FOOTBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 36

FOOTBALL.

FIXTIIKES. RUGBY.

May 28 *— Dunedin v. Pirates, Csrisbrook ; Zingari v.. University, Tahuna Park ; l n inn v. Oaver- ~ sham', " Nbith ground; Alhambri> v Kuikor&i, Opoho. I June- 4.— Pirates v." Alhambra, (. ai tabrook ; Duuedin v. ITiiion, Caledonian ; Zingari v.< Caverihum, "Montecillo ; -University v. . Kaikora 1 '; Bishopscourt.

ASSOCIATION.

.May 28. — Banner matches commence. Green "Island v. Wakari, Burnside ; Bangers v. Northern, Exhibition grouifd ; Morningion v.~ Koslyn, Asy-lum-gx'ound ; Southern a'bye. - ' 'June 4.-^No'rtherh-v..W»kai-i, A»_yluin ground ; , Southern v." Morninstou',V x at .Egliuton ; Green v. Roalyuia'tJßurnside ;JRangers a bjje.

, , .#QTES BIT 50ETUKI?. 1 v ' The Appeal Committee^ of the New Zealand Union for the enduing 12 months will- be Messrs 3. P. Fiitfi, T.R. Eliison, G. Fac.hVG. F'Camp-.■b'ell,;>ndt£':"Tt'-Bate.- ' .The"' selection!, has not s 'gi yen' satisfaction in Wellington. ' , , " Before ; , leaving ' for' • Napier Mr George 'Cameron," ex-secretary of. the Otago Football Association, was presented with a handsome travelling rug by a few of his Association football friends. 1 A general discussion took place at a recent meeting of the Wellington Referees' Association on the subject of rough play and the, beßt methods v to adopt for guarding against anything like a continuance of this objectionable feature. Several of the members were strongly of opinion .that the present style of wing play was responsible for a great deal of unnecessary obstruction aiid'roughness/ and that referees were not strict enough in dealing with players in this 'position.- ' It is 'refreshing to find Wellington referees coming to this conclusion. It was eventually repolve'd that in future any player by the refer* eto be indulging in wili'ully rough pl*y should be ordered off the field ,wi*hcut a caution. ,i At a special peneral mcelirg cf the fr.Kago Football Association N Issb , Saiur-clay-evening, Messrs Q. M'Millan, G. Pollock, and A. Sligo, jun., were appointed to act as a _Belepticn' Committee 'for the ensuing year. The Chairman (Mr.M'Miilftn) intimated that Mr S. M^ete h&d accepted office as president of the association. The balance sheet, duly audited, was read and adopted. A committee, meeting -.was . also held later in the evening."' The appeal from Wak,ari Second was dismissed ;•. the match-to count a win for fche Southern. - The game. Northern Second v. ' Southera-'Seco'ad was, declared no >match. Mr JfvM.i'^icholspn was unanimously ejected yice'^pre'sident. -iMr W; ,M'Laci>lan -wiis 'appqinted " ;tb,'£lj.'tb'e vacancy -on thecemmitt'ee. - ' • •, f-'' 7 Afc]aimeeting'"of.the Alha'mbra- Football Club 1 the Sussex Hotel tfii Saturday evening ffir'W. 5 ! was 'presented' with- a handsome marble timepiece suitably engraved on the occasion cf bis marriage and as a mark of the esteem, iur/bicb be is held' by the members of the club. The President (Mr J. M 'Donald), ia j ruakicg the presentation, referred to Mr "Ross's long &nd nsc-ful services to the club, and held him up Bs-an example to the members frcm tbe •way te had stuck by the club in its time of trouble. Mr Robs replied in suitable terms.

Tiie game last Saturday between Kai- | kcrai and Dunedin was very rough, and not interesting. In the first spell the, .Kai; Icorai forwards gob the ball time, after time, and although it came out well Jackson never" took. it, cleanly, and on two or three occasions the le'athfr weat between his legs. Judged from „.J»ft season's standpoint there- was a. very noticeable 1 lack of 'combination on j Jthe part -of tbe Kaikorai (Colours) i •backs. The, , Colours had several good - chances to score in the first spell, but did not take advantage of them, the paseing being j very second rate. Sinclair put fin & lob of good j defence work. Keese, however, was not a j success with the wet ball, and his pssßing was ,very weak. \ Annie was the be3t three-quarter j 1 back ''on ground, and .took advantage of j "eve'fy^chanb'e'.^fforded-him, finishing up wich tbreW'trrer^o -his "credit.- -Wood.-played asafe %anae, bubTwas'ndt given a fairlcbance, as nearly all the passes tb;himiwere very low. He pottsd once (a good- shot which went under the b&r) -•whefe.hafi he, passed," sfc must have- resulted 1 in . a score., Johnstone, at back, made no mistakes '*.v'd picked well; ' Ctoss, Murphy; Davie, and 'Ronald' wf-re tlse pick of the forwards, but one. "and all of I p' f 6>-wfcrd« played well.' M'L&ten was " all o\ 1 1 i.sJ fciiow "ia the exciting part of -the second. sp<rll,,and might have been more aid to bis side hsd he kept- a definite place. The Docedin forwards were completely ran over in "the fir*b spell, but in the second they rheld their own .admirably. Williams played ft "very-hard game, bub was at times on the rough , Bide. ". Mason at half-back was weak, and although once or twice he got the ball - well away from the scrum in a majority or

[ esses he wsm too blo.it. Ward, the other half back, played a great gams, and did more work than any other back on the ground, ! his (adding being perfect. He was in a large measure responsible for Mackenzie's ecore, as, ! after a splendid run in the niok of time, he passed to that player with only the full back to'pasß. Btephenson's punting was very serviceable to his, aide, aod Mackenzie, besides scoring, made some gcod runs and his kicking in most casts was good. Turton at full back is not much good on defence, bub is worth his place in any team for his kicking, and on Saturday his kicking was iv marked contrast to that, of the Kuikorai. The Kaikorai bad three kicks all at easy angles, but neither Jackson, Murphy, nor Armifc got anywhere ne&r the posts. - ' > Mr Falconer was the referee in the match, but his decisions did nob meefe with favour at (he hands of the players. He might also have been far more stKcfc than he was, .and the manner in which he allowed M'Laren and Stephonsou to argue with him about the game was a distinct sign of weakaestt. There were cot»pl»iots from all parts of the grounds as to the way M %aren was allowed to carry on, and had one of the wellknown senior referees been officiating that player would in all probability have been reprimanded. Even if a referee does^ make mistakes,- it does not mend matters when the captains of the' respective t'sama commence to ar^ue with him on the field.

! " It was pretty generally anticipated" that the Alhambra and Union ten.rns_woald~ be evenly matched ;■ and co it. proved. The play up to ywithin^about.. 2o, minutes of time being called was very even, -but after the Opobo team secured their first ECDre'they pub more hearb into their work than in the previous stages of the game, and fairly ran over the Maroon«. Tho greasy state of the bail acade it alrncst imperative for both Sides to adopts forward game, and in this department; there was little to choose between the two teams. The Albambra backs handled the ball better than their opponents, and to this facfe they may in a great degree attribute their victory. Crowe took the place of Koss aa full back, and though he was rather ucnecLaiu in taking the ball Lis kcking was good. Kiog, who had few opportunities of showing his worth, again displayed good form, his sm*rfc kicking being one of the best features of his play. T. Cunningham is evidently not the player of old, though he did a fair amount of useful work. J. .Cunningham play.cd smartly, and hi«. potted goal was the result of a nice bit oF p!av, for he eluded two or three of the Maroons' backs b*fore ha got an opening to drop. The half bee'e play was only fair. The most notict»ble of the forwards were Given and Roderick. The former is in fine form, and he was easily first as the best; forward of ihe match. Both'Hobson aud W. M'KewenJfwere cocspkuous for their excellent kicking. Wenborn, the Union full back, made his first appearance ia a senior match, snd t his display was a remarkably fine one. / He has little knowledge of the Kngby game, having' Jearnfc liis f cotbaU, under, the code.' iHe took ball, both' on' fche'iiy andf when fieHiag; more like a cricketer than a footballer,' and was 'very reliable.. All his work was done very ! eleinly, tnd bis long kicks into- touch relieved bis side on, m Any ocdspioiis. .'His fl no 'play ws* fresly applauded by partisans of boib teams Dredge showed a'cJistincu imprcvcmenKiu his play, and was the best of the Maroons' three-qaaiters. He was, unfortunately, compelled to retire half an hour before time was called, and his side must have been handicapped by his absence. T. Miison, the scrum hall: back, handled .the leather well and kicked with judgment, bub Armstrong is not playing in anything like his bsst form. R. Stew»r*-, the Beadle brothers, and Logan were the most prominent of the Union forwards, several of whom- became too eager when near their opponents' line, and offside piay almost invariably relieved the Alhambra on these occasions.

The match between the Umvorsi 1 ? a"d Cavprsham clubs at Tabuua I'ark was uoc intere«in>g, although in the second spr-lt some fast fl-y was vtitnessed. The game all through was a forward one, and some- good dribbling rashes were witnessed on either side. The passing of the 'Varsity was rendered futile on account of the sporting tactics of the opposing backs. The Caveraham forwards were good in thepßck, and on the whole better in theloose than the University, the formei's dribbling rushes baing particularly useful. The Caveraham backs also displayed good form in the defensive work. The Blues' backs played a rattling good game, especially towards the close of the match. Their tackling was exceptionally good. The forwards were beaten all round, though Gregg and Mules'Lpla'yed a hard and serviceable game.' The pick of the Caversham forwards were Cavanagb, Olsen, Alia«"and Spfnce! Lawry, at full back, plnyed a safe game. MiSburn (wicg threerquartoic) ,ai»d Caeey (centre) were, frequently prominent. Hunter, '<" the UriivftVaity ' centre ' tSireeqaaiter baclr, wss s. mart, but must feed his wing men. He t spoilt several chaDceß by eir-faer isanging on' 'or attemptitig to \iat. AtJatns used bis pace to advantage, and was also u^fful in defending. The two Macdoniilds, M'Ara, snd Armstrong' all play<d a, tine passing game. Mr J. Downes control'ed tbe gume in a manner that left nothing to be desired.