RUGBY FOOTBALL

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15272, 23 June 1923, Page 15 (Supplement)

RUGBY FOOTBALL

(By “Drop-Kick,”)

SAGE MEMORIAL, CUP.

The position of the teams engaged in the Sage Memorial Gup competition in Hamilton is;—

THE JUNIOR COMPETITIONS. HIGH SCHOOL V. OLD BOYS. A very fair number of spectators turned but at the Showgrounds to see the match Old Boy Juniors v. High School, whiQh finished up with no score. The ground was very wet and greasy, but despite this disadvantage the game was fast, and both sides handled the ball in a very creditable manner. Owing to the condition of the ground the game resolved itsedf for the most part into a battle between the forwards, though passing bouts among the backs were not infrequent. In the forward work the Old Boys had the better of things, and their rushes in several instances were just stopped in time. Rash stopping was the weakest part of the School’s game. Houchen, for the Old Boys, showed up most prominently in the loose, while in the tight work it was difficult to individualise. The School pack played very well, Hall and K. Anderson being the most prominent. Hall’s dribbling was very effective at times and Anderson's work in the line-out.and scrummages was of the greatest value to ills side.

In back play School were slightly superior, and Madill fed his backs whenever possible. Bailey, behind the Old Boys’ pack, played a sound game despite the harassing he was subjected to. Many of the Old Boys’ passing rushes were stopped in their initial stages by the School forwards breaking away smartly and adapting smothering tactics. The School backs stood deeper than their opponents and took the ball with pace up. The tackling of both teams was good except in the case of Mclvor, who let his man get away on two occasions, on one of which Johnston for Old Boys supported by two of his backs raced right up to Johns, the School fullback, and instead of passing out and giving his wing a chance hung on and was grassed. Bad tackling came close to losing the game for School, while failure to pass the ball to a man in a better scoring position undoubtedly snatched the victory from Old Boys. The meeting of these teams later in the season will be looked forward to, and given good weather conditions a fast, open game is assured. Bailey, Fitzgerald, Carter and Johnston are the nucleus of a strong scoring set of backs, and the School team will find that it will take a very strong defence to keep them from crossing the line. Were C. Thompson available the School team would be immensely strengthened, and he would prq»ve a very winger in taking advantage of the openings made by itfcCorrnack, whose good work often fails in being finished off owing to insufficient support. —■ JOTTINGS. Petone (15) are leading from Poneke (13), Berhampore (12), Athletic (12), and Marists (10) in the Wellington senior grade competition. The Union’s new grounds at Mill Street, on which there are three playing areas, has withstood the wet weather very well and should turn out very satisfactorily when the time to use them comes round. The Wanganui Union intends to give the right encouragement to its junior players by inviting representative teams from Auckland and Wellington to visit there this season and to return the visits next year. Petone were lucky in defeating Marists by 10 points to 6 when the teams met at Petone on Saturday. Marists had all the best of the play, but a potted goal went on against them when the teams were lying level near the close of the game. The Thames representatives were to have engaged this afternoon in their first match of the season for the Peace Cup. Hamilton has a challenge in for the trophy but it is some way down the list.

The. Wellington representatives will play their game against Waikato at Hamilton on September 19. This will be the first occasion on which the Empire City footballers have honoured us with a visit. The two famous W&ish clubs, Newport and Cardiff, met four times last season, the first two occasions

being pointless draws, the third a win for Cardiff, and the fourth with 'exactly the same result as the first two.

W. Devine, who has played four games for Marists in Wellington, is working into form and may be in the running for lock honours In the representative team. Devine now tips the beam well beyond 15 stone. Old Boys, Pirates and Haierau are running close for the honours in the Wanganui senior competition in that order, a point separating the teams after Saturday’s games. Petone and Poneke, those old rivals, look like fighting out the Wellington championship ■ again. Last year their play-off attracted 16,000 spectators to Athletic Park.

Jtaikorai and University A look like fighting out the final of the competition in Dunedin senior football. ’Varsity, which has a rare set of backs, has piled up a lot of points, while the number against the team has been very small in the aggregate. Jack Clarkin is playing with the Ramblers' Club at Te Aroha this year. Report has it that he is in line for a place in the Piako representatives. We haven’t quite got the hang of the training methods pursued for the American code of football. When we first glanced at the following, it was assumed that it was a violent method of developing contortionists. But we were wrong. It is one of the simple 'exercises the football squad at Harvard goes through every day. It consists of all the players running around in a huge circle, jumping at every third step. Then they roll over once on the ground, then hop on one foot and then on the other. Next they walk around on one foot, while holding the ankle of the other, turn forward and -backward somersaults. The finish of the exercise finds the players trying to run ahead at full speed bent double and with their arms folded. ,

The future success of the game depends on coachin'g. An illustration of this is given by the lower grade teams of the Marists Club, the members of which are being thoroughly grounded In the rights and wongs of attack and defence. If other clubs do not tackle this important problem they will find in another season or two that they are left behind. Brains will beat brawn every time l Several scrum players are standing down at present owing to injuries. The latest to go on the list are Tanner (Old Boys), Barford (Frankton), W. Magner (Marists) and Cranston (Suburbs). * The three former are suffering from shoulder injuries, while Cranston’s right leg is damaged. An interesting lecture on the control of Rugby was given to the Canterbury Referees’ Association on Monday evening by Mr W. G. Garrard. The Christchurch gentleman referred -to is well known all over New Zealand, and it is sufficient to record two facts in connection with his long and successful association with Rugby football in Maorlland—he was an All Black selector on a number ot occasions, and In 1899 when Mullineaux’s British team visited Australia he went over to Sydney in response to an Invitation to referee the test matches" and other important matches of the series. During his remarks Mr Garrard said he liad not the slightest hesitation in saying that the control of the game throughout the Dominion was much better than in ,the olden times. Anyone they could get to act got the games then. The improvement was due principally to the formation of referees’ associations. He thought ißayers would realise that referees endeavoured to be as efficient in their control of-the game as they tried to be efficient in playing. He would like to see more of the wider spirit introduced and less heed paid to the technicalities. He advised his hearers to pay more attention 1 to thq vital points and control their game riiore on the principle of equity.

P. W. L. D. For Ay. PIS. City 7 7 — 78 10 14 Frank ton 7 6 1 —— 415 41 13 United 7 3 4 — 51 78 6 Old Boy3 7 2 5 — 64 72 4 Martsta ' 7 2 5 — 46 92 4 Suburbs 7 1 6 — 50 102 3