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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 2, No. 11. June 21, 1939

North-South Rugby

North-South Rugby

Fast moving inside backs, and purposeful forwards, combining to mike play for dashing three-quarters, showed in Christchurch a fortnight ago that the traditional features of New Zealand Rugby have not completely disappeared.

The University players showed that good Rugby can still be played by teams willing to play it. And the Christchurch and to University Rugby by choosing such an occasion to play the game as it should be played.

In actual fact the North-South match mis not as brilliant as the outsanding much at Palmerston North last year, on which occasion Rugby at its very best seen, but it was nevertheless a splendid game of football. On the Monday the New Zealand University team, profiting by Saturday's mistakes, pave one of the most correct and delightful displays of Rugby seen for years. Like the Springboks the Varsity side handled, kicked tackled, ran and pushed in the scrums as Rugby mentors have endeavoured to get their budding All Blacks to do in Gym and training ground week after week. It was a great advertisement for New Zealand University Rugby.

Berghan's Brilliance

Of the players who took part in the two game. Trevor Berghan, the All Black five-eighths, must have been the answer to a New Zealand selector's dream. He was brilliant, If he does not choose to go to South Africa it will be a major Rugby tragedy for New Zealand. Steele and Cartwright, the South wings, wore excellent—dashing and hard-running. Carltwight will be heard of again and Otago must he very well off for wings if Steele is not a representative this season. Simpson of Otago is a half of the "Joey" Sadler type—not quite as brilliant, not quite as fast an "Joey" hut a good quick-moving and solid half. More too should he heard of him.

Of the North barks who did not gain selection in the New Zealand University side Rae and Mitchell went very well. Rae did not gel many chance in the first half of the match hill showed well in the second, and [unclear: Mitchell], marking the dashing [unclear: Steele,] himself showed dash and was plucky.

[unclear: McNicol] and [unclear: Burke]

In the forwards [unclear: McNicol] or Victoria showed on both days what a good forward he is. He was always up with the play. [unclear: Irwin] of Otago was another who deseved all the kudos packmen playing in New Zealand. Burke on Monday save his side a beast [unclear: on] the ball and once again is. A pass to his wing, which resulted in a try and which was given by Burke when in the act of falling headlong was one or the highlights of Monday's game, Trott, Vosaliagi, Campbell (who was unfortunutely injured in Saturday's name) Hansen, Walter, Foreman and Wall were other forwards in the two games who showed to real advantage.

The outstanding impression received from Monday's match was to this observer, the brilliant way [unclear: Simpson] and [unclear: Berghan] worked the blind side of the scrum. What a pity a few halves who run the blind so repeatedly and senselessly could not have seen this game.

The trip to Christchurch was well worth the trouble to those Wellingtonians who made it and incidentally the Christchurch hospitality was all thai could be desired. Ask any of the V.U.C. men.

—J.A.C.