AROUND THE CLUBS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 131, 3 May 1940, Page 4

AROUND THE CLUBS.

v SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. REVIEW OF THE TEAMS. (By “Front Row.”) While big inroads in the personnel of some of .the Rugby football clubs | have been'made by enlistments for | active service, most of them having lost a dozen or so members, a review ot the players intending to take part in this winter’s inter-club competitions gives indications .that the standard may remain nearly equal to that of last season. Prominent players will be missing, but others have come to the Manawatu from other districts, and this season brings the entry of a new side, Air Force. THE AIR FORCE TEAM. Air Force are. reported to have a very strong team, and one critic who has studied, them in action expresses the opinion that the side to finish ahead of them on the championship ladder will be the winners. With a leavening of younger players, the side is reported to have a strong basis of experienced men, and several of these are ]>ermancnt personnel, so that only a relatively small change may take place from" time to time among the plavers. UNIVERSITY’S PERSONNEL. - University have suffered a serious loss in their backs with only Stewart remaining, of the old delenders, u although possibly Petersen may return later in the season. In .their forwards, however, while they have lost a fine player in Terry, Green, Seeley, Wallace, McKee, McLaren, Craven, and Barnford will be available again. Gray will return to the college later and Carter is expected back.. One of the big changes which may take place is the appearance of M. M. Cooper, the international, as a permanent player. With him to lead the forwards the pack would be welded into a very lormidahle unit. Bishop, Smith and Lands are all young players who are in the

running for positions in the hacks. Cooksfey, Bowler and Tutaki are chosen as the three-quarter line, and Herbert, a Morriiisville -junior-' representative, "ill most probably bo the. fullback. 'Hie permanent personnel of the team, however, will not be found until three or more games are played, when the second term at the college will have begun. OLD 'BOYS SENIORS.’ Old Bovs will again hav(s the major /part of their team of last year. The most interesting'- change is the acquisition of Clark, from the Training College team at Auckland, in the position of full-back, where he has played for the Auckland ' representatives. Bniek, Howell and Davidson (formerly a Southern Hawke’s Bay player) will be in the three-quarter line, and Lang and McNeile will take the fiveeighths positions, with Scott, formerly a junior grade, player, at half-back. Barraud, well-known as a track runner, is also available for positions in the backs. He played in the junior team last season. The pack will jhav in it Low in. Porter, the two Annear brothers, and O’Dea. Webber is a new arrival, and Kay. and McAlister art being-" promoted from junior ram, Grammer, of Te Kawati, is also a post sibility for the forwards. UNITED’S PERSONNEL. The United senior team has Bradley and Hyde left in the backs, and 'all but L. Findlay (now retired from the game) and Bovis left in the pack. For the backs new faces will be those of Robertson (a junior from the Horowlienua Union), Campbell (a centre three-quarter from the ' Wellington Union), Ryder (a junior of last year who will probably be a five-eighth), Hill (a five-eighth .who played in the third grade representative team last season), and Also]) (who played in last year’s third, grade representative team and who will be in a wing position). Rowlands and Arnott (who were juniors last season) have been promoted to fill the vacancies in the forwards. The average age of the players is about 19 years, and the average weight in the vicinity of 12 stone. KIA TOA CHANGES. Even apart from the absence of R. M. McKenzie, now coaching the club’s juniors, there are big cnaiiges in the Kia T.oa senior side. Of the former players Carr, Jarvis, Parris and Eitt (who played a lew games in the senior ranks) will be out again, but Jarvis ricked his back at Easter and it may he some time before lie takes his place. Stenberg is returning to the game, and Leader and Harvey, juniors of last year, have been promoted. Marshall, who was a representative League player at Auckland and who had two seasons’ play in England, is another newcomer, while Quinn, the junior half-back of last year, may be seen in the senior ranks. Speedy, Williams, Barnao and Whyte will again take their places in the pack. Coombs, Pearson and Lucas have been promoted from the juniors, and Thurston, who cannot get to the University practices, is playing for Kia Toa. Gunn is another new player, and Grindrod, who formerly, played for Feilding, is available. Judd, who has not played for a number of years, is also turning out again. ST. PATRICK’S TEAM. Tho St. Patrick’s Club have Fitzpatrick, Edlin and probably C. Heliir left of their last'year’s backs, and Powell,; Madgwick, Simmonds, Ross and Whiteman of the forwards. To fill vacancies in the rearguard W. Mil lei- (a third jgradc representative of last year), Singleton (another third grade player), Stuart (from Christchurch) and Cuff (of Taranaki) are being called upon. Ifor 'the forwards good material appears likely in. S. O'Connor (Gisborne Celtic), R. O’Connor (Wellington St. 'Patrick’s Old Boys) and T. Fitzpatrick (third grade” oMast year). Probably the most serious loss the club lias suffered in its senior ranks is the transfer of B. McCashin.