Rugby

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 675, 29 May 1929, Page 15

Rugby

The Game and its* Players.

That imaginary line—a Frost. Why Training College heads the points table—-training. A junior team in Hastings has scored 356 points in three successive matches, with only three points scored against it. Grafton is missing L. Paewai sadly this season. The Magpie pack played grand football on Saturday, but a colourless back-line gave it no support. M.A.C., the Hastings College side that produced Nepia and Paewai. has found a fine wing-threequarter in Hapi. Ho has a Hapi faculty for scoring tries. Cooke’s Sprain A. E. Cooke’s broken wrist turned out to be only a sprain, and he was in action as usual for Masterton Old Boys last Saturday. Facing the powerful Carterton forwards, Old Boys were beaten, a result which places

Carterton at the head of the points table. Another All Black back playing in Wairarapa is T. Corkill, the exHawke’s Bay halfback and five-eighth, who has hardly lived up to his early promise. Swain on the Line J. Swain, the All Black and Ponsonby hooker, has been on the line now for several Saturdays, and is likely to oe inactive for several more. The injury ho suffered a few weeks ago is giving more trouble than was anticipated. The knee muscles were badly wrenched, and as a result Swain does not expect to turn out again before July. Pat Ward Dropped I-low the mighty have fallen! Pa.t Ward, All Black forward of last year, is only second emergency for the Taranaki representative team to play Wanganui on June 3. Placing him emergency is perhaps the unkindest cut of all. C. Brown, a youngster from New Plymouth High School, and son of a famous All Black halfback of other days, is the Taranaki halfback this year. * Why Not Scrimshaw? Canterbury Rugby followers are wondering why G. Scrimshaw, wingforward with the All Blacks in South Africa, has been left out of the trial gam© for Wellington on Alonday next. It is pointed out that Scrimshaw is only 26, and C. G. Porter, one of the two wing-forwards chosen, is 30. Great Competition Wellington is having a great competition this year. Four teams are level at the head of the table with eight points each. These teams, each of which has lost one game, are: University, Poneke, Athletic, Old Boys. Petone is two points behind, with six points. Mark Nicholls continues to favour the 3-2-3 scrum, but on Saturday University got most of the ball, and thus were able to score two tries from beautiful back movements. Porter did not turn out for Athletic on Saturday. # m Benedict Burrows Although he was married a little while ago, J. T. Burrows, Canterbury and All Black hooker, will not give up Rugby for the next few seasons, at any rate. By profession Burrows is a. schoolmaster. He is a house master at Christchurch Boys’ High School. Vangioni at Thames When Thames plays in Auckland in •coming representative engagements, a useful back will be on view, namely, T. Vangioni, who has lately moved to Thames from Wanganui. Vangioni hails originally from Masterton, but learnt his football in Auckland at the Sacred Heart College, where lie was one of the crack footballers of liis year. Hefty Forwards The eight forwards of the New South Wales Rugby Union team which recently beat Queensland by 47 points to 16 averaged 13st 121 b. The heaviest man was the New Zealander, J. A. Ford, 3 6stfi and there were two men who weighed 14st 71b and 14st 21b respectively. As these big forwards are fast. too. New South Wales reckons on giving the forwards of this year’s New Zealand team a very interesting time.

“The Dancing Master” W. Elvy, ex-Canterbury and New Zealand wing threequarter, is still , playing on the wing :or the Petone OlUb in Wellington, but does not seem to have reproduced his old form. S o nimble was Elvy when at the height of his prowess that he fully warranted the appellation “the dancingmaster.” Recently Mark Nicholls stated that he and Elvy were the only members of the present Petone team who had played club Rugby prior to the introduction of the new rules.

Kilby Not Touring F. D. Kilby is not in the market for the Australian tour this year, so competition in the forthcoming: trial match will be between Leys and Dailey alone. Not being available for the trial, Kilby will be free to play for Wanganui in the annual King’s Birthday match. Big Centres Centre threequarters are usually of moderate build, but there have been some notable exceptions to the rule. Most recent was Lindsay, last year's All Black, a player of grand physique, who was selected as centre, though actually he did the bulk of his work at fullback. Another centre threequarter of fine physical stamp is "Gus" Carlson, of Wanganui, who has been chosen to show his paces in next week’s trial. The son of a King Country sawmiller, Carlson is well over six feet in height. At Wellington College he collected nearly every athletic honour within reach.

Robilliard’s Knee A. C. C. Bo billiard, All-Black wing threequarter, is not iikeiy to be able to piay Kugby in Christchurch lor some weeks yet, as his injured knee is still giving him trouble. B GRADE NOTES Marathon, undeieated so far in the ociaor ±j competition, auueu. auetuer setup tu its conection uy neieatiug uiuvcrsAty on eaturuay. rauitr ugnt uusning uacks wuo are quick to seize any opportunity mat comes Liieir way. Wales is Marathon’s star man. Ins aispiay at rust live-eighui being particularly impressive. ale is one ot tiic lew avucKiunu live-eigntns wno run straight anu pass eiea.ii and haru. xio can aiso be triCKy when lie wisnes, ttnd cut m nicely several times on t>uiuruay. Stewart, the Marathon wing, is a speed merenant with picnty or determination. ire dia wen in o/ouara cup games last season, raton is sate at Mooriiouse, the ex-King’s boy who piayeu several games m uie cm versny senior team last season, is doing wen in senior j_>. iris uispiay on oamruay was pleasing, anu ne scored one line try. The tan student was in his element in the live-eighth line, and he used a good turn oi speed to tne best advantage. Mooriiouse should be the lirst man for Varsity to turn to in I lie event of replacements being necessary later in the season.

Tramways gave Parnell a scare on Saturday, the Trams pack keeping out the lighter Parnell forwards lor most of the time. Weaknesses were again apparent in the Trams’ rearguard, but by and large this was best side the Blues have fielded. Keenan, a former Auckland representative, but now carrying more poundage than of yore, did useful work in the van. Though small of stature, Packman is more than useful as halfback for Parnell. This side will be knocking at the door of the senior grade in a year or two if it can attract a few more weighty forwards. At present the pack, for all its tireles energy, is painfully light. Bouquets on Saturday to Macintosh, in the forwards, and Satherley and Franklin in the backs. How They Go Points in the B grade competition are shown below. It must be noted that some teams have played only four games, while others have five:

Team. Games played. Total points. Parneli . , . , . 9 Marathon ., .. 8 Varsity .. „. .. 7 Otahuhu . . ,. 6 North Shore .. 4 Suburbs . „ .. 2 K i ngsland .. .. 2 O Manuknu . . . . 0