RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11717, 6 June 1916, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

SATURDAY'S GAMES. NOTES ON THE PLAY. SENIOR GRADE. By a catch vote the Rugby Union decided at its last meeting to open the youths' Senior competition to men who arc eligible for military service and may havo been oligible since January 2, 1915, that is to say, for seventeen, months. It is to bo loped that the fact, thus baldly put, will induce tho union to go back to the original ago limit. With not a little patriotic inflexibility the union decided to discourage the " eligible " player by restricting .the Senior competition to youths "not over twenty qn January 1, 1916." This threw secondary schoolboys into competition with men who m&y have become eligible for military service four month?! previously, namely, on January 2, 1916. That that was bad enough becamo evident early in tho competition, when tho elder teams overweighted tho youngsters. Then came tho suspicion, blossoming into a certainty, that players had been "rung in*' ! who wero

''over twenty on January 1, 1916." Instead ot taking tho matter up firmly j and disqualifying theso over age eligibles tho uniton has decided to admit them and possibly many more like them. This was done on the plea that there had been a good deal of uncertainty about tho age limit. How this uncertainty aroso it would be interesting to know. The competition has come to be called the Under Twenty Class, and if any club secretary cannot get an honest "Yes" or "No" to the question " Wero you tinder twenty on January 1, 1916 F" ho is not to be trusted to put the question " Were you under twenty-one oh January 1, 1916?" Unfortunately the gate was opened a year too wide in tlio first place, without due regard to tho' fact that a man becomes eligible at twenty. What other districts may have done canriot alter this awkward fact.

Very few spectators journeyed to Christ's College ground to #itness the I match College v. Linwood. With splendid football weather and the ground in fivst-class order the players had condi* tions somewhat- abovo the ordinary. Both toams appeared to be in the pink of condition. The College forwards were slightly heavier than their opponents. The game was fought out in two spells, and thero was never a dull moment. College showed better combination. but in tho light work Linwood wero easily superior. The College backs wero responsible for some brilliant passing rushes. their handling of the ball being all that could bo desired, especially in the first spell, when they scored all their points. But in tho second half, although they threw the ball about in good style, they could make little or no progress owing principally to the fast opposing forwards. Of the backs T. C. Lowry, Matson, Cowlishaw and Hindmarsh Brothers were very noticeable in tho passing rushes, and all possessed plenty of pace. The forwards all worked hard. Their tackling and following up were good, and they were at it all the time.

Had Linwood played in the first spell with_ the same determination as they did in the second half I feel confident they would have put up more points. In the second spell they put more dash and vigour into their work and were on the verge of scoring on several occasions. " Tho forwards are not to ba blamed for the failure, as they followed up splendidly. They are a solid lot of tacklers and really good in their^scrum work. It must have been disheartening, after getting the ball out, to be let down by the half-back, who on most occasions was collared in possession of the ball. Morrow, Stewart, Round'and Elvy were always in the thick of it, but all tho forwards played a very creditablo game. The backs showed vary little combination. Clapp at full-back did all that was required of him, and lie did it well. Melzard and Donaldson were tho pick of tho remaining backs. I would advise Linwood to try and sort out a good place-kick, as this is very 'important.

Old Boys say that they were slipped up by the gentleman who had contracted to motor them by express lorry to Belfast. He pleaded a prior and longstanding appointment, and provided a cart! Christc.hurch had tho same trouble, by all accounts, earlier in the season, and had to go to Belfast in taxis. V

Belfast sustained another big defeat, this timo by Old Boys, who scored 61 points. Parker, by the way, scored eight tries. The Belfast team is big anS strong, and there is all the material for a good game, but a lack of training and coaching seems to be evident. In particular the tackling was very bad, with one or two exceptions, and theso exceptions became disheartened at tho round-the-neck monotony of the others. Still the team should keep together and persevere. Old Boys scored 17 points in the first "spell and the rest in the second spell, when the garao was more like a gymnasium practice for them. Chamberlain, a very good kick, replaced Garrick at full-back.

There is a feeling that another draw should be made by th» union in tho Senior competition to alk w some of the leading teams to meet again. If the present plan is proceeded with, Marists will probably not bo beaten, and while nobody would grudge them their win theh competition would be more interesting if the more evenly matched teams were brought together again, and the weakest teams, like Belfast, Merivalo C' and some others were left out of the calculations, but not, of courso, deprived of games.

John Harvey, whose accident on Saturday brought his Rugby career to a close, was a notable Linwood forward who was always worth his place in the Canterbury team. He was one of those who could not go to the front, but at the beginning of last season he told the writer that ho would not don tho jersey while tho war lasted. He was a dashing, undefeatable forward, a worthy successor to tho many representative forwards that Linwood has produced. Ho has tho sympathy of a large circle of friends and admirers in his present laying-up.