A Rugby Footballer's Diary .sx THE SOUTH AFRICANS AT CAMBRIDGE .sx By E. W. SWANTON .sx THE South Africans , following their unexpected rebuff at Melrose , to-morrow will be at Cambridge where no doubt they will find the type of football more to their liking .sx The two previous South African sides have made no bones about beating the University , but consistency is not the strong suit of the present Springboks , and Cambridge , for their part , must be much encouraged by their notable victory over Leicester .sx I should think the Grange-road ground hardly will accommodate all who will want to watch .sx It is , incidentally , to be regretted that the fixture coincides with the Surrey and Kent match , always one of the most interesting in the county championship .sx New Kent Player .sx NO sooner had I written about the virtues of C. C. McCreight as a scrummage halfback when he met with his unfortunate accident , and Kent as well as the Harlequins have had to hunt about for a successor .sx Kent have chosen J. Howell , of Guy's Hospital , who has the advantage of a long association with Windsor Lewin .sx All the same the change can hardly be for the better , and not even the bringing on of H.C.C. Withers , H.G.S. Hobbs and E.P. Hindley , among others , quite makes up for McCreight's absence .sx The match will be played at the Rectory Field , but Surrey's unhappy associations there at cricket do not , I think , extend to Rugby football , and I doubt if Surrey will enter the field with that " inferiority complex " that for years had the cricketers beaten before ever a ball was bowled .sx The Helping Hand .sx FOLLOWING my recent remarks apropos the fixture between London Scottish and the Wasps I hear from Mr. Darsie Anderson that in his day , which extended from 1886 to 1892 , London Scottish introduced two clubs now famous into first-class football .sx London Scottish used to play Old Merchant Taylors with a scratch side at Christmas , and Old Merchant Taylors put up such a good game on these occasions that they were given a regular first fifteen fixture .sx Exactly the same thing happened with Rosslyn Park and United Services ( who showed their gratitude by giving London Scottish a dinner , which still annually takes place at Portsmouth) .sx A few years ago London Scottish granted fixtures to the Old Millhillians and Old Cranleighans , neither of whom then had matches with the famous London clubs , although they played first-class teams in the provinces .sx " First Class ( ) .sx " MR. ANDERSON , who of course was a very fine player with eight international " caps " to his credit , could not refrain from inserting a note of interrogation after " first-class " in the phrase " first-class London football .sx " I suppose the standard of the best teams at the moment is not very high , but it at least is some consolation that the smaller clubs have in the last ten years improved vastly .sx What is more if other clubs were imbued with a little of the spirit shown by London Scottish many of these teams are capable of rising still higher .sx The alternative to good fixtures in London is good fixtures in the provinces were London teams always are welcome .sx Unfortunately , however , in these days it is all too difficult for the players to get leave of absence from business on Saturday mornings , and it is not much use going to a place like Plymouth or Northampton with a skeleton side .sx S. Osler in Action .sx READERS of this diary were informed when Oxford went into residence that S. Osler would allow his knee a further month's rest , following the removal of a cartilage last spring .sx Osler played for the O.U. Greyhounds at Bridgend last Saturday , and emerged from the trial perfectly satisfactorily .sx I expect he looked after himself somewhat carefully , and it is too early yet to say that the operation has been entirely successful .sx However , great hopes are held out , not only at Oxford , but among the South Africans , who may well want to call upon his services when the University term is ended .sx Osler played for his country against New Zealand in 1928 , and either at outside half-back or centre he actually was compared with his brother , B. L. .sx The Pace of Hovde .sx SO far Oxford have , partly because of injuries , hardly realised their full potentialities behind the scrummage , but N. K. Lamport is playing admirably , and F. L. Hovde , the American , is coming along hand over fist .sx Against London Scottish he scored a try that I doubt whether any other wing three-quarter back in this country , except possibly R. W. Smeddle , would have obtained .sx Hovde is really fast and not so limited in his knowledge of the game that he is not able effectively to exploit both the cross-kick and the inside pass .sx I cannot see anyone deposing him from his position on the right wing .sx SPORT AT THE SCHOOLS .sx A Remarkable Performance .sx From a Special Correspondent .sx IT is not often that the placid world of school sport receives anything like a rude shock , but in addition to many smaller surprises there took place on Saturday a truly remarkable performance - the defeat at Marlborough by St. Edward's School , Oxford .sx This was on of several new fixtures this season .sx St. Edward's , whose school matches previously have been against Downside , Wrokin , Bromsgrove and Worksop , have in recent years produced some excellent matches and were well worthy of a stronger match .sx Few , however , would have thought them capable of winning against Marlborough .sx Not only did they do so , but the score of 27 points to 16 represented no less then seven tries by the one side and only two , and two penalty goals , by the other .sx TEAM WORK .sx For their notable triumph St. Edward's had to thank the whole side rather than particular individuals , although it should be mentioned that the strong running of K. J. Veitch and G. M. Beal at centre three-quarter-back , and the pace of A. G. Butterworth on the wing , had much to do with the result .sx It is very pleasant to able to draw attention to an achievement of this kind by a comparatively small school .sx I am quite sure that Marlborough , though they may be swearing vengeance for next year , do not in the slightest degree begrudge St. Edward's their success .sx It is only fair to mention that Marlborough were not quite at their strongest , and sadly missed R. E. Prescott , who is captain and a splendid forward .sx Once more , in the only Rugby football match between a Scottish and an English school , Sedbergh have beaten Loretto .sx Whether or not Sedbergh have greatly improved ( perhaps they have ) or Loretto are not so strong ( which probably they are not ) the fact remains that whereas before the war Loretto used almost always to win , the boot now is very much on the other leg .sx Indeed , Loretto have not won this match since they gained a hard-earned success by 12 points to 8 in 1925 , and Sedbergh have enjoyed several quite easy victories since then .sx Although they scored first by means of a blind-side movement , Loretto mostly were on the defensive on Saturday , and more reliable three-quarter-backs would have given Sedbergh a lot more than eight points .sx The match took place at Sedbergh .sx A SCOTTISH ROUT .sx In Scotland Fettes routed Glenalmond .sx It is rare for a side to score 40 points in an inter-school match , but Glenalmond labour under severe disadvantages in the playing of Rugby football .sx They are so far north that they have to play their matches early in the term because later on , as often as not , snow prevents any games taking place at all .sx Glenalmond , indeed , is a hardy school .sx I believe it is by no means rare for twenty degrees of frost to be registered there .sx In spite of their handicaps Glenalmond usually manage to turn out quite a presentable team , and last year's captain , H. D. B. Lorraine , is in the running for a blue at Oxford .sx Merchant Taylors do not as a rule enjoy any great measure of success against their school opponents , but they have followed up their narrow defeat of St. Paul's last season by another and more emphatic one .sx St. Paul's , it is to be feared , are more than usually weak , and Merchant Taylors on the run of the play might well have won by more than 11 points .sx They have two extremely promising half-backs in J. D. Dodd and G. W. Booth , and a pack that knows the value of hard shoving .sx BRILLIANT BOWLING BY McMILLAN .sx South Africans' Big Victory Over South Australia .sx ADELAIDE , Tuesday .sx A BRILLIANT bowling feat by McMillan , who took nine wickets for 53 , enabled the South Africans to score their first victory of their tour here to-day when they beat South Australia by 192 runs .sx South Australia , who resumed their second innings to-day with the score at 9 for 0 , required 299 to win , but they were all out for 106 .sx McMillan's analysis was :sx McMillan came in for punishment during the first half-hour , in which Victor Richardson and Nitschke dealt severely with anything loose .sx Nitschke was particularly aggressive , and opening his shoulders he hit two sixes and one four off successive balls from McMillan .sx OSLER RESUMES FOR SOUTH AFRICANS .sx Changes in Rugby Touring Side Against Cambridge .sx BENNIE OSLER , the South African captain , will make a reappearance for the touring Rugby side to-morrow against Cambridge University .sx Osler was badly bruised in the Abertillery match , and after the London fixture at Twickenham he was compelled to stay in London for medical treatment .sx Gray , who was injured at Twickenham , will not be available at the earliest until the match against Oxford University to-morrow week .sx It is expected that there will be the best part of a dozen changes from the side which played South of Scotland at Melrose on Saturday in the side to play to-morrow .sx J. C. Van der Westhuizen will return to his position at centre , while probably D. Craven , who now scales well over 13st .sx , a surprising weight for a scrum half , will be paired with Osler .sx Of the South African pack which played on Saturday the brothers Louw , A. Vand der Merwe and J. N. Bierinan , who are regarded as the outstanding forwards in the touring party , will all be rested in view of the Combined Services match at Twickenham on Saturday .sx Their places will probably be taken by P. J. Mostert , H. M. Forrest , J. Dodd and Rev. George Daniel .sx BACK FOR CHELSEA .sx C. H. J. Hill to Play in Some Mid-week Games .sx C. H. J. Hill , the Corinthian and old Cambridge " Blue , " has signed amateur forms for Chelsea and will assist them whenever possible in mid-week games .sx Hill , who is a very determined full back , should get experience from these games which will be very useful to him when the Corinthians come into the third round of the English Cup .sx It is a tradition for Chelsea to have some of the best amateurs in the country on their books .sx Already Edgar Kail , the international forward , has signed for them , and Howard Baker and A. G. Bower rendered them great services .sx PETERSEN ON PATH TO CHAMPIONSHIP .sx BUT MUST NOT BE IMPATIENT WITH THAT RIGHT .sx By B. BENNISON .sx Jack Petersen , the 19 year-old Cardiff heavy-weight , won another victory at the Stadium Club last night , when he outpointed George Porter , of Nottingham , in a contest of six rounds .sx Since he embraced the ring as a profession a few weeks ago Petersen has beaten five opponents in such a manner as to strengthen the belief that some day soon he will become champion of his country .sx While my good opinion of Petersen was not the least shaken , Porter went far to teach the youngster the extreme danger of impetuosity .sx He encouraged Petersen to lead with his right , and had he himself been quick to counter he would probably have involved the Welsh lad in serious trouble .sx READY TO CHANCE ALL .sx There is much of the dare-devil in Petersen .sx The bell goes ; and for all he cares , so it seems , he is determined to chance everything , which , if I may say so , is a good fault .sx