INDIAN GAME

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19699, 3 August 1938, Page 11

INDIAN GAME

MATCH IN GiSBORNE ROVER FULLBACK TO-MORU' >\V''S PROSPECTS i!M! win i;kcaui:i> By "Slicks" An interesting experiment is being tried by the Poverty Bay hockey team to play the Manavadar Indian State team in Gisbornc to-morrow. A goalkeeper will be dispensed with, and instead a rover fullback will be played in addition to the usual pair of fullbacks playing in their ordinary positions. The rover fullback, provided he is nominated to the umpires as the nominal goalkeeper, will have the privilege extended to a goalie in that he will be ible to kick the ball inside the circle. but, unfettered by heavy pads, he vill be abie to roam over a much wider area than an ordinary goalkeeper. The action prompting the Poverty Bay Hockey Association to agree l< he appointment of a rover fullback •ame from considering reports from slher centres. It was noted that the goalkeepers had little opportunity ol J topping shots put in by the Indian forwards, and the local selectors held the view that it would be better .o attempt to prevent the shots being made than to put a man between the posts to stop them. Poverty Bay has\ .wo excellent goalkeepers, but as the best of those in other centres havi >een unable to cope with most of tin •hols it was thought it would bo beter to adopt the rover fullback principle. This is the lirst lime a Poverty Bay representative [cam has played .iicli an impni taut match without a goalkeeper, and followers ol Ihe gam are anxious to see whether the departure from the orthodox method: vill succeed in this instance. A Good Rover Poverty Bay has a good man for the job of rover, George Tupara played more Or less a roving game in the shield match in Auckland, doing some splendid work after thi style of what will be expected of him to-morrow. He covered a great dea: of ground, and in the second s'pcll •lway.s seemed to be near the goa:nouth when he was wanted. II; jroved a strong hitter, and although • metimes a little wild in direction this is not a fault that will coun. against him as the last link in the defence to-morrow. Two solid fullbacks will be in iron'. of Tupara. Clem Scholium played against India in 1935, and gave s sterling exhibition, showing an alnost uncanny sense of anticipation. Mervyn Lynsky is playing his first important representative game. He was selected as emergency for the shield team in Auckland last year but was oirutted last month because oi illness shortly before the match, lie is a young player with a surprisingly long and deceptive reach, and has shown excellent form this season. Neither of these two fullbacks was in I Auckland this year. j There is one change in the halfbacks , from those in the shield team. B, Hal- i bert is in place of B. Crosby. Halbert is playing his first representative game. | and on club form should perform well. I K. Nicol and I!. Lowe did well in the) second half of the shield match in | Auckland, and when at their best both ! are brilliant. ' Change in Forwards i One change also has been made in I the forward line. It. Richardson talcing, the place of l\ Jones. Richardson j secured a place in the shield team last ' year, and has .speed 'and j|ood control I Of the ball. R. Watchman, fresh from j the first two tests in Christchurch and i Wellington, is on the list as inside, right, the position lie held in the New j Zealand tt'am, where hi., spcetl and I control of the ball earned him the < praise of the critics. The captain, George Slade, 'played against India in 1035, and he has adopted a stylo somewhat similar to ilia! of the Indian.;. Although his spei d ! is not so great as Watchman's, his j stiekwork rivals thai of the Indian | visitors. Bruce' Harris,.,l is. a speedy I player with good eoiuroi ove; u e bah, and makes a splendid inner left. A. McLean is another player who took | .he field against India three year; ago, I and has played representative hockey i m Gisbornc for several years, holding ; his left wing position by his ability to i lend in well-directed centres. Four of the Poverty Bay team have played against India in previous years. I

Watchman, who has just returned from the tests, played for Wellington against India in 1935, Three other Poverty Bay players played against the 1935 visitors in Gisbornc, they being Scholium, Slade and McLean. Women's 1914 Surprise If the Poverty Bay team plays as well as the one in 1935, the game tomorrow should be as attractive as the one which gave the Gisborne crowd such a thrill three years ago, when the ball travelled up and down field at a fast rate almost without whistle for the greater part of the time. Whether Poverty Bay has a chance of winning will depend entirely upon the ground. The Poverty Bay men's team has never yet defeated an international side, but that honour was achieved by the women's representative team when the English women's learn visited here in 1914, Poverty Bay winning a convincing victory by five goals to nil, the only defeat suffered by the visitors in New Zealand. Also, these scores were the first against England on the tour.

The Poverty Bay team comprised: Misses N. Gallagher, J. Ferguson, captain, L. Fanning, Ivl. Fromm, M. Malcolm. I. Parker, M. Ferguson. I. Pearce, R. Malcolm. F. Hill and W. East. The goals were scored by Miss R. .Malcolm three. Misses Pearce and M. Malcolm, one each. Home Side Complimented The manager of the visiting team complimented the Poverty Bay ladies on their performance, and said that their stick-work was the best he had seen in the Dominion. It was in the following year that Poverty Bay first won the New Zealand championship tournament. Men's hockey in Gisborne is not so strong now as women's hockey was then, but the state of the ground will be somewhat similar. The Childers Road Reserve was in a rough state for the 1914 game, and the playing area to-morrow will not be at its best. The 1914 result came as a great surprise, and il would be surprising to see Poverty Bay beat the Indians, but such things have happened in Gisborne before, and may even happen again.

The match tomorrow will be preceded by a game between Maori and European women players, the teams selected being as follows: Maori Team Goal.—Mrs. R. Edwards, Y.M.P. Fullbacks.--. Miss K. Kapuaroa, Wailuhi, and Miss 13. Rangione, Hinenui. Halfbacks.—Miss it. Wyllie, Hinenui, Miss*M. Tuhoe, Waituhi, and Miss L. Noanoa, Coronation. Forwards.-—Miss Q. Monica. Old Girls, Miss M. Rum, Waituhi, Miss L. Karcpa, Hinenui, Miss N. Te Han, Hinenui, and Miss J. Toroa, Hinenui. Reserves.—Mrs. M. Nukunuku, Kia Toa, i.'.'ul Miss Q. Kapuaroa. Waituhi. European Team Goal.—Mrs. Royds, Kia Toa. Fullbacks.—Mrs. W. Watts, Kia Toa. and Miss T. Lloyd, Coronation. Halfbacks. Miss T. Barkwith, Coronation, Miss B. Miller, Kia Toa. and Mrs. V. Pocock, Kia Toa. Forwards.—Miss A. Lloyd, Coronation, Miss J. Sangwell, Kia Toa. Mrs. G. Nicol, Coronation, Miss M. Graham, Waituhi, und Miss S. O'Rourke, Kir Toa. Reserves.—Mrs. H. Lc.Bas, Kia Toa, and Miss N. Thompson, Kia Toa. Wairoa match on Pa'ge*l6.