INCALCULABLE BENEFIT

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1935, Page 10

INCALCULABLE BENEFIT

RUGBY VICTORY’S MORAL EFFECT EPIC DEFEAT OF AUCKLAND FIFTEEN X . -, .... REPRESENTATIVE TEAM’S PROSPECTS (By “Stand-Off.”) TO quote an out-of-date simile, Taranaki Rugby for the past, three or four years has borne a conspicuous resemblance to the notorious parson’s. egg. Displays of brilliance have been followed by those of sheer innocuousness, and the fervent followers of the game in the province have been confounded time after time by the lack of consistency of the various representative sides. If anything should contribute more to restoring the prestige or the game to its former high level it is Saturday'tr epic win over _ Auckland, a victory that deserves to be inscribed for all time as one of the most colourful exhibitions of the game seen in the province. There can be no question that Taranaki deserved to win. Even the hectic effort of the Auckland team towards the end, glowous though it was, could not dim the lustre of a great victory.

So sound a critic as Mr. Norman McKenzie, for years the sole selector of Hawke’s Bay’s representative sides, recently wrote in a Wellington, weekly newspaper that of the provinces Taranaki, in its jubilee year, appeared one of the strongest. It is easy to agree with him.

The representatives' have now played feur games and have won three of them, two against the strongest metropolitan unions in New Zealand. The first match at Wanganui resulted in a defeat by 21 points to 20, a missed goal within easy distance losing the game for the province. Against Wellington at Hawera Taranaki ran home the winner by 11 points to 9, and strangely enough, won when Lilbume missed the easiest of conversions for a draw. Wanganui in the return match was given little chance; Taranaki won by 19 points to 6.

The representative season, therefore, can be said to have started auspiciously. Before last ■ Saturday’s gdme the withdrawal of R. Clarke, G. Sangster and G. Fowler appeared to have weakened the s'de beyond- all - hope of victory, and when Knight led a team of giants on to the field on Saturday the prospect looked not only gloomy but positively hopeless. As is written in the classics, however, the darkest hour comes before the dawn, and Taranaki emerged a glorious winner.

It is “Stand-Off’s” opinion that the moral effect of the defeat of Auckland is incalculable. Two years ago Taranaki morally “won” a drawn game for the Ranfurly Shield against Canterbury, but for some years the representatives have regularly taken handsome from the major unions. Last year's defeat of Auckland was, admittedly, an exception. To defeat both Wellington and Auckland the. same season is an exceedingly fine performance and one which should hearten all concerned. The facilities for assembling players for gymnasium practice that can be enjoyed in the cities are beyond the scope of Taranaki, and on all

occasions except on tours a Taranaki side takes the field an untried and slight-. ly erratic combination. Saturday’s team, with minor changes, should be entrusted with the remainder of the representative programme. The changes suggested are the. placing of G. Sangster at . first five-eighth, Clarke In place of W. Young in the forwards and. C. Sangster in place of Gudgeon. ; The last change will probably cause the greatest comment. But ; Gudgeon, since he received an ankle injury, some time ago, has not shown the same speed on attack and the same startling ability to go round the side of the scrum that distinguished his early-season play. On bis game he is unquestionably the best half Taranaki possesses, but it would be useless to keep him. in the team while he is unsound. C. Sangster and, his brother have a good working understanding and C. Sangster in all his club, games this season has shown marked ability in all phases—an. ability that has contributed not a little to Stratford’s proud position on the championship ladder. His display in the second half on Saturday was thoroughly sound. Gargart. played the game of his. life last Saturday and “Stand Off-’ considers hje should be retained as rake, taking the place of Fowler. Gargan won 28 scrums to Auckland’s 25 and in the second spell he had to contend ’ with some flagrant spinning of the ball by Frankham. Clarke, of course, must go-in, and W; Young is unfortunate that he should be matched against so fine a player. Petersen (Eltham) deserves, on his very fine game, to be retained. At the start of the season he did not win a place in the pack for the first game but an injury to Bithell allowed him a place. Since then he is a first selection for the club. Taranaki has yet to play Southland, Otago, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu and Wellington, and if the selected men show the same ability as they displayed on Saturday Taranaki's jubilee year should be one of the most memorable 'in the history of the game in the province.