RUGBY FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22022, 3 August 1933, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL

By Full-back. OTAGO FIXTURES July 29.—Otago Sub-unione v. Southland Sub-unions, at Dunedin. Lost 12 points to 9 points. August 5. —v. Southland, at Invercargill. August 5. —v. Marlborough, at Dunedin. August 12.—v. Southland, at Dunedin. August 26. —v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. August 30. — :V. Wairarapa, at Wairarapa. September, 2.—v. Hawke’s Bay, at Napier, September 6.—v. Wanganui, at Wanganui. September 9.—v. Wellington, at Wellington. September 13. —v. Taranaki, at Dunedin. September 16.—v A North Otago, at Dunedin. September 23.—South v. North Island. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS “ Keenly Interested, ” “ Mosgiel,” “ ExFootballer,” “ Pull Out,” and “ J.N.” —The team to play Southland has now been selected. Dear Full-back.—Would you please let. me have your opinion as to who should have the choice of picking the captain—the sole selector or the members of the team? At the annual meeting it was decided that the selection of “ captain be made just before the players went on to the field for the commencement of the first game. When the matter was mentioned prior to the start of the game the “ sole selector ” said that it would not be necessary to nominate a captain, as he (the sole selector) had already chosen the man for the position.—l am. etc., “ Supporter,” Oamaru. If it was decided at the annual meeting of delegates that the players should select their captain the point is not open to argument, SENIOR FLAG COMPETITION The senior flag competition closed on Saturday, University A again heading the list. University have now won the competition 10 times in the past 12 seasons. The champion side will represent Dunedin against Sydenham in the Payne Shield match. University ran up the huge total of 331 points in the 13 matches played, and had* only 59 points scored against them. They won 11 of their matches, and had a loss and a draw, both against Southern. The Blues deserved the distinction they have again achieved, aa they played far and away the most attractive football in the competition, They always tried to make the game open, and the speed and combination of their backs were much better than that of any of the other senior club rearguards. Kaikorai were second, as regards the highest number of points scored —174 —and Pirates came third with 172. Dunedin were lowest on the list, with 43 points. Southern came second in the competition to University A, and they owe their position mainly to the play of their forwards. The Southern team trained well during the season, and they were thus enabled to play a hard game , right to the finish. The club lost Smith, their centre three-quarter, half way through the season, owing to his departure for Invercargill, and this disorganised their, rearguard to some extent. Smith has now returned to Dunedin, and Southern will probably have him with them again next season. Southern had the fewest points scored against them in the competition—39—and it may be added that Union had the greatest number— 236 points. . Taieri gradually worked themselves into third position, and they finished the season by defeating the runners-up by nine points to three points. Taieri have a fine, heavy set of forwards, and they always kept the opposing pack very busy. Like Southern, they relied chiefly on their forwards. Kaikorai improved as the season wore on, but Pirates, after making a very promising opening, drifted back and finished in fifth place. Union and Dunedin finished in ninth and tenth place respectively. ' NOTES The first interprovincial game between Otago and Southland was played in .1887. The late “Sandy” Paterson represented Otago during the years from 1908 to 1921, and played for his province on no, fewer than 41 occasions, and also for New Zealand and the South Island. The deceased was tall and strong, and his spectacular solo dribbling work and fast following ,up will be, well remembered by old-timers. The story is told that the old Zingari-Richmond player first got into an Otago team by a fluke. He was present at Carisbrook one afternoon, it is said, to watch a trial match. The teams were not at full strength, and “ Sandy ” secured a game and went straight into the Otago team. J. MacDonald, wing three-quarter, who is captain of the Marlborough side, was a member of the Maori All Black team which toured in France. England, and Wales in 1926-27. H. Phillips, also a three-quarter, was one of_ the stars ot the same tour,' playing in both tests against France, , The Maori side won both matches. R. Wilson has shown great promise as a full-back. The other backs are young and enterprising. There are some very fast men in the pack, and with a leavening of experience they should form a formidable combination. 1 atchett ran third in the 440 Yards New Zealand Championship at Lancaster Park in February last. . , _ ... , There are few changes m the boutnlancl team from that which represented the province last year, except that southern is included in the/ forwards owing ro Murphy having been injured.' and that Mitchell (centre) and M Kay change places in the three-quarter line. P The jubilee of the Kaikorai Football Club is to be celebrated during next season (1934). Every effort will be made to make it a huge success, as the hill club has a record to be well promlcf. The Springbok forwards of 1933 are a formidable lot. Nel. the captain, is 30 years of age, and weights lost. Bcr„n weighs 15st 31b and* is 6ft SJm in his socks, while Kipling, Geere, find Louw all are six footers. Bennie Oslef, thgreatest five-eighth South Africa has produced, is 31 years of age and first played in big football in 1922, when he represented Western Provinces. He played for- the; Springboks m fo»r matches against a British' touring tea:m in • 1924. and in four tests against the 19-8 Ai Blacks . Osier was captain of the highij successful Springbok team which visited England in 1931-32. He is an excellent g °Dear C “Fnll-Back.”— I think that Francis is the only possible choice as half-back in the Otago Rugby team. From what I have seen of all three players, Francis stands head and shoulders oyer the two for versatility - and all-round cleverness. This ’ player- has never had a fair deal from either the press or the selectors. Francis has had only one game for Otago since he played against the British team, in which match he was the only bacic on his side who was up to provincial standard. With the Otago touring team in 1931 he was not given a game till the fourth match of the tour. In its report of this match the local newspaper stated that if the other Otago half-back (Simon) was a better man than Francis lie must be a world-beater. If the Otago team takes the field without Francis then it leaves the best match-winning haltback in the province on the bank. However, T think there is a lot of truth in the saying that it is harder to get into the Otago team than to get out of it and this will no doubt stand Simon in good stead. Another player who has not had a fair go during the past year or two is Silver. To my mind tins player has much greater claims for selection than Ruff, who * has not been thoroughly tested this year. —I am, etc., “ Wide Awake.” I was rather amused at the concern shown at the meeting of the Management Committee of the Otago Rugby Union on Monday, when the question of sending a masseur with the Otago team to play Southland on Saturday was being discussed. The members of the team will leave Dunedin on Friday afternoon by the very. comfortable large corporation bus, and it was suggested that they might be stiff in the joints after their journey. Shades of the Dunedin players who made trips through the goldfields in the old days in vehicles drawn by horses. I wonder what old timers like the president of the Otago Union (Mr John Mitchell),