Rugby.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18545, 20 August 1928, Page 14

Rugby.

INTER-ISLAND GAME. BACK PLAY OFTEN POOR. After a most exciting game the North Island Rugby representative.*: were beaten by the South Island on Saturday at Lancaster Park by a single point. The game resulted 15 points to 14 in favour of the South. This is the second year in succession that the South have beaten the North by a single point. Last year at \\ ellington the South won by 31 points to 30. There was some similarity between the two gamer. Before the match in Wellington last year North Island followers were prepared to support their team, and. ir. addition, give a liberal margin of points. The same thing happened this year. The North were warm favourites. The general opinion was that the North Island forwards .would prove too good for those of the South. Before the match in Wellington last season the same opinion was advanced. North Island supporters on that occasion considered that they had a great team of forwards. With Lucas and Cooke out, they were not too sure of their backs, but they thought that their pack would overwhelm the South forwards. The match proved that the South Island had forwards equally as good as those of the North, and they easily held their own against them. It was the same story this year and his* 's.-y repeated itself. The North cerWnly had a fine pack of forwards, and in the first spell they held the upper hand in the matter of getting the bail from the scrums and line outs. In Che second spell, however, the South Island forwards were quite as good as the northerners in the »set scrums and the line outs,-and they also showed improved form in the loose. Both, packs went well, and the match was marked by some great forward tussles, but neither set of backs showed good combination. The North Island backs were especally disappointIn the first spell* the North Island backs had plenty of the ball to play with. Their hookers won eleven scrums compared with three won by the South. Five were indecisive. In the line-outs in the first haif the northerners had a two to one advantage. They got the ball from twenty-four line-outs, while the South got it from twelve, and five were indecisive. The North did not hold a similar advantage in the second spell. In this half the North won six scrums, the South five

2nd five were indecisive. As far as the line-outs were concerned, it was an even break, each side winning twentytwo, with eleven indecisive. The closeness of the scoring made the game interesting, but it was not a good exhibition of football. It was below usual inter-island standard. In view of the fact that twenty-nine of the best players are out of the country, this is perhaps not surprising, but, in spite of thi*k a better standard of play should have been possible, especially among the backs. There was a lack of those bright passing movements among the backs which make a game interesting from the point of view of the spectators, and, bad it not been for the closeness of the scoring, the game would probably have been a rather dull affair. As far as the backs of each side were c oncerned, there was little excuse for their bad play. The weather was almost ideal. It was a fine, sunny day. with only a light easterly breeze, which made little difference to the play. The

ground was in good order. The rain, that bad fallen during the week, had softened the ground to just the right . extent. It is doubtful whether, on the day's play, South were the better side. The result might quite easily have been the other way round. In fact, if the last trj r for the North had been converted and it should have been, seeing that it was an easy kick, the North would have won. The two sets .of forwards were evenly balanced, but .the South had a slight superiority in the backs and it was probably to this that the}- i owed their victory. D. Stevenson was very disappointing at full-back for South. He did some brilliant work at times, but more often than not he was in trouble. His fielding and handling of the ball were faulty, and .his line kicking was not too good. Stevenson has played some fine games at full-back, but he seems to be going off now. F. Snodgrass was easily the best three-quarter on the ground. His style of play and build reminds one very much of Steel. lie is a solid type of winger, and is a hard and determined runner. In the first spell on Saturday he scored a brilliant try, running from about half-way and beating several men. Snodgrass was unfortunate. In the first spell he sustained a head injury,, but. . after receiving ambulance attention, be was able to resume, though he carried on with his head bandaged. Then in the second half, about twenty minutes before time, he ricked his right ankle, and had to be carried off the field. C. D. Chesley took the place of Snodgrass, but he did not do much during the short period he was on the field. W. M’Clymont on the other wing for South made some dashing runs, but lie. seems to have no idea of the in-pass. Several times on Saturday he gained ground with good runs, but almost invariably he spoilt his efforts by failing j to pass in-field, when he had men waiting to accept a pass. M’Clymdnt was sound on defence. At centre for the South. C. Oliver showed any amount of dash, but his old fault of failing tb take passes was very apparent. Frequently he rushpd up with a great burst of speed, and then failed to hold the ball. If he could manage to handle the ball with more certainty, Oliver -would undoubtedly be a great player. On defence qn Saturday Oliver was.sound. 11 is tackling was good. Both on attack and defence D. Hay was one of the soundest of the South backs. lie was unfortunate in. the fact that he had to play at second liveeighths. out of his usual position. I Tad he been playing at first five-eighths. Hay might easily have gained a place in the New Zealand team to meet New South Wales. As it is he would probably prove more satisfactory than Bradanovitch, who has been picked as first five-eighths for New Zealand. Bradanovitch did not go at all well on attqgk on Saturday. He was erratic in his handling of the ball, and he was too much inclined to go on his own. The result was that several passing movements brok’e down alt him. On defence Bradanovitch was sound. He saved his side on several occasions. A Holden went very well behind the Sooth scrum. He did not have many chances in the first spell, as his forwards were not getting the ball, but, when the ball did come his way, he got it away quickly and cleanly. Holden dei<ir.ded well. X Freitas and E Marslin were the

best of the South forwards on Saturday. Of the two, Freitas was the better, lie has improved a lot since he played in the All Black trial game here last year. At that time he seemed to be a bit "green.'' but, judging by Saturday's match he seems to have gained a knowledge of the finer points of the game. Freitas fuliy deserves his selection as a member of the pack of the New Zealand team. Marslin. on the other hand, is unfortunate, and it is difficult to see how the New Zealand selectors overlooked this fine Otago forward.

Another unfortunate forward in the South Island team is S. Batchelor, who l ocked the scrum. He was a bit better than Steere, the North Island lock, who has been picked for the New Zealand team. F. Clark and R. Bird were prominent on several occasions on Saturday, and Toby Robinson was very dashing at wing forward. He was rather out of the picture in the first half, but in the second he came to light with characteristic runs in dashing style. In the play round the scrum Robinson did not show the experience of Porter.

Roach played a fair game at fullback for the North, but his display was certainly not good enough to stamp him as a New Zealand full-back. Roach played a good game in the Ranfurly Shield match for Wairarapa against Canterbury, but he did not go nearly so well on Saturday.

The North Island three-quarters were disappointing. W. K. Carlson came down here with a great reputation as a wing three-quarter, but he did not live up to this reputation on Saturday. He was uncertain in his handling of the ball, and, through this, he lost at least two tries that seemed almost certain.

P. C. Minns, of Auckland, v.as to have played centre for the North, but he was replaced by R. Kemp, of Waikato. Kemp was poor and was hardly in the picture all day. He did not seem to be last enough to keep contact with the elusive Cooke M. Anderson on one wing f«>r North plaved a fair game. lie did not see a great tleal of the ball.

The play of < 'ouke suffered to a certain extent from the fact that he was in comparatively poor compair Nevertheless, he went a fine game and he made several brilliant openings, He was the best back on the ground. Naturally he v.as closely watched by the

other side, and, as be had to make most of his own openings, he was under a rather severe- handicap. \V Langlands at first five-eighths for the North was poor lie was not nearlv up to the required standard L. Bramwell was far from impressive 1 behind the North Island scrum. It is hard to believe that he is the best half playing in the North Island at the present time. C. Porter plaved a great game at wing forward for the North. He was here, there and everywhere, and he assisted his backs admirably. Porter showed much of the form that gained him a place in the New Zealand team of 1921. His one fault on Saturday was that he indulged in a great deal of off-side play. He stood off-side frequently. Of the North Island forwards, A. Knight and W. Batty were the best in the loose. They headed many dribbling rushes. M. -Willoughby was also to the fore on -many-' occasions, and Finlayson played a good sound game throughout.