RUGBY ROUND ENDS TO-DAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 167, 20 July 1946, Page 7

RUGBY ROUND ENDS TO-DAY

COMMENT ON RECENT REP. MATCH . ( By “Cross-bar.” ) Kaierau is to make its second bid this season to beat Technical Old Boys, a team that, so far, has not been beaten. It has been held to a draw on two occasions—once in the first round by Kaierau and once in the second by Pirates. To-day’s match will end the second round, and. naturally, there will be a very keen desire on Kaierau’s part to be the only team able to say that it beat Technical Old Boys before the third and vital round between the top three teams is started.

Under the scheme arranged by the union. the ton three teams —Technical Old Boys, Pirates and Kaierau—will continue 1o play out the third round of the championship. At the same time the others will be included in a Charity Cup contest. All six teams will thus have an interest in the third round.

Looking back at that clash of Technical Old Boys and Kaierau in the first round, it is recalled that the two teams drew, nine points all. It is as well to go back and look at that match rather carefully. It was “pulled out of the fire” by the maroons in the second spell, and Alan Duncan, the full back, was able, with his ooot, to turn a loss into a draw. Technical Old Boys scored nine points before Kaierau was able to open their account. Technical Old Boys were lucky not to add another try at that stage, D. Goldsbury crossing the lino, but the referee ruled that he was neld up and had not scored. Then Duncan kicked a field goal. The actual move which enabled Kaierau to draw level took place in the last few minutes, Harry Pidwell putting a great dash into securing a try, which Dunean, with the only successful place kick at goal on Spriggens Park that afternoon, was able to convert.

T.O.E. v. Pirates. In many respects Technical Old Boys were unlucky. In one other match Technical Old Boys drew; this was against Pirates in the second round. It was the most exciting match of the season in which Morrie Shewan scored his best try since his pre-war top-notch football. This match was a different type of game to that played against Kaierau. Pirates scored first with a penalty

goal, then Technical Old Boys scored and converted a try. Pirates scored a try which was not converted and the score stood at 6 to 5 in their favour.

Then L. Head kicked a field goal for Pirates and gave them a lead of five points. Then came Breed's try and McPhail's conversion, which sent the crowd wild with delight as the scores came even. For the remainder of the match the two sides battled on fairly evenly, Pirates defending and Technical Old Boys attacking.

To-day's Prospects. Those matches suggest that to-day’s encounter will be hard in the forwards, but that Technical Old Boys should have superiorly in the backs. In all their matches this year they have had a fast, ]ight-by-comparison pack, but their backs have been fairly sound on defence. They could improve their backing up and use the speed they have to exploit rucks, and to get under stab kicks. Kaierau, on the other hand, has had just a little luck, if there is such a thing, with them in several matches. They have done well with a team which was more or less of an unknown quantity at the beginning of the season, better than many of the club’s supporters imagined would have been the case. A line of comparatively young backs has been fielded, but the service from the scrum has not always been the best. In to-day's match the maroons will try hard, but will be up against a very stiff proposition. It looks like a win for Technical Old Boys.

Match With Manawatu. The match with Manawatu, though it ended the right way for Wanganui, lacked the lustre the fans like. There were no penetrative backs on either side, and the handling was not all that it could have been, especially in the Wanganui line. Of course it has to be remembered that if every player on a Rugby field does his part without blemish there should he no tries scored and probably no free kicks awarded. That “Manawatu” Try.

In the minds of some people the referee (Mr. Neilson) was not alert when he let the Manawatu players gdt across the Wanganui line and he actually signalled a try when a touch flag was up. That is no reflection on any referee. He watches the players and the ball, and when a touch-judge, whose responsibility is to watch the touchline, runs behind him and raises his flag, the ref. would need eyes ih the back of his head to see it. That is why the Rugby rule book wisely provides that when a ref. finds a flag up he can “wash out” a “try” an,d bring the learns back to the point where the touchline has been violated. The Wanganui Backs.

More snap will be necessary in the Wanganui inside positions if the penetration so badly needed is to come about. A faster, cleaner delivery of the ball from the set. scrums, lineouts and rucks would help. There wore times when perhaps the Wanganui backs stood too deep. It looked thit way from the stand, but it is good to see backs positioned for attack, arid that was a distinct contrast to tlje shallow positions they were forced t'o adopt against Taranaki. The Full-Back.

Dixie McCarthy played a sound game at full-back, except that his positional play was not good. That comes of not. playing in the positioi regularly. A full-back must have ai anticipatory sense. It. is half th? battle to be there when the ball gets there. It is hard to do, but the greatest of full-backs are just ordinary players gifted with an uncanny sense of anticipation. McCarthy tackled well, and kicked well. Hb should be retained. The Three-quarters.

J. Potaka will certainly be picked, if he is still available, for the nexi rep. match. One would like to see* him fed properly. For the centre position the selectors may have to make a change. F. Taunton did not quite rise to it. He has good football in him. but needs experience and good coaching. K. Dunlop looks as though he would make a better centre. Careful watch was kept on his defensive tactics on Saturday last, and they were all they should have been. His dropping of passes mav have been due to being a little keyed up. K. Welsh.

Without Welsh, not because he actually won the match, but. because of his experience and all round steadiness, the Wanganui backs would not have boon of much account. Welsh imparted that steadiness to a team of

young players which Bert Delves imparted for many a long clay in Technical Old Boys. A sort of reliability, coupled with solidarity and an uncanny sense of what should be done, especially to retrieve safety after having lost it by his own mistake.

Positional Play. Peter Henderson wants to watch his positional play. He had ’wo or three splendid opportunities when a ball was kicked lor lhe .side line and he was away in-field when it tell short .did there was a clear goal ahead. There is a tremendous pull on many players who have the speed of Henderson fo get to the player who has Hu* ball, and in following up they are often drawn out of position. A bail kicked to the centre of lhe field Io a defending full-back' runs io set his backs away. While he should he r orced Io kick qiiicklv before ho can gain position Io find lhe line easily, an opposing wing three-quarter can get

good results by keeping out near the touchline and running straight upfield instead of infield on an angle toward the full-back. It doesn’t always apply, but it can be made to apply if the players in the centre of the field imove in on the full-back and force him to kick out to the opposing winger. Twice Henderson was caught infield when a ball bounced so nicely for a winger in position. The Inside Players.

Welsh is bound to be for the inside hack position, either at first or at second five, but the inclusion of M. Hunter at first five-eighths would provide just as reliable a link as Welsh in that position, and would give Welsh more scope. Welsh, not surprisingly, does not like second liveeighths, all his best football havijig been played at first, but he can go well at second and the inclusion of a reliable first live would be desirable. J. Patterson is a likely contender for that position. He is livelier than Hunter, perhaps, but has not yet shown Hunter’s uncanny sense of anticipation. Patterson’s form w’ll be watched with interest to-day. The Three-quarters. If Hunter or Patterson come into the five-eighths fine, it is presumed Dunlop would be moved out. to centre, in which case either K. Mcßrearty (T. 0.8. or A. Alexander (Waverley) will be played on the wing. It is a toss up which of these two is the better. Both are deserving of a chance. Stick Together. There is another aspect to be thought of, however, and that is that once a team shows promise it should be kept together. Saturday’s match was an experiment in many respects, and young players, taking the field in a rep. match for the first time, did well. Some were keyed up. it will probably be found that the selectors may persevere with those who played, but that does not alter the general belief that the back line could be improved and it should be improved. The Forwards.

The forwards went well. Whether they were up against a side of lesser calibre than Taranaki fielded is hard to say, but the inference js that they were. Mexted was lucky to he in on his form, and Sievers did not hook as regularly as his opposite number, nut whether that was due to the scrum itself, to the new lifting rule, or to being outhooked in a proper sense could not be determined from, the stand. S. McNichol may have to be retained 5 n the pack for his weight, but his dash is far below that of Colin McNichol (Kaierau).

Bellis’ Form. Quite a number of people criticised Bellis for not putting weight into the pack. He not only played his part there as reasonably as any side-.-ow forward is called upon to do, but he cut off the Manawatu attacks by the backs on many occasions, and fed back in support of his backs. Twice he saved the line from bein’ crossed. He is better than some side-row foiwards that dash into lhe tight, hath their way about, but once they get the ball they never know what to do with it.

Other Players There 10b Still, there are several young players in the .Wanganui forwards who are worthy of rep. seieei'on. Some of them will be out in club matches to-day.