Rugby Attractions

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 91, 8 July 1927, Page 11

Rugby Attractions

Maori Team Meets Auckland Hawke’s Bay May Redeem Recent Loss GREAT Rugby should be witnessed at Eden Park to-morrow, when the Auckland Rugby representative team will meet the Maori team, composed largely of players who toured England, France and Wales six months ago. Rugby interest throughout the Dominion will be keyed to a high pitch by the meeting of Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa, who are battling for the Ranfurly Shield. It is just over a month since Hawke’s Bay lost the cherished trophy.

Both matches are on THE SUN S football competition coupon.

TT is apparent that Mr. V. R. Meredith, Auckland selector, does not believe in making unnecessary alterations to his team. The following team, very little different from that which played Thames, will be fielded to-morrow: Fullback, Paewai (Grafton). Threequarters, Lucas (Ponsonby), Sheen (College Rifles), Hook (Ponsonby). Five-eighths, Badeley (Grammar Old Boys), Berridge (Ponsonby). Halfback, McManus (Ponsonby). Rover, Keene (University). Forwards, Palmer (Ponsonby), Hadley (Marist), • Righton (Ponsonby). McWilliams (Ponsonby), Knight (Grammar Old Boys), Batty (Grammar Old Boys), Cathcart (Grammar Old Boys). Emergencies: Keegan, Linton. Butler (University), Du Chateau (College Rifles), Ruru (Grafton), Woods (Ponsonby). Cathcart was omitted from the list of players selected to practice. MAORI TEAM ASSEMBLES The New Zealand Maori team, which assembled to-day under Mr. A. Takaraagi, of "Wanganui, will be picked from the following: Backs: W. Barclay (Auckland), A. C. Falwasser (Taranaki), J. Hohaia (Taranaki), H. Kingi (Wanganui), W. Lockwood (East Coast), D. Pelham (Auckland), T. Jones (Wanganui), M. Wi Neera (Wellington). Forwards: D. Patena (Horowhenua), A. Crawford (East Coast), S. Gemmell (Hawke’s Bay), J. R. Gemmell (Hawke's Bay), Pu Ihaia (Taranaki), Rangi Ruru (Taranaki), J. Rene (Wellington), A. Rika (North Auckland), T. P. Robinson (Canterbury), S. Soloman (Auckland), H. Wilson (Wairoa). Mr. Takarangi hoped to be able to give his players a run before finally choosing a team.

Neither of the Gemmells. nor Barclay, is likely to be available, as all three are among the Hawke’s Bay players training for the game with Wairarapa. AUCKLAND’S CHANCES Auckland’s chances to-morrow, against a team that has not played

together for many months, if at all, should be bright, but fhe opposition will be strong enough to test the home team’s strength. Spectacular football should be witnessed all through the encounter, as both sets of backs will toss the ball about.

Without Barclay and Paewai, the Maori backs will lack two of the brightest stars, and Falwasser, an extremely clever threequarter, will be about t|ie only really top-flight player. Kingi, of Taihape, is occasionally brilliant, and I-fbhaia, of Taranaki, is an exceptionally powerful runner.

Among the forwards are men of physique and power enough to worry the Auckland pack. Rika, Robinson, Wilson and Crawford are a quartette of high-grade performers, the first two being up to All Black standard. Robinson, for the Maori tour, was originally selected as a threequarter. but gravitated to the forwards, among whom he quickly achieved fame. ADDITIONS TO TEAM

Since making his original choice of 18 players last Saturday, Mr. Meredith has called on three more—Cathcart, du Chateau and Butler. Cathcart played

against Thames, and will be in the pack to-morrow. Butler has again been called upon as something in the nature of a stopgap. If he was good enough to be called upon, he should have been named in the number chosen last Saturday. Likewise du Chateau who is presumably to understudy McManus. Keegan, after a convincing display last Saturday, is to be on the sideline to-morrow, and Palmer and Hadley will again rake together.

With the exception that Hook replaces Kuru, the Auckland backs art 1 ; unaltered, and in the forwards McWilliams. in place of Finlavson, is the only change.

Many would have preferred to see Sheen played closer in than centre.

with Lucas in the latter position, but there the select oris faced with the scarcity of class wing-threequarters. HAWKE’S BAY S CHANCES While Auckland is meeting the Maori team in a match that is entirely a friendly encounter, there is something definite at' stake in the

clash of Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay. Beaten by 15 to 11 in the match at Napier on June 3. Hawke’s Bay is after the shield again to-morrow, and with a distinctly better team, its prospects look rosy. The following are the teams: Wairarapa.—Fullback, Roache; threequarters, Booth, Stringfellow. Hart; fiveeighths, Condy, Cooke, halfback. Hiroti; winger, J. Donald (captain); forwards, Fairborther, Willoughby. Parker, Reside, Harvey, Q. Donald. Irvine.

Hawke’s Bay (Provisional). —Fullback, J. Smith: threequarters, Barclay. Blake, B. Grenside; five-eighths, Corkill, Te Ngaio; half, Anstis; wing-forward. M. Brownlie; forwards, Swain, J. Gemmell, Conrad, C. Brownlie, Campbell, S. Gemmell, Tankard.

B. Grepside, who has not fully recovered from the injury suffered in the match on June 3, may not be available, in which case Priestley will replace him. HAWKE’S BAY FANCIED

Having seen the match on Juno 3, when each side scored one try, Wairarapa winning on penalty goals, this critic believes Hawke’s Bay has good chances of recovering the shield tomorrow.

In the Wairarapa back division there is only one change—Hart comes in on the wing. On the other hand, four of the Bay backs of June 3 have been jettisoned. Should B. Grenside be unable. to play, that will seriously prejudice the Bay’s chances, as Grenside is the mainstay of the challengers* backs.

Beaten fairly and squarely on June 3, Hawke’s Bay was beaten by better backs. The forwards were superior to the Wairarapa pack, which in the closing stages all but crumpled up before their hammering attacks. Tomorrow the Hawke’s Bay pack will be still stronger, fitter, and faster. Special trains and hundreds of cars will carry thousands of Hawke’s Bay supporters to Masterton to see the game, and there is a good chance that they will not be disappointed.