No Lack Of Strong Forwards For Sub-Unions Team

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

No Lack Of Strong Forwards For Sub-Unions Team

Probably one of the most interesting features of the play of the sub-unions teams on Country Day was the good forwards fielded by Eastern (holder of the Southland Amateur Sports Trust Cup) and Western. These two teams will probably meet in the second challenge game for the cup on July 8. Both have heavy and strong packs and the battle for possession of the ball should be worth seeing. The good defence of the Eastern backs was commendable. Their task was made easy, more or less, when the Town backs ran across field in the second half and jammed the wings, J. McKay and R. G. Mahony, on the touchlines. Quicker transfers by the Town inside backs would have given McKay and Mahony better opportunities to use their pace and lessened the chances of the Eastern backs getting across to stop them. B. L. Tapley, Invercargill wing, used his great pace to advantage when scoring four tries against Western. He is easily the fastest three-quarters playing in Southland Rugby today. Tapley

would be a good “risk” on one wing of the Southland team if the forwards could be assured of winning the ball all the time from scrums. His only real faults are his inability to beat a marker at close range and to make play for himself. The big crowd of spectators at Rugby Park on Monday saw an excellent exhibition of the dive pass by C. K. Saxton. Some of the passes covered 30 feet and more of ground and gave M. P. Grace a good start on his runs. As a defensive measure the dive pass may be employed with the utmost safety. Once or twice Grace was able to stand well back from a scrum in Town’s twentyfive and put in a kick to the line without being bustled. STRONG PACK IN SUB-UNIONS The Southland Sub-Union team to meet Otago Sub-Unions should be able to field forwards almost as strong as the best Southland pack. D. B. Herron, R. H. Ward, T. Fordyce, D. Forde, J. Matheson, C. Soper and others are all about 14 stone or more. Although he was opposed to fiveeighths whose defence was not shown to be sound M. P. Grace made some good cut-ins against Eastern. His undoubted pace when he has room in which to work was shown very prominently. He took most of Saxton’s passes well, and rarely hesitated in getting off the mark. One run in the second half was worthy of a try. J. Matheson set a high standard in dribbling. His control of the ball when heading a break by the Eastern forwards was uncanny. It is a pity that more of this footwork is not indulged in by Southland forwards. Almost all of the sub-union fullbacks gave good displays, but those of J. Egan (Western) and R. Tutty (Eastern) stood out as above the average. Tutty had a full afternoon’s work, and it is to his credit that Eastern was saved more points being scored against it by his resolute tackling. Egan’s work was that of a polished player whose experience enabled him to cope with the most difficult situations with ease. A first-class display of hooking was given by W. McKenzie the Western rake. He was supported by a good scrum, but he showed ability by beating a clever rake in J. Mcßae, the Marist forward. McKenzie is a possibility for the Sub-Unions team. The defeat of Pirates in the Galbraith Shield competition last Saturday gives new interest to an already interesting senior championship. Pirates badly missed H. Peddie, whose combination with Saxton had been one of the strong points of Pirates’s play in other games. Saxton, by the way, showed surprisingly good form when he took up the first five-eighths position for part of the first half. He has extraordinary pace for a half-back. WALLABIES’ RUGBY KIT If a member of the Australian Wallabies Rugby team which is to tour England could dress in all the equipment provided for him, he would be worth about £4O. Members of the team, at the expense of the Australian authorities, are being provided with a kit worth that amount. Each will receive a blazer, pullover, scarf, two ties and a rug, football shorts and socks and two pairs of made-to-measure football boots. On top of that players will receive a canvas kitbag each. The team leaves Sydney on July 21, arriving at London on the last day of August, and the first match will be played 16 days after arrival.

aDIMIinMIIIHIIMMIIIIBIIMIIIIHIiIIHMIIIWIIIM = ■ § Long white trousers with black || EH pin stripes. That’s what Mrs S. = _ H. Hammersley, formerly Miss J I Freda James, British Wight- g ■ man Cup lawn tennis star, wore = | on to the courts at the recent H = Herga tournament at Harrow ■ ■ (Eng.). With the trousers, which g jj were easily the most novel ten- = H nis wear on view, and the envy ■ B of other women competitors, Mrs ■j Hammersley wore a white sports _ vest trimmed with blue and her ■ = initials on it. j|