FOOTBALL

Southland Times, Issue 19966, 4 September 1926, Page 18 (Supplement)

FOOTBALL

Wanted, a coach! ! Southland slipping sadly. Football week—Football feast. South Canterbury showed Combination. Secondary schools produced the fireworks. Merritt and Ussher—good names with good meanings.

Understood Messrs Geddes and Stalkei have taken over the coaching of the South land team.

Canterbury is the next visitor—on Wed nesday.

Will the public need ready reckoners to keep pace with the scoring? “Jock” Fraser leaves Invercargill shortly for Australia. Transferred.

McAuliffe has been chosen for the second five-eighth berth against Canterbury. He played a good game against Northern District at Lumsden last week.

Otago ’Varsity, first winners of Payne Trophy, again successful. The match for the Deacon Cup will now be for the premiership of the South Island. Star club busy getting ready for Deacon Cup match on October 2. Match at Drummond to-day and Sunday’s at Makarewa will keep them fit. McAuliffe will greatly strengthen the Star inside back division.

Gerard (South Canterbury) is a great forward—an honest and true All Black overlooked.

Manager Jimmy Wilson (ex-Otago wing forward) was very pleased with the Timaru team’s success on Wednesday.

President Courtis is to be commended on the action he took after the South Canterbury rout. At his instigation, it is understood, the charge of the team was removed from the selectors’ hands and given to Messrs Geddes and Stalker.

Jock Richardson will be back leading the pack on Wednesday. What a difference his generalship meant against South Canterbury. Three backs only on the Southland side — Kilby, Cleland and Shanks.

Bill Hazlett played the game of his life against the green and blacks. And then Southland lost.

Young Priest of the Otago High School team is going to develop into a slashing threequarter. Merritt should rep regent Canterbury any old time now.

In this year’s school tournament a notice able missing quantity was a good full-back Thorn was the best of a poor lot.

South Canterbury’s win on Wednesday last marked the first against Southland at Invercargill for seven years.

It will be interesting to note how South Canterbury get on with Otago at Carisbrook this afternoon.

The Maoris play their first match in France on September 12.

Reported that Dailey will not make the trip to Invercargill with the Canterbury team next week. Elvey, also, is an unlikely starter.

For the fourth time in four matches the selectors have made a change in Southland’s five-eighth line. Is this the right way to get combination?

To-day’s big Rugby games:—Wellington v. Golden Bay, at Motueka. Taranaki v. Wanganui, at New Plymouth. Otago v. South Canterbury, at Dunedin. Thames Valley v. Waikato, at Hamilton.

It is reported on good authority that the Canterbury Rugby team to tour south this year will aim hard at winning all three matches. Usually it triumphs at one town, say Dunedin, and then falls badly in Invercargill and Timaru, or in Dunedin and Invercargill, as the case may be. At Lumsden last Saturday Star met and defeated Northern by 15 points (three tries, one converted, and one goal from the field) to 3 (one penalty goal) The weather was showery and the turf slippery, the wet conditions making the handling of the greasy ball difficult. Northern were on the offensive for the better part of the first spell, but tired perceptibly in the second half. The yellow-and-black rearguard outplayed the green rearguard, while the forwards combined better and infused plenty of dash into their play. Summing the game up, Star won by superior pace, fitness and combination against a green team, the victory being well deserved. J. Hazlett, an exSouthland rep, filled one of the vacant positions, and showed glimpses of his former prowess.

B. A. Greenside, the big Hastings wing three-quarter, and one of the giants of Hawke’s Bay Rugby, made a double record in the match against Wellington. He equalled the great score of J. Blake in scoring five tries in one Ranfurly Shield game, and, also passed the century in indiviual points in Ranfurly Shield matches for Hawke’s Bay.

TOURNAMENT NOTES

(By Audax)

The 1926 tournament wall not be remembered for its remarkably high standard of play, but in respect of sportsmanship, pluck and keenness it was not a whit behind the eleven tournaments that have preceded it. For the first time since the competition began, Southland has been beaten on its own ground.

In replying to the toast of “Visiting Teams” at the dinner given to the teams by the Rugby Union, Mr E. Cockroft, of the Timaru High School staff, and an All Black of 1913, stated that the standard of play in the recent tournament was, in his opinion, the weakest for some years. Too many movements were not brought to fruition owing to bad handling or lack of support.

Mr Pearce, at the same function, paid a tribute to the way in which the Southland Union fostered the game in the schools. He considered Invercargill was particularly lucky in that respect. Christchurch gained premiership honours by Merritt and merit. The Blue and Blacks undoubtedly showed that they knew best how to play Rugby on modern lines, and a sporting team gained a popular win. Otago, with several crocks in their ranks, could not finish countless promising attacks and could not goal from the easiest of chances. Though their chances were generally favoured, their most ardent supporters could not claim that they deserved to win on the day’s play. Had Timaru got home on Monday it is probable they would have been too good for Otago, at any rate judging from the play on Thursday. Sixty players deserve hearty congratulations for showing the spirit that should actuate all participants in Rugby—or any other sport for that matter. After all, football is only a game and one side has

to win; so what on earth is the use of squealing or making excuses when defeated? There is far too much of this in the world of sport to-day. A prominent New Zealand golfer recently said that he had never beaten a man who had been in good health or who had been favoured with good luck. There is usually the same lamentable inability to accept defeat in the proper spirit prevalent among other forms of sport besides golf; but fortunately I think the school tournament has few, if any, such losers.

COMMENTS ON MONDAY’S GAMES. The best display given on Monday was by Christchurch. The Blue forwards worked heroically against the big Timaru pack and the backs at times gave sparkling exhibitions of passing. Otago disappointed its many supporters and Southland might easily have won. There was none of the dash and finish by the Blue and White that their displays against Christ College and Waitaki would lead one to expect.

Southland showed all the teams how to tackle. Their deadly collaring was in marked contrast to the high tackling of Otago.

Why did Ussher continually use the blind side? It'was surely a foolish consistency.

The play of the White forwards was at times reminiscent of the Springboks. They had the stature too.

Page and Arnold were the two dummy artists and both found a few gullable pur-

The place kicking of all the teams was far from accurate, though most of the kickers had plenty of force behind their

The display of all the teams, exhiliarating as it was, was distinctly of the South Island type—out of date. ’ Why is it that only in the North Island do players—and coaches—conceive what modern Rugby is? Whisper it (though it’s true) —the League game will teach a great deal for those with eyes to see.

If ever the cause was set above renown and the game beyond the prize it was on Monday.

Better handling is usually seen in second ary school games.

Sherwin, the Timaru full back, fielded particularly cleanly, but his kicking left a lot to be desired.

Thorne, usually very safe, had the misfortune to make one or two costly errors. He showed marked ability though. What a casual player Priest was until he decided to make an opening. Then he went for it strongly. Trochon, despite his light weight, was a dangerous wing. Dove also knew how to make the most of his opportunities. Merritt, except for a few blase periods, was outstanding for Christchurch. He scarcely used his weight enough, but what pace he could command when he wanted it.

Innes, though not prominent on attack was in the thick of the defence for Christ church.

Soanes will not need to carve his name, on the desks at school. His goal will ensure that his name will be remembered for a long time.

Page, except towards the end, was to the fore both on attack and defence’for Southland. He went on his own a shade too much.

Halstead, despite the 13 stone 5 lbs. he carried, could travel at a good pace when he wanted to.

Rowlatt was a great battler among the Otago forwards. Thomson, playing in half a jersey, was always conspicuous for Southland, and was well supported by Hamilton. King, the aggressive Timaru rover, was a tireless worker of the Springbok type. His head was sanguinary but unbowed throughout. Rugby Park caused a good many players to know to their cost what cramp was. THE FINALS. Though Christchurch won through good lacking, they thoroughly deserved their win. They made the most of all opportunities and cleared brilliantly when in trouble. The Otago forwards were good but could not finish off their attacks. Their backs scarcely ever looked dangerous, but showed that they could have done better if all had been flit.

Ussher, though excellent in the loose, persisted in making the mistake of selfishly running from the scrum on all occasions. This fault mars his otherwise clever play. Priest was the mainstay of the Otago backs.

Merritt, with his pace, intelligence and clever footwork, should develop into a great player when he leaves school.

The Christchurch backs were easily the best in the tournament. They knew when to pass and when to kick, and they certainly could do the lat.ter. Otago were as much out-kicked as outplayed, both in punts and shots at goal. Arnold and Page, excellent on attack, were not so good on defence.

What chances of gosling Otago failed to turn to advantage.

The full-backs on all four sides gave very creditable displays. Thorne was on his game against Otago. He made several slashing runs.

Hamilton was always to the fore following up for Southland, and Harley was likewise conspicuous for Christchurch.

Which team had the best haka? Popular opinion was in favour of Otago. In all the games played Timaru has won 15 and last 9; Otago has won 13 and lost 11; Christchurch has 10 wins and 13 losses and 1 draw: Southland has 9 wins, 14 losses and 1 draw.

Timaru has won the tournament 4 times, Christchurch and Otago 3, and Southland 2.