THE RUGBY GAME

Evening Star, Issue 23384, 29 September 1939, Page 4

THE RUGBY GAME

J Nptes and Comments

[By Hooker.]

FINAL INTERPROVINCIAL GAME BTAGO*S€UTHLAND PROSPECTS DISCUSSED. In spite of the present situation tomorrow’s match between Otago and Southland m) doubt, like the North and South match in Wellington, should attract a large crowd of spectators, for it it necessary for the well-being and morale of the people that sporting fixtures should be carried out wherever it is possible to do so. There will be great interest focused on the return meeting of the two provinces, more particularly in view of the splendid record of the Southland team this year. Taking everything into consideration, Southland appears to have good claims to be classed as the best all-round provincial side in the Dominion, and one moreover that is capable of producing really attractive football. The strength of the Ranfurly Shield holders may be gauged’from the fact that they, had eight members in. the South Island team which defeated the North last Saturday. Southland teams have always been noted for their splendid forward! packs, and the forwards this year arc worthily maintaining the traditions of the past. In the challenge match for the llanfurly Shield at Invercargill they gave one of, the best exhibitions of concerted forwarcTplay seen for many years. Otago forwards are also well known throughout New Zealand for the splendid combination usually associated with the pack, but they will have an extremely difficult job in their attempts to secure the mastery of the formidable Southland van. Followers of footoah here will hope that the faults shown in the first game at Inyercargill—namely, loose packing, weak tackling and rushstopping, and failure to back and follow up—will not again be evident. These faults were noticeable on occasion during the northern tour, but it was gratifying to find that each game showed an improvement, and having regard to Otago’s good record in the north prOspocts are for a stern battle between the. two packs. It will be necessary for the Otago pack to_ infuse more “ devil ” into their play if they are to cope with the vigorous loose rushes and solid scrummaging of the Southland pack. As for the backs, the teams should be well matched, and no .doubt possession of the ball will decide the game. This means, then, that Otago must make every effort to hold the Southlanders in scrums and rucks’and so obtain a reasonable percentage of the ball, enabling their backs to participate in scoring movements. RECORD OF TEAMS. Both teams have amassed excellent records this season, Southland’s being the betteF, but both the provinces had very fine records on tour. Southland’s the best it has achieved to date, only one match of the six played being lost. The teams’ performances are detailed : OTAGO. v. Southland (Ranfurly Shield challenge). at Invercargill, lost 4-23. v. Bush, at Dunedin, won 23-12. V. Manawatu, at Dunedin, won 13-9. v. Wellington, at Wellington, lost 3-/. v. North Auckland, at Whangarei. won 25-13. v. Auckland, at Auckland, drawn 3-3, v. Wanganui, at Wangaijui, won 4-0. v. Taranaki, at HaWera, lost 4-8. v. Canterbury, at Christchurch, won 10-3. v. South Canterbury, at Timaru. won 35*6. v. North Otago, at Oamaru, won 18-11. Played 11, won 7, lost 3. drawn 1, points for 142,- points against 95. SOUTHLAND, v. Otago (Ranfurly Shield), at Invercargill, won 23-4. v. Manawatu (Ranfurly Shield), at Invercargill, won 17-0. v. Bush (Ranfurly Shield), at Invercargill, won 38-0. v. Ashburton (Ranfurly Shield), nt Invercargill, won 50-0. v. South Canterbury, at Timaru, won . 33-0. v. Canterbury, at Christchurch, won 10-8. v. Wellington, at Wellington, won •1(5-3. v. Auckland, at Auckland, won 10-14. v. Taranaki, at Stratford, lost 0-3. v. Wanganui, at Wanganui, won 25-19. Played 10, won 9. lost 1, points for 228, points against 57. Although to-morrow’s match will not be a Ranfurly Shield fixture, there will be at stake the Donald Stuart Memorial Shield, at present held by Otago, this trophy being awarded some years ago to commemorate the services to the game of a great player and administrator, the late Mr Donald Stuart. THE INTERISLAND GAME SOUTH AGAIN HAVE THE EDGE The win of the South in the interisland match at Wellington last Saturday was generally expected in Dunedin, as North Island teams seen in action on Carisbrook during the last few years have scarcely measured up to the standard of those of the past. Judging, too, from the displays given by southern teams.in the North Island this year there is support for the claim that South Island football is at present of a higher standard generally than the North, , „ . The opinion of many of those who have seen the majority of the North Island teams in action this year is that the strongest all-round side in the North Island is Taranaki, and it was surprising that this side, which was the

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Only one this year to beat Southland, should have had only one forward and one back in the North Island team. As is so often the case, the game was of a high-scoring nature, and though the North appeared to have secured the larger percentage of the hall from the set scrums, due no doubt to the understanding between Tindill and Lambouru —without a doubt the best hooker in the country—the vigorous work of the South Island forwards, in other departments more than made up for the loss of the ball in the set scrums, and again the South Island backs appeared to have the edge on the North, despite the latter’s strong rally in the closing stages. In view of a possible but now seemingly unlikely tour of South Africa, the game did" not produce any players who have not been known to the public for some years. In this respect both teams relied mainly on experienced players, which makes it all the more be vend comprehension as to why D. Trevathan was not selected to piny his part for the South. From all accounts, the star of the backline Was A. G. Sutherland, the Southland winger playing one of the best games of his career. He scored three trios, and besides running strongly, showed plenty of resource and often brought play infield again for some of the best movements of_ the day. Sutherland was in the 1937 All Black trials, and is now a much more finished player, who, under ordinary conditions, would be one of tho brightest prospects for next year’s New Zealand team.

A good deal of interest was taken in the duel between the half-backs, and according to one Wellington report Saxton was better than Tindill, his passing being much smarter and better placed. Both Grace and Perriam played soundly, and Morrison, by his play on the wing, gained favourable mention. Neither full-back impressed as much as J, M, Taylor, the All Black. did in the trial game played ns a curtain-raiser to the interisland game, and should a New Zealand team yet be selected, Taylor’s chances would still appear to be brightest.

In the South Island forwards It. R. King showed that ho is still one of the best, Herron .demonstrating that he was one of the stars of the .younger brigade and more than confirming the good impressions formed of him earlier this season and last year. The Otago representatives, G. M'Donald and A. A. Parkhill, both played solid games, and generally the South Island pack seems to have played well together. In the loose, Southland’s fine all-round forward, R. H. Ward, appears to have hern outstanding. In the North Island team, Peannan was faulted for his failure to get up to Grace quickly, and by the time he did got Grace, Perrinm and Wesney had a yard or two on the northern defenders. Tori Reid is still recognised as one of the best packmen in the north, and he enhanced his reputation by a fine allround display on Saturday. Once he settled down. J. Tj. Sullivan produced flashes of his best form, and the try he scored in the first spell after Schubert had missed Pcarman’s pass was a fine effort. UNIMPRESSIVE TRIALIST SELECTION Commenting on the players selected for the All Black trials, the ‘ Sports Post ’ says:— “ A further disturbing feature, too, about the selection of some trialists is that reputation still so obviously wields considerable influence. A few of the chosen players have done little this year to deserve any soloctorial recognition. They have reputations of a kind based upon past achievements, and to some extent upon current Press references, but not a great deal more. Altogether, viewed on paper, the trialists are not a very impressive aggregation. There is scarcely one really great back among them, unless it is Jack Sullivan, and even he this year has not, in provincial Rugby, produced classic form. It is a tremendous ipity that N. A. Mitchell has fallen out of big football. Ho is still the most capable back in the Dominion.” BENNIE OSLER REAPPEARS Bennie Osier, great Springbok of other days, turned out at fly-half for the Olympics Rugby Club in its annual match against the Navy at Newlands. Cape Town, recently. Osier made many openings for his centres, who, however, seemed so surprised when the openings did appear that they didn’t take full advantage of them. But what the crowd was waiting for came just before tho end of the first half. There was a scrum in the corner of tho twenty-five, the posts were on Bennie Osier's right foo<t; a swift heel back, a swift pass, and the crowd roared as Bonnie shaped

for a drop from his favourite spot. The roars faded into astonished silence, however, when the drop went nowhere near the posts. It was not like the Osier tho crowd knew. Bennie made amends later in the match when ho put over one from a penalty kick. Ho asked his captain what he should do with the ball when the Olympics were awarded a penalty. The skipper said: “Kick a goal.’’ So Bennie did! NOTES Taranaki enthusiasts will never be convinced that Hawke’s Bay deserves four forwards in the North Island team, while of Taranaki’s rugged pack only one (Coull) is deemed worthy of inclusion. E. L. Todd, of Wellington, is an unlucky forward on last Saturday’s form, as ho was outstanding throughout, and lie showed remarkable pace for a big man in the way he hung on to Schubert when the latter scored his groat runaway try (says the New Zealand ‘Observer’). Says the ‘ Sports Post ’; — “ One dear impression remained after Saturday’s All Black trial. Several men were right out of their class. Some of them were not even up to provincial standard. Play, not unnaturally, was ragged, but this did not excuse much rank bad work. Back play generally was pretty poor stuff. Collectively there was a marked absence of real’punch. A few individuals occasionally made penetrative bursts, but scarcely one man, with the exception of Taylor, who was first-rate, appealed as being right up to New Zealand standard.”

Will Kevin O’Flanagan, tho Bohemians and Irish international Soccer player, gain a Rugby international cap for Ireland this winter? asks an English writer. In the past O’Flanagan has, on a few occasions, played wing three-quarter for University College, Dublin, and has impressed good judges. He is COyds champion of Ireland, and is also an outstanding long jumper. In the opinion of one of tho Irish Rugby selectors, O’Flanagan would make an outstanding wing three-quarter with his great turn of speed, swerve, and determination.

Mr .). Wylie, one of the managers of the. Fijian Rugby team, did a tremendous amount of work on the managerial side of the New Zealand tour, "Mr J. 13. K. Taylor attending to the playing and coaching (says the Auckland ‘ Herald ’). Mr Wylie’s genial nature made him extremely popular with the officials of all unions with whom he came in contact. Prior to his departure for homo on Monday night Mr Wylio expressed the opinion that tho best referee he had seen on tlie tour was Mr D. S. B. of Hamilton, who controlled the final match against the Maoris on Saturday last. “He used tho advantage rule to perfection,” said Mr Wylio. The inclusion of L. Schubert, of Anckand, in Saturday’s North Island fifteen was a complete surprise to football enthusiasts in the north (says the ‘Sports Post’). Schubert was not even nominated by the Auckland and North Island selector, Mr F. W. Lucas. There was nothing remarkable, of course, in the fact, since Mr Lucas was at liberty to revise his opinion at any time, and the New Zealand selector, too, could exercise his right and bring in any player he wished. Auckland critics have been quite favourably impressed with Schubert's attack, but his defence, they declare, is hardly of the same standard.

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