THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 28, 1988.
BUMPER COLONY WATER-POLO SEASON
COMPETITIVE
SWIMMING DYING NATURAL DEATH?
Lack Of Younger Blood To Carry On
ST. ANDREW'S JOIN AQUATIC FIELD
(By "CRAWL")
ALTHOUGH the swimming season has already commenced, with the exception of members of one or two Chinese Clubs, very little has been seen of the Colony's leading swimmers, who have been hibernating during the winter months and who are now finding it difficult to "break cover.'
I
TO-DAY'S TENNIS MATCHES
Recreio-K.C.C. “A” On But LR.C.-U.S.R.C.
Encounter Off
We are reliably informed that the Club de Recreio-K.C.C. "A" Mixed Doubles League Tennis match, scheduled for King's Park this afternoon, will take place, but that the Ladies Recreation Club- U.S.R.C. match, also scheduled for King's Park, has been postponed owing to the dampness of the
courts.
The match between Chinese Re- creation Club and H.K.C.C., at Causeway Bay, is doubtful, as the courts are not quite dry as a re- sult of yesterday's and overnight rain.
bound to get him into trouble, and would pass this tip onto others
who are keen to take up water-polo. He is terribly enthusiastic, ever, and should in time settle down to his game,
"REVIEWER'S"
SPORTS COMMENTARY!
Changing The Rugby Line-out Rule
IT is usually during the close
season that changes in the rules are formulated, and to the majority of Rugby players and spectators such alterations invari- ably come unexpectedly at the be- ginning of a new
when there is little time to assimilate' any now interpretation or the in- tention of a re-wording of the laws.
season
This, then, is a suitable time to men-
a
tion a proposal which has official back- ing in Scotland that the rule regard- how-ing the throw-in from touch be altered. Briefly, the suggestion is that the team who have the right to throw-in Norman Lee, the present Colony 100 and 220 yards Free style
the ball from touch do not, as at pre- champion, has been in training for the past month-and-a-half, and should be in fine trim by the first V.R.C. gala, which is not far off.
It is a pleasing thought that with sent, have the option of taking
agree that competitive swimming almost dy-such a change is a distinct improve-
scrummage. Many will Wilfred Lawrence, who did not participate in last season's cham-ing a natural death, through lack ment entailing none of these bewilder- pionships owing to illness, has already made a few isolated appear-of younger blood, that water-polo ing complications which have arisen ances in the pool, but nothing has yet been seen of A. A. da Roza. should be given a filip by the in- as a result of the alterations made in the scrummage law. It is, in fact, troduction of new blood through simple and progressive as in the case of the changes made in recent years new clubs.
concerning the restarting of play after a try or a goal or taking penalty kicks, and it adopted there would be no need for further explanatory circulars this particular point.
I shall be very surprised if Lionel Roza-Pereira takes anything seriously this season, as it will be recalled that he did very little last season, concentrating,on the Diving and water-polo.
on
FIRST PRACTICE
The St. Andrew's Club,
I hear that the European "Y" new- The Saints are at present in- comers in the field of aquatics, clined to be weak in attack, where have made a start to their water- made a successful debut at water-they only have one sound swimmer polo practice and that quite a crowd
Discussion for and against this line- polo last Thursday evening in A. S. "Sonny" Bliss, better were on view last Wednesday, the out change could easily turn to heated against the Royal Corps of Sig-known for his exploits on the soccer first practice, when a friendly game argument which would make the coffee nals, to whom they lost by 4 and hockey fields. Bliss played was held. The practice was con- cups rattle of a morning, but the main issue seems to be why should the goals to 1. The Saints' team is water-polo some time ago and has spicuous because of the absence of team whose right it is to throw-in be able to claim a scrummage and then still in its infancy, but I under-not forgotten how to handle a ball. the water-polo captain. stand that they will shortly have He has a pleasant style and would Eric Railton, former Captain of have the advantage of the loose head
since it would be their put-in? the services of F. H. Stokes, who be best suited to the centre-for-swimming and water-polo at the
The point is that possession in the played for Bristol University and ward position. This leaves two posi-"Y", is now in the Colony, and has scrum is tolerably certain to the side Bristol City. He should prove a tion to be filled in the wing for- promised his support so far as who put-in, for the half-back is allow- valuable acquisition. At the mo- ward berths.
coaching is concerned and shoulded to take advantage of the loose-head. At, the line-out the balance is more ment the Saints have a promis-
prove of inestimable help.
even, as it should be, since no infringe- ing nucleus from which to build
ment has been committed. The player throwing-in is usually expected to up their team.
throw to his own forwards, though jud- ging from what often happens he seems to be able to spot an unmarked opponent with astonishing accuracy.
BETTER OUT OF GOAL
"
LEARN RULES FIRST! H. B. Darby, who played last Thursday against the Signals, is a strong swimmer, but his evident
In H. Millington, they have a lack of knowledge_of_the_rules is
fairly strong swimmer who
can
play in goal, although I would rather see him as a back or wing forward where he would be of in- finite more use. He has not quite mastered the art of throwing a ball in play (except from goal), but should soon get over this difficulty as he is quick to learn. In Tomlin- son, who keeps goal for the Royal Corps of Signals, the Saints have a ready-made goalkeeper who should be retained in that position in order to give him as much prac- tice as possible, although he can play as full-back if required.
ESSENTIALLY A BACK Ashford is essentially a full- back in spite of the fact that he plays for the Signals, at centre- half. Having an abundance of stamina, a quick clearance and be- ing fairly cool, he should make an ideal defender.
I understand, however, that he is rather keen to play among the forwards, but this can never be until he has mastered the art of shooting off the mark. Now I think that Ashford would be more at home as a full-back.
FOR KEY POSITION Stokes comes to the Colony with a reputation and with all his ex- perience behind him I should think that he would be ideally suited to
the pivotal position where he can,
As far as I can see, the Colony is going to experience just as lean a year as last season in swimming, but there are hopes of a bumper water-polo_season.
OLD LIQUEUR BRANDIES
FOR
THE CONNOISSEUR
B. B. PALE OLD
F. O. V. (Finest Old Vintage)
GODET FRERES 1852
ROUYER GUILLET 1865
EXSHAW'S V. F. O. (60 years old)
NAPOLEON 1814-
Then line-out play is not so good that there should be an option to the throw-in. It is, indeed, a most impor- tant phase of forward play from which the game a good team can open up more effectively than from the get scrum. Some would say, of course, that the line-out so often results in a scrum being ordered that it would be better to restart the game by the lat- ter method and get on with it. But others maintain that there is too much scrummaging and that the activities of wing forwards is cramping back play. Very well. then, if scrumming the line- out is out-lawed there will be fewer opportunities for wing forwards pur- suing their alleged destructive opera- tions.
The results of line-out play are ad- mittedly too often negative but not more so that scrummaging at the pre- sent time for, from that phase, the sole object seems under" all conditions and situations to be to heal to the backs.
This suggested change would even- tually lead to better line-out play and it is worth considering. it from its Twickenham aspect. In that game the English pack took full advantage of the rules to turn their superiority in the acrum to full account, yet else where they were no better than the Scottish forwards. By all means let a pack or, for that matter, a team make the most of their strongest suit, but not with the aid of the laws.
*--
It may be thought in some quarters that this proposed change is a cléyer way of neutralising the inferior scrum- maging of a pack, especially since Scottish forwards "have failed in that
control both the defence or attack CALDBECK, MACGREGOR & CO., LTD. meet or on has now that the Sco
în time of a crisis. I have not yet
had the pleasure of seeing him in action, but believe that he will be playing this week.
needs to be emphasised
tish Union have no such intention and above all things want to see the day when a national pack will dominate the scrums.