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SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1935. Volume 6. Number 14.

Excellent Effort by Harriers. — Rugby Again Unimpressive

page 4

Excellent Effort by Harriers.

Rugby Again Unimpressive.

Senior A'S Win Narrowly.

A Review of Form.

On Saturday the Senior A team played Melrose-Selwyn at Kilbirnie. They won 11-10. After their last runaway victory over this team the result was disappointing, especially since they were really lucky to win.

The team has been showing greater promise over the last month or so, and one could now reasonably expect some good combination. The absence of Rae can in some part explain the poorer showings.

Missen played well again, but must improve his defence, not in going down or in handling, but in that power Rae, along with all good half' backs, has of taking the ball off the feet of the forwards and kicking over his shoulder. Missen is good but, compared with Rae, is stodgy.

The falling away of the forwards in the second spell was disgraceful. They did not pack, and the hooking. which at no stage was good, became quite ineffective.

Tricklebank played his usual safe game. He has been criticised for his penchant for running with the backs, but his repeated successes are a refutation.

Overtoun is extremely sound on defence, and one feels that if the ball came from the scrum faster, so that he could get the ball before being smothered by breaking forwards, his attacking play would become much more effective.

The team lacks also a reliable goal-kicker. Tricklebank is occasionally good, but is sometimes inconceivably poor.

Wilson in the forwards, is playing well. He pushes his weight in the tight and is always near the ball it the loose.

Harpur seems to have suffered a lapse after his early promising play, but it may be due to the lack of combined inside play, which makes every winger. He is playing much better now. Wild at times sees to reach the superb positional play of Ruru, the winger going full out, the opposition hopelessly beaten by a clean cut-in.

The team shows at times really good football, and confirms one's belief in their real ability, but their failures at times, due to laziness or apathy or even, it seems sheer perverseness, are disheartening. We hope that they can see out the season, with its' two inter-college matches, playing as we know they can play.

Administrative Apathy.

This year is no different from preceding years in 'Varsity Rugby, Each year produces a crop of players who have lost confidence in the ability of the club to administer and organise.

What encouragement is offered to lower grade players? Where is the re-grading promised after the first three matches of the season? The last was apparently just an idle promise. Team coaches have been proved adverse to altering their teams. They have their 18 players, and injuries becomes the sole reason for promoting other players.

It is time that the Football Club adopted some measure providing for a re-shuffling of deserving players.

Informal discussions are useless, and a committee could be formed having for its nucleus the captains of the various teams.

Rugby in the Junior Grades.

The Third C football team continued in their winning vein by beating Moera, the leading team, by 21 to 3. A large measure of their success is due to their three-quarter lin which is easily the fastest in the College.

The Junior A's ran the leading team in their grade very close last Saturday. The reason for their loss is easily told: a strange player at half; delayed passes—just the difference between defeat and success. The action of the first fifteen selectors in taking Missen to fill a vacancy in their team can only be described as shortsighted. The Juniors had everything to gain in winning their match, while the Seniors could not possibly alter the opinions that people have of them as a team.

Results in a Nutshell

Football.

Senior v. Melrose-Selwyn—won, 11-10.

Junior A v. Petone—lost, 6-3.

Junior B v. Berhampore—won, 27-0.

Third A v. Silverstream—lost, 39-3.

Third B. v. Karori—lost, 25-8.

Third C v. Moera—won, 21-3.

Fourth A v. Wellington—lost, 21-9.

Hockey.

Men.

Senior v. Karori A—lost, 5-2.

Senior B A v. Wesley B—drew, 3-3

Senior B B v. Karori—lost, 9-5.

Junior v. Hutt—lost, 1-0.

Third v. Hutt—lost, 2-1.

Fourth v. Wellington—lost, 2-1.

Women.

Senior v. Technical Old Girls—won, 1-0.

Basketball.

Senior A v. Technical Old Girls—won, 14-8.

Senior B v. Randwick—lost, 17-11.

Basketball Notes.

New Coach for Club.

The club is fortunate in obtaining the services of Miss Phyllis Quinlan as club coach. Miss Quinlan has represented V.U.C. four times, won her N.Z.U. blue in 1933, and represented Wellington province in 1932. She is very keen, and has high hopes for next Tournament.

A Centres.

The A centres are settling down now into a steady combination, but are still somewhat unfinished in their work. Positional play needs careful attention.

N. McLaren, the most reliable of the centres, keeps position well and is always steady.

M. Pilcher works well and is a good interceptor. Fails sometimes, however, to finish off an interception, thus losing any advantage gained. Must learn not to play out of position.

D. Grainger: A promising player, but needs to bias her passes more. Should play well with more experience.

Tech. Old Girls Defeated.

Either the presence of both the past and present coaches or a promise of strong criticism in "Smad," or both combined, seemed to have a good effect on the team on Saturday. They played a much brighter and speedier game, and deserved their win over Technical Old Girls by 14-8.

Harrier Notes.
Bagnall Again Runs Well.

Saturday was a big day in the harrier year—the occasion of the Wellington Provincial Championship. As far as the 'Varsity Club was concerned, it was also quite a successful day, too, the teams generally showing a marked improvement on past performances. In both the "A" and "B" grades the 'Varsity team finished sixth, 11 teams competing in the "A" grade and 17 in the "B." As far as individual performances go, Bagnall, Scrymgeour and Price in the "A" team, and Porter and Viggers in the "B" team, deserve special mention.

Bagnall ran a fine race to finish seventh, and was unfortunate not to secure a place in the team for the New Zealand Cross-country Championship to be held in Wellington shortly.

A Rhodes Scholar?

Dear "Smad,"

They tell me not to stand for a Rhodes Scholarship, my dear Editor, but secretly I feel I have great qualifications that would startle even the Professorial Board. This is my career. Could you help to secure my nomination, Mr. Editor?

I entered college 1925. After shirking homework, incurring the wrath of the headmaster, and alienating all and sundry, I belied all hopes by capping a really great career with a pass of 45½ per cent. in matric. in 1931.

In 1932 I came to V.U.C. They pounced upon me, but I managed to secure entrance. I soon showed them what a man I was, I failed in large quantities of terms, but pass sometimes. I booed at debates, heckled at annual general meetings, proved a big man with the women, too bets on the elections, played bridge with ardour and determination, got on the Common Room Committee, criticised the Caf., obstructed the passages and incurred Brooke's enmity. And what a lion I was in the Capping-time hakas and at the Haeremai Club's saveloy suppers! In short, I played for the Third C's in football and jeered on the sideline at Inter-Fac, Sports. I also hold the record for a record drive over Salamanca road in the Freshers' terms tournament. I silenced would-be critics by crawling through B.A. final in 1934. Someday I might even pass M.A.

Now, Mr. Editor, can you not see every reason why I should be nominated for a Rhodes?

"Big X."

To G.B.

Now brave G.B. to the war has gone,

At his writing desk you'll find him.

His paper puttees he has girded on,

And his fountain-open hangs down behind him.

Skilled in the art of scathing words,

And quick to fling the petra,

He fights 'a war to end all war,' etc. and etc.

Nay, rather, I suspect, he sat

And dealt in accents cursory,

Setting a most disgusting sprat

To catch a controversy.

Man of war, it seems quite clear,

Though spoiling for a fight,

Your bait will hardly draw, I fear,

An anti-War Club bite.

Printed by Geo. W. Slade Ltd., 11 Walter Street, Wellington, for the publishers, Mercantile Newspapers Ltd., Boulcott Avenue, Wellington.