EYES ON THE RUGBY FIELD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 156, 4 July 1934, Page 4

EYES ON THE RUGBY FIELD

The search lor Al] Black talent in the North Island begins In earnest today with the trial match at Wanganui, on Spriggens Park. Very thorough arrangements have been gone to by the Wanganui Rugby Union, instructed by the New Zealand parent body, to cater for a large crowd. There will be ten players participatijg who have worn the All Black jersey: Page, Bullock-Douglas, Lilburne, Collins, Caughey, Corner, Knight, Mahoney, Clarke and Barry. In addition there will be several stars who have represented the North Island. Old Boys, disorganised in the backs, played a disappointing match last Saturday against Kaierau. As was expected the Kaierau van proved too rugged, and except in the fust few minutes Old Boys did not look like a winning side. Hooking of the ball pfoved an important factor in the game under review. Kaierau appealed to dominate :n that respect, presumably because Clay, Old Boys' hooker. Vaa on the tide line. Considering the amount of ball they had, however, the maroons should have done better, and no doubt would have done but for the attention Old Boys’ break-awaya paid to Hoskin, the maroon half-back. He found it extremely difficult 1° avoid the spoiling forwards coming round the side of the scrum and did rot prove as elusive as young Hunter, the Old Boys’ pivot, who had to contend with just as much smothering from the other side. The way Hunter eluded his would-be tacklers was reminiscent of his lather’s ability as a live-eighth, and the wiitmg seems to bo on the wall, "like father, like son, and Wanganui in the near future hopes to discover a clever five-eighths. The Hunter of to-day has a long way to go yet. of course, and needs to study tak- • ing a ball and quicker kicking. Jones was the most dangerous back on the field, and his work inside, plus th© steady play of Morgan at centre paved the way for Burgess io once again prove that he has good scoring abilities. Jones stood up to- a heavy day’s work, and demonstrated that, a very effective method of attack is from loose rushes, just when a break developed in the game and there is a momentary flash of indecision. When a scrum is set or a line-out formed, all backs, in fact every member of the team, is in position and the chances of success in breaking through are reduced to a minimum. After play has progressed, and attack and counterattack have functioned, the cleverness of backs who can appreciate the opportunities offered to initiate surprise thrusts is often not appreciated. Jones has that ability and, in addition, has the pace necessary to get round and parry on a rush he himself has started. Hoskin, despite the criticism that he had a lot to contend with from Obi Boys’ pack and was not always equal to the task, was seen in some clever moves. One blind side effort was really good. Smith, the Kaierau second five eighths, was a dangerous man. He is fast and runs straight. He made one good opening. Jack Morgan played his best gam this season. He was rarely tackled and what he accomplished demonstrated that the only way to stop backs from functioning is to tackle low. If a player is merely held round the legs and he can still play the ball an attack can never be said to be dead. It has probably been slowed up a great deal, but is still alive. Morgan was rarely grassed on Saturday, and as the result of good play by the young backs inside him, played well. Peter Stowers, Kaierau s full-back, was rarely in trouble. He found Handling difficult at times, especially whet those "narrow” kicks for the line challenged him and it was a case of taking th e ball or seeing it find touch. When threatened by fast forwards he invariably got a kick in first Wilson played a better game on Saturday than he did the week before, putting plenty of dash into his play. Handling seems to be bis main trouble, and when he first appeared in Wanganui Rugby it looked as though he had the safest pair of hands of any back in the union. While he lacks Burgess’ ability to side step, this player is a hard man to step, and fed by good insides would go well. The trouble with his play on Saturday, in ronipjufcini with that of Burgess, was That ho had no room to move, whereas he other winger profited by an overlay on one occasion. Burgess’ second irv was his best. * » ♦ • Looking back over the game Kain■au played, one is impressed with the fact that the backs wcut well. Jones speed was their major asset and the fact that he was supported indicated sound team work. Tn the forwards the maroons played their traditional game. If weight was wanted in the tight it was there. Ii Old Boys hooked and spoilers were wanted Kaierau had three of them— Byres. Lockett and Simpson. What a wonderful protection those three afforded the five-eighths. Byres must consider himself very unlucky in not being sorted out in the 20 piayers t<~ provide next week’s representative side. He has played good Rugby this Reason and would be a useful man in a representative team. Lockett should be the first forward picked in Wanganui Rugby, and ignoring the specialist position as hooker, Turner, of Kaierau, would be next, then Byres. After that it would be possible to pick two teams rapable of holding their own against each other. Dawson and Pleasants played well cm Saturday. W. Firmin was conspicuous in line-Out play. In fact there is no hotter pack of forwards in the union than that fielded by the maroons. Old Boys did not have the pack to counter Kaierau and, in addition, the five-eighth line was not fast enough to elude the spoiling movements of the Opposition. There were times when Hunter the half, had to move through h-s'own, so well watched was Sharpe. e Pargeter played a very much improved game, and his two dashes for ihe line were reminiscent of his form in the Technical College team. Sven-, son. on the last line, of defence, <le ...Ire the fact that he made two rriti-

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1 nd mistakes, was better than usual i and often fooled the challenging forwards. He was inclined to dahy too long with his kick, however, and was never sure at handling. In the centre of the field the reds knew that Gibson was absent. His straight running and ability to protect his wings and full-back were factors which would have assisted Old Boys tremendously. Nicholls, in the live-eighth line, only played for one spell and was shaping fairly well when he had to retire on account of an injury. He was replaced by “Snowv” Svenson, whose presence was commendable, in that it marked a return to the fold after the highest honour a player can achieve —to have represented New Zealand in international tests. He was not fit for strenuous play and, like many more who have come back to the game after retirement, found handling the ball a terribly diflieult task. IDs pai ticipation in the move which gave Old Boys their only try. however, was like the Svcnson Wanganui knew in days gone by. Mclntyre played a better game than, usual and paved the way lor the team's only try. Support by BullockDouglas on that occasion enabled the back line to reap reward from a surprise move, one of those thrusts which are so telling in Rugby. It proved two tilings, that Mclntyre is always a dangerous player in attack and Bul-lock-Douglas is every ready to profit from the slightest opportunity offered —a type of player capable of producing the •‘lire-works” when the chance isothere. After all, attack is the best lunn of defence. * « I Jj Polson had the ability to move I quickly in tile first three strides he . would be a good scoring winger. There 1 is not much wrong with his defence i and the wav he can pick a ball up off the ground "is an art which would be of tremendous use to Collins, the Taranaki full-back, who is competing for ! his place in the All Black team lo* Australia. When ijo scored Old Boys ' tiy OU Saturday, Polson was well into ins stride and he made »*e most of the best opportunity lie has ever had. McGregor was Old Boys’ best forward. closely supported by Seiwood, ft looked as though these two, with Mclntyre, were the only members ot the pack putting their weight into the tight .McClelland played well, but was inclined to watch the open too much. Against a pack winch -wa® easily ten points better, Old Boys’ best poll,re was to play as a cohesive unit rather than as individuals. It is true that the breaking spoilers were able to counter Hoskins at the base of the Kaierau pack, but Jones, a laster, more, dangerous player, took libeities because he was not given the same attention. Nobody seemed to be taking particular care of him and he became tii,. danger point in the opposing rearguard. , . . . ‘•Why did Old Do.-.- lose I" was a question put to the writer after the m ilcli bv a supporter who was not there.’ ’'-Weak tackling by the backs ami the better Kaierau pack, ' was the obvious answer. Technical Old’ Boys have a’very impressive side of backs for Jtugby of ilio lighter order. They lack raggedness iu the lhe-etghth line and on one win- but given any opportunities, tn.re have *>pe.l and resource rn attack. Marist realised the fact lull well on saiur-lay. Irwin, at first fiveeighths. has shown marked improvemerit with each game. J. Mete King* ha pace and a safe pair of hands, but is inclined to run across the field far too much. # Beadle, on the wing, played a sound game for Technical Old Boys. His dash to score was a meritorious effort and badly fooled Narbcy and Darby. '1 he Marist full-back waited for his centre to do the tackling and did not trouble about positioning himself in the event of Narbey not getting up to the tackle, with the result that Beadle had the pace and resource to use the loophole and score. It was a fine f r . v ** Thakombau is certainly a dangerous player and one well worthy of a trial in bigger football. He was not so conspicuous ou Saturday, but shook off all but the very best of tacklers. Now that Gibson” is not available he should be played at centre. Nothing but- very sound ta- kiing will stop the Fijian, but he needs to watch his own defence. Shouldering a player off the ball will show him up in a bad light in a representative match The Marist five-eighths were weak and Technical Old Boys took full advantage of the fact. Smith, at half, was commendably game, and stood up well to the opposing breakaways, led! by Hutchinson, the best forward of. that type in Wanganui. The weaknesses'in the green five-eighth line, however, did not tend to show Smith’s work in its proper light. McNicol. who was taken out of the ; pack to play full-back for Technical; Old Boys, after he settled down, played; a really sound game. H° was a good ! deal at sea to begin with, and took! many risks against an opposition that; was not of the best, but over-all his play was quite fair. » There was too much kicking in this match, particularly on the part of the Technical Old Boys’ live-eighths. The I best policy for them was to feed the i Fijian centre, and while they adhered to that for a good part of the game, the old method of kick, kick, kick came into vogue and spoiled what chances there were of opening the game up and making it interesting. * ♦ -T • Hutchinson played a great game and justified the attention being bestowed on him by the selector. Craig, Hutchinson and Kjoss were the pick of the Technical Old Boys’ van. Cleary, a promoted Marist junior, played a very sound game in the forwards. Buckley. Reynolds and Matthews played with **ir form, but there was not the life about- the forwards everybody expected. It is a great pity that there is not more uniformity about the rule which is applied to award a free kick against a player coming out of the tight with the ball. In Taranaki the referees permit the play to be opened up in this fashion from all ruck scrums. If a line-out occurs and a player takes the ball, goes into the tight for a moment; and then comes out again with it, he

'is not penalised. Times without num ber Wellington forwards used tha method of sending Page .nto action I In Wanganui those moves are rigid!.; i penalised. Wanganui may be rigb | and Taranki wrong; Taranaki may b, 1 right and Wanganui wrong. No mattei which way it goes there is a glaring lack of uniformity and it tells on thi game. Wanganui referees base their rulinj. on the contention that when a playei lakes the ball from a throw-in and i> | held so that he cannot pass or play it it is a tackle and the rules insist tha; when a tackle occurs the ball shall bt played with a foot. Yet the same re ferees permit a more glaring example of t-he same breach to occur out in the ’ open. Times without number, player.1 have been tackled in the field of play, j clean and low, the ball has rolled tc ; one side and an attacking player has 1 arrived on the scene, picked it up end ; scored. Playing with the loot aflei I the tackle has been entirely forgotten. * In such instances, particularly when ' two players are away out on their own ; and a tackle has been brought off and I both fall on the ground, one can find ; some sense in the rule being applied, . In justification for the tackle having been made the attacking side is uiidet an obligation not to pick the ball up until it has been played with a foot. To accomplish that the attacker, nine times out of ten, has to slow up. That gives the defence, particularly if it is the full-back, who has brought the tackle off. a chance to get on its feet again. 'I here is something very fail I about that. * I But look at the position as ruled by ! the referees who penalise a player comi ing out of the tight with the ball actor ' a momentary attempt to block him. ! What in the name of goodness is lair about the imposition of a free kick against a player who has had the ability and strength to avoid a tackle. Take Mclntyre’s play on Saturday, when he was penalised for coming away from the tight with the ball. If that ball was taken by him in the line out and he was able to break clear from the ruck with it that could quite as fairly be ruled as a player fending off an opponent. Why penalise him for 'so doing? What he did was opening the game up, and with a referee ruling along those lines, as they do in Taranaki, the play would be the better for it. If Mclntyre received the ball from some other player in the tight the definition of a tackle could not apply, for the simple reason that some player certainly could pass the ball. The offside rule might be applicable, of course, but certainly not that defining a tackle. Rugby observers in Sydney are anticipating something like <• general swing-over there to The 3-4 1 scrumlage. formation. The 3-4-1 was introluced into Sydney in 1932, but last year it found less favour there. However, the fact that the Australian, team which toured South Africa last y ar .vas impelled to adopt, and retain, me >4-1 formation, has been a poweriul niluence on preparations for the forward play in the new season’s Rugby *.n Sydney. In 1932 the Sydney teams which tried this formation had sonic lifliculty in adapting it to their break*.way play—they usually had !•■*> many breakaways. The Wallabiee, however, earned in South Atrica that the iatterlay South Africanxjthod of using the ne man in the back row .more as a ock forward than as a breakaway, and nakiug the breakaway play from the lanks of the middle row, is bt.’tiir than rying to have th re breakaway.-. William Hector Ucrutti (better mown as “Wild Bill'*) ac’>nc v es the '.onour of being the first W allabv to <arry after the tour of South Africa, ampbell was the only married member *f the team. Cerutti came back’from he Brisbane tour on Wednesday three veeks ago, and unbeknown to bis team bates on that trip was married the .•tm-e night to Miss Gwen Thomas. Gordon Shaw, manager of the Waratahs, .resented the koala bear team mascot f that combination, to the first father f a future Rugby international. ’Die >rize went, to Sid. King. Perhaps DrJatthews will provide something simiar for the Wallabies. Perhaps erutti’s bosom pal on two tours, Jenny Love, will be the next of the A T allabies to go to the altar. Love beome engaged just before he tripped to •outh Africa. In the Manly-lmiversity match two veeks ago, Dr. Ross fielded a. hall and an straight and hard towards the ■onTre of the field. Malcolm flashed heind him towards the wing, and the 'niversity captain. Love, shouted a rantic “ Watch Siddio,” expecting the everse pass the pah use so well. But .loss tricked them. ’Malcolm continued *n his way for the pass, and Ross went traight. ahead—with the ball, and ran iis three-quarters into position well, i'hese Wallabies know each other. — Sydney Referee). A. T. Francis, the Kai kora i half>ack, may ha\ c his critics, but. the fact * annnt be glossed over that he is a real natch-winner, says the Dunedin Evenng Star. Tn nine matches, the Kaikorai captain has scored no fewer than 75 points- The total consists of four .ofted goals, a try, twelve penalties, nd ten conversions. Kaikorai has cored more points than any other ream, and although he is inclined to overdo the attempt tn pot a goal, it should be remembered that he has often -roved his worth in this direction when •'.is backs have been unable to finish off. Francis is an unorthodox half-back, bu»t many of New Zealand’s greatest play•rs behind the scrum have come into the same category. Francis was chosen to represent the' South against the North at Auckland next Saturdav, but was not able to make the trip- He has been replaced by G. Gaffaney (South (‘anterbury). The Queensland Rugby Union, side which drew with New South Vales in Sydney on Saturday was ’the strongest turned out by the Northern State since rhe revival of the code there in 1929. I’he Northerners scored 44 points to 38 by New South Wales in the two ■rames in Brisbane, and were keen to follow up their success with a win over <-he blues in Sydney. Surprise of the was the omission of Max White, the big forward, who made the trip to South Africa. Some of the critics had already earmarked him for his Australian cap against, the . All Blacks, but the big chap’s form against. New South Wales recently was nor, impressive.. With the exception that M. Muller and F. Whyatt replaced M.

White and J. East in the forwards, the selected 15 was identical with that which downed the blues in the King’s Bi.rtkdfly gapia in Brifcbano*