FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Age, 5 August 1921, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

TO-MORROW’S GAMES. Following are the fixtures and referees for to-morrow: — SENIOR. Redmond Cup.—Carterton v. Gladstone, at Carterton, J. Blake. THIRD CLASS. Featherston v. Martinborough, ac Featherston, J. Roache. Greytown v. Masterton, at Greytown, H. Manihera. The Wairarapa junior ropresenta five team leave for Nelson and Marlborough this morning, catching the Mapourika for Nelson, at 12.15 p.m. The following Gladstone team will defend the Redmond Cup against Carterton at Carterton on Saturday : Pike, James, Pinfold, Abbott, Bond, Foreman, Perry, Henderson (2), Matson. Booth (3), Pope. Nathan. The Carterton team selected is: Tinsley, Sage, Fairbrother (2), August, Groube, Gallon, Spooner, Hutchison, Knowles, Strachey. Janies, Ross, Ryan. Desmond. Masterton 111. to play Greytown: — S. Jenkins, S. Newland, J. Scott, W. Day, D. Rutherford, J. Sutherland, H. Oakley, E. Grantham, G. Mason, R. Allen, R. Gee, J. Mackley, H. Mackley, W. Yates, E. Holm wood; emergencies, Wilkinson, F. Truscott, D. Pauling. Bus leaves P.O. corner at 1.15 p.m. The following will represent the Masterton Fourths in their match against the Oriental Fifths at the Pailc Oval at 1.30 to-morrow: —Gibson, Hooper, Connor, Watson, Williams, Beattie, Everden, Groube, Collingo, Mackley, Finlayson, Mooney, Chcsterman, Williams, Rick; emergencies, Barton, Minifie, Pickering. All players billeting boys are requested to be. at the Y.M.C.A. at midday tomorrow. NOTES BY -FULL-BACK.'’ It has been left to Canterbury—poor, despised Canterbury—to score the first win against the all-conquer-ing Springboks. Their success has come opportunely, and will go a long way towards strengthening the game in the Cathedral city. That it was no fluke victory was demonstrated on Wednesday last, when their weak er touring team defeated Taranak (who had previously drawn with the Springboks) fairly decisively by 1-’ points to 5. Rugby in Canterbury has been on the down-grade for up wards of 10 or 1$ years.? It reacliec a high standard about the time o the visit of Bedell-Sievright’s Englisl team, 17 years ago. If memory serve me aright the Englishmen played tin first game of their tour at Christ church. The ground on the morninj of the match was covered with foil inches of snow, and a small army o schoolboys came to the rescue of th Rugby Union and had the playin. area cleared by noon. The Englisl men won by five points to three, aftc a memorable game. Bedell-Sievrigh scored for England under the post? Dr. O’Brien (who is now practisin his profession in Christchurch) cor verting; whilst for Canterbury, th late R. G. Deans, after an excitin race for the ball with P. Rush, tli crack English half, scored a sens: tional try which Rodrick failed t convert.

Canterbury have never been really great since, though they nearly wrested the Ranfurly Shield from Auckland in 1910. They have certainly been generally regarded as the weakest of the- four principal provinces for many years, and the Christchurch people worthily signalised their return to greatness by chairing the whole team from the field after they had beaten the hitherto-invincible Springboks. A small number of good judges on Saturday morning proved true prophets when they opined the Canterbury forwards were the very type required to beat the African vanguard. It has been freely admitted that the Wellington forwards were beaten by height as much as anything. Murray. Henderson, the Cumming brothers, and Petersen are a quintette of exceptionally tall rangy, fast forwards, all expert at dribbling and short rushes, and they outclassed the African pack in every department of forward play. This year, as was the case last year, South Canterbury and Wairarapa are of about equal strength, and the defeat of the former on Wednesday was not unexpected. Probably, wishing to atone for their defeat at Christchurch, and at tin same time make a favourable impression on the Governor-General, the Springboks put almost, if not quite, their very best team in the field comfortably beating South Canterbury by 3-1 to 3. They play Otago on August 10. Otago have a. husky bullock ing set of forwards including Turn bull, Richardson, and Duncan, but their backs are an unknown quantity, and given a dry ground I would tn the Springboks win by probably ) or 10 points. They should, however, be up against a slightly stiffer proposition in Southland, whom they meet to-morrow. Southland have always been a hard team to beat or their own ground, and at Invercargill last year beat a strong Wellington team for the Ranfurly Shield. They have a fine set of forwards, including “Farmer” Baird and Whyte, whi’st their backs, with T. W. Lynch at centre, are said to be up to standard. Lynch, it will be remembered, played several fine games for South Island ii: pre-war days, besides touring California and Australia with the AllBlacks. He has scored over SO points in club football this season, and th. would seem to indicate that be has recovered from his war injuries, and is rapidly getting back to form. The date of the Wellington v. Wairarapa match, at Wellington, hasbeen altered from September 19 tc. September 3. Mr R. Stewart, of Gievtown. will act as manager of the Wairarapa B team to x visit Dannevirke on Wednesday. The team will leave by the mail train on Tuesday ainl will return to Masterton on Wednesday night. The Wairarap? juniors -. ill leave for the southern toor on FHdav members of J. ...... . out second sim ' . . on ton. Besides :ii to the N.S.W. V. M;,film: ..,:»;vh. the team on its return . r! >e, will play a t■■■■:• ;• l ■ . :. .