RUGBY

Southland Times, Issue 25341, 20 July 1935, Page 14

RUGBY

SEASON’S ENGAGEMENTS SOUTHLAND’S PROGRAMME. July 27.—Town team v. Sub-Unions’ team at itugby Park. August 3.—Otago sub-Unions v. Southland sub-Unions, at Dunedin. August 10.—Southland v. Otago, at Invercargill. August 17 —Southland v. Wanganui, at Invercargill. . August 21.—Southland v. Wairarapa. at Invercargill. August 24.—Southland v. Otago, at Dunedin. «- August 28.—Southland v. South Canterbury, at Timaru. August 31.—Southland v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. September 4—Southland v. Wellington, at Wellington. September 7.—Southland v. Auckland, (Shield challenge), at Auckland. September 12— Southland v. Taranaki, at Stratford. NOTES AND NEWS.

(By

“Onlooker.”)

Final of the Galbraith Shield competition at Rugby Park . t c his . Assuming that Pirates defeat Old Boys the Blacks will have run out premiers six times in the last 10 years. The 1935 All Blacks depart for England on Wednesday week. The first game is against Devon and Cornwall at Devonport on September 14. Sickness among the Maoris at Py e " sent in Australia provides a striking example of v.hat might happen to any touring team. Hence the surprise expressed at the limited number of backs in the All Blacks’ team for England. D. Trevathan, Southern _ (Dunedin) five-eighth, has scored 105 points to date in club football, mostly from his boot Trevathan took part m the first AU Black trial at Dunedin. He is a splendid goal kick and on Saturday scored Southern’s seven points against ’Varsity with a penalty goal and a nela goal. . __ E. R. Steere, the former Hawkes Bay forward who was among the unlucky ones of the trials this year, is now playing in Wanganui. He came south with the Hawkes Bay team last year, and it is probable we will see him here again with the Wanganui team on August 17. , G. McLennan, the nippy Wyndham half-back who created a good impression behind Eastern’s scrum on Country Day, has had to give way to M. Ussher in the last couple of games played by Eastern. According to reports he is playing good football. Gervyn Thomas’s all-round ability as a scrum half gives him an advantage over other Southland half-backs at the present time. He is adept at drawing the defence following possession from a scrum and turning in to give the forwards the ball. With the Pirates forwards he has a splendid understanding and provided he can introduce the same tactics into his representative play he is going to be a useful man to the Maroons. On tour two years ago Thomas and Berry’ worked many raids from scrums in this manner. While the standard of five-eighth play in Southland at the present time is of the solid kind, there is little variety of attack introduced into the play. Practically' all of our first five-eighths fail to go up to or draw their, markers, and none exploits the short side as he might. It is not only' the half-back s job to work the short side. A more effective attack may be -launched from the moment the first five-eighth receives the ball. With a wing outside and a breakayvay forward inside the short side opens up manifold opportunities. One has only to recall the 1928 and 1929 Southland teams, with Bell as the first five-eighth and C. Johnson as half. Most of the tries scored by the Maroons came from movements opened up by Bell on the short side of the scrums and rucks. Provided there are no mistakes in handling and the timing is good, the extra man in can just about be guaranteed.

g 9 { STAR’S JUBILEE. J a i J CELEBRATION DATES. J 1 9 a Aug. 10.—Parade at Otago- i 9 Southland Game. 5 9 Banquet in Evening. : a Aug. 11. —Church Parade. j j Aug. 12.—Smoke Concert. ] ’ Aug. 14.—Grand Ball. j » i

N. Polson, the Old Boys’ five-eighth, has shown enterprise on occasions, and has endeavoured to use the short side of the scrum. It can be overdone, of course, but here’s where the better-than-average five-eighth scores. He senses just when to bring off a coup of this kind. Few teams realize all too little the value of set scrums a few yards from the touchline. Fortunately for Pirates they realized their worth on Saturday, and at least one ended in Oliver scoring a good try with room and to spare. The advantage, of course, is the open field for the fast winger at the end of the line. Most mid-field scrums generally end up in the wings being jammed on the touchlines and the man for man movement getting nowhere. This is where a good half can use his head to advantage, and if the short side winger is alert he can make the extra man at the outset by coming in as first five-eighth. Oliver’s try against the Blues, by the. way, was reminiscent of Bert Geddes’s efforts against Hawkes Bay in the first representative game last year. With room to work in and a chance to run round his marker Oliver showed his paces, and again demonstrated that at least one of the Southland backs this season compares favourably with the best the north can offer.

In his last two games for Pirates R. Sharp has taken up the centre threequarter position and has made all the difference to the* Black backs. It is a pity in some respects that Sharp will be required for the second-five-'eighth position in the Southland team. He is a splendid link and is capable of making the right openings for his wing men, more so than any other back playing in Southland to-day. However, there is M. Hamilton to be considered and as he is a young and clever back it'is probable that he will measure up to what is required.

While there is little doubt that many will plump for D. Nisbet when the first five-eighth jersey is being handed out, it might not be out of place to make a suggestion to the selectors that N. Polson and Peddy, two colts, have been showing good form in recent games and that one or the other might be worth a trial behind a good pack, and inside a man like Sharp. The work of Peddy and Nisbet has already been seen to advantage, but since the Old Boys’ backs have been so in and out this season it cannot be said that Polson has had a good chance to show his real worth. Good judges of the game are prepared to say that Polson is the cut of a first five-eighth whom Southland needs, and as he has shown in flashes glimpses of brilliant attacking form he might be worth a trial in the next Town team to be selected. To date he has shown that he is the fastest of the first five-eighths off the mark. Already the keen ones are picking the Otago team to meet Southland at Invercargill on August 10. One team appearing in last week’s Dunedin Star has the following backs: McFarland

(Varsity); Proctor, H. Smith, Watt; Gillies and Trevathan; Simon. Of this back division which, by the way, appeals as a very good one, all except McFarland (full-back) have qualified for higher than inter-provincial football. Smith and Procter both have represented New Zealand in Australia; Simon has represented the South Island on two occasions, and Watt, Gillies and Trevathan played in the All Black trials at Dunedin. On that form it looks very mrfch like this back team representing Otago this season. Whether McFarland is regarded as better than Taylor or Silver, both All Black trialists, remains to be seen.

Two good forwards who have played consistently well for Pirates right through the season are Knight and Ward, both front rankers. A pair of willing workers, with a keenness for the tight rather than the open work, they have practically carried the Black scrum at times. There is not a great deal of Knight, but he gives full value for his poundage. His line-out work for a not-tall man in the Blues game on Saturday was worthy of a representative forward. Ward had success as "a hooker in Saturday’s game not hitherto enjoyed. He is a good type, swathy and rugged, and more is likely to be heard of him in the future.

The wing three-quarter question is one that looks like giving the Southland selectors a good deal of thought in the next few weeks. ’ Oliver half solves the problem, but with the northern tour in view more than one will be required. Wingers who have shown impressive form in recent games are Thornbury (Central), Watson (Pirates) and Milne (Eastern). Of this trio I prefer Watson, who has been a consistently good scorer right through the Galbraith Shield games, and in his last two matches against Eastern and Invercargill, has shown form of a good standard. Milne is a determined runner, but not such a good handler as Watson, while Thornbury is also a hard runner and likely representative winger. Outside these men there is Barber, the Easterner, who might make a good wing three-quarter. He has the build, is a good handler and a strong runner. On the other hand with the dearth of good class inside backs available Barber might be wasted if tried on the wing. To date Oliver and Watson appear tn have earned the positions of first wingers to the Southland team. “Easterner” sends the following back team as his pick for the Country backs against Town in the trial next Saturday: Full-back, R. Sutherland (Northern); three-quarters, Milne (Eastern), Hamilton (Northern), Thornbury (Central); five-eighths, Barber (Eastern), McKay (Western); half-back, Ussher or McLennan (Eastern); emergency back, Miles (Eastern). PLAY AND PLAYERS PARS FROM THE TOUCHLINE. The Town and Country teams to take part in the trial game at Rugby Park next Saturday will be selected during the week-end and probably announced on Monday. Town backs who look like getting consideration are Stubbs or Glen Thomas, for the fullback position; Oliver, Sharp, Watson and Baird, threequarters; Nisbet, Peddy and Polson, five-eighths; Gervyn Thomas or J. Purdue, halfbacks. Pirates will be without the services of Bob Berry to-day. Berry left Invercargill during the week on a visit to Wellington with the idea of returning to participate in the final to-day. Advice was received in Invercargill yesterday however, that he had secured employment in Wellington and would remain there. That means that the big Black forward will not be available fox" the Southland team either. •

N. Polson, reliable five-eighths for Old Boy'S, is on the injured list and will not be out with the Whites in their match with Pirates to-day. Even without Polson and Mitchell Old Boys are very confident of fully extending Pirates in the final this afternoon. There was a noticeable difference in the Pirates scrum last week, and that difference produced results as far as ball possession went. It all went to show what can be done when the weight is put in and properly applied. The results of Pirates’ scrumming against Blues made Ward look a better hooker than hitherto he has been given credit for. Glen Thomas is still one of the cleverest fullbacks playing in Southland. His handling and kicking in the PiratesBlues game last week was infinitely better than that of his vis-a-vis, but like the Blue fullback he did not show a liking for rush stopping. In this department of play Stubbs is the best of the bunch.

The referee in the Pirates-Blues game appeared to err when he awarded a scrum where the ball landed in the incident in which Bailey (Blues) was late tackled. Mr Mahoney would have been quite within his rights to have awarded a penalty try, and outside that the least penalty inflicted should have been a free kick where the ball landed.

In Baird, the former Rimu player, Blues have the makings of a fine stamp of three-quarter. He handles well, runs strongly and is not afraid to use his weight when cornered. His play last week was very promising. Star did not look like defeating Marist until the second spell, and even then there was a listlessness about their play which savoured of “easy going.” Last week’s win gave Star a good record for the second round, and more than ever substantiated the claim that they had the material for a solid side. It was all a matter of training. Taking a line on the play and form of the Maoris in Australia, the 1935 All Blacks look a better side now than when the 29 names were first announced.

Next Saturday the representative season in New Zealand opens in earnest. Three matches listed for decision are Wanaganui v. Poverty Bay, at Wanganui; South Canterbury v. North Otago, at Oamaru; Ashburton v. Marlborough, at Blenheim. The following week (August 3), the annual sub-unions’ game, Otago v. Southland, will be played at Dunedin. This encounter will be the fourth between the two teams. Southland won the first, at Invercargill, by six points to five; Southland won the second, at Dunedin, by 12 to 9; and Otago won last year’s game, at Invercargill, by 11 to nil. As was the case last year the Otago sub-unions will have a game together before meeting Southland. They play North Otago at Dunedin on Wednesday. All footballers and supporters of the game are reminded that the Rugby Union send-off to N. A. Mitchell will be held in the Federal rooms on Monday evening. It is anticipated that there will be a big crowd of sportsmen present.

On Monday evening at the weekly meeting of the Rugby Union it is intended to appoint the manager or managers of the Southland touring team. Last time Southland toured only one manager was appointed and the previous tour to that (1931) there was one manager. Before that again, however, there were always two managers and there was plenty to occupy the attention of two men. In the event of the union deciding on two managers this time, Messrs L. R. Lopdell and A. H. Mitchell have first claims. Both would make good managers, as well as being of great benefit as coaches-to the team. The task of sorting out the forwards for the Town and Country teams is not going to be too easy for the selectors. Messrs A. H. Mitchell, L. R. Lopdell and A. J. Geddes. Southland has always been able to produce good forwards, and the 1935 season is not providing the exception to the rule. In the Town pack the certainties appear to be Galt, Mattingly and Anderson (Star); Metcalfe

(Pirates); L. George (Invercargill); and J. Crawford (Old Boys). Only two more are required and there are the following to select from: Willcox, Knight ano Ward (Pirates); McColl, Cuff and McIntosh (Star); O’Driscoll and McKenzie (Marist); Smiley and Lindsay (Old Boys), and C. George, Bcws and Bailey (Blues). SHIELD REGULATIONS Prior to and during the playing of Ranfurly Shield matches, one ‘ hears quite a lot of discussion regarding the conditions under which the matches are played. It is sometimes said that the New Zealand Rugby Union earmarks a portion of the gate-money. Other erroneous statements are often heard. There are nine clauses or conditions under which shield matches are played. Special challenge matches are dealt with under clause 7, and briefly this signifies that the challenging union shall be entitled to reasonable expenses incurred in assembling its team, train fares and hotel expenses. Such expenses shall not exceed 50 per cent, of the net gate. Any balance shall belong to the union challenged. Clause 9 states: Should any dispute arise as to the amount of expenses to be paid to the challenging union, then the question shall be referred to the New Zealand Rugby Union. SPORTS TRUST CUP Tongues are probably still wagging in the Northern and Eastern Districts over the last minute penalty goal which enabled Northern to retain the Sports Trust Cup on Wednesday. On the two notable occasions on which a similar penalty has been awarded at Rugby Park (by Mr Fleury in a SouthlandHawkes Bay match and by Mr J. S. Oughton in an Otago-Southland match) there were endless post-mortems; but there was only one conclusion that could be reached—and that was that the referee was quite justified in his action, always assuming that the player penalized definitely was offside. However, it is most unlikely that a referee would make an error of judgment in this respect. No player has a right to trespass beyond the line of the scrum until the ball has been heeled and the back who tries to steal an advantage by getting into his opponents’ territory before the ball is hooked deserves to be penalized. Such a penalty, by reason of its rarity and the facility with which it is usually converted, never has been and never will be popular, but this does not in any way condemn the referee who imposes it.

The goal which Crosbie kicked had at any rate one great merit: it gave victory to the better side. Northern would have been most unfortunate to have lost. For the greater part of the game they had a territorial advantage, and for the last twenty minutes they were pressing hotly and had bad luck in not scoring owing to a short dead ball line. Eastern took charge for about fifteen minutes in the second spell and in this time ran up eight points. They were good enough tries but viewing tne game as a whole there is no doubt that the Greens were superior.

Eastern, able to produce excellent football against Town teams, are much less happy against Northern whose loose, raking forwards indulge in a style of play which the Blacks do not relish. Northern have some fine, hardworking forwards of the Soper, Sherriffs, Feehly type. They also have some fast, rugged men like Muir, Parker and Graham. The combination of the two makes up a very formidable pack and one which both Western and Central will find hard to vanquish. The back play on Wednesday was only fair. One reason for this was the absence of prominent players on each side.. Northern were without Hamilton, and Eastern were without Wallis and Barber. This caused a lack of penetration, most of the rushes going across the ground. Wellman, who took Hamilton’s place, cut in skilfully to bring Northern’s first try and McLennan went straight through to pave the way for an Eastern try. But most of the time there was a woeful want of thrust. In view of the fact that all three Southland selectors were present it was unfortunate that neither Hamilton nor Barber was playing, since both are probabilities for the sub-Union team and the Southland touring team. So far as representative games have been concerned this season Hamilton has been very unfortunate, first an ear injury and then a head injury keeping him out of action. While he did well at fullback last year he would probably be more use this season as second fiveeighth or centre. McLennan played a plucky and versatile game and should have no difficulty in getting a place in the subunion side, while even higher honours are not beyond the bounds of possibility. R. Sutherland came through the day with credit, while his vis-a-vis Calder though scarcely as sound kicked well and fielded cleanly. Sutherland will probably get the full-back berth in the sub-unions’ team. Of the wings Milne showed dash and determination albeit a little lack of selfcontrol, Soper tackled splendidly, Richards fielded accurately and found touch judiciously and Todd was safe without being brilliant. Crosbie is still a dangerous back At times he menaces the opposing line, at other times he is a danger to his own side by his eagerness to intercept instead of tackling. But the Greens would be considerably weakened by his absence, for the good that he does outweighs the bad. In the Black five-eighths line was R. Ferguson, who played so well for Waikiwi a few seasons ago. He was still very sound on defence but found it hard to link up on attack. Of the inside backs generally it could be said that they were much better on defence than attack, the result being a dull game so far as passing rushes were concerned. In the Black pack Southern, Ward and Pawson were about the pick and in the Greens none worked harder than Shirreffs and Soper. Graham was an absentee, but Parker anti Muir provided the dash in the loose.