RUGBY FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22354, 30 August 1934, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL

By Full-Back. v OTAGO AND NORTH OTAGO fU'f ' FIXTURES 1 -The following are the Otago and North Otago fixtures for the season: — July 25.—Hawke’s Bay v. Otago. Won ■s 9 points to 8 points. - August v. Otago. Dun- , edih. Won 16 points to 12 points, v August 18.—Otago.v. Southland, Inver-, F* Lost 9 points to 7 points. August 25. —Otago v. Southland, Dunedin. Won 17 points to 14 points. ’ August 29.—Kelson •’V. North Otago, Oarnaru. Otago, Dunedin. •. •September ■ 8 —Otago r. Wellington, *• Dunedin. -! September 13.—Otago t. Maori team, at Dunedin. • September 13. —Ashburton r. North Otago, Ashburton. September I.—Payna Trophy match, Dunedin. September 29. —North v. South Island, Dunedin. v. ' . ALL BLACKS* TOUR Ih* results of the All Blacks’ tour in Australia are'as follows:—. August I—v. Western Districts, At ,1 Orange. Won, 51 point* to 10 . . point*. .» .v • „ . August 4 —▼. New South Wales, at . Sydney. Won, 18 point* to 13 points . August B—▼. New South Wales, at Sydney. ’ Won 16 points to 13 points, August 11—t. Australia (first test), at ... • Sydney. Lost, 25 points to" 11 points. Angust 15—t. Queensland, at Brisbane. - Won, 31 points to 14 points. . August 18—v. ,Australian team at Bris- > bane. Won, ll points to 6 points. August. 22 —v. Newcastle, at Newcastle. Won. 35 ; points to 3 points. August' Australiatsecond. test), at s ' Sydney. Draw, 3 points each. TO CORRESPONDENT Deay v Full-hack,”- —Country enthusiasts would' like your opinion on the following:—“ In a recent senior fixture * city referee officiated. One team, On attack, kicked high up the centre. Several of the opposition w-ere standing to lake the ball, and the one who ;f was in a good position to take it called to his ieam mates “My ball.” The referee immediately whistled, pointed to the player with the remark,_ 'You can’t do that!” and free-kicked him, a goal almost rearnlting. Is it correct to penalise a ; ■ player for this.—Old Player.—:—lt V. wgs a wrong ruling. -It is a good plan to call “My ball” in the cir- \ cumstances outlined, as it tends to • prevent .two players on the one side going for the ball, colliding, and maybe injuring themselves. 1

Here was the only representative from Otago who played in the two test matches between the .All Blacks and Australia, and he has the distinction of being the best scorer for his side. In the first test More ■cored One try and later, after making a great dash, passed to Mai to enable the latter to score, and in the second test the Southern Club man scored -the only try registered by the All Blacks. Of the 14 points scored,. therefore, Hore himself notched six and enabled Max to score another three points. This _is surely a sufficient answer to those critics who asserted that Here was - lucky to be in the team. One well-known Sydney, football writer has stated that Hore was the best forward in the team. Since writing the foregoing, I have received the following . opportune and amusing comment from Inquirer —Dear " Pull :Back,” —I noticed in your column a few weeks ago a letter from an indignant North Islander, vno wanted to know why the Otago forward Hore had been chosen to go to Australia. Your correspondent, if I remember -rightly, placed Hore on a : very, low level a player, and said uncomplimentary things about the selectors. Now, on various occasions during the All Black tour, I baye noticed that-a player named Hore hit been Very highly commended by the critics, and, furthermore, he has, when bis backs have been failing to score, obtained a try or two himself. -Could you tell me if this is the very’-inferior Hore whom your correspondent .mentioned? Of course, the Australian critics and the radio announcftrs may be poor judges of a player, or perhaps they are unaware that Hore comes from Otago, a province which, in the eyes of the North Islander, is incapable of producing a first-class footballer, or cricketer for that matter. At any rate, the Southern-Otago-All Black forward, if it is he whom We have been hearing so much about, appears to have done not so badly—for a Dunedin player. The Otago forwards stayed, on well in the, return match against Southland on Saturday, and in the second spell infused plenty of - dash into their play.. In the second spell, moreover, they hooked the ball well, to Simon, and in their loose dribbling rushes spread and drove through the defence. M'Donald again played a sterling game, and so did Gibson, who is developing into a solid worker and using more judgment in holding control of the balL: • Murphy and Niven were another, pair of hard workers. The whole pack, however, as. stated, kept well into the play froni start to finish, and they were not always well served by their backs and had * lot of needless running about to- do. • I Silver played another serviceable game. He did not. however, alwiya get the line, and . one serious mistake - in the second half cost his side a try. A hard ground kick struck the Blue full-back on the knea« and rebounded, and M’Kay snapped up the ball and made a fine run to score. Dunne,was easily: the beet of the threequarters, and made sOnie strong runs along the wing; He was, however, not given much room in which to work, and Mitchell (the centre) was coming across fast to make a second line of defence to M'Kay, who was playing opposite, Dunne. Some of Simon's passes from the scrums were not as well delivered as usual, and thi* caused an immediate breakdown in the passing. Simon, however, played a very useful game, and was as strong as ever on defence. The country first fiveeighths, Arnold, made a, favourable impression. His play certainly lacked something in finish, but it was marked by initiative. With more experience in big football -he should, I imagine, improve and develop into a, good brat fiveeighths, and a good first , five-eighths is badly needed in the- Otago team. Fookes’s fine run in the last minute of the game which enabled Procter (who Had replaced M'Skimming) to score was the best effort of the day, nad was really the only , occasion when he managed to get clear. Taylor was not impressive dt centre three.-quarter,. and neither was M'Stimming bn the wing. Procter only Had the one .opportunity to score, and he made no mistakd-in. taking Fookes’s pass and going-overi;.-■ . Tie play. <>f the Southland inside backs was nothing to enthuse over. Hamilton, at full-back, however, .played a fine game; He-was nearly, always ’in position > and-fielded .the-ball.And.kicked well right through. One piece of misfielding, however, in the, first half brought danger to hi* side,..but it pissed. ■ Mitchell ,(centre) •vfas noticeable for sound .play in the first, half, and tried-) to straighten up .the attaeteab times ■■'With* »■ cut-;!*; - He was not, however) allowed to go far.—ln the, second ■pell Mitchell -had few opportunities ■on attack, - but |«a defence was impregnable, and, v as. stated* He was ; quick, to come acrois to-support,his wings., ' Gedded, -wing-three-quarter, was starved for; the ball. ' On one occasion in the •eepnd ihalf when he had" a-likely-looking ahanee lie dropped' his pass. M'Kay, on the other .wing also had few' chances, and He-had' something to do to hold Dunne in check. '.The two five-eighths, Ffampton and ' Weeiiey, . did . not break - through ne» ! rV a». well as; thev.’did' in the match at Invercargill' on - the previous Saturday.- They were'hot .given much-room to work-on by the Blue inside backs and the break-away forwards, and their - play suffered accordingly. .Purdue (halfback) kept well in the play in the first half; and it was a clever piece of work on hi* part which enabled Southland to score their-first try after five minfites play. He secured the ball, from a scrum, and went- clean through to start - passing, and after Galt had handled the ball went infield to Pawson to score. Purdue continued 1 to do good work in the first half, and secured a try by getting on to his

feet quickly, after he had been collared by , Silver, and regaining possession. Purdue was not nearly so prominent in the second half. . Southern.- Galt, and George were a trio of solid working forwards. The Southland pack, however, tired in -the second half.

Mr J. Ewart, the referee, was well arid truly “ roasted ” by Otago officials (w'ho should have known better) from the stand.—“ Onlooker,” in the Southland Times, The record of Evan Jessep, the former Pbncke, Wellington, and New Zealand representative, who played for Australia against the All Blacks, recalls that several players have represented both New Zealand and Australian teams. The first to do so was James. O’Donnell, of Otago, who was a member of the’ first New Zealand - side: to visit Australia, that of ,1884, and the same year he played for New South Wales. Another of the 1884 New Zealand team. H. Y.. now Sir Henry Braddon, of - -Invercargill and Otago, was included in the New South Wales, combination of 1888. while .Tom Pauling, of Wellington, an 1806 and 1897 representative, found a place in the Stale team of 1898. • Two others, W. Hardcastle’ and E. El Booth, played for the Dominion in 1807, and 1005 and 1907 respectively, and for New South Wales in 1898'and 1908. ■ But one man, F, Sturman, has played first .for -New South Wales and-then fbr New Zealand. He led the State side of 1894, and two years later 'represented this country against Queensland. . Fpokes played for Otago against Southland on Saturday; he will be in action at Wellincion to-day in the Rest against the All Blacks, and on Saturday he will be playing for University A against Albion:for the Payne Shield.