FOOTBALL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17108, 14 November 1929, Page 4

FOOTBALL

ENGLISH RUGBY TEAM N.Z. PLAYER’S REVIEW Rugby ill Great Britain was very interestingly touched upon by Lieutenant J. R. Page, who is at present on a visit to relatives in Dunedin prior to taking up an appointment as Assistant Area Officer with the Defence Department in W etliiigtou. Lieutenant Page had a brilliant athletic career at the, Southland Boys’ High School, where lie was a member of the Rugby fifteen for five years. Accepting a New Zealand Government cadetship, he proceeded to Sandhurst Royal Military College, from which lie passed out with honors. He was a member of the Sandhurst Rugby fifteen and played against a French military college. Being posted to the King’s Lfwn Yorkshire Light Infantry for special instruction. Lieutenant Page joined up with the London Scottish, a leading English Rugby club, and bo was also a regular member of the Army iiiteen.

“Wakefield, who is the provisional captain of the British Rugby team for the. New Zealand tour, is still the best forward in England, in my opinion," said Lieutenant Page to a Dunedin reporter. “The English captain runs like a three-quarter, and is very good in the tight. Ivor Jones, another member of the pack, was the best forward Wales had last, season, being a raking type. S. J. Cagney, who has frequently played for Ireland, is a big, burly forward, and one oil the kind who goes hard from start to finish. Another Irish international, G. R. Beamish, is the same. “The forwards as a whole are a big pack, being very good in the tight. At Home the forwards usually excell in the light stuff, and most of the sides make a speciality of screwing the scrums. “The full-backs are Seller and Brown, both of whom have represented England. The former being in the Navy, was away from England lor a season, but he was easily the best- full-back in Britain before ‘ his departure. He is not a solid full-back, but a dashing player, who should certainly delight New Zealand crowds. Brown was the next best full-back.

“Of tbo three-quarters, Aavvold was captain oi the Cambridge University last season and represented England. In the London iScotiish-Cambridge mutch 1 marked Aarvold, who is a very fine attacking player, though not quite so good on defence, lie was dropped from the English side in the matches against Scotland and France this year. He is very strongly built, and one of. his habits is to run round his man. He is! almost equally as good on the wing as at centre three-quarter. "Uanly, the Irish international, is a dashing wing three-quarter, hut hardly up to recognised All Black standard. "(1. V. S. Matphcrson has been one of Scotland’s leading lights for some years, and though he had a period off form lie came back, and playod marvellous games against Ireland and England last season. He is a very straight runner, with a brilliant, cut-in. In the mood lie can be good on defence, but js a trifle inconsistent. "lan Smith is a very last runner, and although he lias lost a hit of his pace he is very dangerous near the line. He is a good all-round wing three-quarter, and had the almost unique experience of being chosen to play for Oxford University at Soccer and Hugby on the same clay, choosing the oval code. "Boweott is a young Welsh player. “Of the half-hacks chosen for the New Zealand tour, M. .Sugden is the best, though he is hardly in the class of A. T. Young, the dazzling Blackheath, Army, and England player. I played alongside Young on many occasions, and regard him as the most unorthodox player I have ever seen. “Sugden gets the ball away well and is a wonderful defensive player. He has a. habit of slipping unexpectedly round the blind side when near the line. “Greenlees is a stand-off half, who played a very good game for Scotland against Ireland and England last season. He is very sound on defence and good on attack, and is a very small player. "I think New Zealand should win the Tests," said Lieutenant I’age, "but solid scrummaging will be absolutely necessary. The. British team will probably develop combination on the tour, but, excepting the University sides, few teams at Home display the combination that is seen among good club and provincial sides in the Dominion. liven international teams do not show the combination 'one would expect from international fifteens.”—Christchurch Press.