1939-06-17 — Page 20

BOXING

THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 17, 1939.

ARMSTRONG'S DEFENCE SURPRISES CRITICS

Fine Stamina; Maintains Attack For 15 Rounds

FAMILY RUGBY TEAM WINS

SYDNEY. In these days of small families and big cars, it is refresh-

ing to read of a family football team in action. On Easter Satur- day a Rugby match of unusual interest was played at Drury between a team composed of 14 grandsons and one great-grandson of the late Mr. James Cossey, of Drury, who was born in Onehunga in 1847, two years after his parents arrived in the Dominion, and members of the Drury Rugby Club. The last match played by the Cossey family was on October 13, 1934, when they beat a Drury side by 12-points to 8. The family combination was again successful, winning by 14 points. to 11.

The Cossey team is ready to play any other family. team in New Zealand.

LAWN BOWLS TEAMS

FIRST DIVISION CRAIGENGOWER

J. W. Leonard, K. M. Omar, A. E. Coates and B.. W. Bradbury (skip).

A. M. Omar, W. Ward, J. S. Landolt and U. M. Omar (skip).

A. A. Razack, L. C. R. Souza, C. S. Rosselet and R. Basa (skip).

P.R:C.

H. Brown, F. Channing, W. Mair and J. Fender (skip).

W. McLeod, C. Dowman, J. Shep herd and A. E. Carry (skip).

J. Forrest, G. C. Moss, G. Perkins: and J. Oram (skip).

KOWLOON B.G.C.

R. P. Phillips, S. M. White, W. Drake and W. Macfarlane (skip).

W. L. Walker, T. E. Robson, J. Gill, and A. J. Hall (skip).

Roderick Tries Hard But Could

Not Find Mark

London, May 28. - Armstrong beat Roderick because he was the faster man, but, contrary to what had been expected, it was the negro's wonderful defence that was the special feature of his boxing.

The amazing stamina which enabled Armstrong to maintain an absolutely non-stop attack for the whole of fifteen three-minute R. R. Davis, R. R. Wood; L. Collyer rounds is a gift of nature, but and J. Deakin (skip).

Armstrong has perfected a de- fence such as had seldom been H.seen. Physically he is a perfect

boxing machine.

SECOND DIVISION

KOWLOON B.G.C. · V. C. Dixon, K. C. Hamilton, White and J. G. Meyer (skip).

A. Bower, T. Armstrong, D. W. Wa- terton and J. S. Logan (skip).

H. E. Drew, E. V. Searle, F. Cheers- mun and G. E. F. Thompson (skip).

CRAIGENGOWER

J. H. Xavier, D. A. Rozario, H. W. Randall and M. A. R. Souza (skip).

A. J. Coelho, F. X. Delgado, E. Zim- niern and J. Cavanagh (skip).

W. J. Penny, Dr. N. P. Karanjia, ST. Locke and W. K. Way (skip).

P.R.C. C.

A. S. Russell, L. A. R. Dunean, A. M. Holland and R. Duncan (skip).

K.D.R.C.

R. Lapsley, R. H. A. Lapsley, S. Gray and H. G. Cooper (skip).

A. Calman, P. B. Parks, F. Cullen and R. Morrison (skip).

V: Ramsay, M. Ferguson, J. Brown and J. Kempton (skip):

C.S.C.C.

*

E. Simmonds, C. Strange, A. Grim- mitt and J. Hollidge (skip).

M. E. Purvis, W. Burling, M. Raku sen and H. Strange (skip).

thanks to

BLACK POLISH

J. W. MacDonald, J. Hendridge, A. J. Johnson and G. S. Alexander (skip), R. Ellis, J. C. Aitkin, F. J. Kelly and W. MacHardy (skip).

W. Glendenning, N. J. Fraser, J. R. McWalter and J. Riddell (skip).

KOWLOON F.C.

V. Petherick, B. Thomson, J. Gibson and W. Field (skip).

W. Groves, A. Eastman, P. Young- husban and T. Fergusson (skip).

R. Hughes, W. Simpson, V. Atienza and V. Chittenden (skip).

Broad and deep in the chest, with powerful, but not muscle-bound,' arms and free shoulders, he tapers away from the waist downwards, and his legs, though strong, are very light. Roderick, with his grim, craggy face, heavy frontal bones, and sloping fore- head, looked a typical fighter. He was much the taller and longer in reach, but lacked the compact strength of the

negro.

The "gate" was very disappointing, and large blocks of seats were com- pletely empty. This was a pity, for a harder fight has seldom been seen. After Harvey and McAvoy had been introduced from the ring, Roderick, the challenger, came in and had a good re- ception.

ner-

He seemed rather vous, and sat fidgeting with his feet and staring in front of him. Arm- strong's smiling face contrasted with the skull and cross-bones on the back of his dressing gown. He looked the very personification of confidence, and C. Mose, H. Y. Hsu, J. L. Stephens indulged in a little skipping about sha- and A, Spary (skip).

dow boxing to loosen up.

KOWLOON TONG

They're well worn

but they've well

KIWI

TAN POLISHES

From the start Armstrong attacked, but his style is different from the flail ing, rushing methods used by Berg and Milligan in the past, Crouching, or, rather, leaning well forward, his left shoulder up covering his jaw, and bob bing and ducking from side to side, Armstrong presented practically no target but the top of his head to hit at. His body was too far away to be hit, and when he got in close

strong secured the inside position and covered himself with his forearms. Re- peatedly Roderick uppercut, but most. of these were either blocked or made to miss by a quick sway of the head. They did not all miss, however, and most of the punishment the negro took was from uppercuts. Throughout Arm- strong's hitting was quick and sharp, coming from all angles, but not, ap- parently, very heavy. There was not a single knock-down during the con- test, nor did it at any time really seem doubtful that Roderick would last the distance, although he was very severely punished. Personally, I doubt whether the Englishman's hands were but there was as sound as they have been said to be, no question as to his fitness and his capacity to take punish- ment.

INCESSANT ATTACKS There was a good deal of sameness

the about

contest, although Roderick tried hard, by varying his methods, to find a way to keep the negro out. At first it seemed possible that the Englishman, using a sharp, straight left and fast on his feet, might be able to keep away; but as the fight went on Armstrong bored in more and more effectively. He seldom clinched "in- away inces- tentionally, but hanged santly with both hands for head and body. Roderick blocked many punches, but had to take an immense number. Fortunately for him he was generally going away as they landed, but he was bady marked, and often forced to cover

He tried almost sible punch, including swinging lefts to the body; but, even if successful at first, Armstrong quickly found an an- swer to everything. It is arguable that Roderick might have done better, when hopelessly behind on points, to have gone all out for a knock-out, but in my view there were two insuperable difficulties in the way. In the place, though amazingly strong, the speed and snap had gone out of Rode- rick's hitting; and, secondly, Arm- strong's attack was so incessant and his

quick that

un.

movements 30

every

DOS-

first

it was impossible for Roderick to set himself to deliver a heavy punch. There was never the slightest doubt as to the winner, but Roderick was a very Arm-game loser. The negro's speed was too much for him, but he lasted the dis- tance, and proved once more that the standard of British boxing is as high as in America, apart from Louis and.

Y: Abbas, A. E. Castro, A. J. Kew and A. H. Basto (skip).

J. N. Wong, K. Lim, W. J. Ho- Armstrong, who are quite exceptional ward and H. Gittida (skip).

C.S,C,C.

E. Kirman, J. Carr, F. Haynes, Bagley (skip),

FHarper, D. Crawley, L. Whant and W. Hillyer (skip).

men.

"

It is to be feared that the promoters Wwill lose heavily on the contest. Vari- ous reasons have been, advanced for the smallness of the crowd, but probably too high for most people at the present the plain fact is that the prices were

time. The fact that the contest could be seen by television may also have affect- ed the attendance.

F. Austin, A. B. Allan, A. Stevens and S. Eccleshall (skip).

THIRD DIVISION

4 TAIKOO

R. Mair, H. O. Gillies, W, Seath and D. Munro (skip).

W. Melrose, W. C. Bovaird, TF. Stainton and J. C. Chalmers (skip).

F. Hellon, J. Waid, J. Watson and R. Wallace (skip),

• v. K.B.G.C. (Away) S. R. Solina, W. Phelps, A. B. Ham- son and G. S, Ladd (skip),

G, Winch, F. Petersen, Dr. C. W Lam and John Pan (skip).

E. McNay, E. Kerrison, A. E. S. Alves and W. McNeill (skip).

@H:KER.C..

J. F. Barron, W Macfarlane, S. Dea- con and W. H. B. Muskett (skip);

JR Way, A. G. Gardner, G. T. Padgett and L. de Rome (skip).

R. O. Butler, R. A. Owens, G. G. S. Thomson and A. F. Paul (skip); <

PRISON OFFICES

A. HAPerry, J. W. Fitzgerald, J. McCutcheohand A. Jillott (skip).

J. W. Grant, G Gowland, S. Hodge and T. Gooding....(skip)

V. H. Freeman, J. W. Hudson, G. V. McGrath and G. Foster (skip).

Reserve: J. W. Harrop,

It would be interesting to see how He is as hard a hitter as Roderick, and Boon would fare against Armstrong, probably faster. Moreover, he is short- er than Armstrong, which might ren der the regro's crouch less effective. It will not be made, for Boon is too young is to be hoped, however, that the match to be subjected to the terrific strain of such a contest, and, in addition, he would run the risk of having old cuts reopened by Armstrong's short, quick punches.

McAvoy retained his middleweight title, de was generally expected, but ap- pears to have had difficulty in making the weight. Sadd did well, however, to last the distance. I did not see the corf test, but I fancy that the broadcast com- mentary erred on the side of enthus- asm! Unless McAvoy has very serious ly deteriorated. Sadd could never have survived the numerous terrific blows which he was said to have received. Apparently there was similar over- enthusiasm in the broadcast of the Farr-Burman contest,