THE PAYNE TROPHY

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 190, 12 August 1931, Page 6

THE PAYNE TROPHY

Merivale Team Strong in Forwards. GOOD GAME EXPECTED. The teams for the Payne Trophy match at Lancaster Park Oval on Saturday at 3 p.m. will be:— Merivale. Full-back—l. Howatson. Three-quarters—A. Rowe, A. Bullivant, G. Rhodes. Five-eighths—R. Flewellyn, S. Hendry. Half-back —A. O’Connor. Wing-forward—C. Rich. Hookers —G. Suckling, J. Kirkland. Lock—G. Langdale-Hunt. Supports—T. Rountree, K. Kearney. Back row —G, Francis, L. Maginness. Emergencies—A. Bourne, R. May, J. Maxwell, I. H. Brown. Otago Varsity. Full-back —Lindsay. Three-quarters—M’Kenzie, Dunne, Smith. / Five-eighths—lrwin, Cook. Half-back—Pryde. Forwards—M’Curdy, Service, Borrie, Abel, Gifford, Strang, Hartnell and Hamilton. Merivale Weakened. The Merivale team will be very much weakened by the absence of G. Day and C. J. Oliver, who will be playing for the South Island against the North at Wellington on Saturday. The forwards also will not be at their full strength, as Berry, the side-row man, and W. W. Crofts are not playing. Berry, who is an ex-Wellington representative player, has shown himself to be the best man in the Merivale vanguard, and Crofts is travelling with the Canterbury representative team. A rearrangement of the Merivale backs has made the back line as strong as possible under the circumstances. S. Hendry, who will play at first fiveeighth next to O’Connor, is a newcomer. Flewellyn, who is usually at centre or on the wing, has been brought into Oliver’s place at second fiveeighth. He has a fair turn of speed and should do well in the position. Bullivant’s form has slumped badly in the last month or so, but when on his game he plays well on attack, though his defence could be stiffened up. Rowe and Rhodes, on the wings, are not noted for speed, but they are solid and fair average wingers* A good deal of defensive work will probably fall on Howatson, who is fast improving in form, and the team can rely on his giving a sound display. The Merivale forwards went very well in the early part of the season, but have lost some of their dash of recent weeks. The pack for Saturday is a well-balanced one, including some hard workers in Kirkland, Suckling, Francis and Maginness.

INTER-ISLAND GAME

Two Changes in the Teams Announced. A change has been made in each of the Island teams for the North v. South Rugby football match at Wellington on Saturday. N. Ball (Wellington) has not sufficiently recovered from a recent injury to take his place in the North Island team, and K. Fookes, of Taranaki, has been selected to fill the vacancy. H. Fookes (Otago) is unable to play for the South Island, and his place as centre-three-quarter will be taken by W. Allan, of Otago. It is a coincidence that the two alterations should affect members of one family, 11. Fookes and K. Fookes being brothers. Both are old boys of the New Plymouth Boys' High School, as is another brother, S. Fookes, who has represented the New Zealand Universities and Canterbury. Andrews, wing-forward for the South Island, is another New Plymouth High School old boy, and was playing for his school last year. The father of the Fookes brothers, Mr E. F, Fookes, was a fine footballer in his day. He went to England when he was 17 years of age, and there made a name for himself on the football field, playing for Blackheath and other well-known clubs, as well as representing Yorkshire and England. He was a member of England's team for four years—from 1896 to 1899. On his rettwn to New Zealand he represented Taranaki, and one of his best games was as full-back for Taranaki-Wanganui against Bedell-Sivright’s team. MORE CHALLENGES. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, August 12. Official challenges for the Ranfuriy Shield from Otago and Taranaki have been accepted by the Wellington Rugby U nion. The game against Otago will be played on August 29 and against Taranaki on September 12.