League Rugby

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 747, 21 August 1929, Page 15

League Rugby

Notes and. Comment.

Auckland League fans will be favoured with another representative fixture next Saturday, when Auckland will meet Canterbury, at Car law Park. The first round of the R'oope Rooster competition will be played the following week, and on September 7 will be staged at Carlaw Park perhaps the most important game cf the League season, the North v. South Island game. The Canterbury Match While it is well- on the cards that the Aucklanders will romp home" to victory against Canterbury, it will nevertheless be interesting to see. the Southerners in action, -as next season it is quite likely that the New Zealand selectors will call on them for players for the All Black side which is to tour Australia. Such players as Blazey, the fullback, will be watched with considerable interest. In a recent report from the South it is said that in the Canterbury side A. O’Connor replaces Woods, and J. Stapley replaces R. Bond. Draffin Cup Tho solid Leaguers of Huntly have had another successful season and have carried off the Draffin Cup—the big trophy in the South-Auckland League. A glance at the selection of the North Island team shows how the selectors are turning their attention to provincial players, and Huntly can boast of excellent material. Many Surprises A comment on the North Island team selected to meet the South Island appeared in a previous issue of The Sun, and there is no doubting the fact that the selection of some of the players has given food for thought. The biggest surprise is the selection of Shortland as the halfback. He is indeed lucky, for so far in League he has failed to give a display that would warrant him representative honours. When he played for City against Ponsonby in the mud he made a very poor showing, but did much better against Northland last Saturday, although, even in that match, he surely did not convince the selectors that he was the best halfback for the North Island side. There is a quartet of halves in Abbott (South Auckland), Mclntyre, Olliff and Hassan, that could well go before Shortland. Abbott especially has proved himself over and over again as being a. great player and it is doubtful if on this occasion he has been fairly treated.

Fullback Problem Since the once invincible Lufty dropped suddenly, yet quietly, from the fold of Auckland Leaguers, the code has had somewhat of a problem in choosing a representative fullback. For the All Black side to tour Australia there seems nothing really brilliant on the horizon as far as custodians are concerned, excepting, perhaps, the Canterbury player, Blazey, who fought out a gyeat duel with Dufty in the North v. South tussle last year. From all reports he has been playing well during this season and as he must be considered as being well in the running for a trip next year; his performance next Saturday and on September 7 will be watched with considerable interest. Simons, the Shore fullback, li a s played exceptionally fine club football, but owing to an injury • the fans have ' not been given an opportunity to see how he shapes in representative games. Then there are others coming on. such as Campbell (Marist), who looked like being a certainty for the North Island team in place of Gregory. Trevor O’Leary (Devonport) is also very sound and is a sure and deadly tackier, but is not a very strong kick.

Francis’ Selection League followers have admittedly received a tremendous surprise over the selection of Francis, the Newton breakaway, for the North Island pack. Francis, too, must have been surprised himself. He has the distinction of being the only forward from Auckland City in the North Island van, and the surprise is not because of his rapid rise, but because he has been ranked ahead of a number of likely forwards. The point in question is the limit of Francis’ experience, A Ponsonby Rugby junior last season, he made an impression immediately in the League trials. All this season he has given Newton consistent service. He is a dashing breakaway and a handy scoring man, but is he ready for such distinction at this stage? Against Northland on Saturday Francis played a fair game in a City pack which was not over-convincing. He certainly showed himself to be a worthy representative player. But what lias happened to the meagre, although necessary, supply of hard-working forwards in Auckland this season? And, if the selectors have not taken Francis as a hard-working forward in tight play, have they purposely overlooked the flock of rangy, scouting forwards the City can produce? Still, it is good to see recognition ot promising material, and big experience is what Francis needs.

! One Team Left j League is having a hard row to hoe j in the Buller area on the Vest Coast i and competitions have lapsed, only one ! team, Westport, being left in a posij tion to field thirteens. Difficulty of . i travel was the basic cause of dissoluj tion. In the Grey River area competi- ] tions have been carried on compara- ■ tively easily.

Richmond News B. Davis, the solid Richmond halfback who has also played some fine games at five-eighths, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital yesterday, where he is to undergo an operation for appendicitis. G. Stewart, who has not taken the field so far this season, will be included in the Richmond side in the Roope Rooster competition. Trevor Hanlon, the crack Richmond fullback, who has also proved himself as a good five-eighth, left from Wellington by the Kuahine this morning for the Homeland, where he will play for the Broughton Rangers Club. To fill his place as custodian, Richmond has secured the services of Paxton, who promises to do well. The annual ball of the Richmond Club will take place next Wednesday week in the Orange Hall.

Gaining Experience It was pleasing to a certain extent to see referee Vic. Simpson, who is out to gain experience, take charge of last Saturday’s game. Pie started off particularly well, but toward the end the match got just a shade beyond him and he let one or two things go which actually lost Northland‘the honours. Northland will perhaps take it a bit hard that any experience should be gained at its expense, but with a few more rep. games to his credit, Vic. Simpson should be a valuable addition to the referee ranks. A Great Game There can be no doubt that every League fan who witnessed last Saturday’s representative fixture between Northland and Auckland left the ground well pleased with the exhibition. It was a great game and on the day the better side lost. It seems like a mere fairy tale how the Northland League, formed only a year ago, can field a team capable of keeping the score see-sawing to and fro against a side representative of the stronghold of the code in New Zealand. Some of Northland's players must*go into the New Zealand team next year, while it is indeed pleasing to see them represented in the North Island side.