Otago Has Youthful Side For To-morrow’s Game At Whangarei

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27166, 23 August 1949, Page 6

Otago Has Youthful Side For To-morrow’s Game At Whangarei

From the Sports Editor WHANGAREI, Aug. 22. The Otago Rugby touring team arrived at Whangarei at 3.30 this afternoon after a wearisome journey lasting more than 24 hours. They immediately had a loosening run at Kensington Park, where Wednesday’s match will be played if the weather is wet. Otherwise it will be played at Rugby Park, headquarters of the Whangarei Rugby Union. The weather has been showery and warm, and prospects for Wednesday are not too bright.

Otago’s visit, the second in 10 years, is creating widespread interest throughout Northland, as it is regarded as the highlight of the season. Otago is the only South Island union to have played in Northland.

The team is quartered at the Whangarei Hotel, which is managed by “ Lofty ” Blomfield, now retired from wrestling. The Otago team to play North Auckland is the youngest side to represent the province for several years, R. W. Orr and G. J. Moore being the only members of the back line to play in shield Rugby before this season. The former is at full-back, while Moore is playing at centre for the first time in representative football since 1946. With the All Black, Johnny Smith, at centre for North Auckland, Moore should be a stalwart bar to the progress of the brilliant Kiwi player. The half-back, A. McGill, who has several years’ sub-unions Rugby behind him, is 20, and will be playing his first game for Otago. At Waitaki Boys’ High School he was associated in the first fifteen with S. A. Sutherland, who will be second fiveeighth in Wednesday’s game. Sutherland, who is 22. first played for Otago in 1945. D. R. Wightman. who is the youngest member of the team, was 20 last week, and Neil McKenzie, on the opposite flank, is 23. Jack Graham, first five-eighth, is 23. The front-row comprises an experienced trio in C. M. Garden, I. McKnight, and H. W. Wilson, all of whom have played in shield games this year,, while the locks. L. Hamilton and J. C. Pilling, are in their first season of representative football. Hamilton is 22 and Pilling 21. W. A. Lunn, who has won his way into a New Zealand team in his first season of representative football, is 22, and L. L. Thompson, on the other side of the scrum, is 26. K. J. O’Connor, back-row, is 25. North Auckland Team

The North Auckland team is: Fullback, V. Pearson; three-quarters—N. Cherrington, J. B. Smith (captain), B. W. Beazley; five-eighths. E. Dunn, J. Perrin; half-back, P. Cherrington; front-row —S. Simons, I. Irvine. S. White; middle-row—R. Marinkovic, C. Mcßae, I. Fraser, T. McHugh; backrow, E. Jerkovich. Reserves: Backs, R. Langdon, J. Murray; forwards, P. Murphy, I. Stanaway.

The North Auckland team includes the following who played in the Ranfurly Shield match against Otago in 1947, which Otago won 31—12:—N. Cherrington, J. B. Smith (backs), and S. White, C. W. Mcßae, I. Fraser (forwards). The side also includes Beazley, a Maori All Black to Australia, and P. Cherrington. who is a cousin of the winger. Nau Cherrington, and is regarded as the best half-back seen in North Auckland since M. N. PaewaL This will be his first inter-provincial game. Others playing their first big game are Perrin, first five-eighth, the exMatamata representative, and I. Irvine, who, like his famous father, W. Irvine, the 1924 All Black and former Hawke’s Bay player, is a hooker. Marinkovic and Jerkovich are also making their first appearance for North Auckland. 14-stone Pack The home team is also young, particularly in the backs. It includes three 19-year-olds in Dunn, P. Cherrington. and the break-away, Marinkovic. The average weight of the North Auckland pack is just over 14 stone. T. W. McHugh is a cousin of the All Black, M. J. McHugh. The referee is Mr E. French, of Dargaville. In the first game this season North Auckland was defeated by Auckland but with several changes in the side for Wednesday’s game an improved showing is expected. Perriam and Hellyer both received treatment at hospital to-day for muscle soreness, but it is hoped that both will be able to play against Auckland on Saturday. Woodhouse and Bell should both he fit before the end of the week.