SCULLING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1449, 21 September 1915, Page 3

SCULLING.

WEBB AND HANNAN AT WORK.

Interest in the above race, which takes place on Friday for the championship of New Zealand, is growing and the chances of the, two men are being Ireely discussed, despite the fact that the great war claims so much attention. Webb is looking so well, and sculling with so much dash, that he promises to start a strong favourite, though there are not wanting those who doubt his abilities to make good again, despite the fact that to all appearances he is rowing as well as ever. On the other hand, his admirers are enthusiastic as to his condition, and are confident that he is not only as brilliant as ever, but that he will stay as well as in any previous race. He appears to have no trouble in holding Archie Sharpe, his pacemaker, who has to take three or four more strokes to the minute to hang on to Webb. The latter has gone back to bis old style of rowing, and now rows with the straight leg, keeping his knees together, instead ot opening them to let his body through when reaching out for a stroke, in the Australian fashion. He rowed with bis knees together as an amateur; also in his races against Stanbury, C. Towns and Tressider, all of which he won, and he appears to be going as fast as ever now, while the ease with which he gets his work in is remarkable. However, Hannan has whatever there may be in being five years younger, and this is expected in some quarters to turn the scale in his favour. During the past week or so, Hannan has put in a lot of good work, rowing generally twice a day. On Sunday last he did some practice at starting by mutual consent, Haunan showed fair pace off the mark, but bis strong forte is his ability to row at a very solid pace over the full distance ; that is to say he is more ot a stayer than a sprinter. He is very fit, being as hard as nails, and be is undoubtedly a powerful young fellow with heaps of grit, one who will stick it out to the end. The Kaiwarra man has astonished many by rowing two miles or so at top speed and then finishing quite fresh, and there are some who think he will wear the Wanganui man down by sheer plugging. It remains to be seen if Webb can still show the same staying power that characterised his rowing in most of his former races ; if so, Haunan will have a tough contract on hand to break him up.