WANGANUI RUGBY IN REVIEW

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 114, 17 May 1939, Page 4

WANGANUI RUGBY IN REVIEW

MARIST - PIRATES BATTLE

FORM OF_THE TEAMS NOTES AND COMMENTS SOME CANDID CRITICISM * ( Much preparation Is being made In the camps of Wanganui and Old Boys ; and Kaierau for next Saturday’s big . club match. It will decide leadership d in the first round and both teams will ' field the strongest talent available. ; The match will be interesting, not only because of the relative positions i of the two teams on the ladder, a : point apart, but because both Kaierau and Old Boys play constructive football. < . • • ] Marist felt the need of players capable of playing a constructive game last Saturday against Pirates. There are really two types of Rugby—the . hard, bullocking, brainless type and ' the type that calls for clear thinking 3 and playing to a plan. The bullocking type often wins matches by a wearying down process, but in the first few minutes of a game a weaker, lighter side can often catch a hard-playing fifteen napping, score points and then settle back to withstand a long siege by battering forwards without the backs capable of finishing off. It is not said that the PiratesMarist encounter of Saturday was exactly that type, but it was a case of two hard packs playing each other and no forward scoring. All the scoring, apart from goal kicking, was done by the backs. The lesson the match taught was that teams, while encouraged to be rugged and fit, must also have some constructive ability about them and must take the field not with one card I to play, but several. Marist faced Pirates on Saturday 1 determined to play hard in the forwards, but there was not much attention paid to what was likely to happen if those forwards were countered. To be quite fair, Marist is not the only team to take the field with only one ace in hand. Pirates missed against Technical Old Boys when the opposing team made it a back game at every opportunity. Wanganui and Old Boys were held to a draw by Marist because Marist had countered Old Boys’ backs and Old Boys’ forwards were too slow to counter Darby fit half-back. It is readily admitted that Rugby is always governed by the old truth that possession of the ball is the first factor in any game, but the stress laid on the word “constructive” in these notes is to remind every coach in the union and every player that possession of the ball is worth little unless a player knows what to do with it. When Marist knew full well that the experiment of playing Mick Darby at half had failed, when attack and not defence was called for, the team might well have adopted the belief that there is little difference between a sheep and a lamb when it comes to a hanging. Cronin might have been more effective at half, Amohia could well have been brought closer in. Pirates profited by bringing G. Berryman in to centre, where he was able to see the ball quicker. Two tries rewarded the blacks because he was there and not on the wing. If Marist could have got the ball out to T. McCashin faster than the backs seemed able to do, the chances of a green win would have been enhanced. It must be remembered, however, that McCashin did have possession on two occasions and he did not apply pace soon enough. Punting over the full-back’s head merely gave the speed of Berryman the chance it needed to strengthen the defence. Both full-backs played soundly, L. t Connor for Marist and A. Duncan for 3 Pirates. Dun cam had more to do than the Marist player, perhaps, and L his kicking was a feature of the match. • * * * Rearrangement of the Pirate back line, which played G. Berryman at centre and brought 'O. Larsen to the second five-eighth position, seemed ’ an improvement, but remembering the vast amount of play during which 2 the two packs battled without the * backs playing much part, it might be 2 said that neither rearguard was fully s tested. The two tries Berryman scored at the beginning of the match, t and the try scored by McCashin for e Marist, suggested, however, that both lines would have been fairly capable e but for two things.

V. Cronin, the Marist first fiveeighth, nearly always placed himself for defensive purposes and that, plus the battle Darby was having with the black pack and the slowness of P. Wiwi, the second five-eighth, to move up, handicapped the greens. Pirates, sitting on 10 points early in the game, did not use the backs again so frequently. They were then in the position Marist had been in the week before against Old Boys.

When the score crept to 10 to 8 there was a possibility of a change in policy, but neither team used its backs, Marist because the players close in were ill placed and Pirates because that ill-placing of Marist was all for defence and Pirate attacks were checked. Why did not Marist, the team with the most to gain, not place its backs for attack, even if it meant them changing places?

To the forwards of both teams one gives full credit for a great game. It was really a forward battle all through, with Pirates seemingly better at breaking and loose rushes, Marist hard and effective in the tight. Had the greens had the guidance of Barry the pack would have done better.

A. G. Davidson, S. Lee, K. Parnell and V. Kench stood out in a good Pirate pack and C. Reynolds, B. Dow, F. Matthews, R. Martin and B. Currie did well for Marist.

Pirates could well have adopted the ! stab punt by the five-eighths in that! second spell, and it says a lot for Cronin, of Marist, that he was able to frustrate that when D. McGonagle did attempt it. That certainly was one effective means adopted by Marist to counter the other side. Kaierau has certainly moulded Into a strong team. It may need strengthening at full-back. C. McNichol was not on his game last Saturday against Technical Old Boys, an effective team I at following up. & The Kaierau scrum had a great i deal more cohesion about it than in I former matches, and the policy of use i the backs was good. Technical Oldi Boys, however, fielded a light pack and the maroons should have done better. On the run of play there was not the difference between the teams as suggested by the scores of 16 to 6. Technical Old Boys threw away a good many points through selfishness. Twice the three-quarter line was waiting for the ball and an inside back ran right into a tackle on each occasion. Technical Old Boys have a useful wing three-quarter in M. Shewan and he is deserving of every encouragement. To a good wing man the best of encouragement is the ball given to him with a reasonable opportunity to do something with it. Remember how S. Leydon revelled in taking the ball for that good try of his down the right touchline! He is getting back into his last year’s form. C. Mackie, the Kaierau centre, will need to brush his handling up a little. He should be a dangerous man if he can accept the ball properly from his inside backs. In H. Brogden, D. Thompson and Jack Morgan Kaierau has three backs all of whom have knowledge of the right thing to do with the ball when they get it. Wanganui and Old Boys will be up against a very solid and clear-thinking trio next Saturday.

M. Guy served Technical Old Boys well al full-back. He is the makings of a good custodian. Was the combination between J. Brisco and Toby McCormick, in the Technical Old Boys five-eighths line, as effective as it should have been? Brisco was just a hit too fast and elusive for the more solid McCormick to follow, and although the weaknesses developing from that difference in styles was not apparent to everybody, it was there all the same. The player Technical Old Boys missed badly was A. Kjoss, the siderow forward. He has been of great strength against opposing backs in Wanganui for the past three or four seasons. It would take the best siderow man in the union to cope with Drake Thompson and Jack Morgan. H. Takarangi played a hard game in the Technical Old Boys pack. The makings of a top-notch forward. W. Cairncross and C. Travers are two likely looking wing three-quar-ters. Cairncross plays for Technical Old Boys and Travers for Kaierau. Neither got opportunities on Saturday to prove themselves, but what little was seen of them suggested good form. Another likely looking wing man, judged on the flashing dashes of his on Saturday is the Marist player H. Amohia. At the end of a good attacking line he should be a dangerous attacking player. These wing three-quarters, Leydon, Amohia, Travers, Cairncross, and wc might as well add R. Grace and J. Polson (Old Boys) and G. Berryman (Pirates), are mentioned because Wanganui will 7>e looking for two good wing three-quarters to play against Taranaki on King's Day, June 5. * * * * The other keen search for talent to take the field on King’s Day will be made, apart from in the forwards, for a half-back. There are three worthy of consideration—R. Hunter (Wanganui Old Boys), H. Brogcien (Kaierau) and H. Phillips (Technical Old Boys). Phillips is a rising player and his representative call is due probably not yet. Brogden has ability to vary his play and has already done well as a half for the Wanganui team. Hunter is the strongest contender for the position—young, wiry and fairly sound at delivering the ball to his five-eighths.

Wanganui should be able to field a good pack of forwards this year if they are picked rightly. Picking of a scrum is just as important, when it comes to positioning, as is the selecting of backs. A three-quarter is very rarely, if ever, asked to play half-back, for instance. One of the first essentials in picking a pack is to find the centre man of the front row. Chris Reynolds and E. Callaghan look to be duelling for that position. Callaghan has a good New South Wales reputation and can certainly hook. His other play, however. appears to fluctuate. Last Saturday he was not so impressive as the week before. Reynolds plays a hard game and the question he may answer is whether he is fit enough and trains sufficiently to stand the distance of a big match. Hunterville is preparing again for its annual Rugby ball, which is to be held on May 31. This popular dance is looked forward to not only by Hunterville folk, but by footballers and their fair admirers from the whole of the Wanganui Rugby district.

MATCH AT TAIHAPE WANGANUI OLD BOYS AND COUNTRY TEAM (By "Mark") Wanganui and Old Boys, winners of the Wanganui district championship last year, and leaders in the competition this year, seem to be a big draw in Taihape as local fans turned up in large numbers last Saturday to see the visitors play the Taihape Country team. The fact that Wanganui and Old Boys had beaten Taihape Old Boys by the record score of 60 points to 3, probably accounted in some degree for the large gathering of patrons at the Taihape Recreation Ground.

! The match between the local coun-1 •try team was one of the best of the ; iseason, being full of incident from' {start to finish. Taihape barrackers; came into their own properly and i cheered as they never cheered before. Local fans are usually silent, or very nearly so, but on Saturday they gave full expression to their feelings. The visitors had a feast of the ball from the set scrums, Northover proving too good for Tumu, and later D. Bailey, at hooking, though the fact that Old Boys had a big advantage in weight in the scrums, made the Taihape hooker’s task more difficult. When it was found that Tumu was being beaten for the ball consistently, he was replaced by D. Bailey, but the change did not have the desired effect owing to the lightness of the Country pack. Hunter, the visiting half-back, got the ball away smartly to Nicholls, who formed a useful link in the chain of backs but did not do anything outstanding. Hook was very tricky and scored a great try. He is always worth watching, and plays the type of game that appeals to the spectators. Barton was not so spectacular as Hook, but required careful watching. He played a prominent part in the try scored by Hook. Grace and Polson, the two wingers, handled well, but both should run with more determination and go “eyes out” for the line, after the style of Jack Steele. Welsh was impressive as fullback and made no mistakes. Ollivier, Colons, Halligan and Bourke worked hard in the scrum, while Pleasants, Sutton, Northover, and Cook pulled their weight. None of the visiting forwards was outstanding, but all did their share of the hard graft.

In the Taihape Country rearguard, Hekenui played an outstanding defensive game, his splendid tackling being a feature of the match. He got hL man every time and was an inspiration to his team. Stuckey’s powerful kicking at full-back was a great help to his side. None of the other backs in the Country team caught the eye of the writer, but all were called upon to do hard, defensive work, as the visitors were getting theh ball from the scrum with monotonous regularity. In the green pack, D. Bailey, the baby of the team, played a great game and was here, there, and everywhere, and tackled the big Wanganui forwards as though they were his own size. Small in stature but big in spirit, Bailey played a game that will be remembered for many a long day. Ted Thurston, Bob Boyd, Leary, Crowther, Wereta, Tumu and Marshall all worked strenuously against their heavier opponents. Marshall’s kicking was one of the highlights of the game arid showed what an asset a good place-kick can be to a team. Marshall is FVble to put them over from anywhere. and teams competing against’ Taihape Country cannot afford to take any risks when Marshall is playing against them. In summing up last Saturday’s match it can be said that Taihape Country played much better than was expected, and put up a remarkably good fight until the closing stages of the game when their condition gave out. and they were unable to keep the visiting backs in check. Taihape patrons are looking forward Io the match between Taihape Old Boys and Marist at Taihape next Saturday. Marist hold Wanganui and Old Boys to a draw recently, and it will be interesting to see how the Taihape town team fare against the visitors. Taihape Country will meet Pirates at Wanganui and the result of this game also will be awaited with interest. Pirates beat Marist last Satur-

TAIHAPE RUGBY UNION

MEETING OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY The Management Committee of the Taihape Rugby Union met on Monday evening, Mr. C. H. Transom presiding in the unavoidable absence of the president, Mr. J. Quirk. A letter was received from the Ngamatea footballers stating that they wished to have a game on Saturday, May 20, against the Taihape juniors. The meeting decided to arrange a match accordingly. The Wanganui Rugby Football Union wrote stating that the fixtures committee have some difliculty in arranging grounds and times for matches. The Taihape and WavcrleyWaitotara teams must be given 3 o’clock matches, and it is desirable that no one team should monopolise Spriggens Park. “For your guidance in arranging transport 1 would point out that each Saturday one of your teams journeys to Wanganui, except for the day on which your Town and Country teams meet. When our representative fixtures are, confirmed I shal. be able to send you the exact dates of the club matches,” stated the letter.—The letter was received. Fixtures for Saturday. The following fixtures were announced for Saturday, May 20:— Taihape Old Boys v. Marist, on No. 1 ground, at 3 p.m.; Mr. C. H. Transom. Taihape Country v. Pirates, at Wanganui. Juniors. —Ngamatea v. Taihape, on No. 1 ground, at 1-30 p.m.; Mr. W. Healey.

WANGANUI UNION

.MEETING OF COMMITTEE A meeting of the Management Committee of the Wanganui Rugby Union was held at Spriggens Park last night, Dr. G. J. Adams presiding. Those present were Messrs. A. Takarangi, H. Whiting, E. C. Dallison, A. Larsen, W. Molan, J. Moye, C. Stewart, F. C. Thompson, E. H. Monk, and Robt. Tapa. The Horowhenua Union is to be advised that the question of a match will be considered for the September race meeting at Wanganui. It was decided to advise the Taranaki Rugby Union that the King's Day match between Wanganui and Taranaki would start at 10.40 a.m. Advice was received from the Southland Union confirming September 16 as the date of the match witli Wanganui. Dr. Adams said that the match could not be played as a Ranfurly Shield match. The request of the New Zealand Baseball Council for the names of the secretaries of the various Rugby elute in the Wanganui district was granted The letter pointed out that a circulai would be sent out to the clubs pointing out the benefits of baseball as e summer sport. SATURDAY’S GAMES THE CURTAIN-RAISER The curtain-raiser in the Wanganu Rugby Union's competitions on Satur day will be the third grade match be' tween Kaierau and Technical Olc Boys.