WHO WILL GO?

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1081, 21 March 1911, Page 7

WHO WILL GO?

OUR RIFLEMEN FOR BISLEY. FORECAST OF THE TEAM. [By Echelon.] Tho selection of tho team of riflemen which is to represent New Zealand nt the Coronation Bisley championship meeting in England this year will afford an illustration of the fact that (hough "many will be called, few will be chosen." At the present moment the powers that be arc earnestly considering the qualifications of those who are eligible for selection, namely, the fifty men who competed in tho final, for the New Zealand Rifle Championship at Trentham on Marc t h 9 last. The team, with emergencies, will not contain more than a dozen or fifteen names at the very outside. Assuming that ws decide to send fifteen, that mean# a_ disappointment for the other thirty-five. Naturally, the probable personnel of the team is exciting the liveliest interest in shooting circles. It is freely rumoured that the area of selection has been confined to the first twenty-five names on the King's Fifty list, and as freely contended that such n method of proceeding does not promise the best results from the point of view of all-round efficiency. However that may be, it is to bo hoped that the possibilities of each man of the Fifty will be carefully scrutinised, not only upon the basis of his performances this season, but also in tho light of what he has done in recent years. Every man in the team mu6t be a tried "stayer," of matured experience in the eccentricities of rifle ranges. To select the team from the first twenty-five of. the Fifty would be to proceed to a certain extent upon sentiment. It would be just as logical, though quits unsatisfactory, to take the first fifteen on the list.

Who will bo chosen? As a matter of course the winner of . the championship (Rifleman D. Roots, of Ivaponga), and his runner-up (Rifleman A. Henderson, of the Sounds) will be the_ first to be selected. Sergeant Frank, of Nelson, who was third in the Fifty, is a certainty, not only on his excellent performances throughout the championship meeting, but on his brilliant form right through the season. Passing over the next four—Sharland, of Stoke, Cuthbertson, of Tua Marina, Facer, of the Garrison Artillery, and Barltrop. of Feilding—but keeping an eye on Cnthbertson in the meantime, we come to Bombardier Ching, of the Royal N.Z. Artillery eighth on the list, who, with two brilliant seasons to look back

upoli, has every reason to regard himself as a certainty for rem-ewnfative Impnuv, The ninth and tenth, Morgan, of Auckland, and Williams, of Oimrn, are not likely to be chosrti—though- Williams, with two good seasons, should bo kept within hail—but can be very little doubt about the merits of Needham, of the Linton Club, one of the best slayers on the range, and with a high reputation on previous records. Hay, of Karori, tho twelfth man of the Fifty, shot remarkably well all through the meeting, but he has no other claim to-distinction. One is rather shy of a meteor. Milro.v, of Nelson, tho thirteenth man, is doubtful, but Loveday, of Woodville, tho fourteenth man, cannot very well be overlooked. His last two seasons have been brilliant one.?. Cox, of Auckland, fifteenth, though not a certainty, might bo mentioned more than once in the deliberations of the. powers that be, and may bo kept close and handy on a possible emergency. Tho sixteenth man, Winslade, of Opaki .has a good record, and has "solid" qualities which are valuable in a team. He should certainly be very seriously, considered. 'Thompson, of Napier, and Wickons, of Wellington,' cannot be regarded as weighty candidates, good shots though they are. G. Craw;, another Linton man, and a "solid" shot for many years, has a strong claim for emergency' honours. Marenzi,_ol' Eketahuna, twenty-first on tho list of the Fifty, is practically a ce'rtaintv. He should- not "be overlooked, though he is fWrlly;ilti'ore brilliant "a-!- an ■ individual marksman that as a teams' man. Captain W. S. King, of Linwood., is probably tho best all-round shot in New Zealand, and goes'into • the team as a-matter-of course. There is also M'Murray, of Taradale, a sound marksman, and a tried "stayer." It will be difficult 1 to find a reason for ignoring him. He was twentyfifth in the Fifty. In the "tail" of the Fifty are three men who have big records. Halfiday, of Karori, the twenty-ninth man, was last year's champion, and eighteenth the previous year. Ho wa sfirst in the aggregate for the Empire Match in Australia, and third in the same match last year, when it was fired at Trontlmm. Ho has also been ' thrM years champion shot of a crack club. The next is Masofiold, of the Sounds, but it is understood that he would not be ablo to go, even if he. were selected, as he has every right to bo. Then conies James, of N'apier, who got into tho Fifty three years running, and put up a great record in Australia (including the .£IOO prize at the Victorian meeting) last year. Dutliie, of Christchurch, is also worthy of more than a passing glance, as a possible emergency in the team. To sum up. then, I should think that the following list will not bo very far out when "the numbers go up":

1. Rifleman D. Roots, Kaponga. 2. Rifleman A. Henderson, Sounds. 3. Sergeant Frank, Nelson. 4.. Bombardier Ching, R.N.Z.A. 5. Rifleman F. Neediiam, Linton. 6. Private Loveday, Woodville. , 7. Rifleman Winslade, Opaki. 8. Trooper Marenzi, Eketahuna. 9. Captain W. S. King, Linwood. 10. Rifleman A. M'Murray, Taradalc. 11. Rifleman G. Halliday, Karori. 12. Sergt. F. .James, Napier. The above list would be a fine combination of stayers, brilliant marksmen, and coaches in the teams' events. Adding in Hay (Karori), Duthie (Christchurch), Cameron (Opaki), Craw (Linton), Williams (Ohura), and, possibly, Cuthbertson (Tua Marina) and Cox (Auckland), this gives a field of nineteen good marksmen, with the first twelve as an absolutely safe team.