SPORT and SPORTSMEN

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20362, 20 July 1934, Page 11

SPORT and SPORTSMEN

JJAWKE’S BAY will have to play above themselves to win the Ranfurly Shield to-morrow. The Canterbury team has speed and dash in all departments and is the best to represent the province for ten year* At the same time, much will depend on the half-back’s work. Quick, clean passing can make or mar Canterbury’s chance. * The 1934 All Blacks leave Xew Zealand on July 26 and play their first match against Western Districts on August 1. New South Wales will be met on August 4. Against Old Boys, Christchurch gave the best exhibition of scrum and ruck play seen on the Oval this year. Cottrell’s pack leadership was superb. The Christchurch backs were fortunate to have such a feast of the ‘ball. ITad the other side been getting half as much, the Reds’ defence would have had a few holes pushed into it. Old Boys’ biggest handicap, apart from light forwards, lay ih the halfback and first five-eighth positions. Clark has not the physique for strenuous rush-stopping, and Cobden has little knowledge of combined play. Oft'-side waiting still spoils senior Rugby in Christchurch. In the Old Boys-Christchurch match there were glaring cases of men creeping up unseen by the referee, particularly during scrums, so that they could pounce : on opponents. Bad Luck for Sydenham.

Fred French, the Sydenham fullback, had the misfortune to fracture an arm in the friendly match played at Methven on Saturday last. As . there was a shortage of forwards his place as full-back was taken b\' R. Walburton and if French played on % the side row of the % scrum. His arm was X-rayed after the team’s return to Christchurch, and French was advised that he would not be able

to play again this season. In the matches so far played. French has been a very useful and handy man in the Sydenham team; he has played first and second fiveeighth. and centre three-quarter, as ,Tveli as fuii-back and in the forwards. He has scored 60 points this season for the Sydenham Club, the majority of these coming from his goal-kicking, french is 23 years of age, weighs 14 stone and is 6ft lin high.

Alhambra's Jubilee. In a letter from my old friend, the Otago and Alhambra forward Jack Mitchell, he informs me that the jubilee of his club takes place this year (writes W.G.G.). A smoke concert is to be held on Tuesday, August 28, and a ball two days later. Mr Mitchell mentions that the Kaikorai Club, of Dunedin, also celebrates its jubilee this year, and the two old rivals are holding a combined “ old timers’ ” smoke concert on Saturday, September 1, whilst a combined church parade will be held the following day. The Alhambra Club is anxious to get in touch with all its old members, and Mr Mitchell states that if they will notify the secretary of his club of their addresses the information will be appreciated. Three Fine Players. In the Chr.-tchurch-High School Old Boys game last Saturday there were three outstanding features (writes W.G.G.). Jack Manchester was right on the top of his form, and the New Zealand representative was everywhere that the ball was. It was one of the finest exhibitions of all-round forward work seen here this season. In and out of the pack Manchester was great. Cottrell for once was noticeable in open play. As a rule this hard-working forward is busy mostly with the close work. He does his full share, and did so on Saturday. But curiously enough he was also seen in the open more than is customary, which proved what a splendid forward he is in all departments. One fine piece of work that led to a try by one of his side was a gem.

Mortlock had few chances on attack, but when openings came his way he made great use of them, and it was no fault of his that tries were not scored by his side. On defence his splendid worth as a player was noticeable. The Christchurch forward attack was deadly, and would have resulted in more success but for the stopping powers of Mortlock on defence. How he missed the trip to Australia is only known to the South Island and New Zealand selectors. He has only to go on in the wav he is now playing to demand that his claims be considered for the English tour. Miss F. M. Blenkiron, a London typist, whose hobby is motor-cycling, is the first woman to win the gold star awarded to motor-cyclists exceeding 100 miles an hour at Brcoklands. She covered the circuit of two and three-quarter miles at a speed of 102.6 miles an hour. 55 55 55 There was a young fellow on skis Who suddenly wanted to snis. He woke up in bed With a pain in the head. And a nurse saying “ Swallow this, plis! ” Neville Cardus, writing in the “ Manchester Guardian.” hits off C. V. Grimmett in a few phrases: “ Grimmett is the most perfec t length bowler of his kind. He is curiously economical in the way he bowls googlies. The difference between him and A. A. Mailey is that Mailey bowled googlies like a mil lionaire. and Grimmett bowls gooplv stuff like a miser—not so keen to ghte away loose ones.” The results of the last two billiard tournaments conducted by the Sydenham Rugby Football Club are:—Winners, L. Williams and L. Walsh. Run-ners-up: R. Norton and F. Jacobsen.

To-morrow’s Hawke’s Bay team is but a shadow of the side that, playing i at Napier on August 14, 1926. defeated Wellington by 58 to 8. The Bay team was: G. Nepia, A. Grenside, J. M. Blake, L. Paewai. A. E. Cooke, L. M. Johnson, J. J. Mill, J. Walker, W. R ; Irvine, A. Kirkpatrick, M. J. Brownlie, 1 M. Mahoney, C. J. Brownlie, A. Single. |J. P. Swain. This team, included ten | New Zealand representatives, and two 1 who later gained that honour. Hawke’s j Bay, in the same year, defeated Wai- ■ rarapa by 77-14 and 40-12; Wanganui i by 36-3; Auckland by 41-11. Writing to a member of the Canterbury Rugby Union, a prominent North Island enthusiast says:—“J saw the ! All Black trials at Wanganui and I Auckland. I liked vour Ilazelhurst and your Mortlock, but both lads got a raw deal. The most gifted Rugby genius would not judge a Rugby player in forty-five minutes, let alone the selectors.” In the early years of. this century one of New Zealand’s great inside backs was Jimmy Hunter, who .made a name for himself as an All Black. Another Hunter has come on the scene in Wellington in a son who plays for and captains the Scots College team in Wellington. As centre for his school against Dannevirke High School on Wednesday, young Hunter played brilliant football under adverse conditions to score the whole of his side's eight points.

All From Waltham

The selection of Bjlly Oliver for the Canterbury team to "play Hawke’s Bay in defence of the Ranfurly Shield completes a unique record so far as the Waltham primary school is concerned. Twelve years ago the strongest primary schools’ challenge to Marist came from the Waltham School team, coached by Mr C. L. King, who was then a pupil teacher and who had earlier played- in the Christchurch Boys’ High l School first fifteen and cricket eleven. The strength of the Waltham team was immediate! v behind the scrum, where Billy Oliver presided, while the first five-eighth was Ray Ilazelhurst and the second Gordon Innes. Billy was the last of this brii-

liant trio to earn honours. In fact, while he was still. playing senior B Rugby in Christchurch. Innes was an All Black in Australia, while Ilazelhurst had been selected for the South Island team. Waltham’s unique record is possessed by no other Canterbury |

primary school, although Riccarton turned out the brilliant Sid Carleton and Woolston the sound and solid Herbert Lilburne. Not So Confident. Wellington gave a most disappointing display in their game with Wairarapa on Wednesdav at Mastertcn Wairarapa completely* outplyed the visitors in the concluding stages to win by 21 points to 16. The Wellington pack was sluggish and Mr Nicholls was given ample proof that weight was not everything in forward play. The in-

side backs, Kilby. Lilburne and Pollock, did their work well, but the threequarter line. Ball, Hansen and Fuller, did not function well. Hansen handled badly and sent out a number of bad passes, while the' efforts of all three on defence were weak in the

extreme. The fullback, Crisp, repeat-

edly failed to find the line and lacked experience. As a result of the game indications are that Mr Nicholls will reorganise his side, and the possibilities of Wellington faring well on the southern tour are not bright. The material is in Wellington, telegraphs the Wellington correspondent of the “ Star.” but so far Mr Mark Nicholls has made rather a poor job of welding it together. That, in any case, is the opinion of the man in tiie street. Well on the Target. Robin 11. Nichol! is creating quite a reputation for himself as a brilliant allround rifleman on open-air or miniature ranges, and he added to his record by winning the grand aggregate and the individaul title at the Canterbury miniature rifle championships last week. Nicholl has been shooting since 1909, and he had his first experience at Trentham in 1913, when he was a member of the New Zealand Cadets' team which fired for the Earl Roberts Trophy. He served in the Great War and competed at Bisley in 1924. He also contested the British miniature championship the same year and lost second place through putting a shot on the wrong target. In addition to being twice New Zealand King’s Prizeman, Nicholl has won thirtv-one other club. provincial or national titles. Nicholl is thirty-five years of age. and if he maintains the form of the last five years on the mounds, he should pile up an enviable record before he retires (says the Wellington correspondent of the “Star”). Order Them Off.

i The temperamental tennis player is ! again in the limelight this season. In the London Queen’s Club tourney*. Lott and Stoeffen, of America, both abused umpires bee .use the decisions did not fit in with their ideas. In one instance the umpire walked off the court, and : the maich had to be finished under the j eye of the club professional. Tennis | umpires should be empowered, as foot- | ball referees are, to send players off i the courts if they transgress the laws j of sportsnfhnship. H. S. Fenwick, who died in Dunedin ; this week, was a member of the Canterbury Rugby team that played New South Wales in 1882. He later repre ! sented Canterbury at cricket and was a member of the Canterbury eleven • against Auckland in 1892. Mr Fenj wick was educated at Christ’s College.

Christehurch proved too solid in the pack against High School Old Boys and monopolised the game thereby. The rearguard of the victors was not so effective in attack but were sound in defence. The few chances that came the way of Old Boys were used to the best ' advantage, but good forwards will always beat good backs hence the defeat of the side Betty’s Racquet. Miss Betty Nuthall, England’s most popular lawn tennis girl, is' trying a new experiment. She is playing with a man's racquet, and the man who gave it to her is F. J. Perry, the best player in the world. The racquet weighs 14oz; the average racquet used by a woman is between \2\oz and 13oz. Miss Nuthall said to me (writes Fiank Poxon): “1 was dubious about using such a heavy racquet, but it has come off trumps and I feel that 1 like it. It gives me greater pace on my drives. After all, when Fred Perry gives a woman player a tip it would be unwise to ignore it, for he knows what he is talking about. “It took me some time to get used to it, but now I am going to ‘ steal ’ it. I am sure Fred will not send me to Court."

At Wimbledon this month Miss Nuthall went out in the first round to Mrs Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Canterbury can consider their match with Hawke’s Bay to-morrow probably the most serious challenge of the season, telegraphs the Wellington correspondent of the “ Star.’* Mr Norman M’Kenzie, one of the shrewdest judges of a footballer in New Zealand and a brother of the New Zealand selector. Mr Ted M'Kenzie, has built up a good all-round side, which lacks only the brilliance of the former holders in the days of the Brownlies, Mill, Johnston. Cooke, Grenside and Nepia. The challenging three-quarter line is strong, with Apsey, a powerful defending player, and Charlie Smith, a brilliant attacking winger^ Wairarapa’s Win.

Wellington were without Ldmbourn. Page, Griffiths, Killeen and Robins for their game with Wairarapa on Wednesday, but their absence did not detract from the merit of Wairarapa’s win. Lambourn could have hooked no better than Coulston, while it is doubtful whether Killeen, in his present form, would have improved the three-quarter line. The Wairarapa forwards played a bustling game, while

the backs, under the inspired leadership of the veteran Stringfellow, who has been playing in representative Rugby since 1925, took advantage of nearly all Wellington’s mistakes, the worst of which was a failure to find the line in defence, telegraphs the Wellington correspondent of the.

“ Star.” A better line on the true strength of this season’s form in Wairarapa should be gained in the Hawke’s Bay-Canterbury match to-morrow. The Bay had to play all out to score a narrow win Wairarapa a fortnight ago. Schools’ Rugby. The Christ’s College-High School football match has lost none of its attractiveness (writes W.G.G.). This was proved by the large crowd that witnessed the game on Wednesday. This match often produces the “ fireworks ” of Rugby Union football in that the ball is thrown about with abandon, resulting in spectacular play. Of late years, however, the deadly tackling of both teams has slowed it down considerably. Last year the match ended in a draw, the chief feature being the deadly tackling on both sides. I saw the game last year with a keen judge who at the conclusion summed it up in a few words. “ Anyone who had the ball was unlucky,” said he, “ because the player quickly found the earth.” That was his way of referring to the solid tackling on both sides. In last Wednesday’s match defence was again in evidence, and splendid w*ork in this department was seen on both sides. It was altogether too good for the attack. The weakness on both sides was the inability of the inside backs to penetrate the defence. To a large extent this was brought about by the transfers being made too quickly, before an opponent was actually engaged by the attacker. Across-the-field passing was too much in evidence, and assisted the defenders. The forwards were about evenly matched, although possibly the College vanguard were a trifle superior. There was little to choose between the backs, but it seemed to me that if the somewhat small wing three-quarter of the School side had had more work he would have been even more troublesome to the opposition. Defending solidly throughout, he gave evidence that with more work on attack he may have won the name for his side. Just a word for Mr Blazey. the referee, who controlled the game in fine style; without looking for mistakes, he cave a splendid exhibition of how Rugb\ footbaU games should be governed. Anything that mattered he never missed, and he made the match much more attractive than it might have been if it had been refereed by an official who was looking for mistakes on both sides. "Money Falks."

The crash of the Australian Eleven in the second Test should wake up even those gate-hungry officials who insist on the covering of the wicket (says the Sydney “Bulletin”). It is years since Australia has developed a sticlcy-wicket batsman of the type of Percy M’Donnell, Worrall or Harry Graham, who could and did knock up three-figure scores on the worst of pitches and against masters in the art of bowling on them. We shall never breed that type of batsman again till the wicket-covering practice is abandoned. Since money talks as, loudly in modern cricket as it does in the legshow theatrical business, that day is not likely to dawn for many a year.