FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1932, Page 6

FOOTBALL

SATURDAY’S GAME. SOME COMMENT. Commenting on Saturday’s game, the Christchurch “Press’* says.—Comparing the visitors’ performance of the first occasion and that of Saturday -it mugt be admitted that" vast improvement' has been effected and it is not too mudli ; to say that the Coast fifteen must b e singled out as the strongest opposition offered to Canterbury in an ‘‘at-home” match this season. • * ; ‘ft WEST COAST AN IMPROVED SIDE. # v ’ .:C ••'.' Definite improvement has been made by the West Coast back division which, .with jbhe gaming of more confidence on attack moulded- into quite a formidable raiding unit. t The inside trio—- , Scandrett,., ajt HugKar and. A. Fong,’ the five-eighths—are a jpugbty combination, and none superior has been seen, in any match on Lancaster Park during the 1932- season. On Saturday Scandrett played a particularly fine game feeding his 'backs accurately and smartly besides giving added thrust and direction to rearguard attacks by occasional bursts round the side of the scrum on his own account. If there is a superior half in -the South Island at present then he is not known in Canterbury. iScandrett’s play .has the hallmark of real quality and as he is young, arnd has been able to widen his experience by major representative fixtures, he will have opportunity to catdh the selectors’ eyes next year. Hughes and Fong had a day on form together, too, and both men brought off fine work on defence and attack. Thendefence was impregnable, their running straight and their combination attractive. WEAKNESS AT CENTRE. If there was a weak fink in the /West Coast side it wag at centre, where G. Gilbert was not up to his usual form. His defence had some. serious lapses and but for Fong’s uncanny backing up and thrilling tackling as Canterbury threatened to break through the West Coast might easily have lost the. game in the latter stages of play. C. Schroder also failed to convince when defending, although a strong runner on attack., 'However, on the left wing, L. Martyn played well. He has plenty of speed and combining with it determination, thrilled the crowd with dashes down the flank time after .time. At • full-back J. King was very safe, although not so brilliant in kicking as the Canterbury full-back Roberts. The Coast man ,is a torrid tackier. FINE RUCKING FORWARDS. In the "forwards th e West Coast dominated the line-outs and tight ruci<i ig work almost throughout the match. .Even in the get scrums Canterbury wa* extended to get slightly more than a fair share of the ball. F. Freitas, the former All Black, was not, so much in the picture in this match, but some of the younger forwards played outstanding games. - "If the West Coast Las not placed i-t----,v>lf on the map of premier Rugby provinces in New Zealand provions'y it has don e so definitely this season, and in future years will be one of the. biggest draws possible in Christchurch. Looking at the performances of it* representatives this year it *s a little difficult to see how more Horn its district have not gained South Island caps at least. Times forwards always in the picture on Saturday who must b e classed in the first flight were E.. Jones, R. King and W. Buchanan. Not far removed in point of quality was the play °f W. Deere and L. Hughes. _____