Much Too Strong

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24607, 15 May 1941, Page 4

Much Too Strong

The Rugby crowd at Carisbrook last Saturday did not have much cause to be enthusiastic. In contrast with the previous two rounds, the main match of this series was far too one-sided to be interesting. The Alhambra forwards, with R. J McDonald, a good front-row forward, and I. Mockford leading them in consistent scrummaging. did well enough, and kept the University pack fighting for the ball throughout the match: but once the ball left (he forwards Alhambra was badly outclassed. The backs were too voung and inexperienced to have any chance of holding the fast University line and it was apparent that the Light Blues could have won by a much bigger margin than 27 points to 3. That will probably be the experience of other teams than Alhambra this season. Although M N. Paewai was not playing behind the scrum on Saturday, this year’s University side is well up to standard. The backs are as fast a set as has worn the Light Blue colours for some time, and the strength rnd dash of R. J. Jones at centre, can be well capitalised by the, speed of the two wingers. N. Lino and R, McKenzie It is to be hoped that some of the other teams can fiaht out some hard games with University; but on present form it will be surprising if (he students have many anxious mom«nts this season. There should be the compensation that “the brightness of the team's play will .maintain interest despite easy wins. A Fine Record Few players can lay claim to taking an active part in Dunedin football for close on a quarter of a century, but when he turns out again .for Maori Hill in about a fortnight’s time Harold Balk, a former Otago and New Zealand Association football player, will commence his twenty-fifth season with the Maori Hill Club. He started the game as a lad at school in Oxford. England, where he was born Illhealth prevented his playing last season, and his many friends will be pleased to learri that he has made an excellent recovery and is fit and keen to get into harness again with his old club. In his time he .was one of Otago's outstanding left-wingers, a clean neat player at all times, and his clever footwork and’ great judgment in shooting made him a most'dangerous player on attack. ■ Backs Handicapped The Union Club is fortunate in that J. Walker, an, Otago representative a season or two ago and a splendid type of hard-working forward, is turning out again this season. He was never a showy player, and his determined work in the tight and his pace and keenness in the loose play will be a

great help to the scrum. V. Newall, this season’s captatirt’. ’is another excellent type of scrummaging forward, and these two set a good example against Southern last week. Union has slipped a long way from its championship-winning form of two seasons ago. but its scrum is still far from being a poor one. The side’s main weakness is in the backs, and it was evident on Saturday that the.fiveeighths and three-quarters will not get much chance to improve until they get a better service from the scrum. B. Samson is a strong utility player, but he is still much too inclined to stand up and have a look about him before thinking of sending the ball out.

Out of Bounds Among the slight alterations in some of the rules which are still puzzling a number of basketball players are the “ out of bound ” qualifications. The rule states: “ (a) A player is out of bounds when any part of her body touches*the ground on any object outside the boundary line.” Thus if a player steps on (but not over) a line she has not infringed, as she is still regarded as being in her playing area, all lines being common to adjacent areas. “ (b) Tht ball is out of bounds when it touches the ground across the boundary line or when it .is touched by a person or object out of bounds: (c) a ball hitting any part of the goal post (and rebounding into the court is out of play, except that h the ball rebounds from the top of the goal post into the ring it shall be considered a goal.” In connection with (c) it should be realised that the ring is considered part of the goal post, so that if the ball, hits the ring, it is also out of bounds, and is therefore dead. An ordinary throw-in governs the re-com-mencement of play.