Competition Finished In South Canterbury

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1031, 23 July 1930, Page 16

Competition Finished In South Canterbury

STRANG’S FINE PLAY OLD BOYS CHAMPIONS Special to THE SUN TIMARU, Monday. Saturday last witnessed the final competition game in South Canterbury, when Temuka and Old Boys took the field to contest the right to hold the championship and the Skinner Cup for the 1930 season. The manner in which Old Boys made hacks of the Magpies, running up 28 points to 11, demonstrated beyond doubt that the Blues, after experiencing a couple of lean seasons, have, with the assistance of Dr. Billy Fea. .former All Black, as coach, returned to a semblance of the best form. The winners put up a wondeiful performance, and throughout the game played an open, enterprising type of football which continually had the country players guessing. Until the point in the second spell when Archie Strang was compelled to leave the field, in order to take passage on the express for Lyttelton, en rout* for Auckland for the third test, the Magpies almost held their own. With Strang’s departure, however. Old Boys commenced to pile on the points, and his services were sadly missed by Temuka, who were like a ship without a rudder. While on the field, Strang rendered yeoman service, and was responsible for five of his side’s total points, scoring a try in brilliant fashion, an.l topping off an attractive effort by converting. On his leaving the field, the popular Temuka player was cheered to the echo by the large crowd of spec-

tators. with whom Strang is always *• prime favourite. The former All Black is at present right at the peak of his form and. should he be afforded the opportunity which he so richly merits of displaying his wares against the English tourists at Auckland, will without doubt considerably strengthen both the offensive and defensive qualities of the New Zealand team. REP. SEASON STARTS Representative games are now being looked forward to with interest, and the team to meet Wanganui at Timaru on Wednesday was announced last week. A really formidable side has been selected, and South Canterbury may be relied upon to hold its end up in the majority of the games on the programme. The forwards, although on the ligh r side, are a well-balanced lot, calculated to compensate for their lack of weight by dashing tactics and speed With the exception of the fourteen and a-half stone lock, Phillips, the packmen are particularly speedy, ana although, as a general rule, weight !.-• a desirable adjunct, the selectors' policy of relying more on pace and dash may prove a wise move. The following is the representative programme: July 23. v. Wanganui, at Timaru; July 26, v. North Otago, at Oamaru; August 16, v. Ashburton, at Ashburton; August 23, v. Otago, at Timaru; September 6, v. North Otago, at Timaru; September 13, v. Canterbury, at Timaru.