CHARITY DAY MATCH SHOULD BE CLOSE AND KEEN CONTEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19107, 27 June 1930, Page 7

CHARITY DAY MATCH SHOULD BE CLOSE AND KEEN CONTEST.

Old Boys Will Be Favourites In Their Game Against Albion Team

After two poor senior games on the Oval at Lancaster Park, to-morrow’s Charity Day clash between High School Old Boys and Albion should come as a pleasant relief to followers of the Rugby code. Though Merritt and perhaps Burrows will be out of the Old Boys’ side, they will field a strong team, and as Lilburne and Steel will reinforce the Albion backs, this contest should be fast and fairly even. Merivale should have an easy win from Technical at Rugby Park; Sydenham should cause Christchurch no trouble at the Show Grounds; and Varsity have easy opponents in West Old Boys.

In their game against Old Boys, Albion will be called upon to do great things, as their chance in the competition will be greatly affected. With the leaders until last Saturday. Albion then went down to Merivale, and dropped back a point. Merivale have met each of the other three strong teams, and defeats by Christchurch and Old Boys stand against them. Albion have been beaten by Merivale and Christchurch, and tomorrow's match .will tell whether or no they can gain the decision over Old Boys, who so far have only gone down once—to Christchurch. Should they win, Albion wil: be equal second on the list, but a loss will make them fourth. Can Albion Win? Albion’s hope of victory lies in their forwards, but, unless Collie and Howell have sufficiently recovered from the

injuries they sustained last Saturday, the scrum will be below strength. Still, there are solid men to take their places, and the Albion vanguard, which stood up so well to the heavy Christchurch pack, should have the advantage over Old Boys in their department of the game. It is in the backs that Old Boys should more than hold their own. They play essentially a team game, with the forwards striving: all the time to open up the play and give the straight-running backs a chance Dailey, Hay, Innes and Carletor form a combination which must prove too good for most club teams, and. though Lilburne will be there to stiffen them up, the Albion men have not combination anywhere near good enough to cope with the Old Boys rearguard. Old Boys Should Win. Dailey, behind the Old Boys pack,

is just the man to put a stop to the breakaway thrusts of the Albion forwards, and his defensive work should stand the team in good stead. Outside him is the safe Hay, whose wonderfully good handling makes all Dailey's passes look *good ones, and who will be likely to draw Lilburne and leave Innes and Carleton to the thrust into the attack and giv«*tlie wingers a chance. Roberts, the Albion full-back, should have a chance to show that he is good in tight places. So far his defensive work has not been particularly impressive when he is hurried the slightest bit, though his fielding and touchfinding are generally well up to standard. lie will have in Harris a good example. The Albion backs, llodgkinson, Preston, M’Kerrow and company, are 3 solid lot of defenders, .and it is unlikely that Old Boys will be able to put up anything phenomenal in the way of a score, though much depends on how much of the ball llodgkinson and Lilburne see. Lilburne, in form, gives his wingers some good chances, and Steel and Thompson are not easy men to stop. Much depends on how the Albion weaker links, at second five-eighths and centre, take and give their passes. On form to date. Old Boys must be picked to win, though a big margin of difference cannot be expected. Three Foregone Results. The three weak teams in the competition, Technical, Sydenham and West, will meet Merivale, Christchurch and Varsity respectively, and though there is always the element of chance to be reckoned with, the results may be written off as foregone conclusions. The three clubs alluded to have a long way to go yet before they can field teams up to senior standard, though, if keenness is anything, they should achieve success in time. All the interest to-morrow will settle round the Oval game.