HOCKEY REVIEWED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 377, 11 June 1928, Page 7

HOCKEY REVIEWED

good effort by shore STUDENTS HAVE A WIN In many respects the club hockey i matches decided at Remuera on Sat- I urday were some of the most inter- J eating played this season. An all-round improvement in the ; standard of play has been evident in j all senior A grade games, and the ' quality exhibited at this stage of the j winter’s operations is certainly higher than the matches earlier in the season had promised. The unknown quantity presented in the revival of the North Shore Club has added much interest to senior A grade, and the rapid rise of the team from the lowest rung to a place high on tho hockey ladder, as counted by merit, though not by championship points, has been vratched with pleasure by spectators and trepidation by the leading teams of the grade. When, therefore, on Saturday Shore crossed sticks with Somerville, the present champion eleven, the men from the marine suburb were able seriously to extend their more experienced rivals who were victorious by the small margin of 2 goals to 0. The earlier match on No. 1 ground was staged by Varsity and Mt. Eden. The game was notable for the large crop of goals resulting from the meeting, a total of nine being registered. The students secured live and Eden four, after a close, hotly-contested same. At la3t the circle tactics of the Sloes have improved, and shooting has become more directed and dangerous. 1 After meeting with little or no sue- j cess to date, Areta was able to speak on equal terms to St. Luke’s. a spirited contest on No. 2 lield resulted | in a draw, 1 all. Somerville v. North Shore i'lie meeting of Somerville and North i rfhore had been eagely awaited in view* of the recent successes of the Shore team. Though Shore had not come up i.o expectations in the King's Birthday seven-a-side tournament against the j champions, it was considered that the side would do better in a “full-sized’ match. The result of the game, 2—o ; in favour of Somerville, was a fair j indication of the play. More goals than two should have j been reaped by the Whites if the most .ad been made of oppotunities, and j Shore had openings which were not ! utilised on account of poor shooting. Then, again. Shore’s organisation was upset as a resut of changes in the ; placing of the half and l’orwad lines. Ft. Frater, the captain, who usually is located at centre-half, was unable to turn out owing to an injured back. To strengthen the weakened line, Reid, the • rack left-winger, was placed in the vacancy, and a new man, Stephen, was tied out in the position of outside left. The arrangement was not particularly successful. Reid was obviously wasted in the halves, and the new winger was not able to give the rest of the van the support it needed. It would probably have been wiser to risk a weakened half line by placing a stop gap a; centre-half, and leaving Reid where l a belonged. It then might have been possible to defend mainly by attack. While the Shore men were noticeably smarter in picking up and getting i d of the ball on Saturday, the week's particular sin was bunching, and robbing one another. Both wings strayed badly out of position, and showed a distinct tendency to close in upon the inside three. Time and again they were caught out of position, lagging behind, and overlapping the halves. Lucas, inside right, a brand new man at the game, has shown astonishing progress, and wields a pretty reverse stick. Anthony and Rykers were hard workers, and deserved more support. James has a good deal to learn in the art of centring. All three halves acquitted themselves well in the face of Somerville’s dangerous forv/ards. Probably the best display of the day was given by Parker, rightfullback for Shore. His cool stopping and crisp driving were admirably executed. Anthony, his partner, was also dependable. Rankin, in goal, was responsible for some of his usual miraculous saves.

Somerville as a whole played good hockey. Many attractive passing bouts were exhibited by the forwards. All three of the Watts brothers were in good form. After having been off colour for two matches, Harold, rightwinger. was again in excellent form, and performed some line solo runs down the line. His centring might well be emulated by younger aspirants to that position. Seccombe was patchy, and certainly has not struck his former consistent form. Peace, left-wing, was likewise so-so. Everybody is asking what is wrong with Cole this season. He is surely not the Cole that last year wore an All Black Jersey? Too much fancy stick - work, too much hesitancy, too much individualism. Haggett, centre-half, and Rogers, right-half, bore the brunt of the halfway defence, and seem at last to have struck form. St. Lake's and Areta Draw This hard-played game showed Areta at its best, and a lamentable weakness in St. Luke’s forward line. This was largely due to the changes that had taken place there. Hookham, right outside, was absent, his place being taken by Steel, who usually plays in the halfbacks. His place was taken by a Southern player. Butler. A second grade man, King. was brought up by St. Luke’s. His play on Saturday did not justify his inclusion in a first grade team. His great mistake was in not using his hand to stop balls on the line. Steele was not nearly as effective sa a forward, as in his usual position. He makes a good halfback, but an inefficient forward. The St. Luke’s forward line was lamentably weak, and but for the splendid defence of Williams and Highfield the score against them would have been greater. Areta played a good game all round. Hughes and Carter being especially noticeable. There were few movements in which the former did not participate. In Savage, centre, the Blacks have a sound player. He shows a tendency to swing his stick with a disregard ?• the possibility of hitting an opposing player rather than the ball. His tactics near the close, when he lifted ball into St. Luke's circle, could easily have led to dangerous play. Areta played one man short throughout. The following tables show the position of the teams in the two senior grades: —

Somerville . . SECTION A P. W. Ie. Goals. Chp. D. F. A. PL« St. Luke s .. 2 15 0 0 Mount Eden 3 20 IK 7 • niversity .. N »rth Shove . . 7 2 5 r. 7 1*5 * Areta . . . . 7 1 5 1 11 26 3 °tahuhu SECTION B Goals. Chp. r>. F. A. Pts i is io n — 10 $ K 1 10 S 5 "raininpr College 2 3 — S 0 4 cmversity ..