HOCKEY

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18830, 6 August 1929, Page 3

HOCKEY

THE MATCH AGAINST THE AUSTRALIANS.

All hockey competitions were postponed on Saturday on account of the match between the Australians and Canterbury at Lancaster Park. The match was played on the Oval as a curtain-raiser to the Rugby football match between Old Boys and Varsity. The heavy and rough state of the ground was against a good exhibition of the stick game, but nevertheless the play was fast and clever and the match full of interest, and many spectators voiced the opinion that there should be more hockey played on the Oval as curtain-raisers. In the northern portion of the tour the Australians have disappointed critics by their lack of skill, but on Saturday the tourists upheld their reputation of being the best team that Australia has produced. The game was played on the Rugby ground which being ten yards longer than a regulation hockey ground and five yards wider was a tax upon the endurance of the players and more than one Canterbury player slackened off in the second spell. Considering the mud the pace of the game was very fast and the halves were taxed to their utmost. Canterbury broke away early and were one up within a few minutes of the opening bully and maintained their lead until well on in the first spell when Nettleton scored the equalising goal. When the first spell ended the odds were slightly in favour* of the local side, but the visitors showed superior physical fitness in the second half, and there were one or two gaps in the local side which showed that the players suffered from lack of training. The sterling defence of their two backs, M. Todkill and N. G. Ferguson saved the visitors time and again. Their pace, stick play and quick recovery were a treat, and their clearing was clean and quick. C. O’Connor in goal was the better of the two custodians, but he was not overtaxed at any stage of the game. The Australian half line was the weakest spot, although W. Wanless played well throughout. The Australian forward line gave a great exhibition considering the rough heavy ground and nearly every one showed skilful stick work and ball control. The pick of the line was W Nettleton, who was very clever and tricky, and time and again he beat the local defence by tricky stick play: W. Grant was not spectacular, but he play ed a wonderfully fine game at centre, leading the attack and initiating many promising movements. S. Stephens in the right wing is speedy and centres cleverly and is entirely unselfish. E Pulley though not so experienced as his colleagues, made a useful inside left and passed the ball well to H. Cormie, who played left wing. The latter put in some clever play, but his centring was delayed too long at times and he lost several golden opportunities through this fault. The work of the local forwards as a whole was disappointing. Only one of the five, W. Gracie, played up to club form, and his runs up the right wing probably would have been turned to account had the inside two played up to their true form. S. Bell and W. Bell were both disappointing, their play being far below club form, possibly on account of recent attacks of influenza F. Fullwood was not up to representa tive standard, and possibly the weakness of the Bell brothers affected his play. C. Mayston on the left wing missed many opportunities, and his folding was weak on account of the rough ground, but he received little support from Fullwood. and some of Mayston’s centres could have been turned to account had his colleague been in attendance.

The strength of Canterbury’s defence was in the outside halves and the two backs. Bert Hore, who rightly has been termed the best half in New Zeeland, was far below his usual form and for some unknown reason let his side down, and the selector would have been wise had he changed him and B. Rogers at half-time. The latter and C. Hore went well as outside halves right thiough the game. In the second spell Ben Rogers was severely taxed, but came through vrith flying colours, es-

NOTES AND COMMENTS, i

pecially on one occasion, when he raced back into goal and met a shot from Nettleton when the goal-keeper failed to recover. He was easily the best

half on the day’s play, as well as the fittest in the local side, and on his game should undoubtedly have been included in the New Zealand team for Saturday next. C. Ilore, who was playing his second representative game, gave every satisfaction considering the heavy groxind, which is not suited to his style of play. Both of the backs, E. Dash and C. Rogers, put up a good defence, supporting each other and both tackling

well, although they did not clear as well as the visitors’ pair of back-mark-ers. In the second spell C. Rogers had a busy time and, with the exception of a couple of misses, stopped everything that came along. E. Rhind in goal was not impressive and showed a lack of judgment in coming out to meet the ball, and he should remember that a goalkeeper should never hesitate. More Training Necessary. The display of the Canterbury team generally must have given the local selector plenty of food for serious thought. Although the ground conditions were a handicap to first-class hockey, nevertheless there must be a few changes in the team if Canterbury is to successfully defend its shield challenges. First and foremost the selector should insist upon players training, no matter who they may be, and no play er should be considered who failed to attend on training nights without good excuse. It would be correct to say that the unfitness of the local players robbed them of victory, as only half the team were fit on Saturday In the first place, there should be a change of goalkeeper, as Rhind is not the equal of G. Pattison, of the Trinity Club The backs and halves are the best that are about, although one of them was not fit to keep up to a hard game The forwards were the weakness, and D. M’Cormick should replace Fullwood and as Burke, of the Sydenham team, is in town again he should be tried on the left wing in Mayston’s place. It would not be fair to criticise either of the Bell brothers on their display on Saturday, as neither was in good health, but the writer is still of the opinion that players who absent themselves from training without cause should be dropped. Jottings. The Australian team left by the ferry steamer last night for Feilding, where they play on Wednesday, leaving after the match for Thames, where they play Thames-llauraki on Thursday. On Saturday next the final test for the Manning Memorial Cup will be played at Auckland, and the visitors are due to leave for Sydney on Monday or Tuesday next. Next Saturday the local competitions be continued- Sj r denham and Trinity meet and the team that wins will secure the shield. Should the match end in a draw, three teams, Selwyn, Sydenham and Trinity, wall be level and some arrangements will have to be made to finalise the competition. On Saturday week, August 17, Canterbury will defend the challenge sield against Auckland, and challenges are to hand from Waikato and Otago.

The Latin author Plutarch attributes the phrase ‘‘Smells of the lamp” to the orator Pytheas, who said: “The ora tions of Demosthenes smell of the lamp.” He alluded to the current tale that the Greek speaker lived in an underground cave lighted by a lamp, so that he might suffer no distraction from his severe study.