RUGBY FOOTBALL: THE OTAGO TEAM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22025, 7 August 1933, Page 9

RUGBY FOOTBALL: THE OTAGO TEAM

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —The rambling screed of “Wide Awake No. 2 ” in Saturday’s paper seems to be wrongly signed. “ Fast Asleep would be much better as this correspondent must have had a bad dream on tne night before he composed his letter. He seems to be entirely opposed to any member of the Southern team obtaining entry into the Otago team. As for Simon being like C.'Gsar’s wife, I am not in a position to answer as Caesar’s wife lived a little before my time. I have seen this player in action- every Saturday this season and he certainly justifies his inclusion on the strength of consistency, if nothing else. In 'the match against Taieri at Logan Park, to which “Wide Awake refers, no half-back on earth could have played an outstanding game against the Taieri forwards, who were generally standing alongside Simon when the ball was hooked from the scrum. This type of play will kill any half-back, _and it seems that the Taieri forwards intended to keep Simon out of the Otago team if possible. “Wide Awake No. 2” also condemns the selection of MacDonald because he only weighs list 101 b. “Wide Awake surely understands that weight is not expected in the front row of a scrum. If the three front row men weighed 9st and the rest of the team were heavy men the ball would be hooked just the same. Sutherland also comes in for a share of the attack, but, as he is extra good on defence he will be able to look after “Wide Awake.”

With regard to the selectors, it is a remarkable thing that last season the Southern Club, with no representative on the Selection Committee, obtained no iewer than seven members in the Otago team, while this season it has to be satisfied with four even though it was runnerup in the competition. By the time this letter is published the results of both Otago matches will be known and perhaps the selectors will be acclaimed as knowing their job.—l am, etc., Only a Player’s Daughter. Dunedin, August 5. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Saturday’s crushing defeat of our representative team at the hands of Southland was a reflection on our selectors, but we could only expect this as long as we have three selectors. The sooner we go back to the sole selector the better. As an old player who has seen football in every principal centre in the Dominion, I venture to say that, with right selection, we should have a team which should hold its , own against any other province. Our players are disgusted at the way in which the “ old hands ” of the O.R.F.U. dominate the game. It was the opinion of hundreds of supporters of the game that our best team was not sent to Invercargill. One must congratulate the Southland team on its very fine win, but by playing Rae as first five-eighth and leaving Finlayson out of the team, the Selection Committee committed a grave error of judgment. It is to bo hoped that the manager of the team which is to tour north will not try any more of his experiments, which have been so much in evidence in his club team and our representative team. With regard to the management of our touring team, it would have looked much better to lot someone else have a trip, preferably a younger man who .has a much better idea of present-day playing, and not one who voices his opinion about players from the “sheep-pen” in the middle of the grandstand at Carisbrook.

I am only expressing tile opinion of many followers of the game and trusting that we will see a truly representative team take the field next Saturday.—l am, etc., J. A. S.