. Williams, the hard-working forward of the University A team, is a son of our old friend Mr George Williams, a member of the Maori team which went Homo in 188889. The record of the Maori team makes interesting reading. It was as follows: Matches played 74, won 49, drawn 6, lost 20. The team was not composed wholly of Aiaoris. The Webb brothers, members of the University A team, hail from Wetherscones. The flying three-quarter played in the Training College team last year. Owen, the lock of the University A team, comes from Wellington. Jtte used to play for Berhampore. CHRISTCHURCH NOTES. Tho weather was perfect for Saturday's games. The attraction set down for Lancaster Park was Old Boys v. Christchurch. This game was originally set down to be played at. Kaiapoi, but recent matches showed that it was likely to bo the star attraction, and the Rugby Union decided to play the match at home, and give Kaiapoi a match later in the season. Kaiapoi is the centre of a very strong League Club, and Rugby has receded very much in public favour out that way. It is open to question whether the playing of a senior match or two will help to break the Leaeue hold at Kaiapoi. There is not room for both eames out that way, but at present the League is scoring all along the line.. Some other means will have to be found to lead the lost sheep back to the fold. The Old Boys' players were extremely disappointing on Saturday. They failed to 6trike a gait, and no sooner got into their stride when an infringement would pull them un again. They seemed to feel tho loss of "Carlton at five-eighths. Boag was too slow, and for a while he chaneed with Harris at full back, butj even this change did not work too well, and Harris was soon back in hi 3 right position. The season's draw has been decidedly against Old Boys. They have been the star attraction practically every Saturday. They have been called upon to fill a very arduous proeramme, and being such a youthful combination they are feeling the strain. I noticed the previous Saturday, when they were leaving the field, that quite a number oE them were absolutely "done up." Ohristcfiurch were right on their game. They got possession from nearly every scrum, and they used this advantago for all it was worth. Old Boys' luck was right out. The advantages thai, came their way were mulled at the critical moment —their combination went to pieces:—and Christchurch Bcored off their mistakes. The game finally went to Christchurch by 16—3. On the South Ground Marists easily accounted for Sydenham-Lyttelton, despite the fact that for some time they only had 13 men. Flood was ordered off, and Kirwan retired hurt. There was a great deal of unnecessary talk in this game. At times the players seemed to be treating tho game as a joko. Sydenham-Lyttelton were tho worst offenders. They have the makings of a fair team, especially in the forwards, but they want to cut out illegal tactics and try to play as a combination. Petersen was again a towor of strength to Marists. Brian M'Cleary was an interested spectator, lie will probably be seen donning the jersey again, after his fight next Saturday. I hear that Fitzgerald, the New Zealand representative, from Wellington, is likely to be found in the Marist back team at an early date. University, despite the fact that half their team "were away, easily accounted for Albion. If thoy can win next Saturday's match they must stand a chance of heading the competition. On Saturday thev were too speedy for Albion, and finally ran out winners by 11—6. Once their players return they will take a power of stopping. Linwood 'l4l v. North Canterbury (nil) was a tame affair. Both' teams, took tho field short-handed, and players struggled on after the game had started. ' The match proceeded in a sort of go-as-you-please method. Linwood were the better team, though neither side's display was much to boast about. The amount of travelling which junior teams are called upon to do is a malt or that must be satisfactorily adjusted. Clubs hero have tried to pay their juniors' expenses, especially in the Third. Fourth, and Fifth Grades. The other Saturday it cost the Linwood Club £5 5s for transport for two junior teams. The whole question of town and country teams will have to be seriously discussed. Tho burden of paying expenses is becoming too heavy for the clubs to keep up. Junior 3 receiving small wages cannot afford to pay out large amounts in travelling expenses.