Billiards.

Southland Times, Issue 18816, 8 May 1920, Page 9

Billiards.

A CHAT WITH McCONECHIE,

(By “Spot”) I hod toe |A-j«nie of a chat with New Zealand's hope in the billiard world, Clarke McConachae, the other day. Since he left New Z#g»l«r»d for Australia, McConecfaie has improved considerably in his style, and he .now possesses the touch anr judgment developed to a high degree that be gave early promise of when a lad. He is still the same quiet, unassuming young man who, true to. his breeding, is fond of a peaceful warfare of wards. Ho is looking remarkably lithe and well, and declares that he is becoming fitter every day. Fresh air, a good lung walk each day, a certain amount of time spent with the cue and a clean life account for this, be thinks. Certainly, if he is to be taken as a true specimen of toe result of this treatment it has much to recommend it. McConeciue began the present tour, the last stages of which he is finishing in Southland, on November 26 at Auckland. Here, playing Warren, the exN_Z. amateur champion, McConeciue made a.break of 741. In this match, also, Warren made the biggest break ever made in Auckland by an and t.br , biggest break made against McConechie by an amateur in New Zealand—l3o. Playing in the Panama, Wellington. McConechie mode a 500 unfinished break which he followed in Timaru with one of 400 and another in Dunedin of a wimilnr rise. The young New Zealand champion is well pleased with his tour, aad be speaks quite affectionately of the “kind hearts” of Southland. McConechie will leave the Dominion in October for India, where be will go on tour. Then he will torn his face towards Africa. “Then,” he told me with rapture, “I should be in England in from 12 to 18 months, where I hope to contest the world’s championship.”. He is convinced that even now he could give the English cracks a fright, and, with the additional experience that will soon be his, he does not sec much in his way. As he pointed out, he had played only two big games in Australia under the new rules where there was no limit on the red only as prescribed, in the ordinary rules. In both of these games bis average, was high—so in one and 43 in the. other. This is. very seldom surpassed ia the world’s championship tournaments. McConechie is a born optimist; He always thinks that toe cold might be more severe or that the rain might be heavier, so when anyone tells him that in England they play the championship games with ivory bolls winch come off tho table at an unexpected angle to those unused to them, ho remark*; “But I could get used to them. When I take my own balls on a strange table they come off at an unusual angle. I get used to that so the other should be as easy. Why worry?” It is certain that Clarke McConechie will take with hirn the best wishes of his numerous New Zealand friends and admirers wherever ho should decide to try hia fortune.