FOOTBALL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18286, 8 June 1929, Page 16

FOOTBALL

Seven-a-side winners:—Senior, Temuka; junior, Pleasant Point; third grade, Old Boys; fourth grade. Star A; fifth grade, High School. The case of a pass from a player hitting the referee’s back, and the game being allowed to proceed, was noted in play on Monday. The incident took place in a senior game. Celtic fielded a new custodian in J. Dee in their match against Old Boys at Fraser Park last Saturday, and although at times he was a trifle slow in clearing, he discharged his duties fairly well. The eight forwards of the New South Wales Rugby Union team which recently beat Queensland by 47 points to IG, averaged 13st 121 b. The heaviest man was J. A. Ford, 1/6.0, and there were two men v/ho weighed 14.7 and 14.2 respectively. As these big forwards j are fast, too, New South Wales reckons on giving the forwards of this year’s New Zealand team a very interesting

As a mark of respect to the late Mrs T. Thomson, mother of C. Thomson, Club captain of Old Boys, each member of that team wore a black band on his arni during the match against Celtic last Saturday. R. Mason, the diminutive five-eighths for Celtic, was the shining light of that team when they met Old Boys at Fraser Hark on Saturday last. Although he has a tendency to get out of position, he was on Saturday responsible for many splendid openings which had fruitful results. The wide popularity of Rugby football in Dunedin and district is shown by the fact that in the various grade competitions of the Otago Rugby Union no fewer than seventy-nine teams are taking part. This represents nearly 1500 players when reserves are allowed for in each team, and is exclusive of the secondary and primary schools’ competitions, in which many hundreds of boys take part.

The commencement of the second round of the competitions last Saturday saw the three leading teams come out on top—Temuka, Star and, Old Boys. Except in the Old Boys-Celtic game, the margins were small, and closely contested games may be expected this round. The positions of the teams now are:—Star 10 points, Old Boys 10, Temuka 6, Zingari 4, Waihi 4, Celtic 2.

Matters relating to off-side play in Rugby football were considered at a recent meeting of the English Rugby Union Committee. In order to clear any doubts it was specifically explained that a player was not off-side because he was in front of the ball. In emphasising the rule governing off-side it was pointed out that a player could only lie off-side in four instances, viz: If he enters the scrummage from his opponent’s side. If, while the ball is in the scrummige, he, not being in a scrummage, remain in front of the ball. If he stands in front of the line-out. If the ball has been kicked or touched or is being carried by’ one of his own side behind him.

After winning the South Canterbury Rugby Union’s seven-a-side tourna-' ment for a period of four years in succession, the Old Boys’ Club, fielding a much weaker team than usual, suffered defeat at the hands of a much superior combination in Temuka at the tourney at Fraser Park on Monday.. There were very few people who begrudged Temuka their win, for their standard of play was at times little short of brilliant. Old Boys entered the final after having played but two games, but the pace Temuka set off at and continued would have stood them in good stead against a more superior team than Old Boys. To secure fifteen points in ten minutes is usually a big undertaking for any senior team in a seven-a-side final.

In the Zingari pack last Saturday was E. Fail-brother, who, after an absence of over a year, again assisted his old club. Although not very fit, Ernie, as usual, revelled in the tight work, and did all that was required of him.

With the exception of the Star-Old Boys game. Zingari and Temuka provided the best game seen this season. More especially in the first spell, and in the first portion of the second spell, the game was full of incident. Both sets of backs made efforts to open up play, but a good many aimless passes were delivered. In this Zingari were the worst offenders. Time and again their inside backs made openings, only to be spoilt by lack of support, or badly directed passes. The narrow margin of two points was a fair indication of the merits of the respective teams.

Mr W. F. Hcrnig, who acted as manager of the New Zealand team which visited South Africa last year, placed his finger upon a weakness of the All Blacks on that tour when he explained at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Union recently that the All Black backs were not fast enough. "No matter in what position on the field we happened to me,” said Mr Hornig, “the Springboks were too fast for us. New Zealand will have to find backs of pace.” This little sentence threw a flood of light upon the unusual number of defeats the New Zealand team suffered in South Africa last season (says a writer in the Wellington “Dominion.”) The selectors will have to hunt round for players of the pace of George Smith, D. McGregor. Steele and Parker is flyers such as Smith and Macpherson are to be countered next season. Thank the gods, we still have the swallow-like Cooke, but it is imperative that players of equal pace should be on hand to keep up with him.

Perhaps the best Temuka forward at present is J. Orton. His display last Saturday, and at the tournament on Monday, showed that he is in splendid form. On Monday especially, his display was very favourably commented upon.

L. Mahan, Old Boys' centre, was easily the best back on the ground in the game Old Boys v. Celtic at Fraser Park last Saturday. Besides scoring several pretty tries, his play throughout the game was at times of a brilliant nature. In one instance particularly did Mahan demonstrate sound football. He drew the Celtic team away to the left wing, and kicking in-field to where three Blue forwards were waiting, allowed Ledingham a clear run over.

Interesting information regarding play and players in Australia this season has come to hand by recent mails. A Wellingtonian now residing in Sydney writes: “I went to see New South Wales play Queensland, and, although Queensland were rather weak (New South Wales won 47-16), the New South Wales side was a good one. It was the first Union game played between the two States for ten years. The Queensland team had a pretty good bunch of forwards, but. except for Lawton (five-eighth), the backs would not have been playing third grade in Wellington. On the other hand, New South Wales had some very fine backs. Martley, a five-eighth, is something after Cooke's style and very fast off the mark. Towers, the Waratah centre, is in great form this season, and is easily the outstanding back in the Union code here. Taken all round, I think the New South Wales and Australian sides will give the All Blacks a good game, and, take it from me, the All Blacks will want their best available side.”

A flagrant example of off-side and “getting away with it” took place in the senior game Fairlie v. Waihi B on Monday. The Waihi players concerned were, as spectators stated, “miles” off-side. The referee was not in a very good position to give a decision, but the players were over a chain in error.

J. Bennett, the tall£>t player in the competition for several years now, again donned the black and white jersey last Saturday, his first game this season. Considering this fact, the big fellow played a remarkably good game, and was foremost in many promising movements.

It is rather surprising to me that the New Zealand selectors decided to drop Hore. the All Black, from the 40 players selected to take part in the trial match at Wellington next week (says "Full Back” in the “Otago Daily Times.”) I Otago nominated Sonntag. Hore, Marslin. Souter and Hook as .worthy of being played in the trial match, and the selectors have included Sonntag, Marslin and Souter. Hore was considered good enough to represent New Zealand in South Africa last year, and the season is too early yet to judge his actual form w-ith any accuracy. It would therefore be interesting to know why, under the circumstances, the Southern player was dropped. It seems to me that Hore has not had quite a square deal.

Fairlie fielded a strong team on Monday, including G. Giddings and A. Pickering (South Canterbury representatives), and A. Forrester, ex-Otago representative. The team started off very well and were unlucky to be beaten by an off-side try in thenmatch with Waihi B. Forrester showed glimpses of good form, and should find a place in the South Canterbury Fifteen this year.

There are at least two prominent supporters of the Victoria College first fifteen who will take *the precaution when the team again meets University players from Australia to make certain that there has been no change of colour so far as their team is concerned. In the recent match between Victoria College and Australia, these enthusiasts —and others, too. for that matter—took it for granted that the team wearing white jerseys was that from Australia, and it was a source of much satisfaction to them to see the “greens” winning in the closing stages of the game. Particularly pleasing was the great dash for a try by a centre-three-quarter. taken to be Ramson. Peelings, however, changed considerably when, after an inquiry as to the accuracy of the score board (showing 6-3 in Australia’s favour), it was learned that the local students were playing in white.

No easy task awaits the South Canterbury selectors in the selection of a back line in their representative team this year. Players in form are:—P. Roper, W. A. Strang. A. Gaffaney, G. Gaffaney, R. Judge. G. Mclntosh. L Wilkes, A. Lawson. A. Forrester, B. Trotter, A. Brown, A. Fleming, L. Connolly, D. Fairbrother, L. Mahan. G. P.

Lawson, R. Seaton, H. Gibb, G. Priestly, and Russell. Seven players have to be chosen from the above twenty.

Dealing with the question of extending the Games to include Rugby football, an English paper states that the growth and increasing popularity of Rugby football throughout Canada has led to the very attractive suggestion that the handling code should be added to the programme of sport which is being arranged by the British Empire Games Committee at Hamilton, Ontario, in August of next year. If the proposal goes through the committee of the Hamilton British Rugby Football Club will deservedly reap the reward of their enterprise, for it Was only last season that the local Rugby organisation was formed. Rugby, however, is played very extensively in the Maritime and Western Provinces.

The seven-a-side tournament on Monday was one of the most successful tournaments yet staged by the South Canterbury Rugby Union. From the point of view of the standard of play, the tournament was unusually high, and this feature was a very pleasing one. In the lower grades especially, correct Rugby was played. This can be truly said of the High School team in the fifth grade, which ultimately won that grade. The tournament was got off in record time, the last game being finished at 4.15. To bring about this, officials worked well, and were given every assistance by individual teams, who for the most part were ready to take the field when required.

In a contribution to the “Manawatu Daily Times" Mr J. Ryan, the wellknown ex-Petone player, who captained the New Zealand Army team, states, inter alia: “The New Zealand Army teams. A and B, played in France, Wales. England and South Africa over n games. Their success was due enIrely to the great work of the forward* the scrums, tight work, and llne- - Is, yet I have never seen a forward cam that could pass better. On April 16, 1919, we played the Mother Country in the final for the King's Cup, and won 9—3; on the 19th, France, and won 20—3; on the 21st, Wales, and won 9—3; and on the 23rd, Coventry, and won 47—0. The three first were international sides, and w-ent into special training for the games. That is, we played four games in eight days, attended two banquets, had two long railway trips, and scored 80 points to 9, and it was the 2-3-2 system, properly handled, that was responsible for th* success."

The defeat of Celtic by Old Boys to the tune of 31 to 14 created quite • surprise at Fraser Park last Saturday, and although Old Boys piled 'up the points in the second half, the first half saw some very bright and interesting j Rugby. Celtic held an advantage of lone point when the half-time bell •sounded, but Old Boys, with characteririlc back play, demonstrated their superiority before many minutes of the

second spell had gone, and maintained it right to the final bell. The Blues owed a great deal of their success to the fine display given by R. Stewart, who time and time again made brilliant openings for his backs to take advantage of.