VARSITY'S ERA OF "INS"

NZ Truth, Issue 1237, 15 August 1929, Page 16

VARSITY'S ERA OF "INS"

Again Take Senior Championship

(From "X.Z. Truth's" Wellington Rep.)

For the second year m succession Varsity "have won the senior "A grade champipnship m Wellington. They have yet to meet Athletic, but the result cannot deprive Varsity of the lead. VARSITY always play attractive footv ball and they arc ever a popular team with the public, but it cannot be said that there has been a> great deal of enthusiasm m the senior championship, nor has • the standard of play been a. high one. '. / In Wellington there are forwards who are good players m the' -making, but who lack that dash and devil which wins, a way. into . an All Black foam. 'Pliny have' adopted the bad habit of endeavoring to impress as. soloists .and : there is an . entire absence of what ; couiits most m big football, namely, team work. ; The 'material is on hand for tire moulding of a fine combination, if the Union can manage to induce the right coach to give his services. As the senior games are over early this season, the Union should place the likely reps, under the guidance of an experienced coach. "N.Z. Truth" •' suggests either Ned Perry or W. A. Thompson. Ked Perry is coach of Old Boys. and. W. Thompson has had much to do with Athletic, and his services have been made use of frequently by visiting athletes. Ned Perry has frequently been called away from Wellington to do the polishing off on rep. teams of other provinces. Either of these gentlemen would willingly give their services If requested by the proper officials. It Is use- -•■ less just getting the men together a few days before a rep. fixture and allowing them to adapt themselves to new conditions as best they can.. . Varsity, on Saturday, raced over Marist at Athletic Park, the score being 19- to 6. The students were m fine form and at no stage, did they look like losing. Still it was by no means a, 1 oneTsided game, for Marist were fighters ; to f the finish and very often they came to light with movements that verged on the brilliant. ■•■••■••■... The game was somewhat marred, by injudicious use of the whistle and two or three rulings which were eye-openers to even somts of the referee's confreres. One ruling which caused no end of comment was when the referee awarded a penalty to Varsity m front of Marist's goal, incidentally making the students a present of three points.. A scrum was ordered five yards from the' goal-line and a similar distance from the touch-line. A Marist back, standing m front of the goal-posts was ruled' offside, and the referee gave a free kick to Varsity at this position. "N.Z. Truth" maintains that Referee Bradley's ruling was wrong, as the ban had not actually been placed m the scrum and was, -therefore, not m play. Had the ball been placed m the scrum, the referee would have been within his rights In acting under a rule which is somewhat drastic. The point is that the ball was not actually m play and the rule is definite that it should be before a player Is offside. Athletic had little trouble m accounting for Old Boys, the score reading 21 to 6. Athletic, by reason of Petone going under to Poneke, have now come into second position on the 1 -, championship ladder, being four points behind Varsity. Athletic is a team that should have ! been fighting out the final with Varsity.