RUGBY FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22366, 13 September 1934, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL

By Full-Back OTAGO AND NORTH OTAGO FIXTURES The following are the Otago and North Otago fixtures for the season:—July 25. —Hawke's Bay v. Otago. Won ' 9 points to 8 points. _ August 11.—Canterbury v. Otago. Dunedin. Won 16 points to 12 points. August. 18.—Otago v. Southland. Invercargill. Lost 9 points to 7 points. August 25—Otago v. Southland, Dunedin. Won 17 points to 11 points. August 29. — Nelson v. North Otago. Oamaru. North Otago won 20 points to 16 points. September 5. —South Canterbury v. Otago, Dunedin. Won 22 points to

9 points. September 8. —Otaco v Wellington. Dunedin. Won 6 points to 5 points. September 15. —Otago v. Maori team. at Dunedin. September 15. —Ashburton v. North Otago, Ashburton.

September 1. —Payne Trophy match. Dunedin. Albion beat University A, 9 points (three tries) to o points (converted try). September 29.—North v. South Island. Dunedin.'

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS “ Ex-Rep.”—l am afraid that your eulogies of the player named would not influence the Otago selectors. 1 cannot find your name as an Otago representative. ■ . “Why the Change? ”—I understand that the reason why Martin was Included a s an emergency for the Otago team to play against Wellington, was because Taylor, one of the emergencies selected, was not available, and neither was Uttley. Taking nvto account the weather conditions and state of the ground, no doubt, as it turned out, the Otago selectors should have stuck to Trevathan, and sent him on at half time to replace Arnold at first five-eighth, instead of playing Martin. It has to be remembered, however, that Martin lias shown m club football that he is strong on what may be called working-the-lme tactics, and it is easy to be wise after the event.

The Otago representative team finished tip its interprovincial-matches on Saturday, and, as will be seen by the table above, has registered'-a -highly gratifying record. Six matches have been played, one lost, and five were won. The Otago team scored 77 points and had 57 points scored against it. Otago has placed a very fine forward team on the field this season, and it has chiefly been their solid consistent work which has brought victory to the Blues. Otago will conclude its season on Saturday with the match against the Maoris. ■ . , . . „ The rain which commenced to lall heavily at mid-day on Saturday, and continued throughout the afternoon, made Carisbrook very heavy, and _ quite prevented the backs of either side showing up to any extent in passing movements. The game had been looked forward to with the keenest interest, and, given a good ground, the spectators would, without doubt, have been treated to a fine open game. The Wellington backs can always be relied on to throw the ball about, and Wellington teams are quick to play on the mistakes of opposing sides. As it turned out, however, the game was really a forward battle, and the Blue forwards were to 6 good for the northern pack. Wellington teams can always be relied on to play but a match to the finish, and they, are never beaten till the final whistle goes. Oa Saturday they, very nearly snatched .a victory trom Otago in the - last ■ stages of the came. One- game, ? played ■ at the Caledonian Ground in 1901, in-which Wellington won in the' last tomute, is i still 'well remembered.; The ball was .punted high to the latfe Jimmy Adiim, the Blues - full-back, and struck him on the shoulder. Adam momentarily lost sight of the ball, and Slattery, wing three-quarter, came on fast and fell on ■&, ball-to. score _ Morry Wood kicke&a goal, .and Wellington won bv. TO points ,Woi. 'goals) 'to 9 points (three tries);;':.: Another game .against Wellington was-, lost by Otago that was in 1900—right Lon ' time, when «u*y, Wallace missed a, penalty Tuck right in front of the goaljand the'Blacks won by 8 points (a goal and a try) to six points (two tries). . Never ;at any stage of the game last Saturday could it: be.claimed that Sadler, the’ Wellington Tialf-back,. showed out to any- extent, .whereas Simon, , once ,be settled: down, was in the play from start to - finish. There is' Hot'the slightest desire to draw invidious comparisons. Messrs J. M'Cleary, “ Scrummy Mason, and Alec M'Donald, who all know Weilincton football, tell me that Sadler 19 a fine half-back and that he is just as nice a lad off the field as he is a good player on it, and I am quite satisfied to take their word for it. Allowing for all this, I would maintain that Sadler could not have displayed the determination, the judgment, and the will to avert defeat shown by Simon when the Blues were being hard pressed on their line in the final stages of the game. It is no exaggeration to say that Simon never lost contact with the defence, and the bail, during those anxious moments when the Blues made their desperate effort to turn impending defeat into victory. The Blue forwards have the greatest confidence in their half-back, and that confidence is well justified. Simon is only to retain his present form in the match between the North and South Islands on Saturday week to clinch his claim for very favourable consideration when the All Blacks’ team for England, is being selected. I take it that the .New Zealand selectors will be in Dunedin to see the big contest. They will then be able to see for themselves, and to realise how unbiased some of the writers in the Wellington newspapers are when they repeatedly “knock” Simon for one single mistake he made in the All BLack-ihe Best match at Wellington. As I have stated before, a Dunedin man who has had a long and intimate knowledge of the game, and who saw the match I have referred to, informed me that on the day Simon was a better half-back than becoming positively alarming to read the hysterical outbursts about the weaknesses %f New Zealand football and what should be done to see that a strong team is sent Home next year. The outcry has, of course, been brought about by the fact that New Zealand was beaten by Australia in the first test and could only draw in the second. What, 1 understand, was the actual cause of the downfall ot New Zealand was that there were not enough workers in the pack and that the team did not always play as a team. It follows, of course, that where you have what arc termed “loose” forwards on a. side you will get individual, not team, P 'l 3 'notice that, commenting on the Hawke’s Bay-Wellington game. Mr Norman M’Kcnzie. the Hawke’s Bay selector, states that “the game did much to confirm my previously .expressed contention that possession from scrummages is not an absolute essential to success Wellington enjoyed a feast of the ball from scrums, and never once did they look like Booring frorn tlve resulting passing rush If possession from the scrummage was all-important Wellington should have won by a cricket score.” Mr MKenz.e is arguing on a false basis. The ball having been hooked for the backs to work on.- they have got to do their pait. They cannot do it if they have not the ball, but they have been given the opportunity once it has been hooked to them. The fact that the Wellington backs failed is not the slightest" argument against the recognised essential of possession of the ball. The whole point is that the Wellington backs were not able to play their part Another set of backs- might have registered the cricket score Mr MTvenzic speaks of. No one can deny that the forwards are really there to pave the way for the play 3 of their backs, and that one of their most important duties is to give their backs the ball. , Since the Great - War, New Zealand and Australia have fought out eight tests, seven on Australian grounds and one on New Zealand. Australia has won five of these and New Zealand three. At- the reunion of Kaikorai players on' Saturday night Mr A. M’Kon.Hd, the 1905 AU Black, presented D. Murray with the Branson Trophy for the senior

fifteen. W. Duncan, for the junior fifteen, was presented with a cup, and L. M'Ewaii with a medal for the most improved junior player. “ BEST BACKS IN SOUTH ISLAND " Dear “ Full-back.”—l am enclosing a report printed in the Tiniaru Herald of the southern tour of the South Canterbury representative Rugby team. The extravagant statements would be amusing 'hut for the fact that they are accepted as “ gospel ” by so many •followers of the game here. The logical sequence is a “demand” for certain players to become All Blacks,' and an attempt by press propaganda, etc., to put Tiinaru on the map. regardless of their real merits or otherwise. —I am, etc., .Moderation.

Reporting on the southern tour the manager (Mr Sullivan) said that when the team arrived at Invercargill they were met by all the officials of the South; land Union, most of the team, and halt of the town. Referring to the game, which was played in a howling gale, Mr Sullivan said South Canterbury had been unfortunate to lose the toss and had_ to play for 45 minutes against the wind. The effect of that gruelling spell was apparent in the second spell when all the players were suffering from the intense cold. “ Southland were unstinting in their praise and made no secret of the fact that South Canterbury were the best team they had played against for four years,” said Mr Sullivan. In the match against Otago, South Canterbury had been unfortunate in having seven of its players knocked _ about during the game. It was only in the last 15 minutes that the side had been beaten. “ I still think we have the best hades in the South Island,” said Mr Sullivan, “ and though we were beaten in both games, I think we put South Canterbury on side so far as Southland and Otago are concerned.” RANFURLY SHIELD Auckland won the Ranfurly Shield from Hawke’s Bay by 18 points to 14 at M‘Lean Park, Napier, on Saturday (says the Hawke’s Bay Herald). About 8000 people saw the match. So far as points went, a good goalkicker would have won the game for Hawke’s Bay, for success with conversions and penalties in good position that were awarded to Hawke’s Bay would have more than made up the margin. For Auckland, on the other hand, Heazlewood coaled from all but one attempt. Auckland were the better team on the day. They.worked magnificently both back and forward to score all their points in the first half, and in the second half, when _ Hawke’s Bay rallied, their defence against devastating forward and back rushes was flawless. The Hawke’s Bay backs played behind a beaten, scrum in the first half, and the speedy Auckland inside backs, well fed by Corner, the half, cut the defence to pieces. The Hawke’e Bay forwards dominated the second half, rushing the play repeatedly the length of the field, but the defence would not at any part yield. It was unfortunate that Hawke’e Bay’s back play was eo restricted that the ball only on the rarest occasions found its way out to the wings. Throughout, the game was spectacular and exciting in the extreme. Particularly was this so in the second half, with the Hawke's Bay forwards launching attack after attack in which they frequently swept the whole length of the field, but aways ’were checked by a sound defence.

TEAM FOR BRITAIN POLICY OF THE SELECTORS, While the tour of Australia by the New Zealand Rugby team just concluded will have an effect upon the policy of the selectors of . the All Black-team to tour Great Britain next year, none of the positions to be filled in 1935 is yet “ mortgaged.” Every man picked for the British tour will have , to prove his merits in “ trial ” games which the New Zealand Rugby Football Union will conduct early in the 1935 season. This assurance was . given Mr S, S. Dean, \chairman of the Dominion’s Union’s Management. Committee while he was in Gisborne :, last week. ■

“There will be plenty of opportunities for yoiing players to prove their worth,” said Mr Dean, “and those who,go abroad will be carefully .selected froffi .the beet material available. Those playiirßynow in the public eye. maybe to have an advantage, and undoubtedly it’ will help the selectors in their onerous task to have a prior and comprehensive knowledge of the talente, of a large number of players. That circumstance will not necessarily' handicap any oncoming young, player;;’ The ; r.decent tour of Australia revealed .Certain weaknesses, as well as definite, sources of strength, in the representation of the New Zealand Union, and-the task of the selectors will; be to use the , best of the material already tried out .and to build up the strength of the All "Black side to the highest possible point.” The names of certain players who must have further chances to play their way into the touring side were on everybody a tongues, continued Mr Dean, and he confidently anticipated, that next year s “trials” would bring out a good deal of additional talent for consideration. The selection of the 1924 All Blacks occasioned some surprises, he recalled* and incidentally the team which went on tour to Great Britain and France included several players whose selection gave rise to criticism. That criticism had been “scotched” by the perform-: anees .of the team abroad, and it was a fact that none of the surprise selections, gave cause for regret. Mr Dean referred to the critical attitude of members of the public relative to selection of All Black sides, and observed that there was often a clamour raised by the non-inclusion of certain players whose talents had won recognition on the field. The selectors had a most disfficult task, he said, and their difficulties were not lessened by the cir-cumstance-that they sometimes were unable to publicly defend their policy. Ho asked that the public should give the selectors a reasonable degree of support, arid let time show whether or not their choice was justified. From the New Zealand Union's point of view he could give an assurance that every player deserving of a chance to prove his merits would have that chance. The object of the union and of the selectors was, of course, to send abroad the most capable and fitting representatives of Rugby football in this country.