RUGBY NOTES

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIX, Issue 3103, 27 June 1929, Page 6

RUGBY NOTES

J? tmttNa REP./ MATCHES. , ' (By "OVAL."), • ""'' :. On Saturday \japxt the..local rcprc- "\ ; sentatives will be called upon to play ~f: their, first r match of ; 'the. v s£ason, when ./•.' they will* travel tff % Td Awamutu and * l Wcet Waipa a while the Senior B team - -will contest a "game at home with the "•visiting Waipa B teani.' The selector, Mr. Brook Wells, has made his sclcfc . : tions, and has/made quite a.-good job l: f of a difficult "'. task, although' <!Oval" 'would, prefer a team with slight altera-, i'l tions to that chosen. Cambridge is .'■;-, fortunate in having more than enough ■'- good forwards this year, -and as the season advances there will be some 'fighting play- for inclusion in the first V 'fifteen.' This, it will be appreciated, does not make the selector's job any ' jßasier. It might be mentioned at this '•'.'' :■ : juncture—with the acquiescence of th'i '.-.'.'• selector—that the ,B match on'Saturday > ; will bo regarded for-selection purposes % - as of equal importance to the senior ; inatch;. Any > player who particularly .shines out in the~B team will be reV t ineinbered 'equally with a player, or players who are-disappointing in the V ; - A team; In reviewing the A team the -.&■ Mrriter is now of opinion that it would . laeen desirably to ; have tried out \'-'/lL Thomas at foil-back. He has been playing very good .club games this season,' and his; line-kicking has been well above the average. -His only fault is •that he runs too far back to sight his X Icick to the touch-line. With fast attack against him he is likely to get caught. .' >' In -last week 'a. notes '' Qval'' suggested \ the following three-quarter line:—T. }-V'.s^^r4^^ V, *''n«pgoii and Russo; but, Ijaviog. again.reviewed tho play of the ....season, is finally of the opinion that it "' would have been;better-to have played ;.-.; A.Thompson on the wing, Jvennedy in 4he' centre, and T. Dagg or Russo on the qtho.r. wing. This cannot -be done -J . now, for Eusso is not "fit enough and \ ; Ti' Dagg cannot travel. In "Oval's" opinion the best three-quarter line now .-:/ available is A.■ Thompson, ; Kennedy and C. Thompson or Morrice ■on the other, .wing. In last week's notes ...'•-the writer,suggested Byrne and Tucker - ai, the five-eighths, with Baker as an .... '■'':'. -emergency, r but in view of Baker's ex--«.pl)[ent play again last Saturday he is ; ,apw satisfied that the Baker-Byrne coniN bination is about the best five-eighth. one that can be produced in the .Union, j isa half-back Hollier is outstanding :

His work again last Saturday .was tuight and snappy/ and he gets the ball ' away cleverly to his inner backs. In the iovcv position and forwards ' 'Oval" is 'practically in, agreemcnt-»with the " 'i - selector. Frear would have been a valu- . able addition,. especially in line-out work, but in putting Robinson:(United). ssand A. ''Sandy'' Miller in back tow, no doubt the selector is remembering how- his scrum'-will "pack down. Both these boys.are very hard grafters, Bobmson being, very fast in the loose. •.■lt is a pity that.McNanmra is »6t avail- ••"* able, for he is one of the outstanding :~j forwards in the tlnion. :; However, tho 'team is the strongest the Union hate : had for two seasons, and"Oval' * wishes them the' best of luck- on Saturday. .. • .-.■..;■',lTpw Jet ua.have a loot Over th# B -.team. -I, have, commented; oh Thomas ', above/' '■% thinkythc.. selector has made a .mistake in-putting Moore at threequarter.: iHehasonly played two game? ' in the backs, and is-a very poor kick. ,'• "It would; have been better to have put up'in the forwards and given '..the back position to Setter. In tho f last two club- games Better has done •well f orvHaiitapu at full-back or three'•quarter, and;, critics cannot, point to % • inany occasions ,when he let his side . down... The jest-of the backs /arc -pretty , ..Tight.f In of forwards the Vseiecto.r. has '■ done, well. .The Harris ..fcrot-hc'i's will- have the job of. hooking. ; .'This: pair- are : coming on:woll, and the •selector is wise in keeping, tTi em to- . fgether. .5 f Oval'•'. - also ' wishes the B \fcoam success on Saturday, 'i . two matches on Saturday will be good try-outs iri view of the-match'with ' Matamata .at Cambridge the following \ Saturday.- '.,.... . ' The junior selectoiy Mr. T. Dagg, - senr.,. is,, no "doubt,-now wrestling with

his;'problem of selecting the junior representative- team to- travel to Matamata Saturday week. - With the six teams operating locally last Saturday and this coming Saturday, he has the opportunities of scojng his players. The Union is fortunate in getting Mr. A. R. Batcholor to take up the position of third-grade selector, and I feel sure his appointmont will meet with the approval of the whole of the third-graders. 'The selector will be" required to pick a third-grade team to meet Mataniata at Cambridge on Saturday week. The Pestee Cup. ' The; fixtures for the Peace Cup are now out, and it will be seen that Cambridge is'wVll down the list. In fact, the local Representatives have to play an elimination match With Waipa before they, can go for the trophy, even if they arc successful in the elimination match. Saturday's game will have some intercst"in this, connection. Then again, even if Cambridge defeat Waipa. in the elimination game; the season will be that near its end that there is sure to be some difficulty in getting a team together. The. Union are, naturally, disappointed at being so far-down the list, especially when Hamilton, Thames and Morrinsvrllo have had.a mortgage on the Cup for so long. , .. j

In* the Finlay Cup competition, which is arranged by ballot of challenges received, Cambridge ik better situated, and has the third challenge. The holders (Matamata) play Taupiri on Saturday next, and the date will then be fixed for the game with Cambridge. It might be' mentioned that the' Matamata-Cam-bridge match at Cambridge on July Gth is a friendly game,. the Cup not being at stake.

LOCAL CLTJB COMPETITIONS. CHAMPIONSHIP TABLES. The following arc the positions of teams in the local.club competitions to date. It should be noted that there are still two matches to be ..played in the senior round, and three in the junior and third-grade competitions:-

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, Senior. Points Clip. P. W. D. L. F. A. Pts. Leamington. 7 5 1 1. 72 23 11 Hautapu . 7 5 2 69 38 10 United .'.'.. 7 3 1 2 41 42 7 Maoris .... 7 0 0 '7 12 91 Juniors, « Points Clip. P. W. D. L. F. A. Pts. Kaipaki ... 7 4 3 0 59' 32 .11 Tairsvhare .. 7 5 1 -1 82 28 11 Leamington. 7 5 0 •2 64 29 10 Matangi ... 7 3 2 2 35 56 8 Hautapu ... 7 1 2 4 19 38 4 United .... 7 1 0 6 23 102 '2 Third Grade. Points Chp'» P. W. D. L. F. A. Pts. Leamington. 6 6 0 0 68 18 12 Kaipaki ... a: 3 1 2 39 30 7 United .... 5 3 Oj 2 27 22 6 High School/'-6" 2 o' 4 49 41 - 4 Matangi ■<... . 6 0 1 5 21 58 0 -United has. four games to play.'