RUGBY IN THE PACIFIC ZONE

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23977, 18 June 1943, Page 7

RUGBY IN THE PACIFIC ZONE

New Zealanders In New Caledonia FORMER ALL BLACKS PARTICIPATE (Official War Correspondent N.Z.E.F.) NEW CALEDONIA, May 24. In spite of the heat, dust, and hard uneven grounds. New Zealanders in New Caledonia are playing their national Rugby game with amazing zest. Competition among units is keen, and many an old-stager, caught up in the Infectious enthusiasm for the game, is turning out once more, long after he had felt that his football days were over. In the last two weeks I have met a number of men whose names will be familiar to many enthusiasts in the Dominion. Old-timers, some of them, but fit and keen, and doing their part In boosting the game. A few had won All Black honours before the war. Others were provincial representatives on the verge of breaking Into bigger football, and some were then too young but are now showing form that would bring them very close to a 1943 Dominion side. Ron Ward, of Southland and the All Blacks, now commissioned, looks bronzed and healthy, and takes his place in the scrum with all the vigour of the younger generation. , _ Among old Canterbury players is B. J. Chandler, a Sunnyslde stalwart from 1938 to 1941, and Canterbury representative during the same years. He captains a hospital team over here and leads a pack of husky forwards. In his team are A. J. Young, of Ashburton, and N. A. Smart, of. Christchurch. Smart distinguished himself by running second in the 120 yards hurdles at the Divisional athletic championships, and Young is playing snappy fotball behind the hospital scrum. Also playing for Hospital is S. R. Simon, of Hawke’s Bay, Divisional 100 yards champion. A player who takes the eye Is Jack Sherwin, of Walmate. He played for his home town team in 1937 and 1938, and for Hutt Army in 1939. A Regular Force man who has seen service In several parts of the Pacific, Sherwin now has his commission. He Is a fast, determined forward, not particularly heavy, but wellbuilt and a hard worker. The former All Black, J. A. Hooper, who played against the Springboks on their last New Zealand tour, has not played much football here. He was playing well on another Pacific island earlier in the war. but has suffered a few knocks since then, and his Injuries are likely to recur If he makes many appearances on the hard grounds. Strained knees and sprained ankles are easy to come by over here, „ . , An old hand, and a shrewd one, is always useful to any team, and one battalion is fortunate to have R. B. Burke as front row forward and captain. Burke is always handy at the right time, and shows a turn of speed not always possessed by a forward. Burke played senior football at home for a number of seasons, chiefly In Wellington. But he was in the Canterbury side when at Canterbury University College in 1935, and was a leading member of the New Zealand University team. A. Strang as Cbach Archie Strang has played very seldom. He coaches a battalion team that' so far has not been beaten, and one week was Inveigled into taking tha field. -As a coach he Is as keen on the game as he was when playing for South Canterbury and New Zealand back in 1928, 1930, and 1931. Another Tlmaru player, younger than Strang, is P. G. Fitzgerald, a burly forward, who plays on the side of the scrum, and who played In many Ranfurly Shield matches for South Canterbury between 1938 and 1942. Fitzgerald, captain of the Celtic Club team at home, was nomlnatocf for the All Black trials In the 1937 Springbok year, but could not make the trip to Wellington, and thereby lost hla chenea of New Zeeland honours. .... Two former elubmates of the Llnwood senior side, Christchurch, are turning out for an A.S.C. team over her#'. They are A. H. McHugh, full-back, and J. D. Stewart, front row forward. McHugh Is a younger brother of Billy McHugh, former Llnwood and Canterbury three-quarters, and now a prominent athlete with the Middle East Division, Both the youngsters now in New Caledonia played for Linwood in 1939, 1940, and 1941. Well known, too, Is S. O. Campbell, a big forward whose home team Is Dunedin, but who played for Lincoln College, for Country v. Town, and for Canterbury in 1939. Campbell found a place In the New Zealand University side that played Auckland In 1940. Ha is a useful A.S.C.. forward over here, with plenty of speed to give his weight that extra effect In the loose work. Three more South Islanders are J. Pox, White Star Club. Westport, and a member of the Buffer side that held the Seddon Shield In 1939 and 1940; Maurice Spillane, of Dunedin, who played outside D. Travathan, T. Burghan, and Colin Gillies for various Otago representative ;teams between 1938 and 1940; and B. ?. f. Hoiund. son of Mr 8. g. Holland, M.P., old boy of St. Andrew’s College, Chrlstelweh, and mere recently e member of the Collegians' aide in Christchurch Rugby, and a prominent Army player In the Ashburton area. Holland is a very useful fullback, his Une-klcklng. in light rubber jungle boots, being among the best in the Division. . _ ~, Sound Tackling

The tackling among the backs ls uniformly sound—hard and low, in the approved Rugby fashion. Handling among the baeke is perhaps not quite as good as in the Dominion, because passes are liable to be erratic If a foot stumbles just at the crucial moment. A$ for the forwards, their loose rushes are a t«at to watch, with the pressure on for the whole of the game. Spells are shorter than at home, seldom more than 25 minutes, and more often only 20 minutes, on account of the trying heat and the susceptibility to injuries. But their shortness makes for fast football, and the forwards keep things moving from whistle to whistle. Line-kicking Is exceffent con. sidering that very seldom do players wear proper football boots, which are in short supply. Until a few weeks ago it was a common sight to see the players of both sides in stocking feet or even bare IC Ron Ward has found the play In which he has taken pert end which he has watched surprisingly good. H« te much impressed with the form ff ** young Army men, and feels that the men as a whole are fitter than Rugby players bl Dou|! Dalton, Hawke's Bay and New Zealand, la now on the side-line as coach for a battalion team, but “Snowy Bowman. another member of the New Zealand side that toured Australia in 1938, has been an active player for his A.S-C. unit and. though not available at the moment, will doubtless be taking his place again before the end of the season. Another member of that 1938 team and later of the Kiwi League side that had lust opened the English tour wh«i war broke out, is Harold Mllllken, Sunnyside and Canterbury forward. Milhken is carrying a lot of weight still, and turns out whenever possible.