THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 12, 1940
COLONY RUGBY HOPES
JUSTIFIABLY
HIGH
Rigg & Grieve Playing For Shanghai?
GOAL-KICKING PROBLEM MUST BE SOLVED
(By "SCRUM HALF”)
Six interport Rugby matches have been played be- tween Hong Kong and Shanghai in Shanghai, and each port has won three times. Early next week, providing all are available, Hong Kong Football Club is sending a very strong team north to attempt to avenge the unexpected defeat by 12 points to 11 the Colony sustained at the Valley last February after holding all-Malaya to a draw.
With the exception of R. E. Heasman and P. F. Wank- lyn, the cream of the Club players have been invited to make the trip, there being one reserve threequarter and two forwards, and, as the final line-up is fairly obvious, Shanghai are going to have a gruelling time.
ALL-H.K. FIFTEEN-
Judging on form shown in the Triangular Tournament I would select an all-Hong Kong team as follows:
Stevens (Navy); Stewart (Club), Bidwell (Club), Paul (Navy) and Richards (Army); Charter (Club) and Thomson (Club); Walkden (Club), Beddow (Army), Sutherland (Army); Needham (Club), Taylor (Navy); Pinkerton (Army), Cuthbertson (Army) and Ridadale (Army).
Reserven-Wall (Police), Duke
and (Army), Godfrey (Club) Alec Taylor (Club).
brilliance, the loss caused many experi- ments in the back division and these ob viously did not bind the team together. Boe and Hook played at fly-half, and the latter, though slow off the mark and very stereotype in attack, was the better of the two. Lang, one of Army's best players. played at scrum-half until the 'arrival of May, whose presence added greatly to Army's attacking powers," releasing as it did Lang for service at centre threequarter, his normal position. Waite and Richards were the most dangerous Army wing, Walls, Artingstall and Skipworth lacking the neces- sary initiative on the other wing, despite oppotunities from Lang.
Picton did well at full-back, but he would have been better employed at wing three- quarter.
Richards, Ridsdale and Duke all missed games due to various reasons and the sub- stitutes were inadequate, especially in the case of Richards.
Army depended entirely on their pack, in which Pinkerton stood out with Ridsdale, Duke, Cuthbertson and Beddow lending valuable aid. Beddow proved an excellent hooker, and it was a pity he was available for only one game. Richards and Lang were the only outstanding backs.
Navy's Handicap
Navy had a disastrous season, as was to
to shove by the wing forwards, though there be expected, due to the absence of the Fleet, was an improvement in their last two but they always went down with flags flying, games. Godfrey eventually lost his place and Clarke is to be congratulated on the his omission from the team for their game gether and especially on their entirely unex- due to an aptitude to play five-eighth, and fine manner in which he kept his team to
against Navy, to whom they lost, will prob-pected win over Club by 14 points to 3. ably cause a big improvement in his game They were unfortunate to lose Par- the next time he is on view. Be that as it coe, Cochrane. Ogle and St. Johns line-may, the treatment meted out was drastic
and weakened the pack.
My only lack of confidence in the spectacular throughout every game. team is in the goal-kicking depart-prove his play in the loose and ment. Far too little attention has outs.
been paid to this, and the result has | Lack of speed offset by experience, been that Club have dropped many Needham. points. To all appearances Castleton has been included as reserve hooker to Burford and goal-kicker, but he is noi good enough for successful goal-kick- | ing, and it would probably pay Club to go into the matter more thoroughly. If Taylor could be persuaded to use his toe instead of his instep he would be the man, though Bidwell should also be considered.
Not nearly as good as before his operation some months ago. Could be more useful in the line-outs and his weight could be used to better advantage in the loose..
Based on this season's form, the fol- lowing are my candid impressions of the selected eighteen:
Bompas. Unorthodox but effective. Very sound in the loose and line-outs. An honest-to-goodness forward,
Godfrey.
Hutchison was a weak link in the three quarter line, but Altkenhead, who replaced him in the friendly match against Police, little surprising that Carruthers did not solve Club's problem, and it was a was hot given a chance. He is as deadly a tackle as Hutchison and very much more reliable in his handling, though all too casual in his recovery.
Cessford's absence from the fly-half post- Ulon was a big handicap. Thomson not being able to get the best support from Henderson A rattling good
and the playing of Charter there causing a wing forward who has femporarily spoiled tion was solved by a bold experiment, that weakness in the centre. The full-back posi- himself by attempting spectacular of playing a scrum-half at full-back, and play. Still too valuable to be dis-Henderson did very well there. Club, how carded, though weight is needed in the and Castleton being well below standard.
ever, lacked good goal-kicker, Richardson tight.
Henderson. A very cool player at
Taylor. A forward who knows what full-back, a strange position, possess-weight can do, but who is handicapped ing a safe pair of hands and a good by slowness off the mark. Extremely kick. Has a sound idea of positional useful in the line-outs. play. Best player available for the "position:"
Stewart. Dynamite. A most deter- mined runner and a deadly tackle. Must remember to use both hands when taking a pass and sacrifice pace rather than lose the pass and give the opposing winger an opening,
Bidwell, When he releases the ball he is the ideal partner for Stewart. Inclined to be selfish, but on his day is best attacking threequarter seen locally in years. Tackles well when in the mood and kicks brilliantly. Should attempt more dropped goals.
|
Richardson.
Spectacular forward but not consistent. Does not use height to advantage in the line-outs.
Deane. An excellent wing forward. Plenty of stamina and always on the ball. Getting over inclination not to shove in the tight scrums.
PROBABLE TEAM
Arc
Providing all are fit, the following likely to take the field: Henderson; Stewart, Bidwell, Charter and Bosanquet; Cessford Needham, Bompar; Kennedy, Taylor and and Thomson; Walkden, Burford. Castleton;
Deane.
I would have preferred Godfrey to Ken- will think nedy, but I feel the selectors
otherwise.
Bidwell, Stewart, Burford and Kennedy have all represented Shanghai, the Inst named captaining the last victorious Shang-
Charter. Admirable substitute for Grieve. Reliable in attack and de-hal team. fence. One of the key men in every sense.
Hutchison. The years since 1934, year of his first Interport, have slowed him up considerably in attack, and handling not sound enough. Excellent tackle and often relieves pressure with well directed kick.
New Colony "caps", providing they are selected for the "big" game, ara Charter, Bosanquet, Cessford, Thomson, Burford, Castleton, Kennedy, Needham, Bompas, Godfrey and Richardson.
Two players well-known in Hong Kong are likely to be in the Shanghai team, Bill Rigg and Willie Grieve, both of whom have re- presented the Colony against Shanghai.
THE TRIANGULAR TOURNAMENT
Bosanquet. Has speed but often runs straight into defender Instead of using proven swerve. Not received
On this page I have selected an all-Hong the best support this season and play | Kong team from the talent avallable during has been consequently affected." the Triangular Tournament, and from this Should do well with Charter inside to it will be seen that Club and Army supplied him.
Cessford. A good attacking fly-half, but relies little too much on side-step and often holds up line when grassed in possession. Quite Laird-like in his kicking on occasion.
Thomson. Most promising scrum- half in years. Superb service and quick to detect opening. Fully able to shoulder his great responsibility.
six players each and Navy three, and this about represents the difference between the three sides, with the Club backs just carry, in the day against the Army pack. The following' was the final table:
Club
· Army Navy
36
Pts. P. W. L.F. A. 431 47 22 39 41 3 30.
· Club, had thrée - excellent newcomers--- Thomson excelled at scrum-half, Charter was equally good at centré threequarter and By half, and Godfrey played" saveral rousing Walkden. Six Interports are behind what wing-forward and not even the him and he is better than ever. Leads | absence of Alec Taylor from two" gama pack with gusto and sets fine example stopped them laying very sound foundations in all departments of forward play
for the winning of the championships. «Very Formidable in
Burfor Excellent hooker
game in the loose.
Spare Hoo
and
* 24 (the best efforts of
of
Could
but not
All in all, Walkden could be very satisfied with the final result, the defeat at the hands of Navy coming after the championship had
been won.
Army's Bad Luck
the season, but before the
Army looked a good thing at the start_of Tournament started Douglas, their fly-half, was injured and has not played since. Apart from his
entirely and then Stevens and Carter for their first game against Club, but they were fortunate to have a reliable, full-back in Bax, so allowing Stevens to move up into the threequarter line, which was where their strength lay, Paul was their key man, kick- ing goals with remarkable consistency and being their most dangerous threequarter. After giving Club many anxious moments in their first clash, he was a marked man, but he still proved very elusive. Bowden did well on the wing, but the other winger was not so impressive, Kennedy being, full of bustle but achieving little and Drury being
defensive game. tried only once, when he played a good
1
Carter was not the ideal fly-half, being slow, but he was far ahead of O'Riordan, his understudy. In the pack few gave con- sistently good displays, and Taylor, King and Ferris were about the best.
ARMY SPORTLIGHT HAS BEEN HELD OVER UNTIL TO-MOR- ROW.
BOLS
LIQUEURS are still SUPREME
SOLE AGENTS.
CALDBECK, MACGREGOR & COLTI
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