WANGANUI RUGBY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 126, 29 May 1937, Page 6

WANGANUI RUGBY

TO-DAY’S PLAY-OFF DIFFICULT TO FORECAST BOTH TEAMS REPORTED FIT SEVEN-A-SIDE CURTAIN-RAISERS. (By “Cross-bar.”) This afternoon’s senior tussle between Marist and Wanganui and Old Boys for a right to enter the A grade of the . Wanganui Metropolitan competition’s second round will be one of the hardest matches to forecast of the year. Both teams are even as regards form and all th? indications point to an even ending, just as was the case last Saturday. It is too much to expect of Rugby, of course, to see two successive matches drawn. Yet on the face of things that is what should happen this afternoon. During the week both teams have trained with a great deal of enthusiasm and one can look forward to a battle royal among the forwards. On paper the mastery in front should go to Marist. They should be able to dominate possession of the ball, and that means nine points out of 10 in Rugby. The other point resolves itself into a question as to what is done with i%3session ,and therein may the real weakenss of the greens. Will their backs have sufiicient thrust to round hard-won possession off in the right way? If they have then nothing will prevent a Marist victory, for, looking at the past one is convinced that the greens will control most of the ball in the forwards. But Old Boys will not be so easily beaten in front as many seem to think. Their vim last Saturday was an indication that they can rise to better things if they are probed to it. One can look, therefore, for more life in the red van this afternoon. It will then be a matter of determining whether Old Boys’ backs will have a better knowledge of what to do than the opposition. Answering that question in the affirmative, one is forced to reduce the Marist advantage forward to some extent, realising that any breakdown in the green rearguard machinery will throw matters dangerously against them. In short, the teams can be compared thus; Marist stronger in the van, Old Boys stronger in the backs. Rugby, it is said, has been founded on a truth that good forwards can beat good backs and that a side which has no effective force in the van will lose nine times out of 10. That truth is prevaricated on occasions and such occasions arise when penalty and field goals are remembered, and when play leaves the forwards and confines itself to back against back. So, looking at the prospects for to-day, one is forced to the conclusion that Old Boys, showing reasonable form in front, will give their backs chances to prove whether they are better than the greens. If the match trends that way, and it will if Marist use their backs to any appreciable extent, then much will be asked of G. Hook, the new Marist full-back. The result of such a match is in the lap of the gods, and the prediction is a win for Old Boys! But just listen to this:— D. G. Barton (captain of Old Boys): I think we can do it. Our forwards are playing better. G. Williams (captain of Marist): The team has trained hard and is confident of success. R. McDonald (president of Marist): It will be an even match and the winner not known until the end. R. G. Taiboys (president of Old Boys): We are looking to the forwards to-day more than we have ever looked to them in the past. F. A. Atkinson (coach of Marist): Nothing has been left to chance. The Marist team will play hard and give of its best. W. Howard (late coach of Old Boys, from far-away Hawera): My thoughts are with the reds to-day. I think they can win. SEVEN-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT TO-DAY’S TIMETABLE 1.30 p.m.—Tech. A v. Pirates A. 1.50 p.m.—Kaierau v. Tech. B. Pirates a bye. 2.10 p.m.—Winner of 1.30 p.m. match v. Pirates B. 2.30 p.m.—Final: Winner of 1.50 p.m. match v. winner of 2.10 p.m. match. WANGANUI AND OLD BOYS The following team will represent Wanganui and Old Boys in their engagement with Marist at Spriggens Park this afternoon:—F. Hewler, V. Gooding, I. Mclntyre, J. Higgie, E. O’Brien, D. Barton, L. Northover, E. Hansen, C. Robinson, E. Ireland, A. B. Collins, E. Chamberlain, E. Nicholls R. Grace, J. Polson, J. Halligan and M. McGregor. Juniors v. Marist, on Racecourse No. 1, at 1.30 p.m.—Madden, Mathews, Hewson, Stroud, McMillan, Jeffs, Blythe, Moore, Cook, Allen, Reid, Hore, Buddle, McNeil, Brett, Lloyd, McKnight, Green.