Two Unbeaten Provinces

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 151, 16 September 1927, Page 11

Two Unbeaten Provinces

Wellington and Auckland.

attractive rugby programme

TO MORROW’S meeting of Wellington and Auckland, with an inter-Varsity match as a curtain-raiser, promises to make one of the finest Rugby programmes Auckland has seen in years.

Neither Wellington nor Auckland has lost a match this season, and on both sides there are players of recognised merit.

THE display of the Auckland backs last Saturday was not altogether convincing. There was evident a general reluctance to go down on the tail. a nd ono< ' P ast McManus tie Otago forwards invariably had a clear path to the fullback. When this was written the composition of the team, which is to be chosen by radio by Mr. V. R. Meredith, v ho is on the way to Samoa, was not available, but Sheen will probably reappear in the centre, with Berridge asaoeiated with either Meyer or Badeley in the five-eighth, line, and McManus behind the scrum. BUTLER'S BAD LUCK Sheen and Eadeley have both been on the line through injuries, but they are now fit again. Badeley had particularly bad luck. His thigh was bruised and stilt for several weeks. Among the Auckland forwards, McWilliams will probably go back, with Highton again taking a place in the jcserve line. Butler’s attack of mumps cost him a Btone in weight, and he is not yet fit to play again, though he hopes to be ready for the trial match the following jreek. —■ »The Auckland te*am will be: \ Paewai Hook, Sheen, Lucas Berridge Meyer McManus Keene - Had ey, Palmer Knight. Wanna, McWilliams, Batty A 8 Cathcart LEADING LIGHTS ABSENT The absence of Porter, Elvy and gvenson from the Wellington team is regrettable, but in Rushbrook ami Cheney tlm team has strong substitutes for the absent wing-threequar-

tens, while on the flank of the scrum the compactly-built McHardy should be an effective deputy for Porter. Porter, by the way, has been chosen wing-forward for the second trial match, next Wednesday, so is apparently available for South Africa; likewise Mark Nicholls. who earlier observed that “he v/ould go if he was Wanted.” , . , Other Wellingtonians in the tria*. team are Malcolm. South, Rushbrook Johnson, Kilby, Olliver, Pringle and Taylor. The team to mee t Auckland to-mor-row is strong in inside backs, and it is not unlikely that the Kilby-Johnson-Nicholls-South cpia rtette may be figuring in international engagements before very long. Kilby, a bank clerk in Wellington, is a slightly-built lad of 21, and atones lor his lack of inches by speed ant soundness. From Southland Boys High School he graduated at once tcthe Southland representative team, anc the writer remembers him for a clever dropped goal against Hawke’s Bay ir. 1925. Like Kilby, Johnson played for Southland Boys’ High School. Though their paths have followed different, ways—Johnson in on the office staff of Wright, Stevenson and Co.—Johnson and Kilby have played for the same school, the same club (Wellington), and the name province. Last season Johnson represented Hawke’s Bay, when ho was a wonderful link between Mill and Cooke, and early' this year he wore the colours of College Rifles, Auckland. SENIOR B BACKS Secondary schools are well represented in tbfi Wellington rearguard Mcbolls, Rushbr ook and Malcolm have Played for Wellington College, South, fer Napier High School, and E. Brown, an emergency, who played for Wellin ten Training College against Auckland a few weeks back, was last year skipof the Wanganui Technical Col Jege team. His rise to big football: nas been rapid. South, too, has achieved Meteoric success, though his speed and cleverness marked him out, before he left Napier, as a s.ar of the near future. South and Brown (Training College i and Cheney (Johnsonville) all play senior B in 'Wellington. Of the forwards, the best known are Shearer, an All B ack, Thomas, Pringle Taylor. Pringle has been an unlucky footballer. An exceptionally fine uieout player, ho was in the running for the 1924 All B acks, but he suffered ** broken leg. The teams to-morrow should be well with reliability at Jull-back— and the exceptional fitness forwards—deciding factors in Auckland’s favour. . Wellington team, with weights J. A Malcolm 11.4 '-aen« T u.B south 10.10 Rushbrook 12.3 Nicholls 11.7 Johnson 12.3 Kilby, 10.12. AcHardy 12 12 Shearer 12.11 Thomas 13.3 _ Emerson 15.10 Pringle 3.9 Taylor 13.6 Olliver • 2.3 O’Regan 13.6 13 -perage weight:—Backs 11.7; forwards, RECORDS OF r THE TEAMS has I:his s^ason liad the ni, He distinction of beating two teams

—Manawhenua and Canterbury—that at the time held the Ranfurly Shield. Its record is; v. Taranaki, won 15—11. v. South Canterbury, won 22 —3. v. Southland, won 21 —9. v. Manawhenua, won 23—14. v. Otago, won 24—16. v. Canterbury, won 20—17. Played seven, won seven, lost none. Points for 125, against 70. Auckland’s record: v. Thames, won 47—3. v. Maoris, won 31—6. v. North Auckland, won 21—3. v. South Canterbury, won 32—6. v. Taranaki, won 23—0. v. Manawhenua, won 17—0. v. Hawke’s Bay, won 26—0. v. Wairarapa. won 12—3. v. Otago, won 11—D. Points for 220, against 30. Mr. A. L. Griffiths, formerly one of the New Zealand selectors, and coach of the Poneke Club (Wellington) is manager of the Wellington team. VARSITY MATCH The match between Auckland University College and Victoria College, Wellington, should produce fine football, though both sides will be short of some leading players. The Victoria College team will arrive to-morrow morning. NORTH ISLAND RUGBY TEAM “Temuka” writes: I am sending you along a list of players who I think would do justice to any North Island team. Here they are: Pullback, Darby (Wanganui); Grenside (Hawke’s Bay), Lucas (Auckland), Ramson (Wellington); second five-eighth, Nicholls (Wellington),'; first five-eighth, Johnson (Wellington); halfba ck, Kilby ( Wellington); wing forward, Porter (Wellington); hookers, Swain (Hawke’s Bay), Hadley (Auckland); lock, Conrad (Hawke’s Bay;; side, C. Brownlie (Hawke's Bay), M. Brownlie (Hawke’s Bay); backs, Carrington (Poverty Bay), Pinlayson (Auckland); reserves, forwards—P. Ward (Taranaki), J. Shearer (Wellington), Harvey ( Wairapara); backs— T. Vang Joni (Wanganui)’, Hook (Auckland), Langlands (Poverty Bay). RANFURLY SHIELD GATES MANAWHENUA’S WINDFALL (f rom Our Own Correspondent.) PALMERSTON N., Thursday. The Manawhenua Rugby Union is not the only body that has benefited through the brief period in which the Ranfurly Shield was held by Manawhenua. At the grates the sum of £1 980 11s 6<l was taken, and of this amount £193 Is 2d will go to the Manawatu A. and P. Association for rent of the grounds, and £lls 10s to the Government as amusement tax. Other charges bring the amount that will go into the coffers of the union down to a litti.e over £1,300. Of this sum. the union decided, at a meeting at Levin, to place £1,200 on fixed deposit for nine months. THE CRICKET SEASON IS CLOSE AT HAND ANNUAL MEETINGS HELD AKARANA CLUB The annual meeting of the Akararna Cricket Club was held last evening. There was a large attendance ot members and intending members. The following officers were elected: Patron, Mr. F. A. Hellaby; president, Mr. W.. W. Luke; vice-presidents, Messrs. Cowan. Atkin, Rutherford, Douglas, Whiteside and Major Cardale; management committee, Messrs. Houston, Rabbidge, Darby, Cowan and P. J. McCormick; sole selector, Mr. P. J. McCormick; secretary and treasurer, H L M. Buisson; delegates to Auckland Cricket Association, Messrs. Buisson and Davies. Mr F. A. Hellaby s bat, for the 1 player obtaining the highest average tor the year, was won by Rabbidge, with iin average of V 1.6. Mr. V\ . \\ . Luke's bat was presented to Buisson, who was considered by the committee 1 to be the best all-rounder. An anony- ' mous donor presented a silver cigarette case to T. Spicer for obtaining ! the best bowling average Major Cardale intimated he would present; a trophy to the most improved junior player during the forthcoming season. north shore club The annual meeting of the North Shore Cricket Club was held last evening Dr. Bennetts presiding over an attendance of 25 members. The annual report showed the club had enjoyed a successful year, which ended with a credit balance of £6aThe following officers were elected: President, Dr. Bennetts; secretary, Mr. T. E. Smith; assistant -secretary, Blr. Woolley; treasurer and gear steward, Mr S. Smith; assistant-treasurer, Mr. Townsend; committee. Messrs. Wornley Player. Jackson, Sampson, rownsen’d Colebourne, Wynne; club -up • tain, Mr. W. J. Coates; delegates to Auckland Cricket Association Messrs. r . Tack son W. J. Coates and Woolley, hon auditors. Messrs. F. T. Eyre and A. Wilson. Billiards is probably Australians oldest pastime, says a writer in Sydney “Bulletin.” In an 1801 return of occuTvitions there is mention of a billiardmarker at Sydney, which suggests that the game must have been played in an iVi-canised way within a few years of fte ”,TiMl of the First Fleet. But the first billiard-saloon on modern lines was opened in 1-847 by a Sydney publican Thomas Spencer, whose Shake.,Hotel was on the Pitt Street site new oeupied by the Australian Bank of Commerce. Spencer also constructed the first billiard-table made in Australia. The bed comprised nieces of wood about a foot, long instead of slate, and for the rubber cushions he bought out a stationers i entire stock of pencil erasers.