RUGBY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2187, 27 June 1914, Page 14

RUGBY.

[Bv Look,! THE TOUR OF AUSTRALIA* Tho. "All-Black" ■selection is still the chief Rugby-topic in the- City. The excluded aro, discussed far more- than the chosen. I'AVhero is E. Roberta's name?" ".Why not Oockroft?" "What about Stohr?" These aro among tho chief queries, and they are queries of a kind which may always arise when a New Zealand team is selected. For one thing opinions differ, and for another , difficulties may always crop up where there: aro four selectors. "Lock" re- . viewed the team in Monday's issue, so there is not a great \ deal now. to be said. Tho omission of'E. Roberts from . tho combination was not: referred to in .very decided ,but -not by 'any • means for the reason that tho decision of :the selectors appeared to tho writer as a good one. Taylor has never done anything on Athletic Park to compare , with the bost Roberts is capable of, and it is generally known that Roberts was / reckoned much tho better half-back during tho Californian tour.. However, the team is strong, and unless, Australia puts into tho field, a.;better team than they sent us last season; the silvor-fem brigade* should come home : unbeaten.' •"Lock," having criticised the play of James Ryan when tho Pctonoback was below his best ferrn, now wishes to be amongst tho;first .to congratulate him on his selection. i\ i, , - ./ A Chrlstohurch Opinion of Taylor. ■ The following expresses 'the opinion ■ of tho Christchurch "Press" of H. Taylor, ono of the two. halvos, whom tho selectors preferred to E. Roberts:— "Taylor nmst consider himself very fortunato'in being selected. The opinion •was"freely expressed last year that Tay- , lor should not have gpiie to California with the Dominion representatives, Andj from what can bo liiV fohn/on.-, the .'tour quite bore out : thislviow,".However; if he was lucky'last 1 -year he'is^o'x- : tremely so in the present case,,,for. twelve months.ago Taylor was playing well) but anything he has done in ■' Christchurch of lato, would not justify ,l , his inclusion. Granted .tho fact that he played a fine gamo on Saturday, in the inter-Island match, this ono performance (loos not entitle him to his place, and'one wonders why E. Roberts, of Wellington, has been passed over, and, -incidentally, Nunn, of whom the northern critics speak very highly. Taylor, ttitH .Crawshaw!/!is .'ii very good player, without him his gamo deteriorates fifty . ... Green, formerly r of Wellington, and now of, tho West Coast, has-beforo now proved his prowess as a hiilffback, and doubtless this good littlo player will have to play 'second ; fiddle' to Taylor. It would not surprise me, hon'cver, to find.him taking, precedence otfei! tho CantiCbUry player.Vr. , . r.'.;-i Pfeparing to.Greet ,Us.,:, ~, ,'. ■ •.; j= '^Regarding',the'.series; of matches, in iivliibh New SouthiWalqs ;and Queensland ..have engaged in order to prepare to meet the "All Blacks," the "Daily Tele.graph" says:—, ■ ■ . ... .i' 'Following upon last,'year's tour, in ;Js'ie\V Zealand, lit ffihidi their, young team ahowed surprisingly'Cgood fo/nij New South Wales registered an earnest-vow that, come what might, no slono would, bo left unturn'odJ thia Season,' to 'administer tho coup-de-grace-. to those activo, virile disciples of the code from over ' th'ot'Tasinaii Sea, to , whom for tho past 2o years, Rugby. :has\beeii'second.jiature. The; question to ib« asked was:. How to boat this All-Black 1 -combination-wliich :'iV coming over hero flushed' with- the ;tciumph of. records- against HhoiHeams of California'. ''Tht* '.'proposi-' Ijtidn, w , iis;'nb.t'-/an, eaijy/.bno, hut :it'waa ' iTflmemberedjthat .it-|ljad : beeii tackled ■before; :s'dme.:yeai's.agoj.ywhen the great 'All' Blacks were in the end successfully .downed by tho'home team. ; Bearing this ;in mind the New South Wales selectors -laid their plana accordingly,, and a special' number, of; accredited . men were practically singled out for; preparation .purposes..--.; Nothing.was left: to chance, and- tho -first results oi tho ; effort have teeri seen in' the first three matches which New.South' Wales have just play'ed and handsomely won against Queensland on Queensland grouhd. It is a long, long time since a record of this description, has been .established, and it augurs well: for coming'events.', , ' , ;V/elcome Optimism. .':'■ ' , -Hope (seemingly) springs .eternal intrio breast of tho Australian Rugby enthusiast. Thus an exchange: "Tlio secletarj; of tho New South "Walos Union says it is probable that the ' English Union will arrange for a British team to visit Australia and Now Zealand in 1015. .- With tho. standard 'of tho game flt tho high point it , is in Great Bri■tain atpre.scnt, this , visit should be full nf possibilities. During'tho same year it is hoped to arrange a tour to America during tho period of.tho.Panama Exposition at San Francisco.- The season 1916 should '.witness a return visit 'to £ew 'Zealand, while the invitation to South Africa to visit .Australia and INew Zealaud in 1917 will probably be renewed." ' . An inevitable End. - _ ''The non-recognition' of promising juniors' is tho chief reason ascrib'cd by an Auckland I'Star" writer for the exit otParnell from the senior championship competition in Auckland. Tho need'for encouraging tho junior players is so important, that it is worth stressing 'it by quoting a few of tho observations which luvo been mado respecting Parnoll's downfall. Parncll, as.a senior team,, (.■amp into existence in 1892, and won' the .cup in that and tho two following years. "It was a very strong club in thoso days," says- the "Star," "numbering among its l'anks such top-notch players as W. Elliott, Dos. Jcrvis, 'Buck , Edwards, Jack Leckie, and Tommy Brown. When these -players dropped out, an entirely new policy was introduced in • order to keep iip tho strength of tho side, the claims of junior players to promotion being set aside in favour of imported players. Though Parnell continued, with the aa sistanco of ])laycrs like 'Opai' ' Ashor., T: , Lang, and, Jack Simpson, to bo a' factor to bo considered in the inter-club championships, it gradually declined. After the reintroduction of the club systein a few years ago, such strong supporters of the club as Chovis, Twiname, Hardwick, and William P. Eraser made' strong efforts to keep tho club up to thn mark, but they could do no moro than prolong the club's participation in the championship for a few. years.; Tho policy of importation .soems to havo been, the-beginning of the retrogression while yet"the -district scheme was in vogue, biit..the..-progress of population .of.'Auckland was a strong contributing factor iir the matter. Parnell fourteen or; fifteen- years ago was almost up to its present standard of population, while the other suburbs wero very hlJ&rsloy, settled."- :'■■•■ M-'Donaltl, the Evergreen. : Commenting'on r tho form of 'A. MlDonald, thn. Otago forward, who was oim of tho 1005 All Blacks, the "Otago Witiioss" says:—When the New Zealand'team for.America was .chosen, last st'-!is6ii it. was slated that M'Donald on ■ biiJ/cHib form of last year was perhaps fortunaYe"i'u"2ettihe I 'int6 tho sidei Sub-.

sequent events in America did not prove that contention, but it is, nevertheless, a fact that M'Donald did not show the form throughout last season he has opened with this year. At the beginiwß of last season M'Donald had entered into a business on his own account which required a tremendous lot of physical exertion—not one day of the week, but every day right up to within an hour or two of playing foothall. Tho result was that" the NewZealand ' captain was exhausted before he took the field, and was unable to do himself justice. This season M'Donald has no such taxing work to do, and now goes on to the field fresh and as fit as a fiddle. His three months' trip to America, too, did him tho world of good, and he says himself he never tolt better. The Sydney critic who wrote the other day, in perhaps,. a somehw tasarcastic strain, that "M'Donald would be in the next New Zealand team for England," probably never realised how near his remark aimed at the truth. M'Donald is a veteran in experience, but ho is playing like a man in his prime. As captain of tho Kaikorai team, the "AH Black" is leading tho Blue and Blacks in the way they should go. He has enthused such a spirit into the players that they will follow him anywhere, and it: is M'Donald himself who shows the way.' Passing Flashos. ' x Tho chief inter-club matchei of the Wellington season (so far as the season has gone) is billed for this afternoon. Athletio are set down to meet Wellington, and, as neither team has yet suffered defeat tliis year, interest in. tho game- is extra keen. ]jjrank Mitchison, Poneke's All Black, was injured recently while playing for Eaetihi. He is suffering from a badlysprained ankle, but is now back in the city, and if fit before the end of the season, will don the- jersey for his old club.- , ~' •: ■■ _; The:. Sydney University team which is .to play in New Zealand this season, is'i-Sbobked to leaye Sydney on August . / • ' '■■'." . Mr. A. one of the trio wlio choose- the- Wellington representative teams, is a versatile selector. . Ho accompanied tho Wellington team' to Cartorton last Saturday, and while there prepared himself to take the field should his services bo needed through men becoming incapacitated. Mr. Griffith j was a Poneko player of a fow years back, and represented Wellington as wing forward. City University now lead for the Auckland'championship. All the teams have played six matches, except College Rifles, who have played five. The championship points aro: City 9, University 9, PonsonbyiJ, Marist Bros. 5, College Rifles 4. " l \ . ;, .' ■ : A correspohdent of a. Sydney paper wants to'know how Union Rugby could bo'.made',;nMt;e attractive to the public, and in , reply a writer in the journal says: "A number of ideas present themselvqsV ; -A.-"{Slayer, instead of tacking low arid incidentally, knocking 'pieces of skin <>S his knees and elbows, might be allowed to throw a bomb at the man with the ball. This method would at onco bo effective and decidedly morespee.tacular.' (Or the Union might-present a packet of tejv and a gold watch to overya Season fidfcet:'■'.::>.i ." ' Algar, tile Poncko five-eighths, who was supposed to have been injured while playing for Wellington against Wairarapa last Saturday, was examined by a doctor and found to be suffering from pleurisy. He has gone to bed for some weeks. Poneko thus lose- one of their mainstavs, and the city is deprived of a promising representative player.