WANGANUI MATCHES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 178, 30 July 1932, Page 4

WANGANUI MATCHES

PIRATES AGAINST OLD BOYS' TWO EVEN TEAMS (By “Cross-Bar.”) Two strong clubs teams are to race each other m the principal Rugby match in Wanganui to-day —Pirates and Old Boys. Both will play hard to defend a claim on the 1932 championship. Neither club has reached championship status in recent seasons, and both have played good Rugby. From a public point of view a win to either to-day would be popular, but the result of the match is extremely hard to forecast. Pirates, if anything, are on the upgrade while .there are signs that. Old Boys arc falling away. Old Boys have been at pains to strengthen their team for this afternoon, however, and realisation that the match ahead of them is a hard one will probably inspire the side to better effort. Two junior players have had to be called on—Reid, for the full-back position and Martin to play on the wing. Shaw, who has played second five-eighths this season, has been moved out to centre, and Gibson has been brought in one place. Whether the change will make for better back play remains to be scon. The reds great difficulty this afternoon will be to get possession of the ball. More life will be necessary in their van than has been shown in recent matches. If possession is gained then speed will be a necessary requirement to reap reward. Pirates, greatly encouraged by their form against Kaierau, have high hopes of victory. It is the recollection of the form of their pack that contributes most to the general feeling of high spirits in the black ranks. The protection the Duncan-Lowe combination received in the encounter with the maroons was a big factor in the Pirates 7 success. Matters will be a little different in to-day’s match. Old Boys, even if they do not function as well as Kaierau did in the tight, will have more effective spoilers and if the tackling of the backs reaches the standard expected, the kick-up-field tactics for which Lowo is noted, will have to bo resorted to. It remains then for Old Boys to adopt adequate measures to cope with this type of play. It is certain that this match will prove exciting. There should be little between, the two teams. Pirates have requisitioned Gibbons, or at least hope to do so, for the second five-eighth position and his presence will liven up the attacking power of the black rearguard, and will probably take from Lowo his “ responsibility ’’ as a kick. The placing of respective players in to-day’s teams suggests that both will endeavour to make their back? function. Low tackling and effective backing up will be necessary in defending measures adopted in retaliation. Old Boys should have a slight speriority in the backs, but what they gain there they are likely to lose* in the forwards. So no other conclusion can ho come to on paper than that two even teams will bo matched. The prediction is: A win for chance either wav. The teams will take the field as under: Pirates. (Black.) Rusden Wakeling McGonaglo Williams Gibbons Lowe (Ist.) Duncan Head Copley Heald Cotterill Gowan Ennis Friend Maitland Old Boys (Red.) Reid Spriggens Shaw Martin Gibson Egan (Ist.) Blyth Pearce Cox Harding Tremowan Aguew Wills Clay Watson Maroon and Green. There will be almost as much interest focussed in the early match on Spriggens Park, that between Marist and Kaierau. Tho maroons will take the field keenly desirous of protecting their present position on the ladder. The defeat inflicted on them by Pirates suggested that they would have a hard task to maintain their winning way in the thjrd round, but a defeat for Kaierau invariably acts as a spur to greater effort and that fact will probably be revealed in to-day’s match. The predictio nis: A win for Kaierau. WRONG PLAYER SENT OFF INCIDENT IN SOUTH AFRICA At a recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the Transvaal Rugby Football Union, the case was reported of a referee who had sent a young player off the field, says the Rand Daily Mail. The Junior Sub-Union held an inquiry and found that the referee had sent off the wrong man! Tt was also stated that the referee in question had failed to turn up when the inquiry was held. The president of the Transvaal Rugby Union stated that on hearing tho circumstances he gave permission for the player to take part in a match, as ho did not think it fair he should be penalised. This action was confirmed by the Executive Committee.