A COMING RUGBY EVENT.

Shannon News, 29 September 1925, Page 3

A COMING RUGBY EVENT.

FOOTBALL AS IT SHOULD BE PLAYED. . A local enthusiast supplies the following notes oh a game that is arousing wide interest in Rugby circles: — A match of unusual interest is to take piece ou the Levin Domain on Saturday next—the return match between the Manawatu and Horowhenua Referees. Especial interest will be lent to tlie result in view of the fact that representative honours between these unions this year are so far easy. The Referees’ match will decide who is to hold the ashes or' mud or wliat ever.it is that Rugbyites contend for. The Horowhenua team suffered defeat last year, but are determined to turn the tables this time. With this in view a very strong side lias been selected and put .into training. So many notable players are included that I feel it would not- be amiss to mention them individually with their respective records. To begin with a great full-back has been selected in Lindsay Randall, who has bad the honour' of helping Horowhenua ou two occasions to defeat Wellington, and who has never played lor a neaten Horowhenua team. The threequarter line is also a very brilliant combination. The speedy P. McLeavey is on one wing. This promising player last year injured his knee, but despite a very severe preparation for the forthcoming match he informs us that he has had no recurrence of the trouble. The centre selected is E. Sevan, erstwhile skipper of Horowhenua, . and a player \whose doughty deeds on the field are so well-known that they need no enumeration. Despite a slight rotundity of figure, the genial Ned has shown during training that he still retains his old-time dash. Now for the other wing, the colossus of the team, the mighty and incomparable Furri Seymour—two hundred and sixty pounds of magnificent manhood. A great, weight suirelv, but. still no undue handicap consi tiering that in the heyday of his career he tipped the scale at over sixteen stone. Of ihe five-eighths, B. Lenge is the best known here, having represented this union on many occasions. His confrere, W. Peters, has not played here, but comes with a great reputation that by his play at practice he promises 1o sustain. R. Sloan fills the position of half. His football education was gained at Wellington College, where Mark Nicolls and Co. were first taught Ihe- rudiments of the game and where for his elusiveness he was called “Slippery .Sloan. These brilliant and resourceful backs will be playing behind a splendid set of forwards led by that great old war horse, J. Sciascia, one of the most honest and consistent forwards ever produced in this Union. He twice visited Australia with the New Zealand Maori team (1010 and 10131, and was also hooking for the Horowhenua team for some years. Tn the matter of hookers Ihe team is particularly strong, having no less than four who have represented this union: H„ McDonald. R. Panels and .1. Rose. Romeo Kingi will-lock the scrum and his weight will certainly give the local side every advantage in llv .scrums D. Cole. T. Rhodes, arm T McGregor enmnlete a very fine set of forwards, and Manawatu will have pi field a verv strong combination to hold them at all.