REMINISCENCES OF RUGBY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23317, 28 September 1945, Page 6

REMINISCENCES OF RUGBY

THE BEST SIX Difficult To Select SPECIALLY WRITTEN FOR "THE TIMARU HERALD" By ‘‘Old Sport” When ‘‘Old Sport” commenced to ramble through the halls of memory he j did not anticipate being challenged to re-enter the selection field. A reader poses the following:—‘‘ln your opinion, who are the three best backs and three best forwards who have represented South Canterbury?” Just as simple as that. Carbine and Phar Lap There are still people who argue about the comparative merits of Carbine and Phar Lap, Gloaming and Kindergarten. However such a question is answered hundreds will disagree. To take forwards. Down the years there have been periods when the standard of forward play in South Canterbury has been very high—relatively much superior on the average to that among the backs. If a search were made it would be possible to find say 100 pack-men or wingers of South Island calibre. To select three from that number would be to pay them an unusually high compliment. To be included in a round-up of 20 or more players would have to be in All Black class. Brute Strength According to early chronicles the Scottish international A. G. Hammersley was great in his generation, but football in his daj' seems to have been [ largely a test of bodily strength. The writer has an abiding impression that G. C. Matheson (“Long”) was great. Too young at the time to make a worthwhile estimate, one still believes that he would have been a star even in “All Black” days. He had a doughty opponent in Dick Stew’art (Waihi). One of Matheson’s contemporaries describes him as a magnificent forward. Tom Wright, Fred Fox and others of subsequent seasons were typical of dozens of their class. Later came W. Scott and A. Budd, almost contemporaries. Of Butt it can be affirmed that he could have adapted himself in any generation, and it would probably have been the same with the Winchester man. Of the more moderns, R. T. Stewart undoubtedly would receive a big majority vote. If one suggested for the best three, in chronological order “Long” Matheson, Wattle Scott, Alf Budd and Ron. Stewart he might be merely stimulating argument. Now for Backs ■* If it is difficult to single out three forwards, how much more difficult is it to name three backs as best. Back; play has changed even more than the | forward game, and it is manifestly im- i possible to compare A. C. Perry, an : individualist, with his successors of 30 i to 50 years later. Who can fairly rate j an Arthur Shallard with latter-day j backs? As a match-winner one could name T. W. Lynch with some con- I fidence. He scored 12 tries for New i Zealand, and enthused the crowd at 1 an inter-island game at Lancaster I Park. But his greatest match-winning ■ effort was produced against a strong ; North Otago team at the Caledonian ! Grounds. Then the selector’s troubles come thick and fast. There was D. ! Scott as full-back. Archie Strang was real All Black class. C. Saxton, the ; best New Zealand half of to-day, can ' be claimed as a South Canterbury man. I as it was here he was given his oppor- ■ tunity. P. W. Storey was a South [ Canterbury man, but he achieved fame with the Army team in Britain and South Africa, and was not seen at his ; best here. E. A. Cockroft, originally a ' Southlander but an Otago rep. before he came to Timaru. achieved New Zealand honours as a South Canterbury! man. Not really great as a club man. : he had the faculty of rising to the occasion. Some people would register a I .vote for T; C. Morrison; Not great on | defence, he must have been good in i his prime when he can still make the j North Island team. G. P. Lawson was j chosen for New Zealand —and he was a , better player a couple of. years earlier, i These and some more made the New I Zealand, and inter-island grade. There I. were others equally good but less f fortunate. Most of the players mentioned above j have been comparatively modern, and their names are familiar. It is when ; one makes a survey of earlier seasons i that it is realised how impossible is the ; task of making just comparisons and, selections. “Old Sport” often found it a difficult enough task to fine 100 to 120 players down to 15. To reduce, say, 1500 to half-a-dozen . . .! REFEREES Up till 1900, referees in South Canterbury had no official status. Men deemed capable and willing to act were I appointed by mutual agreement—some- j times after considerable disagreement—and they had no definite authority to I discipline players. In 1901 a meeting was held in the old Wallingford Hotel, Temuka, to form 5 an association. The chair was taken by W. J. Lewis (Winchester), a former member of the Wellington Association, and it was unanimously decided that those present should form themselves into a South Canterbury Referees’ Association. W. J. Lewis was elected chairman, and J. P. Kalaugher secretary; and the other foundation members were W. Mendelson. A. Shirtcliff, J. H. Anderson. Dan McCaskell, E. A. O’Malley, W. J. Cotterill and W. J. Moore. At the next meeting C. J. Goldstone was elected, and at the first annual meeting G. Crawshaw. H. Amos. C. F. Collins, F. W Shallard and D. Shaw were added to the roll. Headquarters Transferred In 1902 it was decided to transfer the headquarters of the Association io Timaru, A. Shirtcliff to act as chairman and G. Strachan as secretary. Shortly afterwards it was agreed to affiliate with the New Zealand Association. The first, threat of disciplinary action is contained in a resolution that any player disputing a referee’s decision should be ordered off. Shortly afterwards it was decided that the apology of a player ordered off by Mr Shirtcliff be accepted. This seems to be an early indication of referees attempting to usurp the prerogatives of the Rugby Union. Geraldine Offend In 1907 the Association resolved to inform the Rugby Union that it would decline to appoint referees for any match played by the Geraldine Club unless an offensive letter written by that club be withdrawn and an apology tendered to a referee and the Association for insulting language contained therein. One player had been ordered off for allegedly striking an opponent; two players were reported for using bad language: and a player was reported for Questioning a decision of

the referee. Tire Association further expressed dissatisfaction with the Union's treatment of the offenders. Divergent Views This seems to be the first recorded incident of which many were to follow. Referees adopted the attitude that the mere act of ordering a player off established his guilt, and that all that remained for the Union to do was to impose a punishment fitting the alleged crime. Union committees almost invariably took the view that theirs was the duty to investigate and adjudicate upon charges—a view whicn had the individual support of clubs and players. Alleged Incompetency Almost throughout its career the Association has been hampered by a shortage of capable active members. The result was that newcomers, with or without experience or knowledge, were appointed to control games, sometimes to the disapproval and occasionally to the amusement of spectators. Some of these referees had had no previous association with Rugby. A heresy hunt was started on one occasion by a member of the Union expressing the opinion that several members of the Association were incompetent. The same individual rocked the boat again by pointing out that one referee was never available unless he was allotted the senior game on No. 1 ground. Several times referees resigned in dudgeon, alleging that the Union had shown lack of confidence in them by failing to disqualify players ordered off. Invariably these resignations were withdrawn—the lure of the limelight was too strong. Association Disbands In 1909 the Referees’ Association formally disbanded—at the end of the season—complaining that the president of the Union had advised the Canterbury Union to select an outside referee for the representative game. Some harsh and rather tactless remarks were made on each side. The referees demanded the sacking of the president, who retaliated by declaring that the men whose names had been submitted by the Association were of third-grade standard. True to form, the referees reinstated themselves before the opening of next season. Union’s Attitude The desire of the Association to have representative games in Timaru allotted to its members was understandable. The Union’s attitude, however, was not a reflection on our referees, but on visiting teams. South Canterbury, just approaching their zenith, were inflicting defeat on visiting sides and not getting due credit. Two instances will suffice. The managers of a North Island team insisted on the president of the home Union acting as referee, in spite of the fact that the official in charge of South Canterbury endeavoured to persuade them to select a Christchurch or Dunedin man—at the expense of South Canterbury. After the visitors had been completely outplayed, one of the touring managers rushed to the Post Office to telegraph to Webbanui that they had been robbed. ’Soon afterwards the captain of another team, also outplayed, haggled about a fine referee’s decision throughout the game and afterwards declared that the winners had 16 men on the field. It was experiences such as this that enabled South Canterbury’s selector to persuade the Union to employ neutral referees. The president, who advised the Canterbury management, was merely carrying out the desires of his committee. By Schisms Rent Asunder All the Association’s troubles were not associated with the Union. Internal disputes and jealousies were at one time frequent, usually over the allocation of senior games (particularly on No. 1), and the nominations for rep. games. More than once proposals were made for the grading of referees. On one occasion a decision was arrived at to appoint an examining committee, but the scheme was quietly shelved. Matters were not improved by the introduction of a plan enabling clubs to appoint referees by mutual requisition. This did not satisfy officials who were sidetracked, and in the interests of amity it had to be abandoned. On one occasion the Association had to deal with a charge by one member that he had been subjected to insulting language during a' match by a brother referee. On another a referee was called upon to explain his action in superseding another member of the Association as line umpire during the progress of a game. Probably no other sporting body in South Canterbury has had such a tempestuous passage as the Referees' Association, but in spite of its difficulties, internal and external, it has gone on, year in and year out for more than four decades, rendering service to the game. It has included some weak members, but some of its senior men have been up to th highest Dominion standard, and taking into account its comparatively- small membership its average level of performance has not been unsatisfactory. Probably the two members who have rendered longest service to the Association were the late J. O'Leary and A. H Clemens. Both held the office of president and of secretary CYCLING TIMARU CLUB The following handicaps have been declared for the Timaru Cycling Club’s race for the Speight Shield to be held to-morrow over a course to Arowhenua and return. Scr. I. Frampton, 1-mm. M. J. Luke. 2Smin. J Gillespie. R. Murray; 31mm. L. Stoddart, H. Robinson; 3Smin. T. Wadsworth. M. Grieve; 4Smin. N. Davie M. Beech; smin. W. Begg, R. E. Dale; 6min. D. Cullimore, W. Sinclair; 7'-min. C. Finlav.