FOOTBALL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 19156, 12 April 1932, Page 9

FOOTBALL

RUGBY UNION. MEETING OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Management Committee of the South Canterbury Rugby Union was held last night. Present—Messrs J. O’Leary (president), A. B. Herdman, J. Roseveare, A. B. Rowlands, W. Harte, A. H. Clemens, G. R. Park, A. Aitken, J. Williams, J. Lillico, and A. G. Knowles. The chairman extended a welcome to Mr Park as representative of the Referees’ Association on the Committee. Mr Aitken was appointed delegate on the Referees’ Appointment Board. Mr Aitken reported on behalf of the Grounds Committee on various matters. The showers at Fraser Park required attention. Some discussion took place on the conference ' in Timaru last Saturday between members of the Committee and representatives of the Ashburton and North Otago Unions, to discuss a proposal that a combined team from the three Unions should play a team from the Seddon Shield districts. Mr Knowles said that the Ashburton and North Otago Unions were very keen on the match. Their idea was that the match should be controlled by the New Zealand Union. Failing the support of the South Canterbury Union, the visiting delegates were of opinion that it would not be worth while going on with the match. It was decided to advise North Otago and Ashourton that the time was not opportune; and further, that there was no guarantee that South Canterbury would be able to send the best players available away. Mr Harte said that the delegates to the meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union should be instructed to support the Otago Union with regard to curtailing of overseas travelling. The delegates, Messrs H. H. Fraser and J. O’Leary, were given a free hand in the matter. The Pareora Club asked that J. Gibbs and M. Teraki be regraded from senior to junior. If this were done the Club should be able to enter A and B junior teams. The two men concerned had not played for the past five seasons. Mr W. Cumming wrote stating that the Permit Committee had not met to discuss the regrading of Teraki and Gibb. In view of the Pareora Club’s proposal to field A and B junior teaifls this season, it was quite possible that their application would receive favourable consideration, but ; this was only his own personal opinion. As it had been decided not to accept entries for a sixth grade competition, he thought the Permit Committee would not be in favour of the fifth grade competition being an open one as regards weight. He would suggest that this competition be run on the same terms as last year. The Geraldine Club asked, in view of the fact that the Club finances were at a low ebb, that a senior game should be played at Geraldine early in the season.—lt was decided to refer the matter to the Waihi Club. An invitation was received from the Marlborough Rugby Union to send a representative team to play at Blenheim this season. There was every possibility of the Marlborough Union sending a representative team touring south next year ,and a match in return could be played in Timaru.— The matter was left in the hands of the delegates to the New Zealand Union. The Pleasant Point Club wrote entering one junior team in the competition. Unless the fifth grade team was allotted a few home games at the beginning of the season, until some arrangement could be made in regard to transport, the team would not be able to enter. The secretary of the Zingari Club advised that senior, junior and fourth grade teams would be entered in the competitions. The third grade team had been withdrawn. The following teams were entered for the Union’s competitions:— Senior—Star, Old Boys, Zingari, Celtic, Temuka, Waihi. Junior —Star, Old Boys, Zingari, Celtic, Temuka, Waihi, Pleasant Point, Pareora (2), Geraldine. Third Grade —Star, Old Boys, High School (2). Fourth Grade—Star, Zingari. Temuka, Pareora, Geraldine, High School (2). Fifth Grade—Star, Celtic, Temuka, Geraldine (2), High School (3), Technical. FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY. Senior. Old Boys v. Zingari, at Fraser Park No. 1, 2.45. Star v. Temuka, at Temuka, 2.45. Celtic v. Waihi, at Fraser Park No. 2, 2.45. Junior. Pareora B v. Celtic, at Pareora, 2.45. Temuka v. Pareora A, School Park No. 1, 2.45. Pleasant Point v. Star, Pleasant Point, 2.45. Geraldine v. Zingari, Geraldine No. 1, 2.45. Old Boys v. Waihi, Waihi, 2.45. Third Grade. Star v. High School, Fraser Park No. 1, 1.30. High School B v. Old Boys, School Park No. 2, 1.30. Fourth Grade. Geraldine v. Pareora, School Park No. 3, 2.45. Star v. School A, Fraser Park No. 2, 1.30. School B v. Temuka. Temuka No. 1, 1.30. Zingari, a bye. Fifth Grade. Geraldine A v. School A, Geraldine No. 2, 2.0. Star v. Temuka, School Park No. 2, 2.45. School B v. Celtic, Anzac Square, 1.30. School C v. Technical, School Park No. 4, 1.30. Geraldine B, a bye. SELECTION OF ISLAND TEAMS. NORTH OTAGO PROPOSAL. _ln furtherance of the proposal brought forward at the end of last season to arrange an annual fixture between combined teams from the Ashburton - South Canterbury - North Otago Rugby Unions and the Seddon Shield Unions (West Coast), a meeting of delegates was held at Timaru on Saturday, there being present:— Messrs O’Leary, Knowles, Rowlands (South Canterbury), Johnston, Carney, M’Laughlin (Ashburton), and Stevenson, Crowley, Atkinson (North Otago). The suggestion was that such fixtures should be played prior to the North v.

South Island match each year, with a view to bringing the players under the notice of the South Island selector. Mr Atkinson was elected to the chair and briefly outlined the proposal, which had been the subject of correspondence between the three Unions. Mr Stevenson said that South Island players had not been given due recognition. He cast no reflection on the selectors, as they had too big a job, and there was a tendency to look upon the matches between the bigger unions only as first-class football. The expenses would be approximately £l5O, and the two biggest games in Oamaru produced £352 and £314, both Wednesday games. The games 'would take place alternately in each group. The South Canterbury delegates intimated that they were present only to hear the nature of the proposals to place before their Union, while the Ashburton and North Otago delegates enthusiastically supported the scheme. Mr Carney stated that the proposal had been referred to the annual meeting of the Ashburton Union. He acknowledged the difficulties facing selectors, who on many occasions had stated that had they known of certain players they would have been in bigger games sooner. The scheme, he contended, was in the best interest of football, and sufficient pressure should be brought on the New Zealand Union to make the scheme an established fact. He would suggest that the first game be played on the West Coast. They should not be deterred on the score cf expense, and good football would undoubtedly be produced, as was shown in the combined team’s match against Britain.

Mr O’Leary said South Canterbury was probably in a different position as the scheme was hardly practicable at present. He was of the opinion that the New Zealand Union would not sanction the tour for one game only. He appreciated the fact that some players had not received due recognition.

Mr Johnston suggested that the New Zealand Union finance the first game, and take the gate less expenses or a percentage, and that the first game be played in Greymouth.

Mr M'Laughlin said he considered it was impossible at present to place the best New Zealand team in the field. The scheme would facilitate selection. He was surprised that the South Canterbury delegates did not have concrete proposals to place before the meeting.

Delegates concurred that as shown in the match against Britain, there would be no difficulty in selecting a combined team from the three Unions.

Mr Crowley, in supporting the proposal said it would tend to improve the standard of play. He considered the match would rank second to the North v. South Island match. He did not think any financial assistance would be required from the New Zealand Union. The impetus given to football, even in South Canterbury, would justify the effort. Mr Carney said the question of finance did not enter into the matter so far as the Ashburton Union was concerned. The game and the opportunity for players were the only considerations. Mr O’Leary contended that there would be no guarantee that the best players could participate in the match, as some players had great difficulty in getting leave. Mr M'Laughlin submitted that a definite proposal should be outlined for the New Zealand Union as regards the cost of arranging the matches. Mr Rowlands suggested that the match should be played in Christchurch under the control of the New Zealand Union. Mr Atkinson said the representative matches would serve as trial games for the selection of players. It was decided to affirm the principle that it was in the best interests of football to arrange the suggested games, and that if the South Canterbury Union support the proposal, the matter be left to the delegates to bring before the annual meeting of the New Zealand Union at Wellington. RIVAL SCRUM FORMATIONS. SATURDAY’S EXPERIENCE IN CHRISTCHURCH. CHRISTCHURCH, April 11. Preference for the South African 3-4-1 scrum formation, against the British 3-2-3, is increasing as a result of the friendly inter-club practice matches which most of the Canterbury Rugby Union’s major clubs had on Saturday. A long time will pass before the scrummaging under the new conditions becomes really satisfactory, for the three-fronted formation is too new to clubs in this country, and the new law requiring that the ball must pass three feet of the front-row forwards on each side before it is considered fairly in the scrum is greatly increasing the difficulty of the change from the 2-3-2 formation. So a satisfactory trial of any three-fronted formation will take some little time. But so far the 3-4-1 has been found easier to manipulate than the 3-2-3. The coaches of several club teams say that they have found great difficulty in getting a 3-2-3 scrum to balance; it wobbles too much when any weight is put in. The 3-4-1 balances better than the 3-2-3, the ball comes more quickly from it, the scrum can be wheeled more easily, and it can break up more quickly for open play. A team may by chance obtain a fairly well balanced 3-2-3 scrum that would split a light. 3-4-1, but the results so far indicate the 3-4-1 as the better formation for medium-weight and heavier packs. Merivale’s Better Scrummaging. Quite the best scrummaging on Saturday afternoon was that of Merivale, holder of the senior A championship, which packed 3-4-1 against Varsity’s 3-2-3, and which, though only of medium weight forwards had much the better of the set scrums until well on in the game. As Varsity then had several fresh forwards on the field, and as Merivale was well ahead —it won by 24 points to none—the decline in the 3-4-1 scrum’s ascendancy probably had no real significance. In the Varsity practices, 3-4-1 and 3-3-2 formation had been more successful than the 3-2-3, and after the experience against Merivale it is anticipated that Varsity will prefer the 3-4-1, with occasional variations to 3-3-2. 3-2-3 v. 3-4-1. Albion had a 3-2-3 scrum throughout its game with Christchurch. For the first half Christchurch had a 3-2-3, but for the second half it changed to 3-4-1. In this game there was very little scrummaging at all clear-cut, but there were a great many penalty kicks for scrum infringements, chiefly of the new rule concerning three feet on each side. So to onlookers there was little material for comparison, but after the game the Christchurch forwards declared emphatically in favour of the 3-4-1 formation. Linwood’s light pack went down 3-4-1 against Athletic’s 3-2-3 in a game which Linwood won by 32 to eight. Athletic had the heavier pack. There was little clean hooking seen, and it was evident that Linwood was bothered by the greater weight of the opposition. But its 3-4-1 was handier for screwing, and it also allied the Linwood breakaways to get quickly on to the Athletic backs when the latter did get the ball.