BAY RUGBY TEAM

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19988, 13 July 1939, Page 9

BAY RUGBY TEAM

14 STONE AVERAGE PLENTY OF HEIGHT STRONG BACK-LINE COLTS INCLUDED IN TEAM By “Emergency" Little fault can be found with the final selection of 20 Rugby players marie by Mr. T. French to wear the familiar scarlet livery in matches ■against Hawke's Bay, on Saturday, Bush Union (Tuesday, July 18) and Wainarapa (Saturday, July 22). The only problem facing the sole selector ■would be whom to omit in the pack as .there is a wealth of forward talent available this season.

The pack chosen will have plenty of weight and,- height and it will be interesting to ,see how it will fare when pitted against the strong Hawke’s Bav octet on Saturday. Hawke’s Bay are a hard team to defeat on their own ground, but Poverty Bay will try them to the utmost. Shanks was the logical choice for hooker and will have plenty of weight behind him in his efforts to get the ball to his rearguard. Shanks has proved himself this season,' despite the limitations of the Old Boys pack as grafters in -the tight and he should be a good match for any other rake he is pitted against on the tour. Well-Balanced Front Row Robertson and Chris Anderson are a pair of Ideal front-row men and should balance the front row well. Anderson has not been .playing the game for long in Gisborne, but right from the first time he took the field there Ihas been little doubt about the class of the former Horowhenua player. Robertson, the Waikohu player, is a solid worker in the tight, ■but he lacks the touch of brilliance that marks- the play of Anderson, the former Horowhenua representative. For all. that, however, he is well worth his place in the team. George Phillips, who has just been transferred from the Motu sub-union, i-; Gisborne’s tip for higher honours this season and, pitted against tire fiery forwards to be faced during the tour, he will have ample opportunity to prove that his claims are not baseless. Phillips did not si '.ne in the game with Celtic on Saturday and: is capable of . much better football. The touring captain, W. Aitken, docs not shine in club football, though lie is a representative player of considerable experience. Now in his second season as a _ Poverty Bay representative, he previously wore the Wairarapa and Bush representative jerseys. For Inis kicking alone Matt O'Brien, the tallest man of the side, vs worth a game with the team but, in addition to his prowess with the boot, he plays a sound enough all-round game to justify his selection. Before coming to Poverty Bay last yc«u» O'Brien wore the liavyke’s Bay jersey for three seasons. Frank Twigg has been an outstanding player in the representative pack for rhe past couple of seasons and lias kept his place on sheer merit. Ray Rogers is playing some of the best football of his long career and is one of the best forwards in the competition. He shares with Phillips the distinction: of having played against the Sprinkbog pack in 1927. ~Kutia, the " big, heavy Maori forward, the giant of the pack in the matter of avoidupois. is in fine form at present and has excellent prospects of ’.gaining selection in the Maori All black team to play the Fijians later in the season. Two newcomers to Gisborne Rugby complete the forward complement of the team, this pair being Bill Johnston and C. Wrigbtson, both of whom have played representative football outside of Gisborne. Johnston has a long list of representative performances to his credit, and has played in Hawke's Bay, Taranaki and North Auckland. He is a forward of the hard, rucking type and is expected to create a favourable impression white on tour. Wrigbtson is n very fine forward who is a fast jnan in the open field. He played for Walroa against Pov-

erty Bay on the King’s Birthday, but is now a member of the Marist club. The average weight of the forwards is 14 stone. Young Back-line The backs comprise chiefly young j players of marked promise and the i .our -is expected to do a lot towards the ultimate strengthening of back play in the district. The half-back, 11. Littler, vice-cap-tain of the team, is a youthful vetman so far as iris Rugby service goes. Now 24 years of age, he has been playing senior grade football for line years, making his debut, as halfback for the Old Boys’ senior side in 1930. He played his first game for Poverty Bay against East Coast in 1932. Reg McKinley, one of the selected five-eighths, is a young player with a good future in the game and should derive marked benefit from the trip. Murray Sharp is a sound player who has been consistent all the seasea and lias been one of the stars of the Old Boys’ back-line. T. Smilcr is the best of the three brothers of that name and has the Maori flair for the spectacular. Hoy, who is to play at centre in the opening game, has- plenty of pace and a good eye for an opening, j Short, the 11.5.0.8. player, is very solid on defence and is well worthy of the chance afforded him. Vin Hale, the other winger, learned his football as a member of the Ponsonby club in Auckland and is a determined runner. Gaukrodger is a five-eighth of the colid type and gave a good display against Wairoa on the King's Birthday, as also did Scholium, the fullback. The team is well representative of the strength of Poverty Bay and the sub-unions and us expected to atquit itself in all the games played. The manager is Mr. W.-11. James, delegate for the Poverty Bay Referees' Association on the Poverty Bay Rugby Union.