The Canterbury Team.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20360, 18 July 1934, Page 6

The Canterbury Team.

Dear Sir, —The announcement of the Rugby team selected to represent Canterbury has not uplifted me as it should have. I can foresee the Hawke’s Bay “ Magpies ” fluttering back to Napier intoxicated with victory. I cannot share the apparently general enthusiasm over last Saturday's Old Bovs-Christchurch match : I thought it was a frightful game. All the five-eighths in local football should have had free passes to tile Otago-Varsitv match last Wednesday. where they would have seen two fiveeighths who kicked not. neither did thev cut in. Their centre and wings were able to show whether they knew their job. If Mortlock played in Auckland the same * s he did here on Saturday, then I take back all I have said about the All Black selectors. If he plays the same next Saturday then I am going to Napier to see the next Shield match. Nolan knows how to stop forward rushe*. He gave me no impression that he had been told to take the ball on the full or to find the line when he kicked. Twice be seemed to show interest in the antics of the local Air Force when a high kick came down behind him, so I dare to commit the heresy of doubting his sound positional play. Roberts should be fuil-back—in my opinion, without a doubt. lie has faults, but not very many. It does not alter that fact if Nolan plays an excellent game next Saturday, for the man with the best record for this year’s games should be chosen. Again. Nolan has been injured. What happens if he has to go off next Saturday? I saw M’Phail play full-back for part of one game last year, and, while I admit he is a good club centre. I would net like to give a considered opinion on his full-back plav. This is not an anti-Old Bovs letter. The Christchurrt* team annoyed me iust a* s much as Old Bovs did on Saturdav. It seems to me th»t Athletic are the only team in the competition have faced up to the fact that their combined hack plav is futile and consequentlv plav the “ kick-»nd-hne-or-cut-in-but-don’t-pass-out ** g?me). L. Moran should be the reserve half-back for Canterbury. Hazelhurst is obviously picked either on last year’s form or because he is the best of a poor lot, probablv for the latter reason. AnH ab*"*»t* ou- *>ack of wing-forwards? T t looks as if the Bav scrum (of IS-store babies, so the progress sav ) wifl C olior.c e for l**ck of ° n vthjnrr push against, so perhaps we’ll win i ( there are thr/>e or four inches of mud on the ground. In rnv case, the trainer of our red--*ud-blacks has a hectic week in front of him. Or am I blue?—l am. etc.. FOUND A LINE.