RUGBY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 693, 19 June 1929, Page 13

RUGBY

-The Game and its 4 Players 4 ..

Bert Grenside should be worth his 1 place in the New Zealand team. Up to the present he has scored 53 points j for *l ie Hastings Club, including 13 j Unfair Barracking It is reported that Ron Stewart, thp j hefty Timaru All Black, proposes to : retire from the game. The cause is

said to be frequent unfair barracking by spectators who consider that Stewart tackles with unnecessary vigour. Stewart should not take this too seriously. In the same town Percy Storey met with the same fate, but he did not let it worry him. When the representative games come along the

game barrackers will cheer him for the j same tackling. N'oakes, late of Gi-afton, and Du Chateau (College Rifles), are both reported to be playing good, football m Wellington. # „ Sydney Cracks in N.Z. '•Sodden grounds and the absence of many of the cracks in Queensland and Maoriland made a lot of difference to Rugby Union club games m Sydney on Saturday.’ says the ’Bulletin. The oniv ones seen in New Zealand neie Lamport, Kennedy and perhaps MeMullen. „ Not So Good In these notes last week was published a paragraph from, the Sydney “Bulletin” in which was stated that the “free, open play of the University players at Wellington, where they secured their first and only win, greatly impressed the knowlcdgable Maorilanders.” A later paragraph now states: “The Sydney Uni. sido now touring Maoriland has not lived up to the promise shown in its first match. It has since sufteied three severe defeats: Canterbury College down it by 21 to 8, Otago Uni* by 28 to 8, and M.L. Universities by 15 to 3. Which suggests that M.L. form this year is a lot better than many people thought.” Ability Only “He is a referee from the South Island, and he only got this game because none of the others wanted it. Overhead in the members’ stand at Eden Park on the occasion of the Varsity game last Wednesday. it is to be hoped that the man m question was misinformed. Rugby wants the best referees it can get, and even if a man comes from Timbuctoo it should bo no disqualification. It might be mentioned that the referee referred to, who has representative qualifications, was personally thanked after the game by players on both sides for his liberal and very judicious interpretations under most trying conditions.

Did Not Save Themselves Auckland's three representatives in the All Black team, McWilliams, Palmer and L. Hook, who played their last club game on Saturday prior to leaving for Australia, did not attempt to play safe at the expense of their club, as many men often do once they are selected to go overseas. All three men played sound games and were in the thick of everything going.

Wrong Tactics Training College made, the surprising mistake on Saturday of allowing Ponsonby all the paddock it wanted. Past experience should have shown by now that when Ponsonby forwards are getting the ball from the scrums and lineouts as they were on Saturday, the only thing lor the opposing backs to do is play well up on them. In the second half the Training College backs did this, and as a result nipped most of the orthodox movements in the bud. Neither Cammick or Jamieson showed up so prominently afterwards.

All teams have played eight games with the exception of University and Marist. These teams were to have met on the Saturday on which the Varsity test match was played, and the game was held over until a later date. Varsity must therefore be credited with the possibility of annexing an additional two points. On present form it looks as if Varsity and Ponsonby will again fight it out. Over There The New South Wales team to meet New Zealand on June 29 appears to be a pretty strong combination. Ross, the fullback, will probably occupy the same position for Australia, and it is difficult to imagine anybody ousting Towers and King as the Australian centres. Towers played in Auckland with the last New South Wales team and we know how good he is. Bartley, the five-eighth, was also in the last team that toured New Zealand, but he did not play at Auckland. He is credited with a fast turn of speed and perfect handling, and his name is mentioned as a competitor against the famous Tom Lawton for that position in the test team. The half is Lamport, who was halfback for Australian Universities just recently. Lamport is a clever little individual who, with good backs behind him. will do even better than what he showed us at Eden Park. "Wild Bill” Cerutti is the only forward who was here last year, and he was one of the best of them. Cerutti. Finlay, Breckenridge and J. Ford are mentioned as likely New South Wales forwards to find a place in the test team. Ross and Ford, it might be mentioned, made their first appearance in big football playing for New South Wales against New Zealand at Sydney on June 13, 1925.

Promising Auckland Grammar School has one of the most promising young halfbacks in school football in Newton, a Maori player. He is very heady, knows when to run and when not to—an art rare in a schoolboy—and is sound on defence. He should go a long way, if looked after.

Boots! Boots! Boots! How many Rugby players pay any attention to the condition of their boots when they take the field? Every Saturday, when one watches the teams march out, one can see more than half of the men with the mud of the previous match and the one before that adhering to his boots. A faulty stud, or the sole of a boot not scraped has been responsible more than once for a player slipping and losing a try and perhaps a match for his side. It does not take much effort to look after one’s boots. In fact, some careful backs keep two pairs of boots —one with well-cut-down sprigs for fine weather and good grounds, and one with longer studs lor greasy grounds. At New Plymouth Boys’ High School and Christchurch Boys’ High School, a boot inspection was the recognised thing before every match. Club coaches could follow this procedure with advantage. Weir’s Injury It was unfortunate for Training College that G. L. Weir, its first fiveeighth, was compelled to retire in the

first hay with an injured arm. Up till then he was playing a sound game and would have been particularly useful in the second half when the teachers staged a recovery. It was thought at first half with an dislocated his arm, but there now appears to be some

doubt about it. The injury, however, will keep him off the | field next Saturday. Weir should be i well in the running for representative honours. Ponies made Teachers seem very ! small beer in the first half. Despite rain and a greasy ground, j the Aussies kept their tails up against Varsity last Wednesday. WAJPU SUB-UNION AFFAIRS (From Our Oxen Correspondent) TB AWAMUTU, Tuesday. The weekly meeting of the Waipa Rugby Union Management Committee met on Monday evening, Mr. A. J. Shepherd presiding. Also present were Messrs. G. Jeffs. F. Tickelpenny, G. W. Mains, W. Whitten, J. Williams, T. Brown, IT. C. Mobbett, A. A. Reece, and the secretary, Mr. H. T. Maseiden. The Referees’ Association offered to provide lecturers for the benefit of players desiring a better knowledge of the game. Thames Union wrote regarding Peace Memorial Cup challenges. It objected to Morrinsville Union picking and choosing the order of challengers, which was contrary to the procedure adopted by previous holders of the Cup. They asked other unions to protest against this attitude. Members were of the opinion that the union holding the Cup should play challengers in the order in which they are received, although the rules did not obligo the holders doing so. Entries for the Teddy Shield were received as follow: Te Kuiti, Otorolianaga, Te Awamutu and Cambridge. PEACE CUP MORRINSVILLE, Tuesday. At a meeting of the Morrinsville Rugby Union it was decided to play the challengers for the Peace Cup in the order that they have been received. The match will therefore te Morrinsville v. Thames, at Morrinsville. Dates have yet to be arranged by a committee, comprising Messrs. W. Hogg, C. Mclntyre, B. Chapman, D. Pirrit and C. M. McDavitt.

As They Stand The positions of the senior teams at present are as P. follow; TT. R. P. For. Ag. Ch. Pts 1 it:; 76 1 118 Training- Col. S 1 J 20 81 Manukau .. 8 4 L 08 00 0 4 a Technical O.B. S 00 100 4 1 1 Grafton .. . . 8 80 College Rifles 8 1 6 1 61 °