SPRINGBOKS ON THE FIELD

Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 20

SPRINGBOKS ON THE FIELD

OPPONENTS FREELY ‘ APPLAUDED

(By

ONLOOKER)

Good sportsmanship on the Rugby field is never more appreciated than when a player freely applauds an opponent for- good play. In the game between Southland and the Springboks G. H. Brand openly applauded R. H. Ward who displayed alertness in charging down an attempt at goal by Brand, and in the Otago-Springboks game at Dunedin W. E. Bastard was seen to applaud L. Werner, the Otago three-quarter, for a splendid tackle of F. G. Turner. Southland won the distinction of scoring the most points of any New Zealand team against the Springboks. It also won the honour of being the first team to cross South Africa’s line three times. G. H. Brand, South Africa’s wonderful goal kicker, can miss the posts sometimes. In the second Test and the Southland and Otago games Brand tried five times to kick field goals. He failed with all of them. One of his attempts in the Southland game was an ambitious pot from 65 yards out. The ball rolled off the side of his boot and went into touch 10 yards from Southland’s goalline.

N. A. Mitchell’s form in a game at Auckland this afternoon will be watched with interest. He will take part in a curtain-raiser to the Auck-land-Wellington match. IMPROVEMENT ON TOUR S. Purdue has recovered from the knee injury he received while playing for Southland on the northern tour, and was out playing on Saturday for Invercargill in the Fleming Cup competition. Purdue was one of Southland’s younger players who benefited greatly from the experience of a northern tour and came back to Invercargill a muchimproved forward. Rugby judges in the North Island, according to reports, considered he would develop into a better forward than his brother, George Purdue. With young forwards like Purdue, W. L. Crawford, N. R. Irwin, R. H. Ward, E. R. Chesterman and G. H. Graham to call on next year Southland again should be able to field a firstclass pack. A. Strang, R. Marshall and W. Liddell, all of Old Boys, are others likely to make the interprovincial grade next season.

R. G. Mahoney, the Otago threequarter who has been transferred to Invercargill, has arrived in the city. Mahoney won much praise for his play for Otago on the northern tour. He can play either at centre or wing threequarter, and as N. A. Mitchell will no longer be available for Southland he will be an acquisition to Southland Rugby. The Springboks play the last game but two of their tour today against a combined Poverty Bay, East Coast and Bay of Plenty team at Gisborne. In 1921 the combined team included Hawke’s Bay players. The Springboks won by 14 points to three. The kick-into-touch rule, played under international rules in the Springboks’ games, showed how ridiculous was the claim that the amended kick-into-touch rule was necessary to speed up the game. It would not cause surprise if the New Zealand Union decided next season to revert to the old rule. Its reintroduction is the only way to improve the attacking play and' the kicking of New Zealand backs. SELECTING ALL BLACK TEAMS Southland, holder of the Ranfurly Shield, has been called upon to send two players R. H. Ward and N. A. Mitchell, to Auckland for the third Test match. Otago’s representation has been increased to five. It would appear that to get more favourable consideration for its players Southland needs an advocate on the New Zealand selection committee. The claims this season of some of the Southland forwards could not have been sponsored very strongly. Compared with the form and standard of play of some of the forwards who have represented New Zealand this year and last year not one but several Southland forwards should have been invited to play for New Zealand. They include R. H. Ward (already chosen), V. L. George, W. L. Crawford and E. R. Chesterman. It is several years since ’Southland had direct representation on the New Zealand selection committee, and it would appear that the time has arrived to have it represented again. Mr H. S. Strang, chairman .of the Southland selection committee, who previously has been nominated for a position on the selection committee is worthy of consideration. A flag of some significance was flown at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, for the second Test match. It was significant, but it didn’t help the All Blacks much, says The Sports Post, Wellington. A large blue New Zealand ensign of silk, with a fem leaf in one comer opposite the Union Jack, it was specially made for the 1924 tour of Great Britain. Suggested by a Mr W. Massey, of Christchurch, the idea of the ensign was enthusiastically taken up; but it was only completed when the Canterbury Rugby Union paid for it. Throughout the 1924 tour, it was looked after by George Payne, one of the camp followers of the Invincibles.

When the Springboks play North Auckland in the final match of their tour they may encounter a real manmountain. Big and all as are the South Africans, most of them will appear mere lilliputians against a brobdingnagian, who is likely to be in the opposing pack, says a northern writer. He is one, Sam Alison—6ft 2in in his socks, and a shade under 19st, and with a 47in normal chest expansion to boot. Sam is not fast, but when he gets the ball he takes some stopping. He received his early coaching from W. Rika, himself a pretty good forward in his day and a 1929 All Black. Alison, too, can make the chips fly as an axeman, and last summer did pretty well for himself at carnivals in the Whangarei district. With the Springbok forwards averaging probably at least a stone a man heavier than the New Zealanders (most of the South Africans are considerably bulkier now than when they first arrived in the Dominion), and with Rankin a negligible force so far as pushing was concerned, the All Blacks were giving away at a conservative estimate 20 stone in the set scrums in the second Test. This factor was bad enough in itself, but coupled with an ill-balanced formation it increased the New Zealanders’ handicap a hundredfold.—The Evening Post. R. R. King, captain of the All Blacks in the first and second Tests against the Sprinkboks, takes up his new position at Christchurch today. He will, however, proceed at once to Takapuna where the New Zealand team will be in camp to prepare for the third Test. King has been engaged on the survey of the electrical power line from Lake Coleridge to Westland, and he has been undergoing a psecial course in survey work in preparation for his work in Christchurch.

North Auckland Rugby enthusiasts do not anticipate that their representatives will be able to hold the Springboks when they play at Whangarei next Saturday, but they do not expect the Northland pack to be pushed all over the field. Karl Ifwersen, famous All Black five-eighth of other days and now selector for the North Auckland Union, apparently believes that weight can be matched only with weight, and he has

the material on. hand to field a pack averaging at least 15-stone a man. It is not suggested that the North Auckland forwards’ ability will match their tonnage, but so far as pure weight is concerned they should, if they know how to push, hold their own. Pr W. R. Fea concludes an article in The Timaru Herald, under the heading “Dirty Play,” as follows“To summarize—the tendency towards hooliganism in football begins in the lower grades and persists through interprovincial and even international games. It is confined to a comparatively small number. It is, of course, admissable that the younger players base their standards on what they see the senior players do. This minority should be controlled by the coaches off the field, and the captains on the field. If this is not successful, then the players should never be selected. Matters of discipline in this respect should be enforced very rigorously. Lastly, the public has the matter in its own hands. I hope a New Zealand public will show that it would far sooner lose a Test than countenance one single example of what can only be known as ‘dirty play.’ ’’

Slaughterhouses throughout Italy have been ordered to remove all fat from carcasses before they are sent to the markets, and to hand it over for the manufacture of glycerine for national defence purposes.