RANFURLY SHIELD MATCH TODAY

Southland Times, Issue 23897, 16 August 1939, Page 10

RANFURLY SHIELD MATCH TODAY

Bush Team’s Rugged

Forwards

HARD GAME IN HEAVY GOING EXPECTED

When the Bush and Southland teams meet in the third Ranfurly Shield game of the season at Rugby Park this afternoon it will be the first match between the two unions. Bush is the smallest union affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Union; it is also one of the original unions which comprised the New Zealand Union when it was founded in 1892. The Bush team is a comparatively young one, but according to reports, what may be lacking in experience will be more than made up in ruggedness and determination on the field of play. A. Mahoney, the captain, is the wellknown All Black forward, who played in two teams which visited Australia and he was also a member of the 1935 New Zealand team which visited Britain.

Most of the members of the team played for Bush last season when it went through the season without defeat. Three members of the team were nominated for places in the North Island Minor Unions’ team which plays the South Island team at Christchurch today, but none was selected. They were: R. Rosyth, T. Verry and W. Twentyman. Another promising player in the forwards is B. Smith, a son of Mr Kiltie Smith, who was president of the New Zealand Rugby Union a few years ago. Smith played a hard game against Otago and by his dash in the loose play he earned the cognomen of “Tiger.” Whatever the capabilities of the team, it is safe to say that they will field one of the most rugged packs likely to face the Southland forwards this season. They play a typical Bluff team game—every player is a forward, and every forward is a back. Whether they will be able to go well on a heavy ground remains to be seen. BUSTLING FORWARDS ‘The Otago scrum was the more successful from a possession point of view, but the half-back, Simpson, and, in fact, all the backs, were hampered exceedingly by the breaking of the Bush forwards and the daring smothering of the visiting backs,” states The Otago Daily Times in a report of the OtagoBush game. “Simpson had a hard day, being the target of much attention from the Bush forwards. They were round the scrum often before the ball and were not in a hurry to get back again. Berghan suffered similarly, and Mitchell had to contend with an opposite who frequently made his tackle or smother before the ball reached the Otago centre. As an attacking unit the Bush back line was a negligible force, and the whole of the side’s drive,, was in the loose rushes of its forwards.” The Southland team will be the same as that which beat both Otago and Manawatu, with the exception that R. Gibb replaces A. W. Wesney, who is resting an injured ankle. Wesney has recovered from the rick he suffered on Saturday and is expected to play at Gore on Saturday. . Gibb is a likely type who has shown promise as a winger during the last two or three seasons. He played for Southland Sub-Unions at Dunedin last year and showed in that game that he would develop into a good scoring man. Before he came to Southland he played for Otago Sub-Unions against Southland. He is a Central district player. A heavy ground for the game appears to be inevitable. That means that the game will be mainly a forward one; if so, it may confidently be expected that Southland will more than hold its own against the challenger. The teams are as follows: —

BUSH FULL-BACK: J. Hay. THREE-QUARTERS: R. Johnston, C. Eddie, K. Elliott. FIVE-EIGHTHS: W. Twentyman, S. Staples. HALF-BACK: E. Le t. FRONT-ROW: D. Fallaver, B. Smith, M. Wilkins. , _ 7 MIDDLE-ROW: B. Thomas, T. Verry, L. Bailey, C. Roslyth. . BACK-ROW: A. Mahoney (captain). RESERVES: M. Harris, S. Wallard, R. Newlands, B. Fergus.

SOUTHLAND FULL-BACK: J. W. Fleming THREE-QUARTERS: R. Gibb, A. G. Sutherland, R. G. Mahony. FIVE-EIGHTHS: C. K. Saxton (captain) M. P. Grace. HALF-BACK: J• W.Purdue. FRONT-ROW: C. Soper, W. Sherriff V. L. George. MIDDLE-ROW: R. IL Ward, S. E. Purdue, D. B. Herron, G H. Graham. BACK-ROW: A. R. Marshall. RESERVES: C. F. McKenzie, E. Calvert F. McEwan, J. Newall. The referee is Mr R. W. Murray.