Rep. Fixtures

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 89, 6 July 1927, Page 7

Rep. Fixtures

Maori Match on Saturday

Hawke’s Bay’s Bid For Shield

The representative Rugby season opens in earnest this month, the Maori match, next Saturday, being the first of a series of all-star fixtures. While Auckland is playing the Maoris, Hawke’s Bay will make a desperate effort to recapture the Ranfurly Shield from Wairarapa. The Bay team was put into training last week, and little is being left to chance. The Napier “Daily Telegraph’’ states that the Maori Rugby Advisory Board has released the two Gemmells and Barclay, so that they may appear for Hawkes Baj\ instead of coming to Auckland with the rest of the Maori team. In the case of Barclay such an arrangement would be strange, as he has not played a club match in Haxvke’s Bay this season. Clean Sweep The Hawke’s Bay selector has made very nearly a clean sweep of the rearguard that let him down so badly on June 3. Only B. Grenside, J. ‘Blake, and T. Corkill, of the old brigade, remain. In place of Bailey, Carlson, Seal, and N. Grenside, who are not in the latest team, are several equally unknown, as they were, to Rugby followers of the outside world. Cooke and company will take a lot of stopping, and good tacklers will be in demand. N. Grenside is out of action owing to a shoulder injury. The canards concerning George Nepia are-exploded regularly. A rumour that he would appear for the Bay next Saturday is contradicted in Napier. Last week the famous fullback captained an East Coast team in a Barry Cup match against Wairoa. Auckland’s Chosen In Auckland there is more interest in the home representative team, the 18 selected by Mr. Meredith last Saturday being a likely lot. Ponsonby, with seven in the team, outshine the other teams. McManus may be fortunate to have preference before du Chateau, and certainly McWilliams, who is unsound, owing to ankle trouble, can be included only on account of his size. A full muster of the selected 18 attended the first practice, and absorbed some useful counsel. In the selection for Saturday Badeley is likely to hold his place, with Ruru perhaps giving way to Hook. Keegan played so well last Saturday that few would be surprised to find him going down with Hadley in the front row. Weight is Lacking Auckland at present possesses sdhie fine forwards —for their weight. The lack of poundage in his pack must be no small source of concern to the selector, and the strange part of it is that there are few really big men playing in Auckland Rugby to-day. The good big forward will always get preference over the good small forward, but here, for the moment, the selector has no option but to take men who are really only of average proportions. Knight must be among the weightiest in the pack, but he is one of the few who do not always apply it. A grand forward in the loose, and fast to boot, he is sometimes apt to overlook his duties as a scrummager. Takarangi’s Drop-Kick Alec Takarangi, who will be here this week as manager of the Maori team, is a Rugby veteran whose experience covers matches in Australia with Maori teams, with whom he made such an impression that he was described by a Sydney paper as “The Herculean Takarangi, of the bucket-shaped legs.” Mr. Takarangi claims to be one ot the few men who has drop-kicked a goal for the opposing side. This occurred when he was playing fullback. In a tight tussle in his own goal-rnouth he attempted to clear, but mislcicked and the ball flew over the crossbar, the referee, in error, awarding a field goal to the other team. Fiji Team’s Visit After a good deal of correspondence with various sub-unions, the Auckland University Club has now adopted a definite programme for the Fiji team, which is to be its guest in August. The following matches have been arranged:—

Wednesday, August 10: v. University, Eden Park. Saturday, August 13: v. Northern Wairoa, at Dargaville. Thursday, August 18: v. Matamata, at Matamata. Saturday, August 20: v. Waipa, at Te Awamutu. Wednesday, August 24: v. Rotorua, at Rotorua. Saturday, August 27: v. Auckland University, at Eden Park. The team arrives* by the Tofua, on August 7, and will leave by the Aorangi on August 30. Helpful Authorities The authorities of various subunions showed a most helpful spirit in meeting the University Club, and they will undoubtedly be well repaid, as the Fiji team should draw excellent gates. Among the players will be Ricmenscheider, formerly captain of King's College, who will probably lead the side. The match at Eden Park on August 27 will be a curtain-raiser to the Hawke’s Bay. game, and should complete a great day’s football. Apart from its value as a stimulant to Rugby interest, the tour is commendable because it is a venture on the social side of Rugby, a phase prone to be overlooked in New Zealand. Up To Dargaville On Saturday the University side, which would rather play Rugby than watch it —most footballers will concur in that preference—is going to Dargaville to play a friendly match. Except for Keene, Keegan and Sinton, who are booked for the representative engagement, a full team will be taken away, and the back-line will be at top strength. On August 1G University will meet Training College in the second round grade fixture. The first round match between these two teams has not yet been played—it was a rather loose arrangement from the start —and the suggestion has been made that the match on Saturday week should made to cover both. Pars About Players Jeffries, Taranaki, halfback of this year, is said to be turning out for Marists. Formerly of New Plymouth Boys’ High School, he now occupies a stool in a city bank. Though net the regular Taranaki half for years past, as was suggested, Jeffries is a reliable performer. If he appears for Marists it will probably be as a liveeighth. S. K. Siddells, All Black wing threequarter in the last test against the Springboks in 1921, and now a portly and prosperous Eketahuna lawyer, emerged from his retirement to play for Bush against Wairarapa last Saturday. The score was 53 to 3. He must have had a busy day. New Zealand Rugby Refusal “I am not surprised,” says a writer in “Sporting Life,”, “to learn that the New Zealand Rugby Union has decided to reply to the International Board declining representation at the proposed conference in London every three years and reiterating its preference for the establishment of an Imperial Rugby Board.” It has been consistently advocated by “The Sporting Life” that the Dominions should be given an adequate voice in the control of the game, and until they are we can hardly expect them to look on our own Rugby rulers with a kindly eye. The Imperial Board must come some day; why not at once? A Trip For Tyros Aspiring goal kickers might be well advised to study the goal-kicking methods practised by Miss Elsie Prince in “Lady, Be Good”; but she performs with cushions, instead of footballs. A. J. A. Bowers, tlie New South Wales threequarter, is to be married before the Wallabies leave for England. But his wife will not accompany the team. No wives, and no presswriting, were conditions of selection. Jacob, the famous Maori wing forward, of wonderful physique, despite his years, is still playing in the Manawatu district, af.d should be seen in Auckland with the Manawhenua team in August.