RUGBY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16773, 4 July 1925, Page 14

RUGBY.

The town of Cowra, New South Wales, boasts a team of “All Blacks.” Every man of the side is an Australian aborigine, and when they get moving with the ball, they are a hard lot to stop. They have had a lot of success in matches with teams of whites, who look on them as good sportsmen and a first-class team to play with. * « « • The final success of the New Zealand team in New South Wales, against Thorn's fifteen, at Manly, brings their record of matches to five wins and a loss. The scores of the tour are as follows: — V. N.S.W. (test), won, 2(5—0. V. Metropolitan, lost, 1(5 —IS. V. N.S.W. (2nd test), won, 4—o. V. N.S.W. (3rd test), won, 11—0. V. Selected side, won, 20—13. Y. Thorn’s Fifteen, won, 24—9. The total points scored on the tour were: For 101, against 4(5, a result well in keeping with the reputation of New Zealand teams as attacking formations. # * * * While the 1920 touring team failed to secure an unbroken record of victories, the results obtained indicate that, as the captain of the side remarked at the civic reception tendered to the team at Sydney, New Zealand is not a “one-team” country. With twenty-nine players of top-notch standard deliberately excluded, the Dominion’s Rugby ranks were able to produce such a side as this, capable of .winning each of its three tests, and impressing the Sydney critics as equal to the 1924 team which won renown on the English, Welsh, Irish and French fields. An important point in connection with the tour is that the representatives of this year, added to the representatives of 1924, make up a grade of fifty-two first-class men with international experience, which must tell heavily in favor of New Zealand when teams from overseas assail her supremacy in the Rugby world. * # » * It is impossible to offer any comparison between the teams of 1924 and 19215, for many reasons; one chief reason is that last year’s great touring team played a groat many more matches than this year’s. A notable fact was that, as the 192;' All Blacks went on, they improved steadily—too fast indeed for the New South Welshmen to keep pace with., Given the opportunity of a prolonged tour such as the 1924 team, Jim Donald might have proved the leader of an even more illustrious combination than that skipped by C. G. Porter. * • • • Another fact, of more particular interest to Poverty Bay football patirons, emerges from the cabled reports of play in Now South Wales. This relates to the performances of Blake, the Hawke’s Bay three-quarter, who was seen in action in this district last season when Hawkes’ Bay returned a visit. Blake is described as “the cleverest centre-three-quarter the Dominion has produced for years,” and yet is was admitted by the Hawke’s Bay men themselves that, in last, year’s clash, Poverty Bay had the best /back on the field in W. Langlands. Granting that Blake has had an opportunity to develop in first-class company, under the most competent of coaches, and in circumstances which forbade any let-down on his part such as is occasionally seen in the case of Langlands, granting too that Panglands has lacked many of his opportunities, the intelligence from -New South Wales nevertheless makes the Poverty Bay man’s title to consideration for the next New Zealand representative team thoroughly sound. It is to be hoped that even with fiftytwo proved men of first-class capabilities available, the selectors will still move abroad in their selective duties, and that such cases as that of Langlaiuls, the circumstances of which might be duplicated in a number of instances, will have full consideration. * * * •» Since the beginning of the current season, Jack Steel (West Coast), has scored 70 points, and Mark Nicholls has 62 to his credit. Mark recently displayed his versatility by going up among the forwards, and doing himself credit there. He is declared to be capable of playing a fine game in any position on the field, but it was as first five-eighths that the Petono captain has established himself as one of the geniuses of the gnme.

The drop-kick which added the last four points to the score of East Coast, against Poverty Bay at Ruatorea on Saturday last, was stated to be a marvellous 3 effort, from over the halfway line. One member of the Poverty Bay team said it was a “regular McLean/', recalling the mighty kick from midfield, booted by the Bay of Plenty player, McLean, which turned the scale against Poverty Bay a couple of seasons ago, when the Bay representatives visited Opotiki.

A query as to the interpretation with regard to the rights of the offending si do when a free-kick is given recently came before the New Zealand Rugby Referees' Association. The question was: In a free-kick, can the offending side standing on the mark raise their hands above their heads, and, if so, can they move them about? The decision quoted the intimation of the Now Zealand Rugby Union, as follows: That until this Union receives an official notification from the English Rugby Union, regarding "no-charge" against free kicks, thte rule allowing players to jump to obstruct the flight of the ball must continue." PRIMARY SCHOOLS' RUGBY. Owing to the unfavorable state of the weather during the week, all primary schools' Rugby fixtures have been postponed until the weather improves. With half the season’s fixtures yet to be played, the positions of the teams in their respective grades are as follows: — SENIOR GRADE. Team. P. W. E. D. Pts. To Hapara .. -1 I A A Mangapapa .. 4. •'! 1 0 0 Gisborne .. 4 L’ A (14 Jvaiti ..4 1 A A ” Convent .. 4 0 4 0 0 JUNIOR GRADE. To Hapara .. 5 •> (l ” ® Gisborne .. ”> ' •’ 1 1 1 Mangnpapn.. 5 A - 1 Haiti .. 5 0 "» 0 o THIRD GRADE. Gisborne .. 5 4 0 1 Cbnvcnt . - ’> ’ Te Hapara .. 5 - - ' 0