Rugby’s Boom Year

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 942, 8 April 1930, Page 7

Rugby’s Boom Year

VISIT OF ENGLISH TEAM

Re-Shuffle of Club Players

WITH the long-awaited English team’s visit only a few weeks away, there is brisk activity among Auckland’s Rugby clubs. The indications are that there will be numerous changes in the composition of most of the teams when they line out for the start of the season on April 26.

PAEWAI FOR GRAFTON With the exception of Training College, Grafton has suffered probably more losses than any other of the senior clubs, but as the junior team finished runner-up last season, there is no lack of promising material to fill the places of the lost players. Indeed it is thought that the club will be even better off than last season when, through casualties and other causes, the line-out was changed frequently. This season’s team will be at least consistent in its strength and club officials are confident that Grafton will not again be ‘"Wooden Spooners.” The players lost are A. Finlayson, the Rep. forward, AJaclvay, halfback, and Ruru, a clever Alaori player, all of whom have gone over to City; Liddle, who will figure on Ponsonby’s wing, Hamiora, now in Rotorua, and Wanoa, the Rep. lock, who is now an Anglican clergyman in Hastings. Paewai is again turning out for the club.

A rumour that has spread rapidly through Auckland’s Rugby world is that G. Walker,, the wrestler, is to play in Grafton’s pack, but Walker himself emphatically denies the suggestion. PONSONBY’S LOSS Ponsonby’s greatest loss is the transfer of R. McWilliams to Hamilton. Last season’s champions will sadly miss the services of the powerful All Black who led his pack so well. Ponsonby has never been short of recruits, however, and has good junior forwards to come on. The loss of Palmer, the All Black hooker, is also threatened, but that is not yet certain. L. Righton really wishes to retire from active Rugby, but will be available when required. At present it seems there will be only one change In the backs. R. I-look, who had knee trouble last season, is retiring, at least for a season. His place is being taken by Liddle, who played for Grafton last

season. Liddle is a solid, fast winger, who runs straight and hard. The inside backs show no alteration and Lucas, L. Hook and Fraser will again don the blue and black. GRAMMAR GETS WEIR There are a few gaps in Grammar’s battling pack, but the club is fortunate in having a strong reserve of young forwards to draw upon from last season’s juniors. Oath cart has gone into the country and the passing of R. Schnauer has robbed the whites of another good forward. A. Knight is in the country at present, but will probably be available later in the season. L. Knight, the two Battys and Potter vMI be there and Greville, a line stamp of forward, who has been absent in India for two years, will again turn out for his old club. The backs will show a considerable improvement on last season. Weir, who played some fine games for Training College last season, will be a useful addition to the inside backs. Corner will be in his old place behind the scrum and Bell, Mathieson.

Alenzies and Lewis will all be available once more. MINNS AVAILABLE Perhaps the greatest number of changes is in the- University ranks, but that is always so. It appears that the team will be quite as strong as last season and perhaps even a little more formidable. Keane and Colgan will not be playing, but. there is a great array of forward brilliance from which to fill gaps in the pack. Jolly and Douglas, two Otago University players of note, will be candidates for positions. Peacock and Stacey, who led the Training College pack last season. are also likely starters. Stone, who played some good games for University in the Pollard Cup last season. will be seeking a place in the pack also. The only change in the backs is that Bush, who has gone to Training College, will be replaced by Butler, who was skipper of Training College last season. The change should make little difference to the team.

Alinns, All Black winger and Rhodes scholar, is not leaving for England until August or September, and will be available. Goodwin, Carter, Jenkin, McKay and Stotter are also available. RIFLES’ REARGUARD PROBLEMS ! Minus Wilson’s hefty boot and Hec- | tor Gillespie’s reliable defence, College Rifles will find its rearguard the principal problem this season. Wilson, who learned his football at Christ’s College, is at present touring in England, and Gillespie, who devotes his spare time between senior Rugby and representative cricket, has announced his intention of joining the rapidly increasing ranks of Rugby veterans. Although the club is also losing Stewart and Fogarty from the forward division it should still have a fairly useful pack. Stewart, who went down in the front row with Souter, and completed a very useful • pair, is now* practising law at Kaitaia, and Dick Fogarty will probably be too busy filling the role of club captain to take his old place in the back row of the scrum. Dick is one of the keenest of .Rugby enthusiasts and in throwing his weight behind the team in his official capacity, he will no doubt perform equally as good service as in the past. It is stated that Rifles has obtained a useful recruit in Pickering, a forward who hails from the Berhampore Club. The Wellington man is said to bo a good type of forward and will no doubt prove a useful member. There is also some talk of Johnstone, fullback for North Shore two or three seasons ago, coming back after a retirement of a season or two. and playing for Rifles. If so, and if he shows anything like his old form, lie should be a useful member. POLLARD CUP WINNERS Technical Old Boys, who concluded j a successful season last year by win- j ning the Pollard Cup, will be again a j youthful, vigorous, combination likely ' to be an undouibted danger to teams at the top of the competition. Technical has the material, but was sorely in need of good coaching last season, a fault that may be remedied this year. Corlett, a keen forward, has left the club, hut Roseveare, Nelson and Coll, pack-leaders of 1929. will be back in their old places. The brothers Keane are doubtful starters. D. Keane was fullback and C. Keane, rover. There is still a possibility that both may play. Blow, of Training College, is an acquisition to the pack. It appears that the backs will be much the same as last season. Hogg, Harris, Turbott, R. Couper, Common, Haslam and Porteous are all available. CITY WILL BE STRONG! City is exerting every effort to field the heaviest, if not the strongest, pack in senior grade footbqjl this season, but all-round, the team promises to be one of the strongest fifteens that has sported the red and black jersey for some seasons past. The club has made a notable gain in the Auckland representative hooker, Angus Finlayson, formerly of Grafton, who, with the City stalwart, Bert Fletcher, will form a formidable pair of frontrankers. The probability is that Fletcher will lead the team on to the field this season. Ruru and Mackie. both of Grafton, have joined the club. Holt, young rover, who was chosen last .season to represent Auckland, but was prevented from doing so by injuries, will be back again in his old position, while Kerr-Taylor. another prominent forward of the City pack, is also turnA welcome addition to the team this

season will be the veteran Tom Heard, who skippered the XV. a season or two ago. and who is emerging from his retirement to give the red and blacks a lift along. The team will once more have the services of Blackey in the fullback position, while Arnold Berridge, who late last season went over to the League game, is said to be seeking reinstatement to turn out for his old club. Berridge has already turned out to practices and is reported to be playing and kicking well. If he gets back, he will certainly improve the inside backs. T. Lanigan, a Grammar School master, will probably be seen in action at the base of the scrum, while others, who will be donning the jersey this season are Sorenson. Harding, Farnall, Flay. Barnes and Whitehead, a prominent Wellingtonian. The three-

quarters who will be appearing are Whiteliouse, Hudson and Mcßride. The club’s prospects are particularly j bright in both the senior and third in- i i ennediate grades, and the probability is that a senior B team will be entered |in this season’s competitions. MANUKAU STRONGER The Manukau Rovers senior XV. will be a younger, but stronger team than last year, according to officials, who expect a particularly bright season. The policy of promoting each cf the teams, from sixth upward, a grade this season is being adopted by the club, and last year’s third intermediates will this season be playing in the senior B competition. A number of the most promising of 1929 juniors, particularly in the forwards, will take the field in senior A grade this season, notably Pierce, Pepper and Aitkenliead, while Rawhiti will go into the back division. * The outstanding gain made by the club for its senior team is L. Heazlewood. the Wellington representative and All Black, who is at present working here temporarily at the railway workshops. It is' doubtful, though, whether he will not be retransferred to Wellington early in the season, if not before, it starts. The veteran Turei will be back once more in the position of fullback, while the threequarter line will be much the same with Albon as centre. The vacancy caused by the departure of the sparkling Falwasser is not yet filled. Satherley, who is now working at Putaruru. intends making the trip every weekend to turn out for his team, while other familiar faces will be Bryers at half and McGuire in the pack. E. Housham, .the veteran forward. will be standing on the side-line this season J in retirement, watching the fortunes ! -f the team he is to coach. W. WRIGHT’S RETIREMENT j Marist will have much the same side ; as last year, although W. Wright has retired. This good halfback lias had a fine record as a player and was most popular with all Rugby followers. He will be missed. Swin Hadley will head the pack and his brother. Cam Hadley, is turning out again. Reg Molloy, former Auckland rep. back, wil*be in the forwards again with Henry, ex-Newton League player. Probably a couple of promising junior forwards will be brought up. In the backs, a good deal is expected of Curtayne. a Hawke’s Bay man. Stoupe is out of town, but Smith, the ex-Sacred Heart boy who played good football last year. Cornthwaite, Stewart and Johnson are all turning out again. Not one of the clever line of backs that played such havoc with the leading senior teams in the first round of last season’s competition will be turning out for Training College this season. Butler has gone to University. Abbott, Lawrie, Mcßae, Mac Kay, Weir and Rae have all left the college. Most of these players will not be figuring in Auckland Rugby this season, though Weir is playing for Grammar and Rae may play behind the Varsity scrum, j Of the forwards, only Dodds. Hodge and Herbert are left. Bush, Varsity fullback and representative player, will haptain the team, but its probable strength can only be surmised. So it is every season with Trainng College. Two seasons is about the maximum time for which a college player wears the blue and white, but the unknown quantities of 1930 may be quite as useful as the bright combination of last season. The able generalship and experience cf Bush will be a great asset to the side.