WITH THE HARRIERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 142, 17 June 1936, Page 4

WITH THE HARRIERS

THE CROSS - COUNTRY RUNNERS By “JOG-TROT" The success of the Wanganui Club team at Dannevir-ke, with C. Weller the individual winner, was a feature of Saturday’s harrier activities. At home the Y.M.C.A. Club held an invitation run at Gonville.

Opening their 1936 competition season in good style, the Wanganui Harrier Club A team secured first place in the annual interclub contest at. Dannevirke on Saturday, thus annexing ibe Anderson Shield. * * * • In addition to the teams championship the club’s No. 1 man C. Wellei, finished in first place. A. Bourgeois and K. Johnston finished 41sec. and GGsec. respectively behind WeJer, filling fifth and sixth positions. L’bis was good support for the team, providing a good lead, so that when A. Bevege, showing improved form, came home in 19th. place the championship was assured for Wanganui. G. Johston was unfortunate in suffering a recurrence of his leg trouble, with the result that he did not run true to form. * # * < C. Cox, a first-season .'inner, was competing in his first, intcuclub competition and proved that he has undoubted promise. Without over-exerting himself he ran a good race. Also competing in his first race, 11. O’Donnell should benefit considerably as a result of the experience. Witn R. Dix and R. Orr, O’Do.mi ll should show improvement when i/.ttid against the Masterton team at Wa'.ganui next Sat u rd a v week. '* * * • It may not be amiss at (ius stage Io consider the form of some o 4 ’ the runners known to Wanganui competitors. C. Talbot (Masterton) w?,- runner-up and put up perhaps the last race of his career. He proved to be comparatively fit. Talbot will be representing Masterton Club in the Bcn.-on Trophy race at Wanganui on June 27 F. Hill (Marton) who fii isbed in fourth position, lias been showing excellent form this season, and his run on Saturday proved that he will have an excellent, chan'ec of retaining his place in the West Coast team this year. W. Edge and G. BronUcv, also of Marton Club, are two who are running well up to championship form, ns Saturday’s run proved. They finished in eighth and tenth positions respective!v. 'The annual contest for the Anderson Shield was inaugurated in 1’134 and proved more popular last vear. but the 1936 field now stands as the record, 70 I runners representing six clubs from the three districts of Hawke’s Bav. Wairarapa and Wanganui. The next fixture of- importance for Wanganui Club members is the first I ■'leg'’ of the annual contest- on Saturday week for the Benson Trophy. This race is to be held over the amended Bramwell championship cour-e, covering six and a-quarter miles. The Master” ton Club will be represented | y a strong team of runners, and they will find the Wanganui Club repres«ntaLives prepared for stout opposition. The \ isi- • tors will be entertained at a danve in I the evening. I J. Northover, who was l'tree seasons ago a member of the Wanganui Club’s A team was seen out for a run last. Saturday. It is hoped that he will he out, regularly, as he always could be rc-lied upon to run a determined race. Wanganui should be able to give a • good account of themselves in tnterclub and championship races with the following team this season:—C. Weller, K. Johnston, A. Bourgeois, G. Johnston A. Bevege. IT. Clarke. F. Kiddle J Carr’ C. Cox, ,T. Northover, A : H. R. Dix, H. O’Donnell, H. Hopper and : X. Hopper. In addition S. Willetts, 1 E. Stroud and H. Walker are r remising i juniors. Next Saturday ’s race for the Wan- s ganui Harrier Club will be held over ■ the Bramwell course from the Inter- i mediate School, commenc.ng at 2.30 i Mick Darby, if he never knew it before. knows now that to lake a player I coming at him a defendei must move I« up and tackle hard. Mick waited and then poised himself to take McNeil, the Pirates’ five-eighth. McNeil, unncces- i sarily, dodged a little, then ran at the ’ Kaierau custodian and then ran away from him, leaving him standing. If i the little flair for dodging had not ’ taken place McNeil wouid lave made good the six inches he needed to register a score. It was hard ’ui-k, indeed, yet surely a tribute to Jones that that try’ was never scored. Both Burgess and Smith are goon- 1 finishing wings when the need is wanted , They were in scorng mood on Saturday and must have, appreciated the fact that the Brogden-Thomp-son-Jones combination was working well. 'They also received sound, if steady, service from Jack Morgan at centre. Hutchinson, of Technical Old Boys, played his usual hard game on Saturday, showing much better control of the ball in dribbling rushes. He may lack the handling abilitv of McClenag- : han, but has all hi s dash WheAi the 1 Waverley player is of bettei use, however, i s combining with the backs. He I' is a nearer approach to the McNeil !' type of forward than Hu’clrnson will 1 ever be. Dallison and T. Johnsion were the! l best of Waverley’s forwards on Satur- I day. Both played hard games against ' a very hard pack. Both the Newland I Bros, were mission- • • • It was pleasing tn sec Knox Welsh ! back again on Saturday. He played in the five-eighth line for Technical Old Boys and is one of the city’s most promising backs. His abilitv as a fullback will come into its own some day. Pirates have lost a lot as the result [of "Watty” Thompson, Tie erstwhile representative hooker, having g-iven the game best this season. For pr'vate reasons “Wattv” has o , ccuoi*?d the sideline since the opening match and the black serum has -badly felt he need of a good man to rake the baP back. j 1 * * ♦ Technical Old Boys’ posTion on the | ( ladder close in rear of the two leaders (

p.m. All members of the club are urge.! to atlend Saturday N ijl in view ot the niterclub contest the followin'. Saturday. ° Another enjoyable invitation race was held by the Y.M.C.A. Harrier Club on Saturday afternoon. . run was from the residence of the pieside'it Mr -N. It. Wallace Gonville Avenue. No doubt this type of run is a valuable factor in the club's success. At any rate, it always ensures a gooil muster for the outing. * * Members and supporters ,- b rt a inl v did till justice to the delightful afternoon tea provided by Mrs Walla,-e 1„ the club president and their hostess of Saturday afternoon Y.M.CA. members have two loyal supporters of whom the < lub should well be proud. -rhe trail-breakers „cre sut-eessful in Imding a most difficult course for the runners to follow. They had a varied course including road work and sarmy ■'hd hilly country. Owing to interference with the paper on tin trail by wo or three youngsters several memIlls had the misfortune to mi.s> the track, losing valuable time. Thi« of course made their times fur the course much slower. One of the best performam-, s of the at ernoon „ as that of yo Jllg Charbe Harper who, with a handing ot omin., lepeated the previous Satmdav’s effort’ Crossing the finishing line first with a good ,100yds. spare, ;. c also annexed second fastest time honours. ■Several „f the other sen-,., members "'ll have to look to their trainii,.. or Hus young ehap will make proverbial “hacks" of them before the season Is half over. M. Anderson, off a similar'handicap, ■an a very line race, but lacks that necessary stamina which is onlv acquired by hard training. Melton is qu.te capable of running a good deal better, but he pays far too little at--1 cation Io his t rain in" • A- Corps hud his first out ing of the season on Saturday. Xo doubt he ton,.a the outing somewhat on the hard side nut should soon get into form with a Jittlc training. | Twe members who have shown inI creased improvement on the last two laces on previous runs are A. Wansborough and George Bourne Both ran good Steady races together throughout the course, but one thing they must remember is to make a rare for it over he last. 100yds. O r so to avoid deadheating. IJ- Wade.v has again put oi, bis shoes i atler a brief two week’s spell. T] e ran a very line race, but ,avk of hard lacing this season prevented him from keeping up with the faster men. Himfi rnn now should work a improveI ment in Ins times. : | T Collings, off the serat-h r. ark, ran ' a lone race throughout the course and unfortunately, was one of the unlucky ' ones to Jose the trail. It will be in- 1 Hc'-yng to see how he faies with the ! Marten bovs on Saturday • A good muster of runners and supporters will make the trip to Marton on Saturday for the first “leg" of ’ the contest with the Marton Club. ' Among those who have alrca.lv advised ' the. secretary that they will make the ' trip are G. Couchman, G. Bourne, I), ' Wadey, D. I-'romont, T. Collings, It. ' March, S. Butcher, H. Bowiing, H Ar- ’ nolcl M. Anderson, C. Harper, D. Lain-, ' Geof Bourne, A. Corps, M. McCann ' and S. Hanton. Several supporters have also given their names. Those wno 1 wish to make the trip are, advised to see the secretary at once and accomodation will be allotted them. Mem- 1 bers are asked to assemble at the Post ' Office at 1 o’clock sharp [—Kaierau and Waverlev—is distinctly heartening to the club’s supporters, i [Just when the prospects indicated a touch of slump the chib suddenly felt ! the warmth of encouragement, and training is being taken up very keenly. This is unodubtodly the fittest team in the union, and probably, man for man, : the youngest. I Wanganui’s three selcvlors—Messrs A. Henwood, H. Whiting ail j Alex lakarangi spent a heavy night of ft ' on Saturday, after which four representative teams made their appearance. Selection of a Maori side, of course was peculiarly the task of Mr Taka- 1 rangi, and ho went about it in characteristic fashion, seeking guidance and help from hi s co-selector s and from numerous slips of paper on which he had jotted down prospective talent. It has always been a myste.y to European selectors as to just how Alex goes about his sorting up of talent, but over long years of experience they know that this hardy old Kaierau piaver and Wanganui rep. of the past, knows who to look for and when to •CdlL Out of something vague Alex invariably creates something tangible and here’s I hoping that his Maori lad, ’’ring back I the Tucra Shield from Wa'fara next I week. Where he digs his Maor boys up from he himself knows, but when I they turn out they ar.e usually pretty I much what he wanted. • [ To "Cross-bar,” —Can you inform : me whether 13. S. Sadler, ’ Wellington ; Old Boys’ half-back is on Ihy injured list. If not has any reason been advanced as to why he has been dropped in favour of E. W. Tindill (Athletic) : in the Wellington team to play Taranaki?—Sadler was injured in last Saturday’s club match against Welling- ■ ton, but the extent of that injury is ; not known definitely here. It was not : because of that he was not selected to play against Taranaki, however, the Wellington Rugby Union having ruled ■ that the rep team was not to include Poneke or Old Boys’ players. Those teams are to play an important club ■ match on Athletic Park on the King ? < Birthday, hence the decision, which has 1 certainly robbed Mark Nicholls of sev- : eral players of calibre.—"Cross-bar,”