THE VICTORY OF THE GREEN AND BLACKS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20504, 24 August 1936, Page 6

THE VICTORY OF THE GREEN AND BLACKS.

South Canterbury’s thrilling and decisive victory at Rugby football on Saturday, against the redoubtable Canterbury representative team, once more demonstrated the complete loss of that inferiority complex in the face of teams representing major unions, that for many years placed less powerful provincial teams at a distinct disadvantage. Moreover, the victory of the wearers of the Green and Black Jersey should put the challengers in splendid fettle for the Shield match against Otago on Wednesday next. On the football field, Canterbury and South Canterbury are old rivals, the first match between Rugby football representative teams having been played more than sixty years ago. This long glance back into the somewhat misty past in Rugby football activities in Canterbury is rarely taken by the present generation, but it is interesting to recall that one resident of Timaru, at least, can look back with a good deal of pleasure to the experiences of the footballers who participated in the first match between North and South Canterbury played at Ashburton away back in 1575. The game on Saturday was won by the South Canterbury team on its merits. If honours were fairly easy in the first spell, in the second spell, the home team completely outplayed the Canterbury representatives, and the explanation of that definite victory can be found in the superior ability of the South Canterbury vanguard to play football; in other words, to the use of their feet and keep the ball on the ground. One pleasing result of the visit of the Canterbury team which, by the way, is always certain of a warm welcome in Timaru—was the demonstration by the very large attendance that enjoyed the match, that the community still has a soft place in its heart for stirring Rugby football. The South Canterbury Rugby Union has, with other sports bodies in the smaller centres, passed through several difficult years, and a heavy burden has been borne by those in authority in keeping the ledgers something like balanced in face of diminished public support. The large attendance on Saturday will not doubt put new heart into the Rugby football administration in South Canterbury, which of course would receive a tremendous fillip if the Ranfurly Shield —the symbol of Rugby supremacy in New Zealand —were brought to Timaru by the South Canterbury team on their return from their southern tour. And all we can say, at the moment in that connection is that we hope the wearers of the Green and Black Jersey will play football of such a high standard that their performance in Dunedin will bring them a notable and well-deserved victory.