TE
Page
J. L. Bonnar, above, the Club and Colony Interport Rugby not be sern serum-half, will against the Royal Welch Fusiliers to-day in the annual match against the Club.
ENGLAND.
THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 13, 1937
WALES TWO RUGBY FAILURES
SELECTORS OUT OF TOUCH WITH MODERN GAME
SECOND CLASS CLUBS INFLUENCE
AT
(By ROWE HARDING)
London, February 17.
T the beginning of the present season, no Welshman, however pessimistic would have believed it possible that Wales would have lost her first two international matches, and, now that the
A. H. R. Butcher, above, the Club Rugby stand-off-half, also be an absentee from to-day match against the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
RUGBY TEAM impossible has happened, there is a feeling not clubs, divided by districts. In each merely of disappointment, but of indignation. district the second-class clubs out- WANT SPEED The indignation is directed against the selectors, nine or ten to one, and so it is the
FAILURE OF THE HALF-BACKS SPLIT SECOND DIFFERENCE
(By HOWARD MARSHALL)
London, February 17. Now that the smoke of battle has blown away we can see the match
between England and Ireland in somewhat better per spective. It was a grand match, and Ireland were unlucky to lose. There, I think, we shall agree. And it is pleasant to re- flect that international football has been put fairly and squarely on the map again.
number the first-class clubs by
visit, and look after the interests
who are held to have blundered over the choice of man who can spare the time to the Welsh pack for the English match, and still of the second-class clubs, who is more over the selection of the Welsh back division elected. for the Scottish game.
CONCENTRATION ESSENTIAL He must be prepared to give up I know it is easy to be wise after the event, but this time I all his spare time to his duties, and think the criticism is justified. I am sorry to have to say it, but have the greatest admiration for the Trial matches, and the selection of the two Welsh teams, have the work of such men, but as most proved that the selector have been sadly unequal, to their task of them have comparatively little We have to face the fact that, not only this season, but in experience of first-class Rugby, many other recent seasons, the chances of Wales in the international they are not as a rule good judges tournament have been ruined by the inability of the selectors to of first-class players. make the best use of the abundant talent available. To put it frankly, they do not know their job.
Is it really to be wondered at? Out of the 25 members of the Union only two, Horace Lyne and Harry Packer, have played for their country, the former in the eighties, the latter in the Now why was it that the nineties. There is no represen- English backs, particularly in the tative of the golden age of second half, could make so little Welsh Rugby, 1900-1911, and no of post-war headway, though the ball came representative to them so often? Can we argue Rugby.
I see no hope for Welsh Interna- with reason that Kemp, Candler and Cranmer were at fault, and tional Rugby until means are found that England will have to find of electing as selectors men who three new midfield players behave played, and who understand, fore the Calcutta Cup match? rugby as it is to-day,
The trouble is that the game in Wales is completely in the hands of the second-class clubs.
What is to be done? To me, the obvious solution is for the clubs, at the annual meeting of the Welsh I do not want to minimise their Union, to elect three, or five, men, importance, but surely the first whether or not members of the class clubs, who built up the Union, to undertake the task of se- traditions of Welsh Rugby, are lection. I feel sure that from entitled to at least an equal among such as Tommy Vile, BT.
voice in the affairs of the game. Gabe, Harry Packer, A. EL Freethy, As it is, the members of the Eric Evans, W. Boberts, and W.- Match Committee, from whom the Faull we could elect a selection five Welsh team selectors are committee equal to any in the other chosen, are elected by groups of countries.
SPALDING
THAT SPLIT SECOND ⠀⠀ We are sometimes, in my opinion, too ready to criticise half-backs and centre-three-quarters. It is so difficult for even the most sympa- thetic and knowledgeable observer ly, and we must remember that a in the stand to tell exactly what is split second makes all the difference happening on the field of play. A between success and failure in at- pack may heel consistently, but the tack. hall may come back a shade too slow-
(Continued on Page 22)
CLUB MEET FUSILIERS
AT RUGBY TO-DAY MANY ABSENTEES BUT KEEN
GAME ANTICIPATED
FAIRLY exciting Rugby match should be witnessed on the
A Cluo ground this afternoon when the Royal Welch Fusiliers
and the Club first fifteens meet in their annual encounter. The Fusiliers supplied most of the players for the Welch International team which nearly won the local International Tournament.
There are several notable absen-full strength, Brutton not being tees from the Club fifteen, Chad-available for the scrum-half "posi- wick being away from the Colony tion, Frence who was supposed to and as a result van Leeuwen will be have played full-back and Barry, ng, while both the present pack, in the pack, will Land-of-retain their usual positions. The game will
seen on the
Butcher and Bo
able and their respective
will be filled
Henderson, from the
Peers, the Cin
absentee and Salter
ming
will
Club pack
tong
zier. (48)
Bidwell
Colo
Cumming LAHE
Watson
SPALDURA" COVERED
TENNIS BALLS
Owing
SPALDING
LTA.OFFICIAL BALT?
are always uniform
their very rough cover and for tennis tight inner lining, “Spaldura Tennis Balls last longest. They play are perfectly controllable
ON SALE AT
LANE CRAWFORD, LTD.
HONG KONG
8. BROS., KOWLOON.