CONFIDENCE IN BAY’S PROSPECTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20013, 11 August 1939, Page 10

CONFIDENCE IN BAY’S PROSPECTS

BIG RUGBY FIXTURE

MATCH WITH AUCKLAND MORRISON’S RETURN SOLID HOME FORWARDS O’BRIEN AND HIS 100 By “Emergency” Although the team has failed to register a vvc.ory -n its ma dies away from home this season, followers cf fortunes of the Poverty Bay representatives are confident that the team, will make a good showing against the strong Auckland fifteen in the .big Rugby attraction at the Gisborne Oval to-morrow, and no little confidence is felt in the ability of the home team to defeat the visitors. Five changes have been made in Poverty Bay side which lost to Wairoa on Saturday and the team as elected is a strong one, with rhe only possible weakness being in i’r. centre-three-quarter berth. The pack is a very fine one and will give the visitors some idea of the true strength of forward play in the Bay.

Few could cavil at the selection of Scholium at full-back. The sub-union man was given his chance this year and accepted- his opportunity in fine style, playing good games while the representative team was on tour. What would have been the position had Malone been given a chance to show his form is problematical. “Emergency” has great faith in the ability of the Celtic man. but his turn may come yet. Thrustful Wingers The return of W. Hoy to the team will add to the attacking thrust, Hov being unable to take his place in the team which met Wairoa last Saturday. It was not his bad form which kept Hoy out of the team which played Wairarapa while on tour. The Marist man has speed and thrust and is of value to the team, as is Dick Short, the other winger, a very determined runner and a sound defensive man. In his first season of representative Rugby Short is playing good football. Hoy takes the place of his club-mate, Wyn Smiler, who played against Wairoa. A. McAtieny has been selected as centre, but is a recognised winger. In Wairoa, Murray Sharp played in this position when McAneny was unavailable, but apparently the selector is determined to carry out his experiment with McAneny and has again included him in the centre berth.

Murray Sharp will play in his true position in the five-eighth line, and a sound display can be expected from the Old Boys player. Sharp, at times, has flashes of brilliance and is a player who is always dangerous. He will be partnered by the Marist player, T. Smiler, who has played in the majority of the representative games this season and has given good displays, reaching his best form in the match with the Bush fifteen in. Pahiatua. He is a i very adaptable player and can play anywhere in the five-eighths and three-quarter lines. Morrison Back Again The return of W. Morrison to the representative team has aroused keen interest, Morrison being the third half-back whom the selector, Mr. T. French, has tried this season. The selector has been criticised for not having tried out Morrison sooner, but it must be remembered that the halfback is the key-man in all .back attacks launched and selection must go to the half whose play best suits the tactics to be adopted by the team. This appears to be a point which several of the selector’s critics have overlooked, tout is one of vital importance in team selection. It will be interesting to see how Morrison shapes in his first representative game for some time. Of the forwards who played against Wairoa, Barty and Johnston have been dropped and replaced by the two men for whom they substituted at Wairoa, Twigg and George Phillips. Otherwise hie pack is much the same as has taken the field in most of the representative games this season, with McGrannachan the only comparative

newcomer. The forwards selected are all big and weighty and will make things willing for the Auckland octet. Rogers has played good football all the season—perhaps his best for some time. He will be a strong contender for a game in the North Island Minor Unions’ team to play in Christchurch, as also will (be Phillips and Chris. Anderson. Aitken, the captain of the team, has his critics, but generally manages to do his best in representative games, while Wrightson, O'Brien. McGrannachan and Twigg are all proven forwards. The Auckland selector has set ' hard task for tlfe Bay and. despite the fact that there will be an Auckland team engaged against Hawke’s Bay on the some day. a s'rong combination will be rent down to play in Gisborne. Outstanding Full-back The principal interest probably will centre on the display given by the full-back. Hall i well, and the halfback. Cooney. Halliwell, in his appearances for the first representative fifteen, has given outstanding displays. his game against North Auckland in Whangarei recently being the subject of favourable comment. Some surprise was expressed when he was omitted from the team to meet Hawke’s Bay. Cooney is half-back for the champion team in the Auckland competition, Marist Old Boys, and is a plucky player who sends out fast and true passes. His ability earned him selection in the Auckland representative team last season, but his chance of selection this season was hampered by Injuries. O’Brien’s Bag of Points One interesting aspect of the game is that, given his usual opportunities, Matt. O’Brien should reach his century in points scored for the season. The goal-kicking star has reached a tally of 92 points for tile season to date and should reach the century on this occasion. The last player to score his 100 in Poverty Bay was 'he retired Old Boys’ player, Archie Campbell, who scored 141 points in all games in 1936.

In the last 13 years Auckland and Poverty Bay have met twice, once in Auckland and once on the Oval in Gisborne, with the Bay taking the honours on each occasion. The teams met in Auckland, in 192(1 and the Bay was not given much of a chance of victory, but the visitors, with Wally Langlands at his best, scored a fine victory by 17 points to 14. Five years ago the teams met on the Oval, with Auckland fielding a powerful side which included several Internationals, but once again Poverty Bay scored a line victory by one point, winning by 14 points to 13. Honours between the teams are fairly even over the period of years during which games have been played, tout until of late the fixtures between the provinces have been widely separated. The issue will be keenly contested in to-morrow’s game and a fine display can be expected.