FIELD OF SPORT

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23259, 21 July 1945, Page 6

FIELD OF SPORT

. South Canterbury Activities Willi itr; young team cf virile players. L'cmiika, the leaders of the senior competition, will meet, a much improved Celtic team on No. 1 ground at Fraser Park to-day. There will be no curtain raiser and I junior players will have an opportunity of witnessing what should be one of the best games of the season. Celtic have shown great improvement in recent games and have been considerably strengthened by the inclusion of W. Kelly at five-eighths. In most of their games Celtic have held a decided advantage in the forwards and only a lack of cohesion among the backs lias prevented them from securing points. However, in their last game against Geraldine a rearrangement was tried out with very satisfactory results. Should they reproduce that' form today the leaders will be kept busy defending their line. In practically all games their hookers have secured more than their share of the ball and this alone should be the deciding factor in to-day's game. Temuka. on the other hand, are much lighter, but very active, fast followers ready to pounce on any mistakes made by the opposition, qualities which make them hard to beat. They, too. are a vastly improved side, and patrons are assured of a first-class game. Old Bovs v. Makikihi On No. 2 ground. Makikihi, coleaders with Temuka, will meet Old Boys. Though the conditions may be in favour of the country side, Old Boys are always likely to spring a surprise, especially if some of their backs regain the form which characterised their play earlier in the season. This year not much has been seen of Makikihi at Fraser Park, but they must be a solid all-round team to retain their position at the head of the competition. As both sides are vitally concerned with the result it can be expected that every one of the 80 minutes will be crammed with incident. Representative Matches

At the conclusion of to-day’s play the South Canterbury selectors, Messrs E. J. Fairbrother, D. Lindsay and S. H. Sullivan will choose a team to play Ashburton at Ashburton next Saturday. As Waimate are playing North Otago on the same day no men for the Ashburton match will be picked from Makikihi or Southern-Huimai. This still leaves the selectors six teams, the four town ones and Geraldine and Temuka, from which to choose, and it will give them an opportunity of trying several of unknown calibre in big football.

Unfortunate Postponement Last Saturday's enforced postponement of all Rugby fixtures was most unfortunate, for there is little doubt that there would have been a big crowd at Fraser Park. The main game on the previous Saturday gave the large attendance just the type of game that brings people back again. The game is popular throughout the country. This in itself is a fine gesture to the many returned men taking part.

Junior Harriers Ken and Trevor Hitchcock are keen to do well and are training strenuously. Other clubs should combine and form a second team. The following runners are suggested: F. Karton. Davies. C. Thomas (Methodist), W. Ramsay. Ramsay, W. Cross. J. Austin. 11. Dephoff (Presbyterian), lan Hutt. J. Cornwall, S. Castle, and A. Stuart (Anglican). Relay Race

Transport difficulties were responsible for the deletion of the WaimateTimaru handicap road relay race last season. At a meeting of the Timaru Harrier Management Committee this week it was decided to hold a road relay handicap race over a modified course, starting and finishing at West End Park. The race will be for teams of four runners and will be run op. Saturday, September 1. It is open to all clubs affiliated to the Timaru Harrier Management Committee.

Title Fight A professional boxing match for the New Zealand middle-weight title between Cliff Hanham (holder) and Vic Caltaux has been arranged by the Timaru Boxing Association for August 9. Undoubtedly it is the best match possible in New Zealand to-day. In their bout at Auckland Iqst Monday the tickets were sold out days before the fight and a capacity house witnessed one of the best fights seen in that city for many years. The decision, a draw, met with a hostile reception, the consensus of opinion being that Hanham had won comfortably. Like Jim Braddick who won the world's heavy-weight title after a fairly long absence from the ring, Hanham. in spite of his protracted spell from boxing durins’ the war years, appears to be more durable than ever. He was only 2ib heavier than Caltaux when they met in Auckland and in the fourteenth round lie spilled the Aucklander on the canvas for a count of eight. By the time the Timaru match is due to take place Hanham should be at the top of his form. Caltaux is a rugged non-stop fighter who keeps swinging his gloves from the first bell. While in the Islands he knocked-out Garry Young who holds a decision in a non-title bout over the world’s welter-weight, champion, Red Cochrane. Although beaten in Australia bj' Vic Patrick. Caltaux made the Australian pull out every top in his keyboard in convincing fashion. Caltaux will arrive in Timaru about a week before the fight, and will give an exhibition at the Cobbers' Club. Hanham said that he thought he should have received the verdict in Auckland and was confident that he would prove the better man on August 9.

Wright v. Bolger Ken Wright will meet Laurie Bolger in a professional weßer-weight boxing contest at Dunedin on Monday night. Both men are open fighters and should give an attractive exhibition. Ken Wright Is confident of success as he thinks his opponent’s style will suit him. He has had a thorough preparation and will do his final work-out at Waimate under the searching eye of Bill O'Connor. He will carry with him the best wishes of South Canterbury supporters. As preliminaries to the professional bout a team of South Canterbury amateur boxers, including Chooque. Batchelor. Loach, Fitzgerald and Dickinson and Garrat of Waimate. will meat a team from Otago. The South Canterbury side should give a good account of itself and should have more wins than defeats. An Improving Side No team has shown more improvement during the season than the Celtic senior team. They have a vigorous pack ably led by Mulcahy and Lester, while their backs are as resourceful as any rearguard in the competitions. In Goddard, Kelly and Sullivan they have three players who would do credit to any senior side. With the confidence which comes with experience the team would appear on present form to be strong contenders for the Skinner Cup. I A Prophet Has No Honour Pat Fitzgerald looks like playing himself into the South Island team. He has given several grand displays for Canterbury, being now the vicecaptain of the side. It was unfortunate that the South Island selectors did not see him in action last, year. Followers of the game here will watch his progress with the greatest interest. Hockey Notes There was no hockey match played last Saturday, owing to the snow, but it is hoped that conditions will allow matches to be played to-day. If so the selector will have a chance to choose the strongest possible representative team. Players are requested to assemble at the park at 2 p.m. Public Services Programme A programme of sporting activities has been arranged by the recently-in-augurated Timaru Public Services’ Recreation Club. Mr Alex Calder, of the Physical Welfare Branch of the Internal Affairs Department has offered th<* club the use of the Department’s rooms on Wednesday nights and a demonstration has been arranged for next Wednesday night Apart from gymnastics facilities are also available for indoor ball games and lenniquoils. The sports committee of (lie club is also considering golf, football and basketpall matches.

Off Side! It is very seldom that a game of Rugby football is played without at some stage during the game the grandstand critics yelling "Off side, referee." The definition of off side is as fcl-lows:--Off side denotes that a player is in such a position that he is out of the name and that it is illegal for him to plav the ball or interfere with an ooponent. The laws of the game state that a player is off side:— (a) If he enter a scrummage from his opponent’s side —as an example a player will push through a scrum and realise the ball is not out. will then back into the scrum again instead of running immediately to his side of the scrum and entering it from that side. (b) If while the ball is in a scrummage he, not. being in the scrummage, remain with either foot in front of the ball—a good example of this rule was witnessed in the recent senior game at Fraser Park between Zingari and Celtic. Note the place of infringement is where the offending player was off side. (c) If at. a throw in from touch before the ball is played he stand or move in front of a line at right angles to the touch lines through the place where the ball went into touch—Note this law only applies to a player participating in the line out. It is not intended that a player before throwing in the Lu 1 ! from touch shall be obliged to wait until the players of his own .earn have returned to or behind the line out. The penalty for a player infringing as above is a penalty kick awarded at the place of infringement. There are other phases of the off side rule such as a player waiting within 10 yaids of an opponent waiting f or me ball, etc., which will be discussed next week.

Table Tennis The meeting of two unbeaten teams, Sports Centre and Crispians, was the highlight of this week's matches. The tennis was of a high standard throughout and many of the games saw very close finishes. As usual, Bremford attacked strongly in both his games against Bradley and Tubb. His opponents showed excellent defence but the issues were never in doubt— Bremford winning both games in straight sets. Bradley proved too good for Thomson, his wide range of shots forcing the Sports Centre player into errors. Essentially an attacking player. Hyland commenced well in his game against Cameron, of Crispians. Cameron's returns of Hyland's fast drives were perfect and he patiently waited for (he right ball to kill. This game was an excellent exhibition by two well-matched players. Cameron won 21-18. 19-21, 21-18. Tapp's steadiness entabled him to take a set off both Donovan and Cameron but both the Crispians players possessed better attacking shots which proved the deciding factor in each game. With singles matches equal, the issue depended on the result of the doubles. Each team won one match and the final result was decided on games. Sports Centre winning 13-10. A further meeting of these two teams later in the season will be well worth seeing. Rosevear’s presence in the St. Patrick's team again brought them back to full strength and they had little difficulty in accounting for Combined Banks. ~ In the match between Public Trust and Junior Chamber of Commerci’. which was won by the Public Trust, the game between Earwaker and Robertson produced good tennis. Earwakers sound defence made his opponent work hard for every point but Robertson’s strong forehand hive which he placed straight, down the table, was the dr riding factor. Robertson won 21) 22. 21-16. 21-15. The Post, Office team proved 100 •’.<><>»! for Social Security, winning by right matches Io two. There were no surprises in the women’s section, the three unhairu teams, St. Patrick'.'.. Post Oilier mid Public Trust, al! having comlm I wins. Fitness Pays Temuka seniors have l hrii hl n< more than anything el e l<> ihanl. i.a their prominent position m ih<- < ■•m petition. Bill McCully. Ari < oillmu both strong believers’m phv.w.ii m nr.'s. have probably been i rspon-ihi< for this. Other tram; could «ilh advantage follow Teinuka'.. <■ -. .i i»i| «i. Then’ is no better pack in ih<- • «»m petition than Zingari's. ii in<\ «< >. as fit, as the Pemuka pla\ri-. ii.« \ would be well nigh incsi.-.i ibk

j Cross-Country Events : The Temuka-Timaru road race and South Island junior cross-country championships on Saturday. September 8. are recognised as the leading events in the South Island and always attract a good batch of runners from both l Otago and Canterbury. Harriers and Rugby i Prior to the All Black tour of South | Africa in 1928 both Ron Stewart and I Archie Strang were trained in starting > and sprinting. M. Gilbert, a New Zeai land All Black who played League footI ball in England, writing of his early | training in Leagwe football made this I surprising statement: "For the first six weeks of training we neither saw nor I handled a football. We were given I spike running shoes and taught how I to run. Both forwards and backs developed speed. This was looked on I as one of the key assets of a really I class player." Young players who arc ambitious and anxious to reach the highest ranking I could well take advantage of sound I athletic training in the summer season. I This advice if coming from a coach or I a selector would be listened to by a young player who puts success as his aim in sport. Tours with provincial and National teams are well worth while. Now is the time to prepare fo.- ; them. I In the Doldrums Star seniors are only a shadow of their former greatness. They have several good players, but the resourceI fulness which marked Star teams of I several years ago is obviously lacki ing. Another Tommy Morrison would ] work wonders with this team.

Table Tennis Dra>. The draw for next week’s games is as follows: Men’s A grade:—Sports Centre v. St. Patrick's, at Sports Centre: Post Office v. Crispians, at Post Office; Junior Chamber of Commerce v. Social Security, at Social Security: Public Trust v. Banks, at Public Trust. Men’s B grade;—Timaru 1 v. Timaru 2. at Timaru; Council v. St. Patrick’s, at Council; Railway A v. Railway B. at Railway; Chalmers, win by default from Timaru 3. Women: —National Mortgage v. Timaru 1. at Tima’ru; Council v. Public Trust, at Council; Railway v. Timaru 2. at Railway; Post Office v. Banks A. at Post Office; St. Patrick’s v. Banks B, at St. Patrick’s. Harrier Runs All runs to-day will begin at 2.30 p.m wet or line. The Drake Cup will be contested by the Timaru Club at Caroline Bay. Later the club will be rhe guests of Melville Drake. The Methodist Club will run from the residence of Mr and Mrs D Davies. 6 Onslow Street. The Presbyterian Club will hold its cross-country championships starting from the residence of Mr and Mrs J. A. Norrie. Otipua Road. From Kensington Church. Otipua Road, the Anglican Club will begin its race. (’antcrbnry Championships The Canterbury cross-country championships will be held on Saturday. August I. 1 e senior course over six and a half miles includes about one and a half miles of hill country. Grass on (he side ot roads is suitable for spikes. rhe junior course measures linee ami a hah miles with one and a hall miles of hill country. The Management Committee will enter a learn m (he senior race and the Timaru Cluh will pi ovule a team for the junior event \ -.ecoiul minor team may be ;u i :i n-’.cil I>\ (he remainder of the clubs. In (lie •.cuiot race (he following should do well T Mvers 1? McMurray. S io- Liu,! i. \\ tilt.tm:. ' Presbyterian'. R imitr.ux I'.irmac’;. M. Drake and E Wil-.mi i i tm. u u» Ihe .Junior team fii’iti (lt<- rmi.nu < 'luh will be: K iii(> tu .>< (~ i' i'it■ Ik cck. v. Valentine. 1 ' \.l:im . J I JI mei and \. Cotterill. Giiool, < i I < in u.i mriit \ tiooi.ri tom n.’iiwil a' Pleasant ’’'•mt tei (tie ch.i am Point R.S.A. niii i. i«,i i Ln-’.e entry. In the semi-lin-ii \\ I il . • cl .1 id heat W. SteVCIIS • pi< i -mt Point > and t ; Bentley beat i * i g i i 11<-I iic 'l ‘lc.i-.aiit Point >. In ill* lin-il (hr (wo I'lllialU 111011 gUVO 3 I • JHi'iiioii. Benllev winning \v (io., .t to (wo these two also Ho..i iib- honour.-, tor the highest i-i. -d •. lu iitlcv compiled the high- > ' <•« tun our game. 107 noints.