REPRESENTATIVE RUGBY

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1932, Page 11

REPRESENTATIVE RUGBY

KING’S BIRTHDAY LESSONS

TARANAKI VERSUS WANGANUI.

COALMENTS ON TARANAKI FORM.

“In and out” was the general opinion of spectators who saw the representative Rugby match between Taranaki and Wanganui at Pukekura Park on the King’s Birthday. There was too much scrambling play, ■ too many mistakes in handling and too much lack of polish for the game to be classed as a good one; but on the other hand there were purple patches that to say the least gave the spectators their money’s worth.

Taranaki were definitely superior to Wanganui in both backs and forwards—• the former largely because of the latter.

The Taranaki pack was as good as ever, and should be a hard nut to crack to even the best packs of the major unions this year. Tradition counts for a lot in sport, and the Taranaki forwards probably have as good a record over a wide span of years as any other provincial team in New Zealand. When the old stalwarts drop out through leav-

ing. the district or because of advancing years, there are nearly' always' half a dozen others almost as good to take their place.' So well does tradition do its work that a pack like the Taranaki one has an immense advantage before ever the opening whistle blows. #■* ' # #

Another very important factor In Taranaki’s. favour at the present time is the : possession of such a splendid leader as Jack Walter. The province owes a great deal to this burly Stratford player, as fine a fellow off the field as he is . on. When the spirit flags and the flesh is weary it is as good as an hour’s rest to see Jack Walter battling away as doggedly as ever in the van. Many a..Taranaki forward has received fresh inspiration from the example set by his captain. J # * *

Lusk created a good impression by his indefatigable work on Friday,' and he was probably the best forward on. the ground. Ho was a bundle of sustained energy, into it on all occasions when there was thick work doing, and always in the van when fast following up was required. Another good man in the tight was Wilson, the Tukapa player. He is probably the least seen of all the Taranaki players, but though he is not in. the public eye he will usually be found putting in his weight and his energy where it is most needed. He is the member of the Taranaki pack to whom the term “shiner” could least be applied. Another mass of energy is Fowler, the Clifton front ranker. He should be fairly sure of his place in the representative team as long as he maintains his present form.

This leaves Gargan, Wills, Young and O’Dowda. There was not a slacker amongst them. Their only trouble is that there are several other Taranaki forwards almost as good knocking at tho door of the representative team. It only needs an off day for them to fall from grace. O’Dowda ia a fast improving player.

It is chiefly to the backs that Taranaki looks for an improvement, and that particularly in the middle positions. On all the extremities the team is fundamentally sound without being particularly brijliant. Gudgeon at half, Collins at full-back (when, of course, his services are not required in a higher sphere of football), and Hunter and Fookes on the wings would hold their own against most other teams in New Zealand at tho present time, especially in defence. The form of Friar, the reserve full-back, i» discussed in another column. Dogged to the edre characterises Hunter’s play. He seldom electrifies the crowd, but is as dependable as any back could be expected to be.

K. Fookes is one of the most ill-used backs that ever played for Taranaki. Second five-eighths, centre three-quarter and wing—he never knows from one day to another which position he is going to fill, and as a result he has adapted himself fairly proficiently to each one. Strangely enough the provincial selectors, for want, no doubt, of a suitable substitute, almost invariably select him for. the position which of the three is possibly least suited to him—that or -wing three-quarter. Not that he is a failure there, but he has not the snap off the mark, or the swift dash of a (Ins Hart or a Bullock-Douglas, to earn him brilliance in that capacity. If he had been concentrated upon as a second five-eighths or a centre he might have been a first-class success. As it is at present he lacks the nippiness to make him an international second five-eighths, and the punch for an international centre, but the fact remains that he is one of the best players in Taranaki today at drawing his man and making an opening. Probably he would have achieved greatest distinction at centre.

L. Petty as the Taranaki centre was lauded as the best back on the field on Friday. This was true only up to a point. The most spectacular individual player —perhaps so. But he has yet to learn that more can be achieved in the long run by combined play than by individual brilliance. There were occasions on Friday when Fookes and Hunter were starved; und after a spectacular cut-in in one instance Petty nearly nullified tho whole effort by failing to pass out when there was a whole string of Taranaki men waiting hungrily and unopposed for the feel of the leather. Only good luck crowned the movement with a try.

The present weakness in the Taranaki team is in the five-eighths. Peterson had most of the abuse heaped upon him for not getting the ball out more expeditiously, and various other faults; and while it is true that he was the weakest link lie was not altogether to blame; Kinsella has a long way to go yet before he is a representative second five-eighths. In • the first spell he was distinctly disappointing, but in the second spell he improved considerably, and may do a lot better with experience. Ho let his man through badly on one occasion. Two strong points in his favour are an ability to dive through like a plummet, straight for the posts, on occasion, and a powerful punt in the twinkling of an eye. His passing is still erratic. It is very open to question, however, whether Crawford, who was unable to play on'Friday, is a better man than Kinsella. The latter would probably be most successful if persevered with. The first five-eighths position is a problem. Mace is probably the best of the alternatives; but he is no Mark Nicholls yet

No allowance has been made so far for Watson. Possibly a solution of the present difficulties, if Kinsella could improve his passing sufficiently, would be the following arrangement of backs:—

Collins. Hunter. L. Petty. . Watson. K. Fookes (2nd) Kinsella. Gudgeon.

Tills would be, of course, an experiment, particularly at first five-eighths, and is almost as likely to fail as to succeed. If Collins is to be away for the Wellington match, it is a moot point whether Hunt or Priar should replace him. * # ♦ •

In view of Brown’s return to form as half-back for Tukapa, another possible alternative would be to put Brown in as half and Gudgeon first five-eighths.

No provision has been made for Guy. He has been a very useful opportunist in his time, and the death of the wingforward position has been very unfortunate for him.