BIG RUGBY TO-DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1931, Page 6

BIG RUGBY TO-DAY

TARANAKI V. AUSTRALIA VISITORS SELECT STRONG TEAM. TARANAKI’S CHOSEN FIFTEEN. Though New Plymouth is the closest overseas port in the Dominion to Australia, visits from football combinations from over the Tasman have been few and far between. It is just six years since the last New South Wales team was seen in action at Pukekura Park, and only then after a lapse ot twelve years. The Taranaki football public, however, still have vivid recollections of the spectacular open football that the Australians play, and will welcome the opportunity of seeing the 1931 Australian team in action at Pukekura Park to-day against Taranaki. The match commences at 2 p.m. The visitors have been improving all the time since they started their New Zealand tour, and with the ground in good order and the ball dry they will be playing to-day under more suitable conditions than they have so far experienced. The team as selected is the strongest available, being practically identical with that which put up such a good performance against the All Blacks last Saturday. - The only alteration in the backs is that H. Tolhurst, the threequarter, who was injured at Napier, and J. Steggall, the five-eighths, who was injured in the Test match, have been replaced by H. Herd, and H. F. Primrose respectively. - In. the forwards the only alteration is that M. White, of Queensland, is. replaced by F. Whyatt from the same State. The average weight of the backs is list. 13jlb. and of the forwards 13st 91b. '"Towers’ 'fine tries in the Test will long be remembered •in Auckland, whilst • Cowper also put .up a fine tally, of four tries against Hawke’s Bay, but perhaps greatest interest will centre in the play of Ross and Malcolm. The former is considered to be the finest full-back ever seen in Australia. He stops the forward rushes in determined fashion, whilst his tackling is deadly and his line kickinn- magnificent. As half Malcolm is very clever. Quick to seize an opening, he sends out beautiful passes, and can use the. dummy effectively. His defence, too, is very sound. The experiment ot trying out a new first five-eighths in the Taranaki team may affect.the combination at the start. However, with a view to nipping the Australian movements in the bud it possible the Taranaki selector" (Mr. A. Guy) has placed J. Crawford in that position. It will improve the defence, and Crawford, now a seasoned player, may be able" to adapt himself io the position. G. Sullivan, who played his first game as wing three-quarter for the representative against Manawhenua, retains his position, Jones not being fit to play. The other positions are all filled by tried players. The teams for to-day’s match arc: — AUSTRALIA. A. W. Ross W. Hemingway C. H. Towers ' H. Herd D. L. Cowper H. F. Primrose 8. J. Malcolm (capt.) L. J. Palfreyman T. Perrin J. Clark B. Judd F. Whyatt M. R. Blair E.' Bonis W. H. Cerutti Reserves: Backs, G. Bennett, P. Clark; forwards, E. Love, M. White and 0. Bridle. 1 TARANAKI. A. Collins 1 N. Hunter R. Watson G. Sullivan K. F. Fookes J. Crawford C. .Gudgeon A. Guy C. Wills Murphy W. Baldwin Clarke. J. "Walter W. Robinson F. Gargan Reserves: Baeks, Kinsella, C. Brown; forwards, R. Lusk, G. Drader. The Rev. Leonard, of Marton, will referee.

PREVIOUS MATCHES. HONOURS WITH VISITORS. • Taranaki either alone or conjunction with Wanganui has met teams from Australia on five previous occasions, and has been victorious only once —in 1894, when Taranaki football was at ite zenith. Taranaki in that year defeated New South Wales by 21 points to 6. Only two of the present Taranaki team—J. Wa’ter the present captain, and W. Robinson —took part in the match played six years ago. In that match Taranaki-Wanganui led by. 8 points to nil, but the visitors prevailed just on the close, to win by the margin of a conversion. Each scored three tries, Coulton, Johnston and Collier for Taranaki-Wanganui, and Foote (2) and Morrisey (1) for the visitors. Lawton converted two, but Brown (TaranakiWanganui) could convert only one, though his last shot struck the post and bounced infield. ' R. Fryday missed an easy conversion with the first try. The results of the matches are as follows:— 1888 —Taranaki-Wanganui v. New South Wales, lost 9 points to 2. 1894 —Taranaki v. New South Wales, won, 21 points to 6. 1904 —Taranaki-Wanganui v." Australia (New’ South Wales and Queensland) at Hawera,. lost, 18 points to'l3. 1913 —Taranaki v. Australia, lost, II points to 9. 1925 —Taranaki-Wanganui v. New South Wales, lost 13 points to 11. THE SOCIAL SIDE. WALLABIES IN NEW PLYMOUTH. During their stay in New Plymouth the Australian Rugby team is being given an opportunity of gaining a knowledge of the town and district. Yesterday morning, accompanied by officials of the Taranaki Rugby Union, the visitors made a trip to places of interest in and near the town.- First' Pukekura Park was visited, the football ground, the charming views to be obtained, and the fernery all impressing them. Then a visit was paid to the High School, the visitors being shown over the school and ite appointments, including the new football ground, by the principal, Mr. W. H. Moyes, They then proceeded to the new Rugby ground at West'own, and •thence via Morley Street, passing; Western Park en route to Moturoa, • where the Blenheim oil wells were visited. They

took a keen interest in the oil-boring operations. In the afternoon they were motored the round trip to Inglewood and Waitara, stopping a while at the Moa Dairy Company’s factory and being shown over the plant by the chairman (Mr. R. B. Sutton) and secretary (Mr. J. R. Penn). This splendidly equipped modern factory gave them a good idea of the hygienic conditions under which New Zealand dairy produce is manufactured. In the evening some of the team attended the theatres. This morning will be quietly spent, and after the match this evening the teams will dine together at the Criterion Hotel. Subsequently they will attend the wrestling match at the Coronation Hall, and later will attend dances. Some of the team are very keenly interested in wrestling, one of them, G., Bennett, being amateur champion of Queensland. On Sunday cars are being provided by friends and supporters of the Rugby code in order to give the team the opportunity of visiting Mt. Egmont, where the day will be spent. On Monday morning the team leaves by car for the north, lunching at Awakino, and spending the night at Waitomo, where they will visit the caves. On Tuesday they go on to Hamilton, where they will play the final match of the tour against Waikato-King Country on Wednesday, leaving Auckland for Australia on Friday. TO-DAY’S CURTAIN-RAISER. TAINUI SCHOOLS v. CONVENT. Starting at 12.45 p.m., a curtainraiser to the Australia-Taranaki Rugby match to-day will be played between a representative schools’ team from the Tainui Sub-Union and the New Plymouth Convent team.