FOOTBALL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18785, 19 May 1923, Page 6

FOOTBALL

RUGBY UNION GAME WANGANUI’S REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAMME. BIG MATCHES ARRANGED. June 4—Taranaki, at Wanganui. July 7—Maori team, at Wanganui. July 21—Marlborough, at Wanganui. July 28---Southland, at Wanganui. Aug. 11 —Bay of Plenty, at Rotorua. Aug. 15 —Thames, at Thames. Aug. 18—Auckland, at Auckland. Aug. 29—Hawke’s Bay, at Wanganui. Sept. s—Otago, at Wanganui. Sept. B—North8 —North Auckland, at Wanganui. Sept. 15 —Wellington, at Wanganui. Sept. 22—Manawatu,'at Palmerston North. OTHER MATCHES TO BE ARRANGED. Rangitikei, at Marton. Taihape, at Taihape. Taranaki, at Taranaki. Taranaki 8., at Wanganui. Bush, at Wanganui, against B team. Nelson, at Wanganui.

NOTES AND COMMENTS There will be no football played to-day, but the next two Saturdays will more than make up for the break. Next week Old Boys are to meet their old opponents, Pirates, and the following Saturday the light blues will be up against Kaierau. Both these matches will no doubt bo put on number one ground. » • • •

When Old Boys and Pirates clash it should be a great encounter, and the Old Boys-Kaierau match should be a fitting climax to the first, round, and despite the fact that supporters of the black jerseyed men are confident. the writer is of opinion that the winner of this latter game will take the championship honours. • • » •

The fact that the Rugby Union has cancelled all games for to-day should not be construed to mean that they have done so solely on account of the races. The Rec. is adjacent to the racecourse, and to allow players and spectators in there while the races are on would spell ruination th j fences and trees. ftnerwise the game would undoubtedly go on just the same. * • • »

Thirteen will no doubt be regarded by Marists as a rather unlucky number, for that was their total strength for a time last Saturday in the match with Kaierau. As a matter of fact the work of the Kaierau team throughout the first spell was not what one expetced, and despite the fact that they ran over Marmts in the second session, their display was not altogether satisfactory. The Marists more than held their own in the first half, and the maroons were lucky to be three up at the turnround. • « • •

1 McAuliffe stood out on the Marist side. Grogan was sound in defence, and when he retired early in the second spell that was virtually the end of the blue and blacks. Of the pack there was no on.e player standing above his fellows, Kruse, Sutherland and Wilson being ably supported by the others. There are several who opine that but for their heavy casualty list—Peterson, Elvey and Grogan going off—they would have inflicted defeat on Kaierau, is one of those problems which must remain unsolved. * » • • One always expects big things from the Kaierau XV., this rightly or wrongly, for they have a splendid team on paper.

In their halfback they have a good acquisition in Warwick, one of the Athletic family of that name. Darby was safe, and H. Stewart, J. Lockett, F. Collier, Scott, and W. Collier shaped well, but they can improve considerably on their

form to date. W. Ross, whose pWoto appears here, was at the head of the forwards, and was supported well by Dillon, J. Stewart and Brookle. » » • » L. Palmer has left Wanganui and will be figuring in the E'ltham team in due course, along with G. McLean and L. Head. In addition to losing Palmer, Marists have suffered a severe loss through T. Quirke receiving internal injuries which debar him from stepping out on a football field again. As against this, Fromont, who had a collarbone broken early In the season, is expected to take his place in the ranks next week. THE ECLIPSE OF RATANA Interest attached to the initial showing of Ratana for the reason that, the natives were an unknown quantity, and there were hopes that they would be mercurial in their methods like the Rata native players. But the games so far indicate that the Ratana standard is not tuo Rata standard, and the truth is forced home that there are native and native teams. Unless Ratana improve, and improve muchly, there is scarcely mote hope for them than to provide trying-out games against the town teams. Yet in the Ratana side there is good material of tho crude kind that could easily he moulded into something much hotter, and one is hopeful that they will receive the tuition that they so badly need. A good coach at Ra tana for a few weeks could work

wonders. In these days of lilywhite amateurism a paid coach — however small the amount of remuneration —is taboo, but possibly some arrangement in an honorary capacity could be made. Southland overcame a similar obstacle a couple of seasons ago, when they enlisted the services of “General” Booth—in a purely honorary capacity of course —for Southland fling lovingly to all that is brightest and best in amateur traditions.

It would be a pity if Ratana faded into oblivion like the Young Maori Party team, which started a few seasons ago with a flourish of trumpets. Last Saturday Ratana could only match Old Boys with sheer weight in the tight stuff, and in every other department of the game they were outclassed. Had the Old Boys' rearguard been of the quality of a fe.v seasons back, when they had a trio of the calibre of Palmer, Svenson, and Scott, a cricket score of tho kind Wanganui put up against Taranaki a few years back would have been, not a possibility, but a certainty. For the moment the Ratana team is barely up to senior form. . In Mete-Kingi and Whakarau they Save two forwards with possibilities. Whakarau is built on massive lines, and ranges close to the 15 stone mark. Could he but be well trained it is quite possible that he might prove the centre-forward for the rep. team that has been sought for a past decade without success. Likewise, Ratana has two promising backs. Johnny Paki and Wairemu. Paki is versatile, and possesses tho Rugby gifts of inspiration and ability to make instantaneous pace. A couple of his swervy dashes on Saturday were reminiscent of the way the great “Morry” Wood in his day used to pierce opposing defence. Paki is a genuine footballer and may yet make his mark. Wiremu played a magnificent game at full back, and was never at fault. Ho kicked with length and direction, showed speed, took the ball with unerring skill, and tackled like a tiger cat. It was a fine exposition

of high grade full-back play, and he completely overshadowed the Old Joys’ custodian.

In shreds and patches only did Old Boys work up to anything like form. In the scrums it was fifty-fifty all the way, for the Maoris had tho great advantage that, weight gives, and beat the opposing hookers, but in the loose the Old Boys forwards were in the ascendancy throughout. Packer and Cox were the bright stars, and their raiding tactics harassed the native backs sorely. Both these palyers should be certainties for the rep. team, and if Packer keeps his form, it is possible that he may get even higher honours before the season is out, although he needs to cultivate more aggressiveness in battling for the ball on the line-out. Wood and Weekes were also prominent with dash in the open. Baddeley was in a class by himself in the Old Boys back division, but although he made countless openings the weakness of the intermediate line discounted his efforts. Neither Aiken nor Willaeey impressed individually, while collectively they were a full and complete failure. Jensen was right off for most of the game, and in the first half could not gather in the most ordinary of passes. Naturally the outside men suffered. Strachan played pluckily and made the most, of the all too few opportunities that came his way. Deem had also the experience of being ot a starved wing, but on a couple of occasions he did get a chance to show that ho is one of the speediest backs in local football.

Marsden was regarded with interest in view of a convincing display a week previously. But he was right off, and his play at times suggested langour. It was noticeable at half time that about half the Ratana team regarded the interval as an occasion for smoking cigarettes, a pleasant diversion, but not calculated to assist one in partaking of strenuous athletic exercise.