RUGBY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17133, 8 September 1926, Page 3

RUGBY.

TIIK AUCKLAND VICTORA

BAY REHABILITATED

(Notes by " Onlooker.")

Nothing could have been mote satisfying than the result- of the match played at Auckland' by the Poverty Bay representative, team. The Barry Cup match gave the football enthusiasts cause b.r gratification, but the failures, of the Bay since, that day had kuoeked the bottom oat of the boom. A good victory was badly needed, and the team which nief the Auckland fifteen delivered the goods.

Tho writer must confess that he was exceedingly surprised to learn the final scores; "Onlooker" had cherished and expressed confidence that the prestige of Poverty Bay would not suffer in the hands of its first fifteen, but thatPoverty Bay should win the game against Auckland 1 was more than he had hoped. There are so many wellknown Rugby men in the northern city, and it- could not be said that tho team fielded for Auckland was a weak one. The benefits of experience were all in favor of the Aucklanders; they had a wider range of selection, moreover, and their fifteen included several All Blacks The win registered by Poverty Bay must have caused as much surprise to the actual spectators of ihe game as In those who awaited the result, m Gisborno. The time will .surely come when itwill be recognised that- Poverty Bay can held a, team that will give most of tile New Zealand provinces a hard battle. With some sports followers, a. Poverty Bay victory can be nothing lint- a fluke, while a defeat invites a chorus of " 1-told-you-so's." " Onlooker " has taken occasion to criticise the selections made for Poverty Bay. and the lack of training that- has made itself evident in the performances made at different times, but has never concealed bis opinion of the real .merits of the material available in this district. The teams which lost the Barry Cup to Wairoa and the Clements Cup to the East Coast were- not truly representative of Poverty Bay, and to judge the prospects of the team atAuckland on the performances in those matches was the vainest, folly. Those who, like " Onlooker," dared to be hopeful about the Auckland match, were subjected to \i bombardment of ill-con-sidered comment; they will no doubt await -with amusement the effort to reconcile this comment with the highly satisfactory result of Saturday's game.

KEENLY DISAPPOINTED

HAWKErS BAY'S ATTITUDE

The advice received from the llawke's Bay Union, to the effect that if will not be able to send a team ti> Gisbome this .season, was almost its keenly disappointing as the Auckland victory was gratifying. Gisbome patrons had been keenly anticipating a really firstclass visiting team in action here, since tho Ran f art y Shield holders could not risk defeat by the team which met Ihe Auckland! representatives. The announcement thai other engagements will prevent them i.e.-ping- their unofficial promise in visit Gisbome if possible dashed away Unit hope.

The relations between Hawke's Bay .and Poverty Bay have ■been friendly save for a- brief period, and visits have been exchanged readily in the past. If the writer's impression is correct, Poverty Bay refrained from entering a challenge for the lin.nfurly Shield this season in the hope that the premiers would send a. team to Gi.sborne, and at any rate, the assurances given to Mr. Parker, the chairman of Ihe local union, a lew weeks ago. seemed good enough to bank on. Mr. Parker told "Onlooker" that both Mr. Noetic and Mr. Norman MeKenzie had promised to use their influence to secure the visit here, and it- was promised, futher, that the team sent to Gisbome wouitl not be a .second fifteen. The Shield side will, it appears, travel ns far south as Invereargill, and this will leave no time, for coming on to Gisbome afterward. The, second fifteen is to tour to the. north, and they, likewise, will have too full a programme to consider a visit to this town.

The Poverty Bay Union should make it dear, when replying to Hawke's Kay, that it. is prepared to entertain only a first-class team, should the Shield province find it possible at any 'future date to pay Gisborne a visit. 'Poverty Bay would have to he weak lo fail against the Hawke's Bay seconds.

HAWKE'S HAY TEAM SOME SHIELD QUESTIONS » I ID ill The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union has quite ' a load or trouble on its -shoulders, what with the New Zealand Union's enquiry into the defection of Nepiii from the Maori team for France, the necessity for refuting charges of foul play, laid against the, Hay team in connect ion with the Kani'urly Shield match with Wellington, the selection of a team to go south with the Ranfurly Shield, ami the finding of a forward to (ill the place of A. Kirkpatriek, who has retired from active participation in Rugby. The situation with regard to Nepia is still obscure. The enquiry into the circumstances of his withdrawal from the Maori team is still in progress, but as some vital evidence is in the possession of Mr. Parata, manager of Ike team abroad, it seems hardly likely that any satisfaction will be achieved by the inquiry. It is said that Nepia wired Mr. Pnrata that his father's illness would prevent him from making the trip, bul that Mr. I'aiata hail meanwhile discovered that there was nothing amiss with Mr. Nepia, senior. \s the charges against Nepia are apparently made by the manager of the Maori team, I he question is not likely to bo settled before the team returns. The Hawke's Bay Union has iutcrosi ed itself in Ihe case, however, ami no doubt will be glad to have the services of Nepia for the meantime. STORM SUBSIDING The. storm aroused by Ihe allegations of foul plaj on Ihe pail of Ihe Bay shield I earn has just about subsided, but Ihe repercussions are still being felt, 'The Union can do no less thai) prelect its players from accusations which il folf are uol justified, and is keeping a keen watch over the reputation of the shield team. S The team, by the way, will not be going south as a whole, for a number of the lirsl lifte.cn will uol be able lo secure the necessary leave. The decision io take Ihe Ranfurly trophy lo Christchurch for the match with Canterbury depends upon the availability of Ihe majority of the notable May men; .Hawke's Ray is uol going lo lake any chances wiih the Canterbury side, which during Ihe past I wo seasons has

been a formidable challenger lor the premiership. The retirement of Kirk pal rick from football is a distinct loss to the bay, for he has led the liny pack for many \ears; and since MMS has worn the striped jersey of the Cay representatives. He has made himself highly popular with the patrons of the game, and though lie has not enjoyed Ihe same prominence as the I'.rowulie

brothers, no man who lias played for the Bay has been more liked. The Union will find it hard to replace him, for it is easier to procure a big husky hid than to remould him into the type of man the Union is losing in Kirkpatrick.