NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 179, 30 June 1937, Page 15

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

PARS ABOUT PLAYERS. A LUCKY BYE. Kin Ton were somewhat, lucky to have the bye on Saturday, because they had Thomas, G. Wasley. Williams, Beard and Latham all suffering from minor injuries received in recent representative matches which would probably have kept them out of the club match. The injuries are not serious, and it is fully expected that the players will all bo out again next Saturday. Team Changes. Old Boys faced a problem on Saturday in the depletion of their pack, and Todd, who has played second fiveeighth all the season, was to be found in the forwards. They have lost the services of the Massey . College forward. Lewes, and in addition R. Cutler had a legacy from the match with Massey College in the shape of an injured knee. Youth And Size.

Perry, the 18-year-old Massey College forworn, has attracted attention by his hard play which, however, is a-s clean as play can ho at its best. He is a side-row man, and on his performance so far gives indications of reaching greater heights than club football. Good Full-Back. United juniors were without the services of N. Mahey, their'full-hack, on Saturday. Mahey is recognised as a

very capable player in that position and his haWlling of the ball, kicking and collaring have earned him commendation on several occasions. It was only a week-end absence. S. Birehall, who suffered %n injury to the muscle of his left army, will bo with the team again on Saturday. The United Club, taking the season as a whole, have enjoyed a more oV less stable junior team and fortune '-has also favoured them in the other grades. First Time Out.

Iv. Olliver had his first game of the season when he played second five-eighth for Old Boys oil Saturday. A player for that club for many years and also one who has represented Manawatu, Olliver showed his ability to “size up” a situation and, considering that it was his first run, be did very well. Feilding Old Boys. As usual, Jack Finlay caught the eye on Saturday in the match with Alassey College at Johnston Park. He moved well in the open. Francis, first five-eighth, also played a good game and proved a sound connecting link in tho back-line. Value Of Centring.

An attractive movement was seen in the Feilding v. Old Boys match when Sutherland centred from the wing threequarter position on being blocked near the Old Boys line. He might have tried to force lii.s wav through, but the prospects were doubtful. Instead, lie kicked hard toward the middle of the field and the Old Boys side was immediately in a precarious jiosition. Only a desperate defence kept the Feilding attackers out. Tho development showed that it is not always the duty of the wing man to dash for the line with no thought of anything else except the possibility of passing to a teammate. Pick Of Old Boys.

O’Dea proved to lie the pick of the Old Boys side on Saturday. He was full of life from the beginning to the end of the game and, oil the ball all the time, made the Feilding attack shift its objective and adopt new tactics.

Woodville Weak. The St. Patrick’s v. AYoodville game calls for very little comment. AVoodvillo were hopelessly outclassed and that is all there is to it. Had the greens played the really serious game of which they are capable, the score would have been well over 50 points, and their opponents would not have got tlieir try. AYoodvii 10. ol course, were without the services ol three of tlieir best men, and one retired injured during the game, but, even so, they would not have been a match for St. Patrick’s. A Good Pivot.

The star man of the match was undoubtedly Edlin, the St. Patrick s pivot, who varies his tactics nicely and is as “game as a pebble” in the teeth of forward rushes. Even allowing lor weak opposition, his two tries Irom the base of scrums were clever efforts. Following his good display in the representative match at Feilding the previous week, it would seem to be more than likely that lie will bo the half-back in Manawatu’s future engagements. Powell was the best forward on the ground when lie chose to work seriously. His try from near the lino showed just how dangerous lie can be when within striking distance. Massey College Team. The Massey College team were due to play their annual match with Auckland University at Auckland to-day. The team went north on Alonday evening but it was unfortunate that it was not at full strength. Francis (Alanawatn representative) and Sutton (New Zealand University and Alauawatu representative) were among the live absentees from the tegular team.

A Trifle Unlucky. If there is one player in the Manawatu who is unlucky in not securing representative honours it is Campbell, the Alassey College full-back. On Saturday at Feilding lie played a sterling game, handling well, kicking accurately and tackling soundly. The trouble, ol course —and this probably weighs with the selector—is that Campbell is not always available. But lor this he would probably have gone on tour with the Manawatu team last year. Loss to Rugby. Through the retirement of AN". McCormick (St. Patrick’s) irom active participation in the game, the club and the union have lost ouo of Alauawatu s best inside backs. McCormick lias had to make a decision between study and Rugby, because he believes, and rightly so, that to play Rugby training is essential. The necessary time could not be spared, hence the retirement. He did not plav last Saturday, but it is understood that he has been prevailed upon to turn out for his final match against Kia Toa when they meet. AVhen those teams met in the first round McCormick scored a sensational try in the last few minutes to. give victory to Sr. Patrick’s, and it will bo remembered. Football Career Ends.

All Rugby players will be in sympathy with J. Luxmoore, the United junior back who, as the result of an injury to a leg he received in the seven-a-side tournament, has had to nbandon bis football activities, hoi a time it appeared that ho would bo only temporarily incapacitated, but later events proved that the injury was" of a worse character. He was a promising player. When Speed Tells. Once passing bouts in the Feilding v. Old Boys match commenced to open out Nicol, second five-eighth for the visiting team, was nearly always in the picture. In the closer movements he was not seen to the same effect, but in the open his superior speed made itself felt and on one occasion it was noticeable that lie just raced away from all others about him.

Change Of Position. M. AValdin went in toward the scrum ono position on Saturday, taking tho first five-eighth’s duties whereas ho usually is placed at second, Though he broke through by shcoi strength on several occasions, these tactics did not always hoar fruit and by tho time he was effectively blocked tiio other Old Boys backs were up to the attackers and tho passing more or loss went across the field without anj great territorial gain. Bustling The Backs.

One of the Feilding side-row men, Hight. was very quickly away from the scrum and more than once ho was to ho seen up with the Old Boys fivccigliths after they had received the ball from the scrum. His breaking away did not appear to trouble the effectiveness of the Feilding men when they were packed down, for they had the lion’s share of the bull.

Unusual Default. “I think that is the first time 1 have seen Kia Toa default a match,” said Mr L. J. Plank, at last night’s meeting of the Manawatu Union’s management committee, when it was reported that the Kia Toa third grade team had defaulted to the Feilding thirds. Mr H. It. Crawford (who represents the Kia Toa Club) explained that the team had experienced a lot of sickness among its members and tliat, together with injuries, had brought about the default. The team had been a good one, but they had had a lot of bad luck in the course of the season.