UNION RUGBY

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17040, 14 May 1923, Page 2

UNION RUGBY

) The Game and Its Players

MARISTS DEFEATED.

GREAT PLAY BY MERIVALE FORWARDS. The senior Rugby competition is sure now to be as keenly fought out as it ever ha* been in the past. Merivale’s defeat of Mansts make it quite uncertain which team will land the championship, and each Saturday’s games are likely to be watched with great interest, particularly as the standard of play is exceptionally high, back and forward. There is a liveliness about it that has ken missing for years. Old Boys, Merivale and ’Varsity are the leading favourites, but Christchurch, Marists, Albion and Linwood are liable to spring surprises. In fact, it may bo thoroughly dangerous to count on Marists as out of it. They are bound to make every preparation to avenge •Saturday’s defeat. Merivale and ’Varsity top the list with three points each, but they have played one more match than Markus. Next Saturdays game oi the ,)val, Merivale v. Old Boys, ought to draw record crowd. ’Varsity have a bye and Marists play Albion. MERIVALE (24) v. MARISTS (6). Merivale’s forwards Saturday s trump card. They had been trained to die last second and hard training told. Marists’ scrum was smashed repeatedly. Their line-out manoeuvres were .mothered and their backs had too little protection. “Snowy” Cochrane, of Merivale, was the best forward on the ground, Maying “ the father and the mother ” of a game. He was in all the trouble going and never looked like letting up. le had more vim than Petersen.

Another tough Merivale battler was he veteran, Sergison. He was a tiger n the line-out, breaking away consist«ntly and giving the Marist rear divi•ion numerous severe jolts. Then there was Forsyth, another stiff proposition for the rush-stoppers. He was making a day of it and was asking

"or more. The same with Masson, Meikle and Lodge. They were grafters •f the best type. Carnegie’s wing-forward work improves year by year, backed, of course, by a wealth of experience. He knows vhat to do when another man would >e caught on the hop. Out of four attempts Penberthy put four over the cross-bar. The last was a test match performance, a great kick from the corner. His line-kicking by itself was an asset.

M’Cabe, the ex-Wellington representative, played second five-eighth till he was hurt, showing speed and initiative. His injury teemed a disaster for Merivale, but- there was jubilation among Blue supporters when Sergison passed the word for “ Jocky ” Ford. Some emergency !

Ford opened out quietly. Then he got into his stride, co-operating beautifully with Doreen, and getting off with those well-remembered flying starts. His support play—racing round for the return pass—stirred the crowd. It is stated that he will play right through the season.

Doreen was quick and elusive, a good mate for Ford, and a dangerous man for Marists. After receiving a nasty kick in the second spell his defence fell away a bit.

Fitzgerald was unfortunate and so were Marists. A painful injury led to his removal in the ambulance, and it is doubtful when he will be able to play again. Fitzgerald, all things considered, has been Marists best attacking back to date. M’Carthy, second five-eighth, is a footballer all the way. He took hard passes with certainty and his work was crisp from start to finish. Given more opportunities, he would be worth watching. Dan M’Cormick was hard pressed, but he kept going solidly, covering up the mistake* of other men and punting with judgment. .Kir wan outshone Bros nan as halfback, and his plucky efforts to set the backs going in the second spell won applause. He was keen. Deidrich proved hard to stop on attack, but once or twice he was slow to get his kick in when the other side rushed. O’Loughlen scored a briliant try. All he requires to make him a sound wing-three-quarter is more experience. Brosnahan was at the top of his form in the first half Later on some of his attempts to elude Merivalefs fast foliowing-up forwards were nipped in the bud and his side suffered in consequence. That, however, was mostly the uck of the game. It was Merivale’s game. ’VARSITY (26 v. NORTH CANTERBURY (3).

The game between ’Varsity and North Canterbury was too one-sided to be of much interest. ’Varsity had the upper hand all the way througn and the result was never in doubt. North Canterbury played three men

short, and this no doubt contributed to their defeat; but, on the other hand, "Varsity were without nine of their usual players. Robertson, Earl, Smart, Brodie, Watson and Jackson are away with the New Zealand ’Varsity team to Australia, and Langbien, Cox and Hudson were unavoidably absent. So it may be said that ’Varsity had only a second rate team in the field, but against North Canterbury they looked like a first- rate combination.

At no time this season have North Canterbury shown themselves to be equal to senior standard, and with three .men short on Saturday thenposition was hopeless. One cannot very well quarrel with North Canterbury tor entering a team in the senior competition, for it is beyond question that their players will get more experience than they ever would by playing in country competitions. However, North Canterbury should remember that it is not in the best interests of the game to send a senior team into the field short-handed. Of course, on Saturday there may have been some excuse for this on account of the recent floods.

The ’Varsity backs showed very fair combination considering the fact that they were more or less of a “ scratch ” lot. Dickson at first five-eighths proved the weak spot. His erratic pass ing killed more than one rush. The ’Varsity wingers, Low and Te Awarua. showed plenty of dash and made use of all the opportunities that offered. Once he gets going Low is a hard man to stop, for he has not only a great turn of speed, but also the weight. Dewar, who took Brodie’s place at half-back for ’Varsity, played a very fair game, as also did Cooper at fiveeighths and Bell at centre three-quar-ter.

North Canterbury played a complete back team, and so they were two men short in the scrum and were also minus a wing forward. The ’Varsity forwards, therefore, had no difficulty in holding their own, though the North Canterbury pack played up well, being, in fact, the mainstay of their si*le. Of the ’Varsity forwards Craven. Petre, Seyb and Manson were probably the best. The goal-kicking of ’Varsity was poor, for out of eight tries only one was converted. OLD BOYS (17)) v. SYDENHAMLYTTELTON (8). A feature of the Sydenham-Lyttelton v. Old Boys match was the poor handling of the Sydenham-Lyttelton backs and the excellent display made by the Old Boys backs. The latter showed themselves to be a clever, resourceful lot, who in their brighter passages gave a display of football that was very pleasurable to watch. Many opportunities went the way of Sydenham-Lyttelton, but they lacked the skill to turn them to the same good account a.s did Old Boys. From scrum after scrum the ball was whipped out to the combined team’s backs, but they showed scarcely one finished passing rush during tho whole afternoon. Their passing was erratic, and, very often, the ball was not passed at all. the player in possession giving the impression that he was at a loss to know what to do with it, and solving the problem by simply getting rid of it. The forward play of the SydenhamLyttelton side for most of the game more than equalled that of Old Boys’ pack. Had they received from their hacks the same support as the Old Boys’ forwards received, there would have been a different tale to tell. The tackling on both sides was a pleasing feature of the play. The collaring itas usually sure, and some quite brilliant examples of tackling were given.

Bowes, for Old Boy'%. played a sterling game, as also did Thompson, Harris and Carleton. The forwards were uniformly good, Milliken attracting attention occasionally by brilliant work. Smvthe, at full-back, did some splendid Trork for Sydenham-Lyttelton, who were also served well by Dunlop. Skelton and Geaylev. CHRISTCHURCH (9) v. LINWOOD (8). The Soutli ground was rather greasy, and in addition a sixth grade game, which was played earlier in the afternoon, had cut up the field a good deal. Christchurch snatched victory right on time. From a spectator’s viewpoint the game was rather dull. The forwards were well matched, but it was mostly close work. Che : ti-;iurch were the better side in the oacks, hut seemed to lack the ability to put the finishing touches on to carry them over the line

The position of full-back for Christchurch was capably filled by Orchard, while of the others Brown. Robinson and Robilliard were r.lwav* liubie to start something. On ihe d*y, however, the chief trouble wa* that iz w.is mostlv solo effort. The de.r. ling try, wuch was the outcome of a piece of vonci'.-ted work, was certainly well d»ve*.*red, an ! earlier in the spell an attempt on similar lines might hava ‘ ucceeded had 3?rown not been over anxious to cut out a man and slipped in the process M’Do paid and Leahy were the shining

lights in the forwards, while another good pair were Gibson and Ivnifl'kt. In Brown Linwood has & very reiinbl* full-back. Some dash was displayed by M’GiH (wing three-quarter), who wa# responsible for the two tries, while Young and Wright proved their usefulness on many occasions. Th« backs were assisted by the fact that tbe front division followed up with more dash than did their opponents. In the loose Morrow was prominent, and Fraser and Jackson were conspicuously good following up. In the second spell the pack was weakened by the loss of O. Turpin, who retired injured.