EASY GALLOP

NZ Truth, Issue 1185, 16 August 1928, Page 14

EASY GALLOP

Manawhenua Fall By Wayside (From "N.Z. Truth's" Christchurch . . ;_■.';■• Rep.);-: •_ _. : .;;. ; ; Superior both back and forward, Canterbury ran up a score of points against Manawhenua at Lancaster Park last Saturday, and then dawdled along without worrying greatly. ' The northerners wer* triers all the time, and towards the end of the match it looked as if the red-and-blacks might have fallen into the error of taking them too lightly. - : ' DUT the homesters were able to. Bhpw a burst of enthusiasm at the end of the game, and finish 'up the winners by 25 points to 19.The attendance was about; the..smallest this Season for an important match, and those who 'stayed away/ .djd not I miss much,- for it was a haphazard exhibition of free-ah'd-easy,;foPtball. Th c '.- Cahterbu ry selectprs tppk the opportunity of giving sbriije. of the lesser lights amongst. the backs- a run tn representative football, probably with a view to selecting; a' touring, team. Possibly it, was this encouragement that drew pi'omising football ■ from one or two of those who were;havirig their first run. •• . A ' ' The red.-and-black pack set .off'at; a strong pace and soon established their superiority. It. had been feared that they might be beaten by the "^visiting forwards, and thus; throw ■ thfe i burden of the game on the shoulders of .the hew rearguard. . . ' ' i But the Mahawhenua ; van proved disappointing and' it was not until the : red -and -black fbrwar.^.s . had slackened off m the second spell . that they came to jiflh't vyjth; any convincingly dangerous 'rushes. The Manawhenua bapics.s.hbne: individually rather thg,n collectively, and came to light with' some>effpctiye spoiling tactics. In this -they,; indulged; In more offside' play than ;a str-ict referee woujid allow. : • : - ' ■,'.. ; ; Canterbury's handling wals uncertain at times. A' representative teani; should be dependable enough m the matter of taking passea, but the men from the plains have a' habit, of. -juggling the ball brilliantly m a difflcultv movement and muffing it m an' easy one. „.' The tackling,' too, it^npf as hard, as clean-cut and as sure as it ; slipuid . be. • G. H. , Mehrtens was tried ojjt::as f ull- . back for Canterbury... His was a sound and satisfactory; 'game.' v V ■ . L. G. Lovpridge, whp ; represented ; . Canterbury last- year; «b»ut who has shown indifferent form? this season, was given, a place, on the wing again; arid he, played a;, rattling good game. ..'•'■. . • • He put on 16 pf Canterbury's 25 : points, scoring two tries, ;kicking. two penalties ■■ and converting , two tries. Liovf ridge was right -on fprm, .and would compare with any three-quarter m New Zealand at present. If he were only consistent, he wouid be a crackajack. . ■". . :•:■ ■\ - ■'■■:' '. ' ■.■'■ ' ■J. Galbraith, at centre, while displaying none of the flrewprks from Charlie Oliver's repertoire, played a ;:heady, fast arid sound game. ■ : .- " SjURE HANPS M. Li; Page was back.on.the old stand at the. base of . the scrum and was as sound and sure as ever. Bill Dalley might have to look to his laurels next season. • . - ■ . i Toby Robinson,,. A. Ti . Montgomery, A: L •' CbttreU indF. Li. Clark were ' the -best of the home side's forwards The Parata brothers were- the • most ' enterprising' packs: on. the Manawhenua side. W. .Parata, at, half, played a very. heady game and ' worked hard from -s'tai'rt to finish.f He was dahgerpus arid tricky vih his ''opponents'' twenty«fiv«i. • ; T. Parita used- his. weight to, advantage, ■ and tangled ' up several -Canterbury; passing rushes; m- good • style. Occasionally, however, . •; he;. ; showed ', a preference, for the.. *;Socder" rule for off-side. f He scored two good tries. . R. Akuira,' who shared five- eighths position with; T. Pjarata; ' also gave a useful performance. •';'.%'>. ■The Manawhenua > wing-forward, W. Gleeson,, handled yery ; well^ and showed up m some 1 snappy/ rushes; Fast ■'. m getting off. the mark, he retrieved his one bad mistakf 4urin'g "the day by scoring a good try "a minute after it.. • A. Conrad, D. Tataria 'arid- I. - Suriimers were the best of. the pack. . Next Saturday the ., vN.6r.th- Island -.v. South' Island match will "be Jplayed: at | Laricaster Park. , , ' v ; . : ■■' .