THE NATIONAL GAME.

Shannon News, 1 June 1923, Page 3

THE NATIONAL GAME.

NOTES ON PLAY. The Otaki-Waiiclerers game played at Levin on Saturday was a good indication of what training will do for teams. 'Despite the tact that the ground was cut up worse than at any othex" game this, season, the showing on both sides was of a high order, much better, in fact than in some of the earlier games with a dry ball. Otaki played an open game from the start, Bachelor at five-eighth keeping the game well opened out always. This player put up a good showing right through and might be worth watching a s a, possible rep. hall-back. Devin, on the other hand kept the play amongst the forwards in the first half, starving the three men who, when they got an opportunity latex put in the best work done for the team namely Jacobs. T. Winiata and Wilson. With these nien in the back division, Wanderers must play an open game, if they are to> do their best, a: fact that demonstrated pretty clearly ip the improved play in the second hall' when they did open Up. Jacob, as usual, played a, thoroughly sound, unselfish game. He is a player who has absorbed the true spirit of football and knows that in his position his job is to feed the players next to him, with the result that it is necessary to> watch him to realise what he jeally means to the team. . T. Winiata is playing a greatly improvjedl game, and 1 on Saturday s showing deserves his inclusion in the South island Maori rep. team. He seems to have got over his habit of holding on to the hall, but still took a lot of punishment which might have been avoided. , • Wilson, who is without question the best of the young players .seen m Levin so far this season, played a great game on Saturday. He has a fine turn of speed, handles the ball cleanly and his tackling is good. He will improve still further with practice, and is a likely candidate foi rep. in the near future. H. Udy who played full-back for Otaki was the soundest full-hack seen 'here this season. Despite the slippery condition of the ball, he never missed taking it, whatever the position. He is a strong kicker, and used both feet well, and his tackling was deadly. , Other Otaki players who showed up

were Rarngi Nicholson, Prim Tahiwa, and Rakawa.

The Wanderers have a useful pair of hookers in H. McDonald and Howell. In Saturday’s game they gave Wanderers more than their share of the ball, their try being the result of good scrum work. Howell, besides is showing up well in all round forward work, and with his youth, promises well. . Wells, the Weraroa. wmg threequarter’collided with a Shannon player in the . Weraroa-Shannon game on Saturday and suffered a concussion of the brain which rendered him unconscious for a couple of hours. The injury was received in the first spell but with great pluck he continued the game only collapsing after leaving the field. He' received prompt, medical attention, and is now about again. A noticeable feature of the Weraroa Shannon game was the amount of off-side play by both teams, which went undetected by the referee. As long as off-side play is going to be allowed '.w:e can never get good Rugby. The scrum-work of the Shannon pack during the greater part of the game was very second-rate. The hookers were getting the ball, hut the back portion of the pack would not open up and let. it out, with the result that when it did get through, the waiting half found the opposing wing player on top of him. Kelly was a tower of strength to Shannon backs, ably assisted by Holden and T. Moynihan, whilst McKenzie at half, played hi sound game. Prain, the full-back, was, on the whole, sale, but is inclined to be on the slow side. R. Sands in the forward division, played the best forward game on the ground, his footwork, following-up, and tackling leaving nothing to be desired. R. Moynihan and Eagle also stood out prominently. . • Tantrum was greatly missed by the Rovers last Saturday. Place-kicking is Tantrum’s long suit, and last Saturday Rovers got four tries, none oi which were converted. A. Short has played a consistently good game as wing-three-quarters for Rovers this season, he having greatly improved on his last year’s form. He scored two tries last. Saturday, the first one which necessitated a swerving run through half of he opposing team, being a fine piece of work. The subject of classification again came up for discussion at Tuesday’s meeting of the Horowhetiua. Rugby Union’s management committee, as the result of a deputation fr 9m, Toko-. maru Club, protesting against the classification of three of their players, which the Club stated would mean the breaking up of the junior learn. The president of the management, committee, whilst regretting that the decision of the classification committee could not be altered, expressed hie sympathy with Tokomaru. The case,’lie said, opened up the whole question of which end of the season, classification should be (lone, at, I ersonnlly he considered that doing u at the end of a' season would preclude (he possibility of breaking up a team which might happen under the present arrangement. The following are the teams selected to represent the Shannon Football Club in the severt-a-side tournament to he held at Palmerston North on, Monday, June 4:— Seniors: T. Moynihan, Eagle, Sands, Lenihan, R. Moynihan, McKenzie, Kelly. Reserves; Holdenn, McKenzie. Juniors: F. Wilson. Fisher. O. Johnson. C. Taylor. R. Terry, W. Gray, R. Andrews, E. Barber.