RUGBY FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, 20 June 1930, Page 7

RUGBY FOOTBALL

LAST SATURDAY’S GAMES. IMPRESSION'S AT STRATFORD. . - Had the Celtic forwards been as good in the loose as they were in the set scrum, a different tale might have been written of the' meeting between Stratford and the youngest senior team. The score was 22 to nil in favour of Stratford and of this Owen contributed 10 points (two tries and a field goal). Both his tries were converted by Alf. Kivell, so to Owen’s efforts were due 14 points in all. He proved irresistible during the later stages of the game. Referee K. A. Nodder’s control of the Stratford-Celtic game was watched with interest, but little fault could be found with his rulings, certainly no more than would have been the case with any other referee. He kept up with the game admirably, gave his decisions promptly and impartially and was sufficiently keen-eyed to check most of the infringements that called for checking. If there is one thing the public objects to in a referee, it is the continuous blowing of the whistle and the resultant slowing of the game. In this respect, Mr. Nodder exercised a wise discrimination, from which neither team suffered and for which the spectators were well pleased. Outstanding among the Celtic backs last week was Jones, who substituted for Dodd at full-back. Young and untried, he did everything he was called upon to do in a cool and precise manner that earned the approbation of all who saw the match. He has that essential trait of gameness without which no back player can ever rise above the standard of mediocre. Spectators can excuse faults, make allowances for errors of judgment and sympathise with ill-luck, but they never stand for the white feather. BRIGHT SECOND SPELL. The brightness o-f the second spell, and particularly of the last half of that period, when Okato, who had been having all the worst of the game, suddenly sprang into life and dominated the position, relieved the game of drabness. The form displayed by both teams shows that though so far they have not taken a prominent place in the competition, they have only to keep together and train to make matters interesting. With all young players .they

should develop in time into strong combinations. Star forwards dominated the position in the first spell, the Okato vanguard playing more sluggishly than usual, and as a result Star backs got plenty of chances, but weak passing at the critical time or solid tackling by the Okato team prevented them from making the most of their opportunities. The Okato backs when they essayed to pass lost ground, Taylor not being at home at half. As the result mainly of dashing work in the loose by their forwards, headed by Clarke, who was in everything and well deserved his two tries, Star put on nine points in the first spell. The second spell saw the backs open out spectacularly and Billing, who has a good cut-in, scored two more tries, and it looked as if Star would run up a bi" score. Okato, however, rearranged its backs, Carter going to half and McRoberts going in to second five-eighth, while Taylor, the half, went to wing three-quarter. , ■ Thereafter Okato was the only team in the picture, the backs handling beautifully for Mcßoberts to cut in cleverly and J. Goodwin to use his weight and pace. M. Roberts at first five-eighth made some great openings but the wings were weak. Carter, too, was clever on attack and defence. Mcßoberts, but for a tendency f o tackle high, would go a long way. L. Goodwin at full-back did not find the line sufficiently. i. Goodwin, Lawn and Okeroa were a trio of good forwards. McLean was not at his best. He was suffering from an injury. Clarke and Shaw were the best of the Star‘ forwards, being the leaders in everything. Rothery at half got the ball away and was steady in defence. Sampson made some good openings, at times, but Clegg was inclined to drop the ball. Billing was off colour in the first spell but showed great form in the second, scoring two clever tries. Lealand on the wing showed plenty of dash and did not lose any opportunity. Godfrey was very safe at tull-bacK. TO-MORROW’S RUGBY GAMES. SELECTION OF CLUB TEAMS. Star Seniors v. Celtic.—Harvey, Brewster, Ford, Clark, Shaw,. O’Byrne, Taylor, McLeod, Berry, Skipper, Sampson, Clegg, Billing, Kinsella, Lealand, Godfrey, ’Meuli, O’Byrne. Star Junior A. v. Old Boys, at racecourse, 1.15 p.m—Sherson, McLeod (2), Bell, Fitzpatrick, Wilkins, Crapper, Harvey, Hoskin, Forbes-Faulkner, Beer, Sullivan, Utiger, Way, Payne, Smith. • Star Third Grade v. Clifton, at Waitara, at 1.30 p.m—Riley, Plumtree, Kerr, Burr, Webber, Simpson, Kinsella, Neale,

Page Early, Webber, Kerr, Sampson, McLean, Robinson, Hagerty. Reserves, Robb and Nicol. Star Fourth Grade v. High School A, at Racecourse, 1.15 p.m.-Bowan, Cropp, Parkin, South, Suhr, McCauley, McFarlane, O’Donnell, Gore (2), White, Batten, Nuttall, Cursons, Cook, Baker, Rutherford, Stroud, Hardgrave, Lynch. Star Fifth Grade v. School B, at racecourse, 3 p.m—Avery, Suhr, Rennie, [Hookham, Clegg, Perrau, Morris, Glengarry, Utiger, Erb, Mackay, Elder, SisI son, Stevens,* Mllhnan, McLean, Black, Coleman, Richards, Bruce. Tukapa Seniors v. Clifton, at 1.15 p.m.—Petty (2), Evans, Wyatt, Dickson, Boswell, Brown, Sullivan, Guy, O’Dowda (2), Hill, Bithell, McNeill, Collins, Spedding, Gayton, Southcombe. Tukapa Ist Juniors v. School, at racecourse, 3 p.m. —Knott, Lobb, Meredith, Hanley, Ninkie, McLean, Papps, McDonald, Thomson, Lewer, Dickie, Stewart, Haskell, Gilbert, Pope, Morris, Reed, Aroa, Boyle, Sleep. Tukapa Third Grade v. School, at racecourse, 1.15 p.m.—Carter, Knott,.Sorensen, Sanger, Pickett, Main, McGiven, Lock, Wallace, Lewis, Lobb, Morris, Bayley, Haines, Williams, Gardiner, Wright, Neilson. Tukapa Fourth Grade v. School, at racecourse, 1.15 p.m. —Bradford, Lewis. Lobb, Katana, Tavendale, Gayton, Florence, Neville, Murdoch, Koti, Martin, Bullot, Greenlees, Hall, Fox, Gunson, Alsop. Tukapa Fifth Grade v. School, at racecourse, 3 p.m.—McCoy, Gruszning, Newell, Innes, Lobb, McKinney, Roebuck, Walker, Cattley, Lobb, Rea, Powell, George, Hutton, Barlow, Tomms, Brien, Edgecombe, Burgess, Voullaire. Waimate Juniors, to play Kaponga, at Kaponga. —Team same as last week. Waimate Thirds to play Kaponga, at Manaia.—Team same as last week. Waimate Fourths to play Okaiawa, at Okaiawa. —Putt, McKay, Hunia, Budd, Duggan, Johnny, F. Gamlin, Duncan, Dick, King, McCracken, Hansen, Lawry, Walker, Robinson. Reserves: Borrie, Hill, Gamlin, Jones, Atkinson. Stratford Seniors. v. Inglewood, at Stratford. —A. Collins, Taylor, E. Walter, Bonner, Grace. Bublitz, Fryday,

Young, Smith, J. Walter, Huckstep, Kivell, Bond, Were. Emergencies, P. Collins and Lehmann. Old Boys v. Okato, at Okato, 2.30 p.m. —R. Priar, Medley, Webster, Brown, . Rutherford, Fookes (2), Mace, Olson, Mason, Frethey, Slyfield, Beck, Drader, Perry, Luxton, Crawford, Mace. Old Boys Juniors v. Star A., at racecourse, 1.15 p.m.—Harris, Slyfield, Aubrey, Rodgers, Billing, Bellringer, Sheehy, Robertson, Joe Thomas, Jim Thomas, J. Knapman, S. Olson, Pankhurst, Moverly,- T. Knapman, Hetherington, Hutchcn, Brown, H. H. Evans. CLIFTON CAPTAIN INJURED. Pat Ward, captain of the Clifton senior Rugby, team, sustained one broken and two cracked ribs in the match against Inglewood last Saturday. .Asa result, he will be unable to take the field for some time, and will be unavailable for , Taranaki’s representative fixtures against Wanganui and Wellington at the end of this month.