Rugby. THE REP. GAME

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 164, 29 July 1937, Page 13

Rugby. THE REP. GAME

:Omnis,,)

Many Disappointmg Features Revealed 0TAG0 MATCH S00N

(By '

As a spectacie last week% representative flxtiire betwqen Manawatu and Hawke% Bay failed to satisfy tbe mitjority wbo expected to see tbe baill tossed about continu ously. Actually tbis is difficult between well-inatcbed sides, but even &o tbere was pienty of action among tbe two packs, and interspersed were many bright featixres. Despite the margin in potoitg, tbe may.h was never one-sided in a territorial sense. One looks at representative matcbes witb a view to detecbing features that Ueed to be eliminated before tbe Wpringboks reacb bere and for tbat mats ter in Manawatu, too. Tbe Springbolcs Ufe in tbe inajority big men, and last Saturday % game on McEean Park, viewed ae a rebearsal, sbowed tbe tackling as beiiig faxr to poor. Manawatu wotO consxstently worse tban Sawke's Bay in tbis respect; tbeir efforts to stop tbe Bay men Wben tbe latter wero in full fiight WOre at times puny. POI' an exhibition of bow tO tackle botb Apsey and Herbert gave at times a sbobking dxsplay. Buick an tbe first li&lf frequently got past Apsey, and Herbert preferred tbe eyebrows rather fban tbe lcgs of his oppononts all tbe time. One wondered how tbese two wonld fato with Williams and Bestef, the Soutb African wingers, Tackling, When tbe Springboks play tbe Bay, bas got to be decxsive af hopes of a good showing by the Bay is to be expected nnd tbis applies equally well to some of tbe forwards. lleeling a Weakness. xlavixig played tbe ilftb representa•.ive mateh of tbe se'ason it should be expected tbat tbe Hawke% Bay pack wouid by now be sbOwing some Con^tructive excellenee in tbe intensxve Leatdfes of play. for instance, beeliiig fx'om rucks is practiced oiily by jixe 0f two, while anotber pair .do tbeir oeSt to preveixt the ball coming Otxt wben it bas boen sUcCessfUlly rucked. Mere tban one of tbe Bay forwards bas tixe idea tbat football comprisee open piay only, but df all were of tbis opinioii tbere would be an open road to tbe Bay geal-iine. No forward is perfeet, but on© cannot bdip admiring tbe eflectiveness of Dalton % play. Here is ,i forward good at rucking, a demon m tbe tigbt play, a good dribbler, tacklos in great style and tbe baeks could, witb advantage, take a lessoxx from bim at rusb stopping. "Omui^ was going to add good booker to tbo list of bis accomplishmente, but after. last Saturday % poor results in tbis direction will leave it for anotber day. To see O 'Brien standing about six feet in front of Dyer wben tbo opposing sid© wero dropping out from tbe 23 would suggest tbat tbe Hastings man was weak in tbis directxon, but be is not, and forwards should not wander So far from tbe front line. C. Robins was anotber wbo fell ffom grace; bis idea of rusb Stopping Were of tbe kindergarten variety aird mtist never be repeated ag&in toi a representative fixtnre Many Disappointments. PtaUkly, " Omni" was disappointed ni many tbings in tb© representative game and tbere i© no doubt tbat it xakes strong opposition to discdver tbe woaknesses, tbe saving grace is tbat tbere is ample.time t© correct tbem berere tbe Springbokii reacb bere. Hawke% Bay% next fixture is witb Boutbland, at Hastings, on August 19, and tbere ie no doubt tbat tbe heavy deutblanders will provido stifE opposition. * laine Witb Otago. Tbe provinciai fixture that will probably cause tbe greatest interest ldcalty i© tbat between Otago' and Hawke % Bay, ©et idown fbr MeLean Bark oix iiugust 21. No fewer tban 22 players uave been chosen for tbe touring side, and a glanee over tbe names reveals ibat only oue or two of tbe best are not uiaking tbe trip. Lehdmg players toi Otago at the mornent are Taylor, the expected Kew Zealand Test full-back, iiolton, Malionoy, Murray, Obni'cbill, D. frevartban, of goai-kicking fame, How uen and Simon, backs, and Quaid, Green, Parkhill, all recent trlalists, iHurdocb, McDonaid, reputed Otago oest forward, but ixot availablo for tbe .rials, Niven, Rarnes, Mijrpby, Neiper, and ail are members of tbe tourrng side. Tbe lneetittg with , Hawko % Bay bas pecial interest in tbis province for ihe reason that tbe Bay have a provl.donal ehallenge in for a Ranfurly diield date on Boptember 25, It foliows that a Bay victory in Attgust would exeite tbe groatest onthusiasm for the later mateh. It will be remembered that on tbe oecaBion of tbeir last appearance in Hawke % Bay, in 1933, Otago were soundly defeated. Of llie four meetings between Otago and Hawke % Bay that have taken plaee itt tbi/Sr province singe tbe Great, Wiir Hawke % Bay have won two, Otago one, wbilo ono has been drawn, Tbe drawn game was staged at Hastings and proved to be a terrifle struggle between two great packs. Durirtg tbe progress of this mateh Maurice Brownlie and ,Toek Ricbardsoii, in goiiig after a bigb kick, collided in thc air. Thc impact was terrifle and Jock took the

eount and Maurice very nearly sd. Tlie outstanding back for Otago tbat day Was Owles, a versatile playef and very poptilar. ' ' Basatiof ' ' was his nickname atld ever a rOlliHg stone ho imigrated later to Boilth Africk, whei'C lie was lu .1924 injured in a motor cyclo accideut Ond subsoquently disd M a reault.