STAR’S RECORD

Southland Times, Issue 25306, 8 June 1935, Page 14

STAR’S RECORD

BUILDING A CLUB. MORE INTERESTING ' HISTORY.

(By

Billy Stead.)

This week Mr J. W. Stead covers the years 1899 to 1901 of the Star Club’s history. During this period the first fifteen were striving hard to keep their already great record intact. The opposing teams were improving their play, and more and more were wits and tactics employed to win the day. 1898 The annual meeting again elected J. W. Kelly president with the following vice-presidents: J. Harper, J. Aspray, J. Kingsland, J. .Stead, J. McKenzie, J. Aitken, E. W. Wright, A. Bain, Dr. Hogg and Dr. Fullarton. R. Knuckey was captain and J. W. Stead deputycaptain. I remember -this was a very gruelling season with a captain who wanted to go through without a loss as had been accomplished by the captains of three preceding years. R. Knuckey was a very valued player with unusual abruptness in calling “a spade a spade” and naturally not too popular with the younger set. When others were praising, “That, and better will do,” was his most favourable comment. He will always be remembered by his deadly certainty in kicking “sitters,” solely as the result of earnest concentration. We went through the season without a loss, having played 8, won 6 and drawn 2. Points for were 70 and against 3. 1899 It now became the fashion at the annual meeting for the executive to point out to the players for the ensuing season the necessity of still keeping the club on top and it was with some misgivings that I was pushed into the captaincy. Not that I shirked the honour or the responsibility, but I lacked the confidence. However, the strict method of training was in-bred in the team and needed no urge from me. We now had decidedly strong opposition from all three clubs and I was heartily glad to gain from the experience of previous captains who, with the exception of A. Donaldson, the first captain, were still playing. The result for the year was: Played 9, won 9, lost 0, drew 0, points for 49, against 9. It will be noticed that the aggregate has gradually dropped from the peak of 191-3 in 1896—evidence of stouter resistence and harder games to wip. Britannia were particularly hard to beat, playing to the theory that “attack is the best defence” and never afraid to try a new idea to spring a surprise on a side that had became equally alert to avoid such a situation, so that our games with this team became more and more a battle of wits and I think helped quite a lot to keep up the high standard of local Rugby. It was certainly an educative year to me, and the problems which I set myself were just as fascinating to me as bridge-clinic theories are to the bridge player. In narrating these \ aspects of this year’s play as they affected me I am suggesting to the young player that he will only play up to the standard which his brain power can define for him, and it is only by theorizing followed by actual experiment that he will carry

out instinctively the successful ideas. Get even a few vital players of a side imbued with this idea and combination is an easy acquirement. I have sidetracked here for the purpose of demonstrating how Star acquired the combination which enabled them, although the lightest team competing, to keep on top so long. Representative matches included visits from Otago and Canterbury and the first visit of the great Taranaki team, who came south with an almost All Black reputation. Southland made a great showing by holding them to a 5_3 win. 1900 John Stead was elected president and W. Hinchey and M. McNeilage. were the added vice-presidents. P. Anderson was captain and H. Murphy vicecaptain. To quote from the Rugby Union report of 1900: “The club championship was won by Star for the eleventh time in succession. This wonderful record is accounted for by the loyalty with which brilliant and veteran players have turned out year after year.” The result was: Played 9, won 8, lost 1, drawn 0, points for 94, against 7. The club lost the services of L. Murphy (front row with J. Hughes for a decade and also together on many occasions for the province) who with W. Jude, J. Logan, P. Challis and T. Donaldson volunteered for the Boer War. Plenty more would have gone, too, could they have passed the severe riding test. The junior competition was in a particularly healthy position with Athletic, Cambridge and Waikiwi playing their way to senior status. The versatile I. Jenkins, who had played half for a few seasons, went back to forward and J. Reynolds came up in his place. This left several veterans still in the pack and B. Bain still in the backs to keep intact a combination that would uphold the prestige of the club. This season the province sent away a team for a second visit to Wellington where they played a drawn game, 3 all, but Canterbury beat us 3 to nil after a game decidedly in favour of Southland. It is remarkable that on about four occasions running Southland always had the better of the play against Canterbury, but could not notch a win. These encounters with northern teams and their different styles of play were magnificent opportunities for comparing strong features and weaknesses. We were glad to know that none of our boys in South Africa were casual ties and read with pride that the New Zealand Mounteds were being given most important work. 1901

With practically the same executive and under the captaincy of H. Murphy and D. Donaldson (deputy) the club had another successful year, the result being: Played 6, Won 4, lost 0, drawn 2, points for 55, against 0. I cannot remember why so few matches were played because matches were rarely put off for weather conditions. At this period the junior competitions were very strenuous and many would-be patrons of the senior games at the Union ground in Lindisfarne never got further than the Eastern Belt where they had quite enough excitement (and on the nod). Cambridge, Waikiwi and Athletic firsts were getting rather too good for the club’s second fifteens and it was freely mooted that they would have to move up to senior grade. Cambridge were mostly youths linking up with Blues (some years later they disbanded and went over to Blues en masse just when they were badly needed). FROM WAIKIWI. Waikiwi, of course, came from that snug little suburb of well known sporting activity. There was the nursery for the McNeeces, Frasers, Gardiners, Edgintons, J. Forde, Son White, Rupert Pyle and many others, although these names, I think, could provide a full team. Athletic (better known now as Marist) were a tribute to very fine coaching by J. S. McGrath and quite a number followed sprinting in the summer. Incidents galore come to mind of these clubs’ games, but I can only thus briefly mention their existence as they were so soon to be pitted against Star with first grade status. Southland had a successful season at home, the results being: v. Otago, drawn, no score; beat Wellington, 8 to 3; lost to Canterbury, 18 to 3; beat N.S.W., 17 to 10; beat Otago, 8 to 3. I think this year saw the last of the country v. town matches always played on the Queen’s Birthday, May 24, which day on the Queen’s death became Empire Day and was not generally enough observed as a holiday to warrant the matches being continued. Previous to this they were always plrv t d—hail, rain or snow—and in many of those matches they had some of all three. They were hard, gruelling matches, always finishing in the dark, but there were plenty of thrills. As I have before mentioned, you just cannot get the same thrill looking from a (as now) as in those Union jround days when packed closely within 10ft of the side-lines.