WAIRARAPA RUGBY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 June 1939, Page 3

WAIRARAPA RUGBY

TEAM TO PLAY MARLBOROUGH E. DENBEE SELECTED FOR HALF POSITION. NO CHANGE IN FIVE EIGHTHS. (By ‘’Scrum-Half.”) Three new faces will appear in the Wairarapa side to play Marlborough at Masterton on Saturday. They are J. Hensen, the Gladstone flyer, who replaces W. Peterson on the wing. E. Denbee, who takes T. Habib's position behind the scrum, and R. Mitchell who has displaced T. Hood in the pack. Hensen thoroughly deserves his place, although Peterson has pace and is good on attack.

Depbee has, of course, played himself into the side and on Saturday against one of the strongest packs in the Wairarapa he gave a sound exhibition of play. On one or two occasions his passes missed the mark but that was not his fault. Unfortunately the other Old Boys backs did not assist him; in fact their play at times suggested that he was to blame for Old Boys failure. This was definitely not the position, and had they functioned half as well as Denbee Carterton may not have won.

R. Mitchell has earned his inclusion. It is to be hoped that he is given the opportunity of “swinging’’ in the front row.

O’Callaghan was the logical choice as the last line of defence, and an improvement in his line licking is being looked for on Saturday. lan Percy played another slashing game at Gladstone on Saturday. He was one of the certainties for the Marlborough game. H. Mathieson is in great form at the moment and if he can keep it up he should go very close to a game in the All Black trials.

Fluety, the veteran Greytown player, took a lot of pulling down against Red Star and at times he showed patches of his old form. Humphries, a promoted junior who played against the Bay on the King's Birthday, toiled hard on Saturday and used his weight to advantage. Max McCalmont, the former Masterton player, and a junior rep last year, put up a creditable performance for Greytown against Red Star. Considering this is his first year in senior Rugby he is hooking exceptionally well.

If he keeps up his present form Neil Harding should go close to rep honours.

Sugrue, who was a member of the Greytown third grade side last season, is playing good'Rugby and with a little more experience this promising lad will develop into a first rate fiveeighth. When the Old Boys inside backs decide to run straight and not towards the opposite touchline they might win a game or two. They certainly have the “goods,” the trouble is how it is dished up.

Except for two unfortunate incidents the Old Boys v Carterton clash was a good hard, clean one. Both sets of forwards battled from the word “go” until “no side.” It is indeed unfortunate that the Old Boys 'pack does not carry a little more weight. For a senior side they appear very light.

Red Star's utility man E. Cross scored a nice try against Greytown.. Cross has been showing good form this year and would be a useful player to have around the Wairarapa team. Max Braggins continues to play good Rugby and against Gladstone his consistent efforts were rewarded with a fine try.

Rus Howard, that Tigerish Red Star player, was in the lime-light again in the Star—Greytown clash. Rus was unable to train with the reps prior to the Bay game but he has now recovered from his injury.