Rugby.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 182, 19 August 1937, Page 13

Rugby.

"Ofiini")

HEAVY PROGRAMME Hawke's Bay Team's Strenuous Time PREPAR1NG FOR SPRINGBOKS ir-n ' f

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■rne representative season is in full swlng aiid froiii now tuitil Septeinber 18 tlie Hawke's Bay fe--presentatives Will be fully occtipied. i oiiowing to-day 's JtnatcU . wltb woiitniand, present holders of tbe Eanfurly Shield, Otago wili be inet at Napier on Saturday xiext, Taranaki a week later, after which will , foiiow the Northern tour to Waikato aud Auckland. Beturuing ixome South Canterbury, Wellington and the Springboks will be engaged ih a space of six days. It can be seen that Hawke 's Bav are in for a strenuous period, but if the players can escape injury they should work up a fine combination by September 15, the date for the most important niatch of all — The Springboks. On September 18 the Bay will close their representative season with a match against Wanganui, at .Wanganui. It was hoped that Southland would accept a special challenge frdm Hawke's Bay for the Ranfurly Shield, but the holders have decided to put the trophy on the shelf until next win* ter when, as anticipated previOUMly in this column, Otago will be afforded first challenge. Whether Southland or Otago are suceessf ul ' will not prevent a followin J deluge of challengeS, as Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Wellington, from thc Nortli Island, and Cantertrary and Soutli Canterbury are due to visit the fur south. Tliis fact ixo doubt bulked largely iu thc deliberationS of the Southland Rugby TJnion wlien they wero Considering Hawke's Bay 's special challenge. Otago Game. The provineial game With Otago promised to be one Of the great attractions of the year, but eonsequent on the lOss of the Shield some of tlie glory that was Otago 's has departed. Nevertheless tho wuarers -Of the bluo jersey are a fine side and tliey will be a mnelx stronger combination than was de* feated by Canterbury last Saturday. On that day Otago did not have* Treval than, who was busy in Wellington scoring 10 points for New Zealand. Neither Avas full-back Taylor tliero, but both will bo on liaud against Hawke's Bay next Saturday. Entkusiasts will be keen to see tlie man with the Inagic boot in action, to say ito thing of Taylor. There is ndthxng brilliant in Tre-vatha-n's generai play, but It is solid all the time. In style he closely resembles! Norman Ivivell, a Bay stalwart of the 1920/25 years, but when there is an opportunity for a field gOal 1W vathan is a bundle of energy. Depressing Record Of all the provinces, Hawke's Bay 's record With Otago is a most depressing one. In all 15 games have been played, of which Otago have won 11, Hawke's Bay three, while oue was drawn. The drawn game occurred at Hastings after a splendid tussle, 6 — 6. Maurice and Oyril Broxynlie, Jack McNab, Alex Kirkpatrick, Maurice and Jack Black, Normal Kivell, Jack Kirv?an and Walter Barcl&y were some who wore the Bay jersey that day. "Springboks "Shoot" a Rabbit. The Springboks, while in Masterton for training, indulged frequently in the sport of rabbit shooting, of which there are many in (that distriet, The story goes that seven Springboks one morning opened fire . on a rabbit, but only sueeeeded in. making it trave) faster',' so one dropped his gun and, sprinting brilliantly, ran bunny down in less than a furlong. The New Zealand team at Otaki, not to be out.done, decided to do a spot of rabbit shooting too, but only one posSe,ssed a gun. An appeal was made to the populace with wonderi'ul results, and the 1937 All Blaelcs went to wagw wai- 011 "Bunny" in a eonveyanee that resembled an armourcd ea-,.." Muzzle loadcrs, pea rifles ancC brcach loaders peeped coyly from tlie windows along AVith guns of the latest pattem. The driver of tlie bus fondled a Colt 45, but tlie rabbits heard of the ceming onslaught and disappeared. A somewhat dejected band returned to Otaki possesscd of oue rabbit and this one, it is alleged, was caught in a trap. However, we will say that if they cannot shoot rabbits the All Blaeks certainly know their Rugby. Visitors' View of H.B. "Omni," when in Wellington over the week-end, conversed with one of the Springbok party and gathered from him that the visitors regard the latter part of their tour as from now as the most strenuous. The prospect of playing the second Test and then Southland on the following Wednesday, Otago three days later and then a iong journey to Napier to meet Hawke's Bay the day after arrival is not one that tliey have gorie into laptui'es over. "The best football is in the South Island this winter, I believe, " remarked the visitor, "and Hawke's Bay appear to be stroug too." Jt appears that Ihe Spriugbolis a>'e very-inlerested 1 iu px'uviaciai footbalL