RECORD RUGBY GATE TAKINGS YESTERDAY – AT SPRIGGENS PARK

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 June 1948, Page 4

RECORD RUGBY GATE TAKINGS YESTERDAY - AT SPRIGGENS PARK

Record gate takings resulted yesterday from the annual King's Day Rugby match on Spriggems Park, the total being £558. This is the largest "gale" the union has taken at a representative maten. either a morning match or in ilia aiternoon. It is calculated from tne takings that more than 600 U saw the maten, which was bright and open, with a good deal of constructive football about it. Back in 1927 or 1928 the union tools £330 in a Taranaki—Wanganui maten played in the afternoon ot King's Day. Two North Island selectors attended the match—Mr. C. Brown (Taranaki) and K. Reid iWairaiapa). Later Mr. Reid attended the match at Palmerston North between Manawatu and Wellington. From Wanganui's point of aiety three players probably caught tha selectorial eye—P. Henderson (wing three-quarter) and M. Hunter (fiveeighths) in the backs, and H. Rowley (forward). Rowley looks to have tha makings of a first class ranging typa of forward, with big hands, long reach and grim determination. He did not seem happy as a lock, or at least found it difficult to pack down low. He looked more of the type ot L. C, Strachan of the 1937 South Africans—last man down in the pack, or on the side. Peter Henderson’s main strength is his speed. He ran third in the New Zealand national 10ii yards at the last championship meeting, and on the end of a good line of backs would certainly score tries. He needs moulding in the finer pointe of wing three-quarter play. M. Hunter is a son of the famoua "Jimmie" Hunter, of Taranaki Rugby fame, a member of the famous 1905 Hunter-Mynott combination in that team in which Billy Wallace and Billy Stead played such great footbalL The Taranaki team was managed by a well known former All Black, Mr. J. L. Sullivan, who played wing three-quarter against the 1937 Springboks in New Zealand. The Wanganui representative team now has eight successive wins to .its credit under the expert coaching of Mr. S. Ambrose, of Wanganui. Mr. Ambrose, who played for Technical A Old Boys, represented Wanganui at " centre three-quarter round about 1930. He has insisted on playert turning up tu practice and has endeavoured to build a team by keeping the players together as much as possible, rather than chop and change about to suit the vagaries of play as measured by each successive match. In indication of the keeness which has dominated Wanganui Rugby over the past season, and is developing well again this year, all the Rangitikei players chosen in the A and B teams which played Taranaki yesterday turned up to practices on Spriggens Park during the week. It is a pity that Taihape is not a bit nearer and that the same could be done by the players from there.