Rugby

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 995, 11 June 1930, Page 13

Rugby

—AL_Tfre Game and its 4 Players*.

A Promising Player AI. Smith, who played first fiveeighth for Alarist against Grafton at NoYth Shore last Saturday, showed that he was a player of merit. He handled the ball well and this in spite of the fact that it was heavy and greasy. He also saved his side several times by fine methods of turning defence into attack. He shows distinct promise. A Fine Forward Angus Finlayson once again demonstrated last Saturday when playing for Grafton against Alarist at North Shore that he is one of the finest forwards in the game in Auckland. He led Grafton in every rush; he shone in the lineouts. and he was a tiger in the tight. At the present time he is at the top of his form and would not disgrace any All Black side. Promising Five-eighths The marked improvement in individual form and combination of the Varsity backs, apparent last Saturday in the match against Grammar, gave the: students a new lease of life. The weakness in the five-eighths now seems to be eliminated, and Jenkin and McKay, particularly the latter, are a good thrusting link with the fast threequarter line. Sturdily built and quick off the mark, McKay shows distinct promise, and on Saturday created several scoring openings with his dashing. thrusting runs toward the corners. After a week off with an injury. the threequarter flier, Percy Minns, was out again on Saturday, and displayed more dash than ever, and occasionallv exploited the centre kick when cornered. Versatile Ray Bell, who was captain of the South Island Maori team that won the Prince of Wales Cup and To Mori Rose Bowl in the match with a North Island side., at Lancaster Park recently, has had a long and successful Rugby career. He has represented Southland for about 10 seasons, and attained South Island honours in 1923 and 1925, and a New Zealand cap in 1923. Ho lias several times gained a place in New Zealand Maori teams, and was vice-captain of the one that toured Great Britain and France in 1926. Bell has always been a versatile player, and on the 1923 Maori team’s Australian tour he played hooker, wing forward, halfback, fiveeighth and fullback. Though his hair is now thin on top, lie is still a more than ordinarily useful back, and played well for his side in the recent game. Stewart’s Form Newspaper writers, not familiar with the training methods employed by Ron Stewart never fail, at the start of every season, to make pointed reference to his lack of condition. According to Christchurch reports, at the start of the present season he was almost a stone overweight, for which fears were expressed as to his ability to stand up to a gruelling game when the British team arrived. Since Stewart got into big football the writer of this paragraph does not remember a season when he did not take the field early in the season, obviously on the green side. But when the representative matches or Uie interisland game came round, the big All Black was always one of the fittest men on the paddock. Reports of the Canterbury game with Britain suggest that Stewart has followed out liis usual programme, probably with a view to avoiding the possibility of staleness later in the season.

:j Footballer and Rower IT. F. McLean, who was one of the ontstanding forwards on the Wellington side which played Britain Inst week, lias had a good rowing as well i as n fr*rvH->nii He learned his football at Napier Boys’ High School and gained representative honours in the Hawke’s Bay junior representatives in 1025. Later, lie went to Wellington, where he played for the Wellington Football Club, gaining representative honours in the second year. He also took up rowing and was selected for the New Zealand eight to go to the Olympic Games in 1023. Failure with the financial arrangements, however, prevented the team from going. Last year McLean went to Taranaki, playing for that province in all matches. He was the only Taranaki man selected for the North v. South Island game last year. Following that game ho was picked for the New Zealand team which played the Maoris at Wellington. He has started promisingly this season and will probably gain All Black honours in the near future. Two Outstanding Players Though it must be admitted that there was nothing inspiring about the clash between College Rifles and Training College on Saturday, there were two features of the game that might well be observed by the selector. R. Bush was kicking better than ever before. Out of 15 points scored by Training College in the first quarter, 13 were off Bush’s boot. His line-kicking, too, was powerful and he made no mistakes with his tackling. Bush is a more powerful kick than Butler and, on present form, must be regarded as his equal in other departments. Under international rules his powerful boot will be even more valuable.

The other outstanding' back on the field was flickering, the Rifles’ centre. He was not given many chances by his insides, but what opportunities he had, lie turned to good account. His handling was good and he showed a clean pair of heels to the College rearguard on several occasions. He was a 1 wavs dangerous near the line and would be a handy man as a second string for the representative side.

Cramping- Ponsonby's style by conlining play largely to the forwards, and engaging in effective spoiling, City gave last season’s champions the biggest surprise this year. The rover Holt harassed the Ponies rearguard incessantly, smashing up passing rushes time and again with his smothering tackling. On the day he was up to the form of his more spectacular open vis-a-vis, Solomon, who seemed to be saving himself fearing a further shoulder injury. In the rucking play Whitehead was the undeniable leader of the City pack.

One reason contributing to the heavy Orammar pack’s failure to secure possession of the bull from set scrums against the much lighter Varsity forwards on Saturday, was its neglect to use its weight as soon as the ball went in. By nature, the majority are fast and essentially shiners in the loose, in which pace assures them of smothering ability. The fact is the back row and side row men are too keen on racing away to smother the opposing fiv« -eighths, instead of using an obvious advantage to hook the ball for their own backs. Good Halfback Easily eclipsing his vis-a-vis. Cori ner, the smart little Varsity half, Rao, | played one of the most attractive games | this season on Saturday. The students’ ! hookers were sending the ball to him j with astounding celerity, and just as I quickly he fed the leather to the five* j eighths. He varied his movements i nicely on the “blind” and invariably got the ball away with crisp, welldirected passes before Potter's “wingforward” operations claimed him. On defence, Rae showed a fine sense of anticipation, and was not afraid to “go down to it” when the Grammar forwards swept down in driving rushes THE AUCKLAND TEAM “Keen Critic” writes have read with interest your remarks on the Auckland football team and am submining a team which 1 think should be l played in the next match, viz.: Backs: Turei; Minns, Lucas, Hook: ; Jones, Berridge: Corner. Forwards: Hadley, Finlayson; McWilliams, Kiahti, | Batty: L. Knight, Gallagher; Solomon (rover). Reserves: Weir and A. Knight. £ am choosing my team on form only, and not on reputation. Turei at present is easily Auckland’s best fullback, and his kicking must be as good as any in New Zealand. The threequarter line I have left the I same, but I have changed the fiveeighths. I have put Jones, who I think has a bright football career, in to first five-eighth, where he will strengthen the defence, and placed Berridge, the City five-eighth, at second five-eighth. Berridge is playing sound football and is certainly worth a trial. If lie regains his old form he will, with Jones and Lucas, make a brilliant line. Turei’s and Berridge’s place-kicking would be a wonderful advantage to Auckland. I have dropped A. Knight and included Kahu, a hard-working forward, as lock. McWilliams goes in ahead of Greville, and Gallagher, a coming champion by his play, is far ahead of Anderson. RON. STEWART PLAYED MAGNIFICENT FOOTBALL CANTERBURY’S GREAT WIN Special to THE SUN CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. Now the shouting and the tumult of Canterbury’s victory over the British team have died down, it is possible to view the form of players in it with a coldly critical eye. Then comes the feeling that the British side was lucky to escapo without a larger margin of points against it. The Canterbury forwards were magnificent, working like a steam navvy in the tight, and carrying the battle in the loose to the opposition with splendid elan. The best of them, and indeed the best forward on the field, was Ron Stewart. Fitter than ho had been for a long time, he put ail his great weight into the tight, and using his hands like a back, he led the forwards excellently in the open, and was great in the Jinc-outs. Stewart's experience in the British Isles six vears ago was very useful to the Canterbury forwards, for he anticipated many things in the British side's play in the second half of the game. Ho hurt a leg, but though limping, lie stuck to his job finely. Stewart is still a true All Black.

Canterbury people admit now that Bill.Halley is not likely to play again in a test match. In defence and in the anticipation which enables a player to turn defence into counter-attack, ho is still a shining light, but his passing from the scrum has slowed down, and often on - Saturday it was badly directed. H. llay, first five-eighth, fortunately has a very clever pair of for he managed to take some atrocious passes from Halley, next to whom he plays in club football. In the first half, G. H. Innes. a potential All Black five-eighth, played a rather conventional game, but in the second half, this young and strong player improved his attack. Innes is very hard to stop, and it was with a great burst through the British forwards that he made a fine opening for King to score the try that put Canterbury definitely ahead. Innes is only ID years of age, and if he only had little more speed, he would be a truly great Player, although he lias yet to gain in anticipation in defence. Rex King, who was South Canterbury’s wing-forward last year, played himself into the New Zealand trial as it back row scrum forward. King Plays for Canterbury College now. He had been in the scrum for only half a club game, but was tried in the representative trial as a scrummager. and went so well that he got into the Canterbury team. He put all liis thirteen stone three into hard work, and in the open worked well with the backs. Ivipg certainly played a great game, bu' fortune was with him a little in tha* Innes enabled him to score a try which won for him the final approval of two New Zealand selectors who saw the match.

Except for two or three mistakes. IT. Lilburne played a splendid game as fullback. The way lie came through the British forwards to start counterattacks after taking the ball from their very toes, showed that he had regained the qualities which made him such a good five-eightli last year. It was remarked by a 1905 All Black who saw the match that if Lilburne did not get into the New Zealand team as a fiveeighth. he should do so as fullback

G. F. Hart, who had shown some lapse from form in recent matches.

came right back to bis best as wing - threequarter, but C. J. Oliver, who wartried on the other wing, and had been brilliant in the Canterbury trial game, could not pass the fast Reeve, and threw infield some wild passes, which spoiled his chance of making his way back into the Dominion team as a winger, instead of an inside back Against a slower wing than Reeve. Oliver’s individuality would have had good scope.—A.L.C.

Technical O.L). 1 'on son by Grammar o.B. University .. Training* CoY. Marist .. .. City .. . . Points Ch. P. W. L. D. For. Ag. I'ts ■ 1 7 103 34 14 • 7 6 — 1 133 fil 13 . 7 5 i i 10G 50 11 - i 5 2 — S)3 58 10 .7 4 3 — 82 5S ' 8 .7 3 4 — 7.1 70 0 • 7 2 5 — 17 98 4

Grafton 7 16 42 143 2 College Rifles . . 7 — 7 _ 40 110 —