Star Won From First Whistle Last Saturday

Southland Times, Issue 23840, 10 June 1939, Page 15

Star Won From First Whistle Last Saturday

Star bore out the good impression formed of its improved play in recent weeks by scoring a decisive win against Pirates last Saturday. Star looked like a winning team from the first whistle and although there were occasions in the second half when Pirates were given winning opportunities there was no doubt about Star being the I better team on the day. The dash of the Star pack and the confidence with which its backs adopted the open game were winning factors. It was not expected that the Star backs would seriously challenge Pirates in open play. The tactics employed by them in most of their games generally resulted in full use being made of the forwards in short, sharp rushes, but against Pirates they played Pirates at their own game, as it were, and made a good job of it. . Good as the backs played it was the splendid packing of the Star scrum which enabled them to get the ball to attack. The forwards have not played better, and this in spite of the absence of their good loose forward, G. H. Graham. , , , L. McColl took up the role of leader in loose rushes this time and more often than in any other game he was seen at the head of the pack in rushes which raked the defence. McColl is an experienced forward. A few years ago he gave promise of developing into one of Southland’s best packmen, but an illness threw him out of his stride and it was not until this season that he showed some of his known form. He may be described as a utility player. His footwork in dribbling the ball is good, he can handle a ball as well as any back, and he has a good knowledge of tactical play. Four years ago when on tour with the Southland team he was called upon to play as a wing three-quarters, and shaped well. Next to McColl F. Skerrett and W. Sherriff stood out for good forward

! play. Skerrett was a tower of strength ■in the line-outs, and Sherriff put in his usual good work in raking the ball in the set scrums. A. Cuff was another forward who played well. WHOLE BACK LINE GOOD All of the Star backs played good football but the work of J. Miles, I. Cockroft, L. M. Uttley and J. D. Robertson commended itself more than ; that of the other backs. j Miles unleashed a burst of speed and 1 energy which was refreshing in view of I the falling away of his play in games I earlier in the season. He started off ■on the right foot in this game and did I not make a mistake. Miles is one of i the fastest, if not the fastest, inside j backs playing in Southland today. It is a surprise to many that he has not made better use of his pace and strength. The try he scored against Pirates was the result of quick thinking, the use of all his speed resources and clever balance after being partially stopped in his run. I. Cockroft is a young member of a family of Cockrofts whose name has figured prominently in Star teams for many years. In the last few weeks he has developed his play rapidly and now he must be ranked as one of the most promising inside backs in Invercargill. It is rather a big honour to give a youth but it is a fact that he has “made” the Star backs. He appears to have a good understanding with his half-back, another youthful player, and he already has shown that he has a “football” head. When he cut Pirates defence in two early in the game on Saturday he showed cleverness by not “running blind” but by linking up with the other backs. It was not his fault that a try was not the reward for such a brilliant cut. Cockroft is to be complimented on the progress he has made in just a few weeks of senior Rugby. More will be heard of him as a first five-eighths.