FOOTBALL.

RUGBY NOTES. (By "Harpastum") NEXT THURSDAY'S FIXTURES. SENIOR GRADE. Tukapa v. Eltham, at Eltham. Star v. Inglewood at New Plymouth. Clifton v, Stratford, at Stratford. FIRST JUNIORS. Tukapa v. Eltham, at New Plymouth Star v. Inglewood, at . Inglewood. j Clifton v. Stratford, at Waitara. SECOND JUNIORS. Tukapa. v. Eltham, at Eltham. Stratforti v. Clifton, at Stratford. Star a bye. Apart from the hotel oxpenses, the members of the Anglos-Welsh football teattV receive two shillings a day. foi pocket money. Tbfl battle-cry of the Anglo-Welst team is ."Rule Britannia; Cymru air byth; hip, hip, hurrah I" The Welsl. words "Cymru am byljb." mean "\Valet for -.ever!" F. Mitcjiinson, the crack Wellingtoi three-quarter, took the field again last , Saturday , for Poneko against Petone. He showed the effect of hi 3 long rest, but scored a neat try. Tho Anglo- Welsh touring, team playt Wairarapa and Bush districts to-day. The country forward team 13 said to be one v -of the strongest' placed in tht field in£ise Wairarapa for some year* pa^t./ The backs are stated to be f fine defensive combination, but aro not supposed to be brilliant in attack. Russell, the Maori full-back, is a mag nificenf kick, and is credited with be. ing a, deadly tackier, full of grit. Tho South Canterbury Rugby Unioi • has some' queer ideas of eritertainiaj. the' Anglp- Welsh team on' its visit U thafc- district. Tho Union has decidcc to <ntte,rtain the team at a monster "basket" social. . The admission foi will be 2s 6d, the ladies to provkU baskets of refresh .nent?! Poor-iellows ' The' 'follow ing table shows tlw Asi tionsf of tne senior teams in tho Southern Division : —

3?eter Ward, tlje New Zealander whe played for New South Wales against Mullineaux'a team in 1899, has reappeared in Sydney football. Playing among3tAho New town backs against the' [Northern Branch Union at Newcastle iajcouple of weeks ago lib scored a try. Ward's contemporaries in the 1899 representative team have all dropped out.of^the game. The New Zealand Rugby Union backs of 1903 would have outclassed \ the professional backs in every position on the field, full-back included (says "The Cynic" in the Referee), Turtill is, nevertheless, a fine fullback; but Wi|liam Wallace, full-back -> of the amateur team of 1903, gave ex- ' positions- that 1 have never been surpassed in Australia, and probably' never equalled. Cornwall has won the English Rugby County i championships. Only a Few years ago the) game was in low water in Cornwall. Suddenly, however, it ftook »nejT'leß*> 6f H*S. "The visits* of the New Zeala&dcrs and the South Africans gave it additional strength, and now, almost before people have had time to realise its leap to greatness, the Duchy (says an English writer) has defeated Durham, with its proud record of nine consecutive appearances in the final. The success of Cornwall is the reward of steadiness in every department, aided by brilliancy in a few positions. The Maori professional team to leave Auckland on Monday for Australia is as follows: — Full-back:' Aritaku Wihapi, 12st 121 b, represented Te Aute College and Tauranga*. Full-back and five eighths: Hoeroa, 12st 71b (Tauranga). Three-quarters: Albert Astier, 12st (captain)? Nikorima Ratete, lOst 101 b (Rotorua); Tepuka Pouwhiuwhiu, 12st (Tauranga and Rotorua); Frank Barday or IjTauaura Pakere, 13st (St. John's College) ; Hoane Witeriana, 12st (St. Stephen's College); Hone Tuki, 13stl3st fcWaikato) ; Nutana Wiki, 12st 121 b (Northern districts) ; , Hamuera Ta whia, Hfet 61b (Te Aute College and Rotorua),. Five-eighths : Mana Ta, . list 71b (Waikato and Hamilton) ; also, Hoeroa, who may 1 play full-back. Half-back: Haukore, 13st (Tauraijga)< "Forwards: J. J. Stanaway, or Hone Haira, 13Bt 71b, (Northern-* Wairoa) } Mikaera, . 13st 71b (Rotorua); Mini Ririraui, 14st 101 b (Tauranga) ; ,Toi. 16st 21b v (Tauranga) ; Glenville Barclay (Punga Pakere), list (St. John's College); Pirita Wbarepapa, 12st 131 b (Tauranga); HikataTewa, 14st 71b (Rotorua); Iharaira, 16st l^b (Rotorua); Patikura .Wetini, 16st (Matata) ; Tiopira Henare Rota, 14st 31b (Goldfielda) ; Henare Ririnui, 13st 121 b (Tauranga and Rotoirua): Pita Tapihana, I3st 71b (Te Puke); Hopepa Toreo, lttt (Hastingjj), -\ T The game on Thursday between Tukapa ,and Clifton was close anti hard-rougnt, but did not lend itself to muoh description. There was too much forward work for that. Still, the vigour infused into the game made it decidedly interesting. In the first spell Clifton, keeping the game close, had the better of the play, owing to their superior weight and strength. But the blue vanguard were in better condition, and in the second spell had the visiting forwards in hand. Thus they were able to get the ball more often and to open up the play. Clifton have the material for an excellent forward team. The members of their vanguard have plenty of weight and strength, not a little pace, ana graft well. With a little more science and better' condition, and a slightly better pair of hookers they would be really dangerous. On Thursday they showed that they had a good idea of scrum work, but their efforts lacked finish and smartness. In Pukere they have the best forward "Harpastum" has yet seen in the Northern Division this year. • Some' of his work was a real treat to see, and showed that he has a good set of brains and uses them, too. Cain was also prominent on Thursday. Clifton's wing-forwards, Rothery and Pulford, "got all over" the Tukapa wings, Courtney and Jones, in the scrum-work on Thursday. They are such good players that it te a pity they don't drop some of their lfttle ways. Rothery is worse than Pulford in -this respect. These irregularities are not very glaring, but they mar an otherwise good exhibition of winc-forwara piny- ' 1.. ;T Courtnoy did not shine. This is accounted for by the fact that he had not played for over a year until this week. Jones, Tukapa's other wing-

forward, was beaten in tight work, but was proniinent in. the loose. There are two' Featured in Jone's play that I particularly like. These are his following up, and the cleanliness of his play. Tho Tukapa forwards v.er,e somewhat of a Surprise packet. They deserve credit, for the excellent way they buckled to their work in vhe second spell. During the. game, however, they missed a lot , of- 'opportunities by bad following-up. Walsh played up well, and did a lot of good work in the open. Seamark grafted, hard, but certain aspects of b?s play gave me the impression that i he v w,as looking for illegal opportunities. All the pack worked well; and showed .much better form than in previous matches. The Clifton team havo greatly improved their back division by substituting Eggloston for Sampson at sentre three-quarter-. ' Eggloston played a really good gain©, on Thursday, especially ifl attack. Talc, on tlio left 1 wing of tho three-quarter line, was also prominent in Jtttack, and very solid in defence. *D. Gcorgo and S'cholefield -played excellent all- round games. Lash, at full-back.' Ayas also very good. S. Georgo played well, but was not quite up to hie Cost form. • Taken bJI-' • round, Clifton Had a. more solid bauk team than Tukapa, but the biter had raoro ( brilliaucy in' tho men behind the pack. , It's a pit? Tukapa have not got another centre three-quarter. is a splendid full-back,, bait ms £rosent companions on ,%h& threo-qunrtcr line ar« too fast foi r hinr: Honey field, at full-back,, too, i* unreliable^. v Hqoker is improving cvftty". week, a3i;l,savo for one or t«^> jvii'st/ikcs, played q sound game on Thursday. Those mistakes v'crc duo to heait^hinn. Once Sic learns th© Jbibit "of *iivtant flrciaiou he will b© a really dau^croin three-quar- (- ter. Stohn, on oilier wiug. played brilliantly at ti«i<isV but app^arerJ nervous. M^tiott .pinyod si -fine game, with only one, or-. two very small mislokps in it» It \^as l:is fin^> generalship that \von $b 'jjarao ior I\ikapa. Hardgrava and .Jfrowia pisi.'-od voj> sound games, atkt went tlowa to rushes in good stylo. - .- Tb'o British for»'ardi atrip well, and pai'pde a sturdy f heyvi]y-b>ii]t brigade. Their captoin," A. JP. limvUng, speaking to a Daminipn report or state<! that bo w«s very well satisiied Avith tlie way tbo n?b?i w^re shaping. Ii wa^ true that they migjbt possibly l>o a little on tho. greoa side, as far as condition was concorpod, but every day Tvoald make a big in tlieir form nowr Personally, from his experience with B6dcll-Si\"'ight's team ho thoughjb it au|mrod well 1 hat th^y should be in thi3 eft (lit ion rather than in the . pink of condition on landing. On the last tour the, men landed in Australia very iit, bu,t bof oto -the toxir was half over moat of them \s"ere stak\ Ho* had been against severe training) on thej boat during the run out, but had no doubt the team would be in good going order when they turned out against Wairarapa. At any rate they would meef Wellington in real good form. >. In answer to v a question the captain said tho team would play two halfbacks, inside find outside, equivalent to the New Zealand half and fiveeighths, and four throe-quarters. , The scrum formation would probably be the' English style, , of three-two-threo, but on occasions) they might take a man out of the pack "and play him on Mr A. jCamoiboll, of Auckland, has, hren appspt*d referee for the AngloWelsh tesfcm'g match with Wellington on Wednesday. At a .meeting xm Thursday evening the Management Committee of the New Zoaland Rugby tJnian decided to inform the New Zealand Natives' Association that the Union could not sanction a match between a Maori team and the' Englishmen at Wellington or / Auckland, but was agreeable to a match being played at Rotorua on July 21. It was also decided that the Union could not guarantee expenses incurred in taking players to Rotprua. The Wanganui union -is making arrangements to show the visitors the attractions of the Wanganui River during their stay there. The team will be taken for a two days' trip up the river to Fipiriki, and then ..-on to the upper reaches. \ The selectors of the New Zealand team (Messrs Galhiher, Kelly, and Harris) will moet in Wellington this evening to select the team to meet the Britishers at Dunedin on June 6th. Mynott, Hunter, Cameron, Cplman, and Whittington have been nominated by the Tarahaki Union f,or inclusion in the team. Hardgrave would have been nominated had it not been that he is unable to make the .trip. , A member of the Management Committee of the Taranaki Rugby Union 7 considers the Tukapa ground, on the !' Western' 'Parkj is the best marked-out ground in Taranaki, although it is not the best in other respect^. There is ono matter atf least that fihe Tukapa. Club should consider. That is the question of confining qpectatdrs to the terraces, where there is plenty of room- There is no reason at all tqr allowing a crowd to remain between tup playjng-area and the fence on the ©fstero side of the park. They give tlie line-umpire* far too much trouble in keeping them back. By, the way, the press representatives thank the club for providing chairs and a table at every match, on the ground. At' thje same time they would point but .that xtowards, the end of the match --usually, the most ox6iting partr— the table becomes useless, as the spectators get) all round it, and even a reporter cannot > see through other people, at least not 'literally speaking.

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