STAR HISTORY

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

STAR HISTORY

1922 TO 1927 SHIELD AGAIN* LOST TO PIRATES 1 J. R. Bell’s Review The termination of Star’s second great record of successes is chronicled in this week’s review by Mr J. R. Bell. Once again it was the redoubtable Pirates who applied the “acid test,” a hard play-off being won by the blacks by the small margin of three points. Distinctions for the club came thick and fast in this particular period, and Star was represented by no fewer than 52 players in the Southland teams from 1922 to 1927. One unique record was brought to the club by the Oughton brothers, four in all, all of whom had now represented Southland in inter-provincial matches. 1922. President: Dr Crawford; vice-presi-dents, Alf. Mitchell, J. H. Gilbertson, R. M. Strang, H. Kilby, J. A. Doig and J. Spiers;' captain, J. S. Oughton; deputy captain, H. Brown; secretary and treasurer, J. L. Oughton; committee, H. Agnew, J. R. Bell, W. Smith, M. Morrow and N. F. Stead. We had a very keen lot of players, and the senior team, game after game, was practically unchanged, except in the case of injuries. We also had a very live and energetic committee, controlling officers and supporters. I notice in a photo of this team that of the 20 players who played in the senior team, 15 of them had represented or were to represent Southland. The other five were all well known players, namely, N. R. Brown the present president of the club, Bruce Leggatt, secretary of the Jubilee Committee, Jack Kilby, brother of the famous “F.D.” Dick Hall and Jim Murray. With three years success, a good keen team and able coaches, we again had visions of another long run of successes; and if training had any part to play, it cannot be said that we left any stone unturned to accomplish that second splendid record put up by the club. The result was a run of successes until 1927, when we failed to have our name engraved on the Galbraith Shield. Every training night we had a full muster, doing our individual work first, following this up by an hour or an hour

and a half solid rucking, and a rough and tumble, at the north end of the present old grandstand. This place of training was always know as the “plough,” as often we trained in mud inches deep. I might record here also that one Star player turned out for his gruel one evening in the nude, the excuse being that he had to wash his own togs. Sunday mornings saw us again at it, a popular rendevous being on the heights of Heidleberg which was recognized at that time as a Star stronghold. The senior team again won the premiership, the fourth time in succession, playing 11 games, winning nine, and losing two; points for 157, against 43. Southland played seven games, winning five and losing two. The following club players represented the province: H. Agnew, J. R. Bell, H. Brown, M. Morrow, Jas. Oughton, W. R. Oughton, H. C. Shand, and H. Strang. A Maori team, under the managership of Ned Parata, visited Australia and two Star players in N. F. Stead and J. R. Bell were included. This team had a good record in Australia only losing one game and winning two of the three tests. The All Blacks in the same year lost two of the three tests in Australia. When the All Blacks returned to N.Z. the Maori team was reassembled and pitted against them at Wellington, the All Blacks winning 21 to 17. 1923. Dr Crawford, president; vice-presi-dents, Messrs J. A. Doig, J. T. Lilburne, A. Mitchell, R. M. Strang, H. Kilby, J. W. Stead; captain, H. Brown; vicecaptain, J. L. Oughton; secretary and treasurer, J. L. Oughton; committee, B. Leggatt, Jas. Oughton, J. A. Lilley, C. Smith and J. R. Bell.

On account of the divided half-holi- I day the Rugby Union made the first half of the season, when the one holiday was in vogue, the Galbraith Shield competition; and then at,the close of the competition again offered the Shield for Saturday games. Star won the first series and the shield, playing seven matches, winning six and drawing one; points for 116, against 23. Pirates won the second series. Among a number of young seniors who joined this year were H. Padget, J. Howden and Guy Oughton, three players who later made names for themselves in big football. Pirates had a very strong team with players of the calibre of J. Richardson, E. Diack, Les Cockroft, Bill Matheson, Nicol Macdonald, E. Gilmour and Bill Johnstone, and we found them formidable opposition, and a team which not only kept us up to the mark but provided the public with exciting games. Our training was rigidly carried out, our coaches being men of experience and men who knew their job. I recall “Ike” Jenkins, who had knocked off playing football 15 years previously, after having represented Southland for 22 consecutive years, stripping off to show us how to tackle, even insisting that we should give it a fair go. Enthusiasm such as this carried us a long way, and instilled that feeling into us that our coaches meant business and it was up to us to make that business a success.

Southland played 12 representative games this season—surely a record!— winning six and losing six. Representative players from the club were H. Agnew, J. R. Bell, H. Blick, H. Brown, D. Clarke, Jas. Oughton, J. L. Oughton, W. R. Oughton, H. C. Shand, W. Smith. Further honours were brought to the club when after having toured Australia with the N.Z. Maori team, Bell was selected to represent the South Island and later the All Blacks against New South Wales at Dunedin and Christchurch. Southland completely overwhelmed the N.S.W. team at Invercargill, defeating the tourists by 31 —9. Bell also played for the N.Z. Maoris against Southland, the former team winning an exciting game by 11 points to eight.

! President—H. J. Kilby; vice-presi-i dents, Dr Crawford, J. A. Doig, A. 1 Glass, B. Smith, R. M. Strang and J. W. i Stead-; captain, J. L. Oughton; deputy I capjain, W. Smith; secretary and treasI urer, W. R. Oughton; committee, B. ■ Leggatt, H. Agnew, R. Keast, E. Nay- | lor. J. A. Lilley. | Prior to the commencement of the shield competition Jack Oughton sustained injuries which necessitated his retirement from the game. Star and Southland thus lost a fine player. Wat- | tie Smith took over the captaincy with J. R. Bell as understudy. This season

saw F. D. Kilby join our ranks from Southern juniors and although highly elated at securing the services of such a promising youngster, none of us dreamt that in him we had a future All Black captain. Rob Donnelly and T. Riddell also joined up and both have since secured representative honours while Donnelly has also represented Wellington. We again won the Shield going through the season without a defeat, playing nine games, winning eight, drawing one; points for 151, against 53. Trials for the All Blacks to visit Britain were held throughout the Dominion. Several club players took part in these gz.mes. J. R. Bell captained the representative side, and other Star players were H. Agnew, H. Blick, H. Brown, D. Clarke, D. Murray, W. R. Oughton and H. C. Shand. 1925.

At the annual meeting on March 12, 1925, Mr J. A. Doig became president, with Dr Crawford, J. H. Bell, H. J. Kilby, J. Gilbertson, R. M. Strang, J. W. Stead vice-presidents; captain, J. R. Bell; vice-captain, D. Murray; secretary and treasurer, W. R. Oughton.

For the seventh consecutive year the seniors carried off the premiership again without losing a game. Matches played nine; won seven; drew 2; points for 98, against 34. Four Brother Representatives'.

When Guy Oughton, the youngest of the Oughton brothers, was selected to represent Southland in this year, he made the fourth member of his family who had played for Star and gained representative honours. This must take a lot of beating in interprovincial football.

Mr R. Deacon, of Invercargill, presented the Deacon cup for competition between premier teams of Otago ana Southland, and in the first game for this cup played at Carisbrook, Dunedin, Star and Dunedin Pirates played a d rawa game of six points each. Southland played nine games this season, the following Star players being included in the side:—J. R. Bell, H. Brown, G. Dustin, F. D. Kilby, J. A. Lilley, B. A. Mahoney, D. Murray, G. Oughton. The North v. South game was played in Invercargill, Bell playing in this game and later being selected to tour Australia with the All Blacks. Bell also played for the combined Southland-Otago team against N.S.W. at Dunedin, Charge Sonntag of Dunedin, being captain with Bell as his deputy. 1926. Mr J.'A. Doig was again president in 1926 with P. Donnelly, H. J. Kilby, R. M. Strang, J. W. Stead, I. Jenkins and Dr. Crawford as vice-presidents; captain, D. Murray; deputy-c’aptain, H. J. Blick; joint secretaries, F. D. Kilby ana W. R. Oughton; committee, J. R. Bell, J. A. Lilley. J. S. Oughton, H. Padget, R. Keast. For the' Bth successive year the club won the Galbraith Shield, playing. 11 games, losing two, drawing one; points for 178, against 65. The club had an exceptionally strong team and secured twelve players in the representative sides, namely, H. Brown, K. Connelly, R. Donnelly, F. D. Kilby, J. A. Lilley, B. A. Mahoney, D. Murray, J. McAuliffe, G. Oughton, H. Padget, and G. Dustin. H. Brown captained the Southland team, whilst J. R. Bell was selected as vice-captain of the N.Z. Maori team to visit Australia, Ceylon, France, England, Wales and Canada. This team played 40 games on the tour, winning 31, losing seven, drawing two and scoring 734 points for, against 217. F. D. Kilby also gained his South Island cap in this season. Pirates Conquer Star in 1927. President, P. Donnelly; vice-presi-dents, Percy Shaw, J. L. Oughton. H. J. Kilby, B. Smith, J. H. Bell, R. M. Stead; captain, W. R. Oughton; deputycaptain, J. Howden; joint secretaries, R. Donnelly and G. Oughton; committee, J. S. Oughton, H. Brown, H. Padget, J. Lilley, D. Murray, P. Hennessey. For the first time since 1919 the club failed in the Galbraith Shield competition. Matches played ten, won six, lost three, drawn one; points for 143, against 87. The state of the competition necessitated a play-off with our old rivals, the Pirates, and in a good game we suffered defeat by six points to three. Prior to the commencement of the season a send-off was given to F. D. Kilby who had been transferred to Wellington and at the same function a welcome home was extended to J. R. Bell on his return with the Maori team to England. Eight representative games were played, the following Star players taking .part: L. J. Cockroft, J. Howden, B. A. Mahoney, D. Murray, J. McAuliffe, G. Oughton, H. Padget. The shield had left our possession; we were disappointed but by no means downhearted and resolved to make every endeavour to recapture the trophy in 1928. With this in view we kept fairly close together during the summer months and with an early meeting in 1928 set out to obtain our object. Were we to be successful? JUNIOR NOTES AROUND THE GRADES.

“Searchlight.”)

(By ’

It was a good even game between High School and Borstal last Saturday. The second grade game at Biggar street between Bluff and Old Boyfe was fairly evenly contested in the first half, but the solid Bluff pack proved the deciding factor as the game advanced. Bluff have been playing well this season and will undoubtedly prove troublesome to Marist for the competition championship. The port team’s form has been very consistent and they are a hard combination to beat.

The first round of the third grade competition has now been finished, Blues being the top team. Clifton stand second, while High School, Borstal and Pirates are third equal. Star are still well down the ladder, but if they continue to improve as they have been doing, they may be hard to beat from now on

All in all, it was a most creditable win for Gore High School, pitted against practically the same team as that which defeated the Waitaki second fifteen the previous week. Gore High have evidently made something of a “comeback” after varied success for several years. They fielded one of their best teams since 1928, when the Gore High first fifteen were unbeaten in club fixtures and won almost all of their interschool games, including that against Otago seconds. In the fourth grade Marist last Saturday suffered their first loss for the season, while Collegiate scored their first win.

Pirates possess two dangerous men in the Spence brothers, who play in the first and second five-eighth positions. “Bill” Spence is the brains of the back line, and many crafty moves were engineered by him. For School, Bamford at fullback played his usual sound game, while Donaldson on the wing was always dangerous and scored two fine tries. The forward were a fairly even lot and usually beat the Pirate hookers for the ball in the set scrums.

The first round of the fourth grade competition has not yet concluded, but when it does it will be interesting to see who will be on top. Marist and Blues at present are heading the list, but Pirates and School may prove stumbling blocks. It was rather surprising to see Marist being defeated last Saturday, as they had not been previously defeated and always field a strong team. Technical have been unfortunate in losing some of their best players lately and are not fielding such a strong team this year as they usually do. West is a fine type of forward who is always on the ball. He was instrumental in scoring two tries against Old Boys last week. The fourth grade game, a scoreless draw, between High School and Bluff was a hard struggle between two even-ly-matched forward packs, High School dominating the scrums and Bluff having the better of the loose play. Among the forwards the inseparable Hunter brothers were outstanding, while the handling of Doyle at halfback and the sound defence of Armour at fullback saved School repeatedly from the loose forward rushes of the Bluff vanguard. In the later stages of the game School lost a sure try by a forward pass right on Bluff’s goal line at the end of a promising back movement. Faulty handling among the Bluff backs and a lack of thrust prevented Bluff from scoring when in a favourable position. Playing at the Herbert street grounds last Monday, Gore High School defeated the Southland Boys’ High School second fifteen by two points in a hard even game. The Gore forwards were heavier on the whole, but the local side held them in the set scrums and hooked a fair percentage of the ball. The Southland scrum was a very compact one. The Gore side were fortunate in possessing such a heavy man as J. Stewart, who worked well in the tight and was prominent in line-outs and loose play. This lad weighs over 14 stone, and perhaps it is not out of place to mention that he holds the Gore High School shot putt record of 43 feet. The Gore backs were always dangerous on attack, while Langham, their second five-eighths, was outstanding. He is very smart on his feet, while he scored one excellent try and paved the way for another. Of the local School backs, Doyle, Millar and McCurdy were the best. McCurdy scored the whole seven points—by scoring a try and potting a neat field goal. For the Gore side McArthur kicked a good penalty goal from well out..