PALMY DAYS OF RUGBY

Taranaki Daily News, 24 March 1932, Page 14

PALMY DAYS OF RUGBY

THE RECENT GENERATION MR. PAPPS’ MEMORIES (Continued from previous page.) bis witticisms during the course of the games he played. Before a big match he liked to harangue the team in the dressing-shed, just in the same way, no doubt, as his ancestors urged their men to battle. He was a fine orator. 1 remember two great attempts of his to win the Old Boys’ Oratory Cup. Standing on the stage of the Assembly Hall, majestic of figure and countenance, he held the whole School enthralled by the vehemence and power of his words; and but for tho polished oratory of Bruce Grieve he would have succeeded. As a footballer he was full of guile, and his weight was a great asset. Like all Maoris he was a most chivalrous {layer, and I remember his using his ull strength only once, against Wanga■ui Collegiate. That team included Pomare, son of the.late Sir Maui. Kingi had a good deal of racial pride, and he was determined that day that a Wetere should vanquish the Pomare. On all our travels he kept the team in the best of spirits by a constant stream of stories and jokes. S. Fookes was one of our best forwards, and he, too, was a most con•cientious captain. Then there was Michael Fletcher, who died at the end of the 1925 season. We were having our last practice before leaving for Auckland, and' I noticed '‘Mike” lagging behind. I soon found that he was not well, and sent him over to the

School hospital. We had to leave next morning without him. Soon after our arrival in Auckland we learnt that he

had died of pneumonia in the New Plymouth Hospital. Naturally we were very' upset, and some of the team came to me with tears running down their faces asking that' the match be cancelled. But we had to keej. faith with Auckland. Mr., Moyes had just'arrived by: car, and he turned straight- back tailing Bob Fletcher, our second fiveeighths,. with him. It was the saddest game we have ever played. Ken Riley, playing substitute five-eighths, potted a goal and Fred Read scored —and though we won we were a sad party on our, homeward journey. ■ PROMINENT FORWARDS. Laurie Christie was one of our best, forwards for his weight. He was not fast, yet on many occasions he would z leave the scrum and get out to the wing three-quarter at the end of a back rush to receive a. pass and score. Later on he played for Otago Varsity and Otago representatives for several seasons. Charlie Collins, Bob Wynyard, Tiplady, with his shock of fair hair, the Eaves brothers, Jack and Percy, Charlie McNeill, Ned Golding, Jack Buckeridge, and many others occur to the mind when one thinks of our forwards. And it must always be remembered that though our backs have scored most of our points, .they could not hr.ve done so but for the dash, and brains of the .forwards. One feature of the School play often commented on is the. way our forwards have secured j.osr ssiqn in the loose and by quick heeling sent their backs off in a passing rush beiou, the opposition backs. could recover position. We have had many splendid trips 7 away; to Auckland, Te Aute, Nelson, Wanganui and elsv./'ere, and the task of the masters accompanying the teams has been, of the lightest. I think wc have been like the boys—glad to lay aside our school work for a while and to be on holiday. The most interesting trip we had, I think, was to Te Aute, where we lived with the Maon boys at the school. When we arrived, the whole school was drawn up to meet us. A real Maoriwelcome followed—songs and dances of welcome—and then they broke loose upon us, and for the next three days no New Plymouth boy was even allowed to carry his football boots. At meal times each of our boys had a proud little Maori boy to wait on him; they insisted on making our beds; and one-night gave a wonderful Maori concert. Their part singing, with that melodious harmonising and touch .of melancholy that characterises Maori song, made a deep impression on us all. The public may wonder why the Te Aute boys generally come to visit Taranaki. It is because they come in their mid-winter holidays, and their headmaster has told me several times that he regards the experience gained by his boys in coming to a tig school such as New Plymouth and mingling with white ■boys, as a valuable part of. their education. So highly, indeed, does he regard New Plymouth High School that • he has sent his two sons to be boarders at the School, f FRIENDS FROM TE AUTE.

We are always delighted to have Te Aute, for there exists a wonderful spirit of camaraderie between the two schools —brought about solei; by football. Just vtatch the' way the two team's come off the field after a hard-fought game and you will see this exemplified. Some readers may remember the following incident that occurred in last year’s match. One of our boys was lying on the ball and a sturdy Maori forward was trying to shift him off with 'his feet. One of his mates coming up behind, evidently thinking he was using his feet too vigorously, gave him a hefty kick in the rear part of his anatomy and expostulated with him for using the boot. When. else except amongst the Mao.' race would you see see a player deal out punishment to one of his own side for rough play? 'The Main Trunk journeys bring back pleasant memories. The guards on the train were most indulgent, and never troubled us during the night. Seats would be overturned, sundry planks commandeered en route, placed in position, and make-shift beds manufactured. Thqse who were slim enough would crawl up into the luggage racks and deep there. z And most remarkable of *ll was the faculty VVetere possessed of waking up at every refreshment station in order to go forth and '‘re-fuel,” as he termed it. We usually had a rait of several hours at Marton, and on one occasion I was surprised at the keenness of all to go up and have a practice run on the recreation ground. When we arrived there, the reason was obvious —all the young beauty of Marton, forewarned no doubt, was present. Afterwards we were royally entertained by several of the parents of our Marton boys at the Marton Hotel, then under the management of Mr. “Bob’ Barlow. Wo have been most happy in our association with the other schools with

whom we have played annual matches; and the result of this is that many of our boys have made firm friendships with their opponents. These ten years have been very happy years, for there were never more-gallant, more courageous and more loyal boys than those who have represented the School on the football field. They have taken their victories, we hope, with modesty, and their defeats with a smile. They have tattled hard for their side, for their school, and in doing so have Jearnt many a lesson that we could not have taught them in the classroom. They have enjoyed their football, too, and I am sure they will all agree with the sentiment of Newbolt’s lines: They were great days and jolly days At ‘the best school of all,