FOOTBALL

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160733, 20 August 1920, Page 4

FOOTBALL

THE RUGBY CAME. RUGBY’S LOST PRESTIGE. THE GAME IN AUSTRALIA. VIEWS OF MR T. H. JONES. To a N.Z. Times reporter Mr T. H. Jones, the manager of the All Blacks, who arrived back in Wellington from New South Wales by the Ulimaroa, gave his impressions of the tour. The people in Australia, Mr Jones said, would have nothing but League football, and would not countenance the Rugby game until drastic alterations to the “find the lino” rule were made. He was convinced that the only wav to save the game in Australia, and probably in New Zealand, would bo to adopt the most important amendments under which Rugby was played by the Rugby Union in Auckland. The most debated of all the amendments was the carrying «*f the “finding the lino” amendment, the effect of which would be to abandon direct kicking into touch, except in a team’s own “twenty-five” for defensive purpose-*'. That rule, in Mr Jones’ opinion, was much the same as tho League rule, except that the penalty was a lino-out opposite tho spot where the ball wa;i kicked and not whore it found touch, thereby helping to keep a distinguishing feature in the Rugby game. Mr Jones was most struck by tbe football played in the public schools of New 8011 th Wales, particularly by tho magnificent line-kicking, hut little of which had the effect of making a forward game of every match. Several of the- teams ll'ad very fine back post* tions. As the public school football was really the nursery of present Rugby football in New South Wales, the importance of the immediate introduction of Auckland’s finding the line amendment, was apparent if the game wag to go ahead there. It might seem, fudging by tho figures, that Rugby had gone for good in Australia, hut that was certainly only a reaction following on the present season’s League football, and the visit of the English team. With the South African and French tour to follow in 1921 and 1932 respectively, Mr Jones stated that there was every prospect of the Rugby game regaining its lost prestige, provided th*. ‘‘finding 0 the lino” amendment wag adopted.

THE TAIHAPE PLATERS. AN UNFORTUNATE DECISION. At a special meeting of the Taihape Sub-Union last evening it was decided to adhere to the former decision not to allow the Taihape players selected to represent Wanganui against Manawatu to play in that match to-morrow, but to insist, on them playing in a local cup match. The position now is that unless Cowie, 7'lcAuliffe, Murphy, and Bailey act on their own initiative and elect to play for Wanganui to-morrow in the rep. match, they will not be taken South with the Wanganui team. The view taken of the situation in Eugbv circles at Taihape is that the action of the Wanganui Union is shortsighted in the extreme. The Taihape members of the Wanganui team to make the Southern tour have been working at top pressure in order to -get ahead of their work so that they could journey South with the rep. team. They do not consider it would be a fair thing to their employers, who are willingly granting them leave for the trip, to ask for this week-end for the Manawatu match at 3.30 on Friday afternoon. The authorities of the game there consider the Wanganui Rugby Union should fix the Manawatu match for later on. This match, if it must be played,- should have been included in the programme of the tour, and if this had been done it would have served to give combination for the tcanj before tackling Wellington for the Ranfurly Shield. The attitude taken by the Wanganui Uniou is considered unreasonable, unfair, and short-sighted in view of the sacrifices Taihape players have repeatedly made this season in the interests of the parent body. A WANGANUI VIEWPOINT. A member of the Wanganui Rugby Union, interviewed in connection with the above, stated: The Wanganui Rugby Union has a long-standing representative engagement with Manawatu to fulfil at Palmerston North to-morrow —a fixture which Taihape Sub-Union has been acquainted with for over six weeks; yet at the eleventh hour they coolly decide to ignore the rep match in order to continue their cup game on that date. The question, therefore, is, which is the most important? There is only one answer possible. As one having a long connection with Rugby football management, I have yet to learn that a mere country cup match is of more importance than an inter-Union representative match. The Taihape Sub-Union were last Saturday definitely informed bv two of the Wanganui Union’s officials that they must allow the selected players to travel to Palmerston North tomorrow, ’failing which they would be dropped from the touring team. Despite this, the Sub-Union has adopted a dog-in-the-manger attitude of defiance by°its action. It is not the Sub-Union that will pay for this stand, but the players selected to tour, who now become deprived of their trip. In any case, has a Sub-Union the right to force a player to take part in a cup match. It that player desires to play for the Union representative team? I dont think so, and such being the case, the four players would be quite justified, in my opinion, to inform their clubs that they are unavailable for the cup match on account of their participating in a metropolitan fixture. I may mention that Taihape desired to play Rangitikei at Marton next Saturday for the Pownall Trophy, and when this fell through they substituted a local cup match. Now Taihape possesses but two senior football teams, and these two have already played each other about five times. And no special nor convincing reason has yet been advanced as to the necessity of playing cup matches to-morrow. As for the men having to leave Taihape for Palmerston North° at 3.30 this afternoon, that is ridiculous, for they could leave by the first train on Saturday morning and return the same night. The suggestion that the Manawatu match should have been included in the tour itinerary comes rather late in the day. But a programme of five matches covering a period of eighteen days is surely sufficient for any player, without adding an extra match with Manawatu. It it were left to the players concerned they would get away all right. However, the Rugby Union has met Taihape Sub-Union’s attitude with firmness and unanimity, and there is no talk or thought of our going back on our decision. Batley, Cowie, McAuliffe, and Murphy must play for Wanganui representatives to-morrow, or they do not go South.

N.Z. RUGBY UNION. WELLINGTON, Aug. 19. At a meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union to-night an application by the Otago Union for the reinstatement of Jas. Coulter was granted. It was decided that the semi-final for the Moascar Cup, between Palmerston North Boys’ High School and Te Aute College, he played at Napier on Wednesday, Aug. 25th. THE JUNIOR REP. TEAM. The following Junior Rep. team has been picked to play Rangitikei juniors on Rec. on Saturday:—Fullback, Deem; three-quarters, Welch, Mullins, Reid; five-eighths, Strachan and Glasgow; half, Richdale; wing forward, Perrett; forwards, Small, Armstrong (hookers), .Wood, Boulton (lock), Coxon, Bristol and Frewin. Emergencies.—Back: Lumsden; forwards: Robinson, Fleming. . MANAWATU Y. WANGANUI. The following will represent Manawatu against Wanganui at Palmerston North to-morrow: Full-back, Swainson; three-quarters, Ferguson, BJazoy, Leeder; five-eights, Ingham and J. Ryan (captain); half, Maire; forwards, Sheehan, Brown, Riggs, Munro, Dustin, Mullins, Baigent and Galpin. Emergencies.—Forwards: Boddy, Lawrence, O’Keefe, Hope Backs: Eglinton, McKenzie, Finnerty, Stewart. KAIERAU FOOTBALL CLUB. The following matches have been arranged for Saturday;—Seniors-J unions v. Wangaehu, at Wangaehu, 3 p.m. Members making this trip will meet at Post Office 1.45 p.m. sharp for conveyance by motor. Members desirous of travelling should notify secretary. Fourths v. Technical School, Tech, ground, 3 p.m. All members who have played during the season should put in an appearance, to allow of arrangements being made in regard to photographing of team. ARAMOHO CLUB. Third team v. Technical College, on Rec. No. 1 at 1.30 p.m.—Ahern, Hartwell, Sargent, Mooseman, Francis, Derbyshire, Harper (3), Burmester, Sloan, Horne," Walker (2), Summers (2), Barnes, Haylock, Gibson, Owen, Luff and Penn. ASSOCIATION. A match will be played on Saturday at Victoria Park between the rep. team and “The Rest.” All soccer players are asked to roll up and give the reps a game. The representatives will be chosen from the following:—Hyder, Murray, Healey, Harrison, Mitchell, Barker, Lett, Lowe, Walker, Cooper, Ritson, Davis, McKechnie. The reps, are reminded of practice in the training shed at the Rec. this evening at 7.30. THE LEAGUE GAME. ENGLISHMAN’S IMPRESSIONS. In an interview with a N.Z. Times representative, Mr H. "Wagstaffe, captain of tho English league team which has just finished its New Zealand tour, gave some of Ms impressions of the gam© in the Dominion. Mr Wagstaffe thinks New Zealand has some excellent material for the League game. One point he makes is that our men will have to master the tackle. In tho League game, when a man is tackled, it is to his interest to fall on the ground. If he does not it is fair for the opponent to throw him, and the art of throwing is a thing Englishmen know well. They can throw a man from any position, and while it may seem to New Zealanders a little unfair, it is held by the Englishmen to he part of the game. The tour the English team has under, taken is regarded as one of great success. In Australia the tourists found the League game to be ascending and Rugbv to lie on tbe down grade. “The future of tbe game in New Zealand,” said Mr Wagstaffe, “is, wo consider, good. Yon have good material here, and if the League can get hold of the younger players to train, there will be no Rugby in a few years. In Queensland, Rugby is done, and no game other than League is played.” Speaking of the final test game, Mr Wagstaffe gave credit to the New Zealanders for the good fight they put up. He said the ground was against the Englishmen, but lie did rot make much of that as an excuse. He snoke strongly of the good play of Poulson, tlm New Zealand half-back., and praised the work of Mitchell and Ifwersou. He thought that had the ground been better, the Englishmen might have been able to give a more finished display, as ’ihe 'lacks were a fast and skilful set.