THE WEEK’S RUGBY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 18 June 1924, Page 4

THE WEEK’S RUGBY.

(By “ Touchiine.”)

NOTES AND COMMENTS

THE PREMIERSHIP

! Temuka fourth-graders had their line ' crossed last Saturday for the first timo this season, To date - they have logmtored an aggregate ot nearly 100 points to Jj against. . , D. Stewart, last year’s Waihi and South Canterbury lock, is now residing near Invercargill; In his first game m Southland he sustained a broken collaiTliere was nearly another walkingofr'incident oil Saturday last. A minor ora do team, dissatislied with a ' teioroe’s decision, commenced to leave the field, but wiser counsels prevailed, the game was resumed, and the Management Committee was relieved ot the necessity of dealing-with, an awkwaicl * IU A Star 'fifth-grader, named Meiklo promises to go close to -topping the score for the season. A. week or two ago he was .credited with scoring toui tries and kicking five goals, his day a : work netting well over 20 points. Last Saturday he was busy again, rakmg in passes with one band and adding . liberally to his aggregate. I A. Scott was again an absentee from •' the Waihi side last week. He was taken seriously ill on arriving homo after the Waihi-Old Boys match on the previous Saturday, and had to receive medical attention. It is possible that ho will not bo able to play again this season. His services were greatly missed at Winchester on Saturday, as half-a-dozen shots at goal went astray. High School forfeited three games at the outset of the junior competition on recount of the term holidays, but they have made up ground so fast that tbov - iiave more than an outside chance ot finishing on top. If they are able to give six points start to the other teams-it will prove one of two things—either 'junior form this year is moderate (and there is no evidence tc support this idea), or School will prove J a tough proposition in the secondary : I schools tourney. Discussions frequently arise in Aus- ! tralia concerning the relative speed of different threequarters there. If it is true, as is alleged, that a wing man named J. Lindsay who is figuring in 1 Queensland football this season is identical with the New Zealander, who won the Army sprint championship of the British Empire, there is not much doubt about his claim to he regarded jas the speediest footballer in the I Commonwealth. : Lindsay 6 does not i figure on the 'running path nowadays, ! as he was rubbed out for life on a charge of ringing-in at on© of the big professional meetings in Victoria. The meeting of Celtic and Waihi • attracted .a large number ,of people to Victoria Park, Winchester. Some showers fell during the match, but m takes a good deal of rain to affect the turf there. The gamo was closely contested, and the town , team owed_ their victory in a measure to Waihi’s indifferent goal-kicking. The Celtic backs gave a good exhibition or passing, and it was only good tackling by the home men that, prevented a larger score in the early' and middle stages. Mason played a fine game at full for the Celts, his handling being very safe. Houlihan gave a good exhibition at centre, his running, kicking, and tackling being firstrclass. Anneal- and Iteilly were reliable on the wings, and Crowley (!) made some nice runs. Mullan continued to send the ball back smartly from the scrum when it came his way. The winners’ forwards were a very even lot, Flynn, Kane, Darcy and McAllen perhaps showing up most prominently. .For Waihi, young O Quirke gave another good display at full. Priest was the best of the other backs, running, tackling and kicking really well. A. Edgeler also was pood, bis second try being a top-notcher. Comer, the winger, is in great nick at present. W. and J. Mcßride and W. Quirke were the, pick of the vanguard. From one point of view Old Boys’ victory on Saturday was a bit unfortunate—it removed a good deal of interest from the premiership competition—but it was well deserved, tbo Blues outstaying their opponents and winning quite convincingly. With the ground on the sticky side, and Stewartand Craven absent from the Old Boys' forward division, it was expected that the usually lively Zingari vanguard would set their opnonents a severe task, but it was by the back route that the Yellows secured most of their points. Until a few minutes before the interval, with half n docn points up th oir sleeves, Zingari’s prospects were bright, but Storey’s mistake which .allowed Matbieson to get away changed the complexion of the game, and with the slope of the ground Old Boys commenced the second half with everything in their favour. A six-point advantage at breathing time would have enabled the Yellows to play for safe tv and perhaps win through. The conditions favoured Zingari, but their forwards failed to take full advantage of them, the haul work being left to three of four of their number, and when th« tide commenced to run against them in the second spell 100 pinch bro.ath was wasted in voermpn

ntion. From one cause and (mother Inst year's champions failed to do themselves iustioe—on n "ronsy rrronnd they should no+ ho twelve noints Inferior to O'd "Bov-a—and their d’carmoin (in<r finis' 1 lias left them with enl v a remote chance of rctaininp; tlv Skinner Cup.

Some queer decisions continue to be given by one or two members of the Referees’ Association —some of them so weird that they are almost beyond credence. In one case, it is alleged, a scrum was ordered behind the goalline, and in another a five-yards scrum was given after a defender had booted from behind his own line into the touch-in-goal area. The five yards scrum appears to be the sheet anchor of some knights of the whistle. The muddy patches on No. 2 ground were twice as extensive and twice as numerous as those on No. 1, which .01 a measure accounted for the Star- [ Temuka game being less attractive than that on the upper area. Much of the play consisted of ragged forward I work, but there were frequent flashes of good football, mostly shown by Star, which merited a bigger gallery than the meagre dozen who watched it right- through. Victories ' over Temuka seniors this season do not amount to much, but on a ground which was not conducive to high scoring, the Blues notched 20 points—they should have had half a dozen more—and were responsible for a rather creditable performance. As usual Logan’s headiness was much in evidence, and the Star skipper played a clever game, but the most striking feature of the match was the nippiness of Thomson, who apparently is at home on any kind of ground, and if Inturns out to possess the rep. matcii temperament may later on rise above club form. Boroman handled well and kicked lustily, but he does not appear to ha:ve. ; the gift of placing, and does not ninlte tho best use of liis magnificent punting powers. The Star pack, a very oven one, was not individually j much superior to Temuka.’s, but there was more unity in their efforts. Bennett, who has been attempting this season to star as a back, was responsible for some good footwork in loose rushes, and quite evidently is cleverer with bis feet than bis bauds. Temuka’s only score was notched by the veteran W. Spillane, who is attempting to “come back” after a lengthy retirement, inspired probably by the fact that his younger brother deserted tho club in which the family had figured prominently for nearly a quarter of a ccixtui'y. So urn Canterbury players are unaccustomed ro uoL-uay looiuali, and clo nor oicen rise supenof to weatner conditions, bur tlie zungati-Old .boys game proved an exception, tlie piay oeiug very little interior to the ordinary standard. It is quite safe to say tnav tn© match was one of tlie best ox its kind seen iiere for several years, in tlie first spell tlie ibinguri backs handled splendidly, and m tne second the tsiue rearguard did equally well. The torward work by comparison was scarcely so good, a few players, mostly Yellows, displaying a tendency to stand oft when the game gravnatc-d to the muddier patches. Ul the winning backs the pick was G. Lawson, who is now a good deal of an all-rounder, his defence being more skilful than of yore. Matlneson played with mercurial dash, i and is one of the best scoring meu j in the competition, but he is not. so j solid or consistent as liis mate, j Another of the young backs who is J shaping splendidly is Mahan, who . knows the right thing and frequently succeeds in doing it. On© of the meu toy whom Old Boys primarily owed, theii success was Parker, whose rush-stbp-ping in the tight stuff was invaluable. Tlie Blue : pack played with vim, and with; Gerard as leader, lasted longer than their opponents. The outstand- j ing back on the losing side was D. | Fail-brother, who has been moved up to five-eighth. 'The South Island full- , back is not a finished “five,” but his j defence was invaluable until lie sus- ; tained a bump near the end and faded j away, and in tho first spell he figured in most of Zingari’s passing. Without him the score against the Yellows would have been doubled. Gibb, at wing three-quarter, appears to havo found his proper place, and gave a dashing display on attack. Herdman’s handling and footwork wer~ >very fine, but he was not consp *nous for defence. Storey played much below form, and confirmed the impression that he dislikes a wet ground. Fairbrother and Ward shouldered tlie | burden in the forward division. Ritchie i is not the fine forward of a year aeo. | being- too much inclined to “shine.” and he was not singular in thr rnspect. Saturday was not mis Zino-nri’s good davs, the ebnrncterist''- ■ finish in <r run of the pack being noticeably absent.

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Old Boys . Star ; ; 6 6 5 3 1 2 0 113 5i 1 92 32 11 8 Zingari » Celtic i ; 6 G 3 3 1 a 2 70 66 2 72 60 7 7 Waihi ; ; 6 1 i 4 39 78 3 Tomuka i 6 0 o6 15 114 /' 0