RUGBY

Southland Times, Issue 22008, 6 May 1933, Page 14

RUGBY

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By

“Onlooker.”)

Although the weather conditions were not all that could be desired the opening of the S.R.F.U.’s grade competitions on Saturday could be said as having an auspicious commencement. There was excellent support from the public, the draw was an interesting one and the standard of Rugby played much ahead of that witnessed on an opening day for many seasons past. All indications point to a successful season.

The Southland Rugby Union’s Annual will be on sale at Rugby Park to-day. The last time an annual was published in Invercargill was in 1920. Many records have accumulated since that date, and numbers of players have worn the maroon of Southland, so that the present annual will contain a wealth of Rugby data hitherto unrecorded officially. Every player in city and ■ district should procure a copy. Apart from Southland, New Zealand and oversea teams’ records, there is much information regarding the Laws of the Game, rules governing club contests, Ranfurly Shield regulations, regulations and conditions governing the Sports Trust,Cup, Fleming Cup, Baird Cup and other trophies, and a hundred and one other things every footballer should know. There have been only a limited number printed and portion of these have been set aside for the sub-unions. Get a copy early and avoid disappointment. Frank Beadle, Old ’ Boys’ full-back, had the distinction of opening the scoring list for the season in first grade footbail. His first penalty against Invercargill, a beauty from 40 yards out, did the trick.

Mention of Beadle brings to mind the sight of two stalwart members of the local constabulary watching intently the fortunes of the Old Boys—lnvercargill game at the Park on Saturday afternoon. They were “Mick” Beadle and Bill Nisbet. Each with a son representing him on either side of the game in question, they presented a study in emotion as the game progressed. The game ended in a draw. What better result could there have been for the oldsters? Whose the blame? Next week at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union the much-discussed nonrcplacement rule will probably come under the spotlight. The English Rugby Union will be criticized and called sqme hard names. But, getting away from the rights or wrongs of an unpopular ruling, who actually is to blame for a state of affairs which in effect has caused such a ruling to be framed? In other words, who is responsible for the accidents and injuries to players which necessitate retirement from the field of play? I propose to supply the answer myself and say that the players and the referees who control the games are indirectly responsible for a goodly portion of the accidents. The players are to blame because n great number of them make no attempt to fit themselves for strenuous Rugby and consequently succumb easily to injury where a fit and trained body would stand up to it. There are many players who attend their training regularly enough, but do not indulge in sufficient “hard” work to fit them thoroughly. Fitness of wind is not the one and only essential for a man’s game. The referees are to blame because they permit too many collapsed rucks and scrums to be the medium of a battle for possession. They appear to foster rather than shun the “sacks on the mill” tangles which almost weekly spoil our Rugby. It is here that the bulk of the accidents occur, so until the referee takes a firm stand in the matter and protects the player in these useless and aimless melees he must take his share of the blame for the injuries which lead to retirements and a subsequent blaspheming of a law framed for other purposes than harship on a team which might be unlucky in accident. We all know that “genuine" accidents will occur. They play a minimum part in the matter under review, however. If the players attend to their training as they should do and the referees interpret laws to meet the spirit of the game, then all will be well, and there will be little need to squeal about no replacements. In case I am misunderstood I will state that I am in favour of replacing th? injured player. I have merely put the case for the rule and tried to find a way of overcoming unnecessary accidents and injuries. Southland referees have a great opportunity to lead the world and say firmly that there will be no more hideous scrambles for possession. They can serve a double purpose by this means—brighten up the play and protect the player. I can commend Mr James Murray’s interpretations in this respect to the rest of the referees. He did not tolerate “dead” play last year and we will all hope that he won’t again this year. PIRATES v. STAR. PLAY AND PLAYERS. It is not a very difficult matter to sum up the merits of the Star—Pirates game. Pirates backs and forwards played Star forwards and one or two backs. Pirates earned their victory; Star earned their loss. The Blacks were far too speedy and were certainly a fitter side than Star. They took advantage of some good opportunities and won out through adopting enterprising tactics as against Star’s more solid forward play. Only for one period during the second spell did Star look like holding Pirates, but beyond actually holding them they did not look a winning side at all. One would sooner watch the play of the Pirates backs than entertain Star’s style of play. Perhaps the Whites were not too keen on their backs, and after seeing them moving one would say that they had every reason to be disappointed. Tire Star forwards got a lot of ball for their backs, but for some unaccountable reason they could not move and there vzas nothing left but for Pirates to hop in and score off their mistakes. The play of the Black forwards was a revelation in the loose. They were beaten in the tight at times, but for the most part were able to break through and give the Star backs a hard time on defence.

There were only two or three Star backs worth their places in the team. Riddell, Frampton and Sylvester worked hard to stem the loose rushes o£ the Blacks. Riddell was hampered by Lock’s slow moving and several like-ly-looking passing rushes did not get more than a few yards. Frampton was playing in a strange position at. half, but he did reasonably well considering the greasy ball. His rush stopping could not have been improved upon. Sylvester has football in him and once he learns positional play he should link up well with Riddell. Glen Thomas, a youngster at fullback for Pirates, surprised his fiiost ardent admirers with his display. He got little or no tackling to do, but in all other respects performed as a hardened campaigner. His kicking was very good. Ray Pickering was the best of the wings seen out. He was marked by Sievwright, but did not find him very difficult and made some spectacular runs. Pickering is a bit of a puzzle. At times he shapes like a champion. A

continuation of Saturday’s form will find him a great scoring man for Pirates. Young Dixon was not a howling success at centre for the Blacks. A lot of movements broke down at this youth, but there is no doubt that he has football in him and will improve with experience. Bert Geddes got only one decent run and then was crowded on the line. The Blacks’ five-eighth line shaped very well and with a good boy in Girvan Thomas sending passes out in his best style, they had a good innings, especially in the first spell, when the Black scrum got plenty of ball. Sharp caught Riddell on the wrong foot on one occasion and slipped the Star man up, but on practically every other occasion he found Riddell’s tackling too sound. Sharp is the king pin of the Black backs and if he gets the smallest opening he can make very good use of it. He looks like playing a big part for Pirates again this year. All of Pirates forwards played well, the outstanding ones being Richardson and Metcalfe. Richardson was always to the fore and made many raids which found the Star men shaking. He, T. Metcalfe and Berry will make a great trio for the Blacks. THROW-INS. PARS FROM THE TOUCHLINE. Three good full-backs and one poor one were seen out at the Park last Saturday. Jack Purdue, Blues full-back, is only a little chap, but he does a man’s size tackling and kicking. F. Beadle (Old Boys) struck form right away. His line finding with either foot was good, and his goal kicking 99 per cent. Glen Thomas (Pirates) is raky and does not impress one as likely to stand up to the hard stuff. Yet Saturday saw him come through with honours. Nevill Mitchell (Old Boys) was the cleverest back on Rugby Park on Saturday. His positional play and handling and kicking were an object lesson to more experienced players. Angus McKay fathered his co-backs in his best style but in the end was forced to go for the doctor himself and get Blues out of a nasty hole. Senior captains last week were Girvan Thomas (Pirates), Jack Mattingly (Star), Len Clode (Blues), and G. Wilson (Old Boys).

Brian Mahoney (Star) has retired from the game and will in future get his football from outside the touchline. He was not too keen about boxing on this season, and when his leg gave out last Saturday, that settled the argument.

Star and Waikiwi will pack the old 2-3-2 formation to-day, with a loose head in the front row. It is only a matter of time when they’ll all be back to New Zealand’s one and only formation. The three-fronted scrums we saw last year more than ever slowed up our football. And as for the bogey put forward by some of our legislators that five-eighth play would be speeded up with the abolition (?) of the wing-forward, nothing so ridiculous has ever been uttered. Five-eighth play in New Zealand was never so poor as it was last year. Yet few of them were harried by wingforwards. The rover was needed to speed them up! A new man from Wairarapa, named Gardiner, will be tried out in the fiveeighth line for Star to-day.

Rough-house tactics were indulged in by more than one forward in last week’s senior games. In future it is the intention of this paper to name offenders and at the same time demand the referees and Rugby Union to take action. One bad instance in the Star- - Pirates game might have had disasterous results for the offender had he been “caught.” The referees have asked that the attention of junior teams be drawn to the scheduled time of starting games. Last Saturday several teams failed to parade on time. This sort of thing will not be tolerated in future. SOUTHERN DISTRICT RUGBY. OTERAMIKA CLUB. (By "Dingersfontein.”) Judging by the score, 25—3, recorded against Tokanui by Oteramika’s young team in their initial shield match of the 1933 season, it would appear, on paper, that the Light Blues are a very strong combination. Such is not the case, at least as yet, for combination is almost entirely lacking, and the score generally speaking was the result of pure individualism. The season is young yet and if the general standard of Southern District football is no higher than was the case last year this club, which only then began shield competition, should, with proper coaching methods and organization, plus very necessary discipline, be very near the top when the competition closes. Having a big membership drawn from a. very wide district, they are in a much more favourable position than any other Southern District club and as most of the players are young and keen, there are great possibilities. So far the stumbling block has been with the older members who apparently think football can be learned by a run and kick about the paddock prioi’ to playing a match. Last year the writer drew attention to the lackadasical methods followed by the coaches and it was hoped—a hope freely and frequently expressed by the players themselves—that better methods would be followed this season. However. no exception can be taken to the coaching methods this year, for so far, coaching has been a minus quantity. Already three Saturday afternoons have been spent playing friendly matches, while it is an astounding fact that not five minutes has been spent in instruction. Last Saturday Oteramika had a bye, and a golden opportunity occurred for the coaches to get the teams together and instruct them individually in handling, dribbling, place kicking, bunching etc., in all of which departments the majority, while more than willing to learn, are deficient. What is said here of Oteramika also applies to certain other clubs in the sub-union, there being, generally, too much playing of games and not enough practice of individual sections and departments of the game. The personnel of Oteramika has been slightly strengthened by the inclusion of a few newcomers, P. McMillan, F. Woodfield, E. O’Connor and Keown (ex-Northern). Of the local boys, who had played no competition football prior to last season, J. Shaw and Seaton Meredith have shown outstanding improvement. Shaw is a fine weighty hard-working type of forward who pushed his way into the Sub-Union team last year through sheer merit Meredith, on the other hand, while only carrying about eleven stone, is an ideal type of breakaway forward with surprising speed and nippiness. To the inexperienced observer, Meredith does not show up, as would a useless “shiner” or a conspicuous giant, but he has a knack of always being on the ball and works like a trojan in the tight stuff. He vzas tried out at centre in the match against Tokanui and did tolerably well. Woodfield (erstwhile Waikiwi) adds a much-needed stiffening to the Oteramika back line and he and S, Meredith were among the try-getters against Tokanui, the former converting his own try.

A timely effort is being made to obtain the additional services of a prominent All Black forward, also a Southland representative back, to coach the Light Blues, a suggestion put forth by

“Dingersfontein” some time ago, and it is to be hoped that the, officials will rally the players together and take full advantage of it. As previously mentioned in this column, this young club has a fine lot of raw material, keen to learn'and glad to be told anything and all that is wanted—and badly wanted—is organization and discipline. The following fixtures are set down for to-day in the Southern District: —

Waimahaka v. Fortrose at Waimahaka; referee, Mr E. McCall. Gorge Road v. Oteramika at Gorge Road; referee, Mr K. McKenzie. Tokanui v. Seaward Downs at Tokanui, referee, Dr Marshall. Otara a bye.