RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17345, 27 September 1924, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

REVIEW OF 1924 SEASON.

As far as Canterbury is concerned, the 1921 Rugby football season is now practically finished. On the whole, the season has

been a successful one, not only in this province, but, throughout New Zealand. Interest in Rugby has been stimulated this year by the dispatch of the All Black team to the Ok! Country. A great deal of interest was taken in the selection of the team, and to date the doings of the team have been followed with the closest attention by thousands of people throughout the country. The hold that Rugby football has on New Zealanders has been amply demonstrated this year.

I ALT. BLACK TRIAL GAMES. | Tho i 924 All Black team was seleoti eel after a series oi trial games, lit the | first place trial games were held ill each island, the provinces being grouped for this purpose. From these trial games the inter-island teams wore j picked. The inter-island game this year was played at Wellington, and rosull- ! < d in an overwhelming victory for the North by 39 points to 8. After this match the seven New Zealand selectors picked sixteen members of the All Black team, and after the final trial on Juno 8. the remaining thirteen wero selected. The twenty-nine players chosen included six from Canterbury, six front Hawke’s Bay, three from Auckland, throe from Taranaki, three from Wellington, two from Wairarapa, two from Southland, one from Otago, one from South Canterbury, one from Bay of Plenty, and one from the \\ est Coast. The Canterbury men were : R. R. ' AI asters (Albion Club). W. Dailey (Old Boys), -1. li. Barker (Old Boys). A. C . ('. Kobilliard (Christchurch). X. .B. 1 .Vp Gregor ‘'Christchurch) and B. V. M’Cleary (IJurumii). ()t these Masters ; lias the only player who had represented Non Zealand previously. THE LX LUCKY ONES. I Three other Canterbury men, J. H. j Harris (Old Bov-). \V. Elvey (Linwood) ! and O. Turpin (Linwood) took part in j the. final All Black trial game, but i they were not amongst the lucky ones | selected for tho trip Jlome. The feel - [ ing. however, was general, not only in Canterbury, but in other parts of j Now Zealand, that Harris should have | been selected as an extra full-back. G. Nepiu is the only regular full-back with tho All Blacks, and it certainly does seem that it would have been wiser if another custodian had been sent. Harris also has this qualification that ho can play at centre-three-quarter if necessary. W. Elvey must also Vie regarded as~a bit unlucky in not getting away with the New Zealand team, lie might have gained a place if, in the trial games, ho had been played as wing-three-quar-j ter instead of centre. Accordig to , all accounts Turpin also ran very close to being seme ted. ALL BLACKS IX SYDNEY, j On June 28 the All Blacks left for Sydney, where four matches, including i three tests, were ’played. The first I test, which was played on July o, | a day or two after the arrival of the i team in Sydney, resulted in a win for i Now South Wales by 20 points to 16. j The New Zealanders, who had not rej covered from the effects of a rough trip across the Tasman, did not play up to their host form in this game, | and this undoubtedly was the main ! cause of their defeat. On July 9 the j All Blacks met arid defeated the Metropolitan team by 38 points to 5, and the following Saturday they beat New South Wales in the second test, after a fast and open game by 21 to o. In the second, and again in the third test, which they won by 38 points to | 8. the New Zealanders showed their i true form. ALL BLACKS r. AUCKLAND. The All Blacks returned to New ZeaI land, arriving at Auckland on July 22. Again they had a rough passage across. 1 he team did not land at Auckland until 11 p.m.. and the following after- | noon they Lad to play Auckland. The Ml Blanks wore dcioated by 14 points to 3. I hi.- defeat of the All Blanks proj vokod a good deal of adverse critiI eism ot the capabilities of the team. Most of Ibis criticism came from Aucklanders, who apparently quite overlooked the fact that a- team that has only been a few hours ashore, after a particularly rough sea voyage, is not in * i fit state to play football, no .matter Low good it may be under ordinary circumstances. The match against 1 Auckland was really not- necessary, and it was not fail* to the All Blacks to ask them to play. J. Mill, the Xew Zealand half-back, came in for a lot of criticism after the Aucklan’d match, and it was freely suggested in Auckland football circles that Vie should be dropped and replaced by Wright, of Auckland. The Xew Zealand Union would not. of course, countenance such a proposal, which would have been most unlair to Mill. Mill played in only one match in Sydney, and that was the first Test, and his next match was against Auckland. In both these games the Xew Zealanders were suffering from the effects oi' a rough sea voyage, so that Mill did not have a chance of showing his true lertn. Judging by reports lie is playing quite well in England. On July 26 the All Blacks played the combined Manawatu-Horowhenua fifteen. and won by 27 points to ]2. The All Blacks left Wellington tor England by the Reniner’a <>n July 29, and alter a good voyage via Panama arrived at Plymouth on September 2. To date the All Blacks have played four matches in England, with the following results : v. .Devonshire- Won 11-0. v. Corn Avail -Won 29-0. v. Somersetshire—Won 0-0. v. Gloucestershire—Won 0-0. THE GAME JX CANTERBURY. As far as Canterbury is concerned the 1924 season has been quite a suecesful one. At tho start of the season, tho trouble ivhieli arose the previous season between the Canterbury Rugby Union and the Marists’ Old Boys’ Club, was again considered. However, all efforts at a settlement failed and the union decided to cancel the affiliation of the Ma lists Club. about the only course left to the union.

; ers were lost to the Rugby code. in view of tho All Black trial games ‘ an early start was made on the* senior ; competition this season, the first games • being played on April 12. there were | eight teams in the senior competition ; when the season opened, hut aitev j playing throe matches the Sydenham i team retired on account of that club s | inability to got sufficient seuior playI ers. it was a matter oi great regret I that an old established club like Sydenham should find itself in such a position, but the club is strong in i junior players and it is hoped that in n, year or two it will again be able to put a. .senior team into the lido. THE SENIOR COAIPETTiION. Tho senior competition this year was won by Old Roys. this is tho first vear that Old Bovs have been champions .since IP It. " The Oid Roys Club was seriously affected by tho war and it was only through the efforts of a few enthusiasts that the club managed to keep its senior team going through the difficult years of the war. The recovery of tho Old Roys’ Club from the effects of tho war was perhaps slow, but that it was sure is shown by the fine team which tho club was able to put into the field this season. All the members of the team were keen and they trained hard. They were fast and speedy, both backs and forwards, and they almost invariably played tho open, passing game. Old Roys played thirteen competition games, won twelve and lost one. They scored 26!J points and off were scored against them. Tho team that defeated Old Boys was Alerivale. in the first round, by 1 1 points to 0. Mori vale were tho runners-up in the senior competition, a position they have occupied for several seasons. At the start of the season Merivale were not too strong, but they soon improved. During the season, however, they were unfortunate iu the matter of injured players, with the result that frequent changes had to be made in their bank division. The senior competition came to an end on July 2b. when Old Roys, by defeating Christchurch, won the championship. Old Roys beat Christchurch by 12 points to 8. Had Christchurch won Alerivalo would still have had a chance for the championship, as Old Boys would have had to play off with them. Tho following table shows the position of the teams at tho end of the competition W. T>. L,. ForAjgrstPts Old Boys . 13 0 1 209 53 12 Alerivale . 10 0 3 220 9 5 JO Christchurch S 0 4 i 96 S 4 8 Varsity . o o 0 122 34 3 6 Bin wood . . 0 0 0 100 1j 9 0 N\ Canterbury . 2 0 31 21 20 22 Albion . ] fio o 0 2.1 Y L'j “fcydenham . o l 4 6 11 ° Retired from competition. An exhibition game between Alerivale and Old Roys was played on August 23. The result was a win fur Alerivale by 22 points to S but Oid Roys were without several of their : bc-st players. On the following Saturday at Dunedin OJd Boys played Otago Varsity lor the Payne Trophy. Oi l Boys played a great game and left the field tho winners by 22 points to 10, IXTERPROV JNCIAJL G AAIES. Canterbury played five interprovincml matches tins, year, won throe ami lost two. The first match was against at Dunedin. Canterburv won by 25 points to II On the" day’s play Canterbury were a fetter team in every respect. '1 ho Canterbury for- j wards were superior in the .scrum” work while light through the game they dominated in the loose. The Canterbury hacks were fast- and passed better than Otago s while in tackling thov won; very much better than their opponents. Sou tli land boat Canterbury by IS points to 12. A - matter of fact there vas noT ' (l great deal between Canter bury and .Southland. The Canterbury inside backs let their side down rather badly and this was really the deciding factor of the game for otherwise the teams wore evenly matched Ihe match between Canterbury and South Canterbury was the last of the former team’s southern tour. Afj tor a hard struggle South Canterbury I won by 21 points to ]R but the result might, quite easily have been the other <>n September 10 at Lancaster park Canterbury beat Atarlborough by 26 points to .11. As an exhibition o' football the game was a poor one, neither side playing up to representative standardLast Saturday Canterbury beat Wellington by 32 points to 6. It was a great victory and a fitting termination to the season. Canterbury outclassed Wellington in every department of the game, and the visitors never looked like winning The great try which Elver scored in this match | will be long remembered Following | are the results of the interprovinoiai matches played by Canterbury thin season : v Otago, won. 25 to It, v Southland, lost, 12 to Is. v South Canterbury, lost. 13 to 21. v .Marlborough, won. 26 to 11. v Wellington, won. 32 to 6 Points for, 1,13; against, 70. Early in the season, on May 3, a Canterbury team played against- a team selected from the officers and petty officers of the light cruisers of the Special Service Squadron. The visitors were no* match for Canterbury who wen by 54 points to S. LOWER GRADE COMPETITIONS. In the lower grades of the Canterburv Rugby Union’s competitions a large number of players took

part and m addition very successful secondary and primary schoolboys’ competitions were run. The annual seveit-a-sicle tournament for boys attending the public schools in Canterbury affords ample evidence of the large number of the rising generation ■ who are taking an active part in Rugby football. AJJ this augurs well for the future of the game in >ev; Zealand. There is. however, one point with regard to the lower grade players of clubs and that is that there seems to be a -necessity for more attention to bo paid to them in the matter of coaching- On September «>. the Canterbury junior representatives were beaten by Wellington by 22 points to S'. The exhibition given by the Canterbury team was most disappointing and this fact should give those who | have the interest.-* of Rugby at heart, food for serious reflection. This applies particularly to those who are concerned with the future position of Canterbury in the field of interprovincial contests. The junior representatives of to-day will be the senior representatives of to-morrow. Rut if the- junior team which represented Canterbury against Wellington was the l>est that the province was capable of producing then ix does not say much for the standard of junior football in Christchurch. There is no reason why a junior representative team should not be able to show a standard of football little below that ! of a senior representative team. Xc doubt the seniors are- expected to know 1 more of the finer points of the game, [ but in general combined play, tackling and keeping in position, the juniors ( should^not fall far behind the seniors. ! The winners in tho lower grade ‘ competitions of the Canterbury union this season were Junior—Merivale. , Third grade (A section)» —Christ- i church. f Third grade (B section!-—Sydenham, i Third grade (under 20) —Old Boys. , Fourth grade—ATerivale. Fifth grade—West Christ-church Old , Boys- , \ '' •Seventh grade (.school boys)—Sydenham- ' ;