BIG GAME IS PLAYED FOR N.Z. LEAGUE REPS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17877, 19 June 1926, Page 10

BIG GAME IS PLAYED FOR N.Z. LEAGUE REPS.

BEST OF SOUTH ISLAND MEN IN ACTION AT MONICA PARK. Rugby League representatives from Otago, West Coast. Canterbury, and South Canterbury engaged in a match at Monica Park this afternoon, as a trial for the selection of the South Island representatives to do battle with the North Island at Auckland on July 3, from which match will be picked most of the New Zealand representatives for the English tour. Canterbury A and B teams in both the senior and junior divisions also met, and provided much bright football. In the interval of the big game, the Waimairi fifth grade A and B teams staged a seven-a-side challenge match.

The team? in the big game were j lore or less representative of Otago- j Vest Coast, this showing that the New erbury respectively. The most notable leparture was the inclusion of Wilson- j .Vest Coast and Canterbury-South Can- , -fall (Hornby) as half-back for Otago- j Zealand selectors—-Messrs TT. J. Stir- I .ing, A. 'MClymont, and Hardingham— : lave not been impressed by any other ! man in that position in the three pre- j i-eding trial games. Canterbury and South Canterbury played in black and j led. and Otago-West Coast in black. j Tt is not often that the cream of the ' South Island players are seen in Christ- ! church, and the footballing public, re- | cognising this, took advantage of this | opportunity of witnessing their play. There was a crowd of about 2500 pre- • sent, and the play was fast and interesting throughout. Players in the Canterbury A and B representative honours. The selectors kept a. keen eye on their play, and it may be that a few- of them will be picked to represent the South Island, and may even be asked to go to England. i THE 810 TRIAL GAM. j The teams were as follow: Canterbury-South Canterbury (red; P. Smith, G. I-'algar, G. Brittenden, P. O’Connor, J. Sanders. C. Llohins, A. Alackie, F. Henry, C. Bateman, L. Vivian, 1,. Mason, W. Devine, T. OCon-Otago-Wesi Foast (black)—W. Vorrath. S. D. Jlackay. P. Doogan, P. Hickey. A. K.khoff, J. Dodds, WilsonHall, V. Hansen. J. Tallentire. r. Cameron. 13. Thomas, J. Wright and N. Mount. The Otago men wore white armbands in memory of the late D. Crossan, die. Otago representative back. Sanders started the game for Cauiorliurv. Doogan ran through and. Smith missing badly, Hickey got over unopposed. Mount converted. Visitors 5, canterbury 0. Smith well, den* missed sT sure ° try °and °Wil son -Hall cleared cleverly. Pat O'Connor got through half the hacks with some help from Sanders. .V. Mackie gave Robins an opening, but the latter passed too soon 10 Devine. Pat O'Connor got away on the Canterbury wing again, side-stepped Hickey and scored as Vorrath tackled him. Henry goaled. Five all. Dodds showed up cleverly, but Bckhoff fumbled .he pass. Mason burst through with 1 ‘•'Connor, and later Wuson-HH.ll and t Henry showed up. ; Wilson-Hall cleverly side-stepped, and a moment later A. Mackie sprinted j along the line and transferred to Robins, j Sanders got it. and cleverly drew the . opposition from Mason, who y e *y J IS) West ('cast 5. Mouat and Doogan j executed a prettv movement, and the | cheering crowd rose to its feet as Pat 1 O'Connor streaked along the line. Flo I passed before encountering Vorrath, but the bounce beat Robins and pro- I rented a sure try. Vorrath cleared to } Bckhoff. but the speedy O'Connor «-arne j again on the wing, grounding before « Hickey grassed him. Henry failed with the kick. Half-time was called with the score: — Canterbury IC. Otago-West Coast 5. In the second spell. Vorrath came up to five-eighths, Bckhoff dropping back to full. On the Canterbury side Smith exchanged places with Falgar. In the Canterbury twenty-five the ball whipped from Wilson-Hall to Dodds to Vorrath, who took the pass brilliantly. T3»e effort was smothered, but a second later Hansen let out to Wilson-Hall, . who whipped the leather to Mouat. The big West Coaster got over, and converted. Canterbury 13, Otago-West Coast 1 (*. Down the field came the play. Rat O'Connor working like a Trojan for Brittenden to score. Henry added the extra points. Canterbury is, OtagoWest Coast. 10. Bckhoff fooled L. Vivian beautifully, and Wilson-Hall and Mac Kay came in a burst tip the line. Vivian grassed Mac Kay, Mouat was over but lost the ball, and then, after some sparkling play Doogan got over. A knock-on was called. Wilson-Hall let Mac Kay away, but he was pushed out. Dodds showed up, and Hickey scored brilliantly. Mouat converted. Canter- j bury 18. Otago-West Coast 15. Quick as lightning, play went to the other end. where Robins and Sanders let Brittenden away. The player was awarded an obstruction try. which Henry converted. Canterbury 23. OtagoWest Coast 15. Swarming on the Reds’ line, the Blacks got a penalty. Right to the other end play went, the ball passing through the hands of Mackie, Sanders (twice), Brittenden and Pat O’Connor, the last-named scoring. Henry goaled. Canterbury 2?, OtagoWest Coast 15. Wilson-Hall. who had shown up most of the time- set a pass going which went through ail the backs. Hickey grounded it safely. Mouat missed. Canterburv 28. Otago-West Coast 18. Eckhoff. Dodds and Brittenden and A. Mackie showed up near the Otago line, and then Mouat gave tlie ball to Hickey. In a dazzling run he beat two or three opponents and scored, ha\'ing made a solo run nearly the length of the field. Mouat goaled. Canterbury 28, OtagoWest Coast 23. Can they do it? asked the crowd. There were six minutes to go, and Otago, five points behind, were fast on the attack. Thomas, Dodds, Mouat and Doogan. in brilliant open play, carried the leather to the line. Doogan scored. With the kick that would have made the scores even. Mouat missed. Canterbury 28, Otago-West Coast 26The play was brilliant, and the crowd was on its toes. “Wilson-Hall, Dodds, Doogan, Hickey, and Vorrath handled, the last-named grounding In the corner. Mouat put over a great kick from the later with the scores: — touch-line. Time was called a moment OTAGO-WEST COAST 31 CANTERBURY 28 Mr J. J. Stevens was the referee. CAITTBaEUkT A AJSTD B MATCH. The teams took the field as follow: Canterbury A:—H- Dymond, F. Sheahan, J. Mundy, E. Falgar, A. Mundy (captain), F. Parker, J. O'Malley, A. H. Ellis, J. Munro, J. O’Shaughnessy, G. Dawkins, E. Spencer and F. Symister. Canterbury B:—G. Biazey, F. Lynskey, F. Tonkin, R. South, F. Warr, J. Crooke (captain); F. Harris, W. Le Warn©. C. Sisson, A. M’Allister, A. Collie, L. Farrell, and P. Burns. Before tha players had properly settled down South dodged through for the 3 team and Collie goaled. Like lightning play went to the other end, where Dawkins got over. A- Mundy converting. Warr and C. Fitzgerald showed up. particularly the latter, who cleverly dodged through the pack. On the Bs wings F. Dynskey and South were safe. Sheahan, play l Tig opposite Lyon key, showed up on

attack, but E. Falgar, on the other wing, was not impressive. The B’s were put three points ahead by Le Warne getting over. From a speculating the wing, and converted his try. G. Biazey brought off a clever dummy which lie Warne carried to touch-in-goal. A Mundy, who had fumbled up to this stage, got to the other end of the field, supported by Symister, but the leather went out. Half-time was called with the score:— .Canterbury A 5. Canterbury- B 13. Tonkin spoilt a likely movement on the wing, but made amends by dribbling through to the line, where Warr touched down. The referee ordered a scrum for a linock-on. From a dummy by O'Malley the A team worked close. Then Pearce featured a nippy run and Dymond snapped up the pass in his stride but was smothered. He and Warne shone out in clearing the line. But the A team came again. J. .Mundy raced over. Sheehan's kick failed. The CANTERBURY B - 13 CANTERBURY A 10 JUNIOR GRADE TRIAL. The try-out for the second grade representative, team was played on No. 2 ground at Monica Dark, between teams styled A and B. The first half was open with the A side having just the better of things, especially in b&ck play. The B side made the opening score, J. Stkpley t Addington) goriig over. The 'try was not converted. . A. , Painter equa’lised' from a-passing rush, and a little later L. M’Oausland (Lift- | wood) scored and\S. Fraser (Sydenham) converted. The third try of the first spell went to Painter, and Fraser missed, an easy chance, to' add two points. At half-time the score was: A 11, 1> 3. The outstanding players in the first half in the A team Were A. Painter (Addington, centre). J. Morrissey (Marist, five-eighth), and D. Galvin (Alarist, half), in the backs, and in th.e forwards. W. Williamson (Marist) and 11. Gahagan (Addington). The most attractive players on the B side in the backs were J. Stapley (Addington), B. O'Connell (Addington, half); IT. Hunt (Linwood) and LI. M’Keown (West Coasters), in the forwards. In -the-second hair LJ. Hunt scored for the B's and it Was not. converted. StapJey added another try wide out, making the score 11-9 in favour of the A team. Half-back O'Connell secured the next try and converted it himself, giving- the B team the lead again by 3 points. E. Weavers (Woolston). on the right wing, equalised scores after a good run up the side line, ' and the game ended: A TEAM 14 B TEAM It The referee was W. Gariaw. Those mentioned as outstanding -in the first half were again predominant in the second. The game was open, but marred by ■ too much kicking and poor tackling. CHALLENGE 523 VISIT-A-SLDX. Jn the interval of the' rrisfin trial match two fifth grade teams from the aimairi dub player] a challenge the seven-e-side 'tourney held 'on June 3. but there was a disputed try and the Waimairi B team issued a challenge for try under the posts three minutes after Alter the chance* over B’s made great endeavours, with both sides throwing the ball about freely and tackling well, but no change was made in the score, r.ie A team therefore clinched the