FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 100, 28 April 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FOOTBALL.

Tub absorbing topic of footballers for the next few days will now be tho Auckland Representative team of 1888. Who are likely to compose it, and will it be able to make a stand against the Englishmen? such are the questions which every one will be asking. The scoring rules have been altered, and I do not suppose it has struck many local men tha.fc we may be compslled in self defence to change our 7style of play. If the Englishmen adopt wing tactics our back play will be the same as last year, and our backs may be chosen at once. If, on the other hand, they decide to keep to their own style and play without wing men, which is more probable, then i think, and a large number of authorities on the game think with me, that we will have to do away with our wing forwards and adopt the three three-quarter system. I firmly believe that if the new system is adopted that Auckland will have a far greater chance of securing a win than, we would have under the old style. It is all very well saying that our half-backs, placed as we place them, now give us greater scoring facilities, and that our wing men protect; these nnd hamper the oppoiing halves. " But I would like to know what will be the use of our extia array of backs, for I call wing-forwards backs, if the opposing forwards, discarding the man outside the scrums, run over our forwards or acrew them all over the field. Packing the scrum has always been our wjMk spot, and all will remember that CanteiPliry screwed our men just as they pleased, and that itwas only our enormous superiority in backs that enabled us to make the excellent show we did. We have the men here who will play the now style quite as well as the old. What do we want? First, a full-back, second, three three-quarters, one of whom must be1 a sure drop-kick and punt, a certain tackier and an unselfish passer. This man will play in the centre, slightly in advance of his comrades on the right and left. These should be strong runners*, certain tacklers and able to drop kick and punt well. Then, to complete our back division, we will want two half-backs. These players have their stations almost where our wing men stand now, always watching the ball and ready to pass it when they can to the three-quarters or. to punt or kick it out of bounds, or, if they get a slant, to make ground by a well-judged run. The main consideration in selecting these halfbacks will be to get two men who are both willing and able to pass with precision. They must be able to pick up quick, and at the same time to tackle well; if theyaregood runners all the better. But one quality they must have and that is they must be able to punt with accuracy, so as to gain ground for their side by sending the ball into touch. To sum up these points, which go|to make a good half, I should put—first, quick picking up ; second, quick and sure passing ; then accurate punting into touch, and last wholesale tackling. It will be also for the half-backs to be able without hesitation to drop on the ball like our present centre half-back, and nip a dangerous rush or dribble in the bud. With the backs we have here I fancy, if this style is adopted, that Auckland will be able to show the Southern provinces the way round in what they first showed us, while we will have a better show against the Englishmen with it than with our present system. We have the men, and men far a'headof what the Southerners were lastyear. We have two half-backs who for quick picking up and for passing cannot be licked, while it will be a matter of extreme difficulty to settle which is the better of two men who will be eligible foroneof the wing three-quarter-backs. The adoption of this system will of course do away with the wing forwards, but we will make this up in the forwards, and by packing our scrums more systematically than heretofore, and by fast play, I am certain we will do quite as well without them. There is no time to be lost about the choosing of the team, and I trust after the matches to-day, and when the result of the Otago match has been heard, that the Selection Committee will pick fifteen players who will be the Representative Team if they all show sufficiently good form during the two practice matches. I hope to see the team chosen in time for publication in Monday night's Star. A suggestion has been made in the last issue of the " Family Friend " that the Union should engage a trainer for the "Reps." I consider this a splendid idea, and hope the Management Committee will adopt it without any hesitation. It was the want of a trainee that caused the staleness of our forwards in previous " Rep :> matches in spite of the hard grafting they had done to get themselves fit.

Ponsonby and Graffcon have both started well, both leading off for the Cup with a win. The former's match with the North Shore was a very fast one, and was noticeable for the fine passing done by the backs. Whiteside shone as usual, but he charged too much, sometimes forgot to pass, and if he ever remembered to take a shot at goal he never succeeded. Stephenson has improved wonderfully since last season, but he is still a bit impetuous, and he rushed the ball several times in passes in a manner that prevented his taking it. He has an objectionable habit also of eretting offside, and even when he must know he is offside, the inclination to keep to the ball seems too strong for him. He spoiled good openings for several of his comrades by this sort of play last Saturday. Danks saved his side a great deal, but he did not always take the ball cleanly and when he had got it hesitated too much. A bad hand accounted for some of his strange pieces of play. Banks wants to kick more. Albie Braund was good, but tried to run too much. His collaring was not bad, the little he had of it, while his stopping of rushes was excellent. Conway is better than last season ; he ran with even'more dash and fended and dodged well, but he will have to cure himself of a habit he is getting into of trying to jump over any one who attempts to collar him. Jimmy Braund at full back made several mistakes, but I do not think that last Saturday's play is any criterion of what his form will be. Wooller was a long way ahead of the other wing man who played, and he showed up in several pieces of dribbling. Johnstone did not make much of a show, while Patterson, though he got up a number of fast rushes, disgusted everybody with his offside play. Arneil will have to improve a great deal on bis last Saturday's form. He dribbled well on one or two occasions, but his play all round showed not even decent club form. Of the forwards on both side<?_ Logan was the most conspicuous, and he is evidenly coming out of his shell this year. He dribbled splendidly, tackled well, and worked hard in the scrum, Nand if he shows equally good form in the match to-day against Gordon, nothing can keep him out

attention-get ,? I 32* and nevefV't^^^ f-. only noticed th 7 ID* to, A P™e vow to 5,,,S into several blunders. Vrji^K he has notplayed ■ fo? v r^N did.play vill^Jt'A which alone move•• tk; t*" ft been a player o ? s ;eihen'4 Mr bibbm does not pl ay J ov tb. % played a little last Li? !' t S, °?! will remember the Le" ; tt °0^ Sibbin was the only back It > Jimmy Anderson, and he 5S sions represented AuckKn? ' Waika^once an ftf against Tauranga, a match Ivf^ attracted a deafofVtten Imaysaytbatthoujilithesete!?^ notpossesstheconMenceoffootlfe neyertheleßspos^averyJfe ot the game. I still hold to S published last week, bat I cjg fair play's a jewel." In the-Graf hm. Auckland a»«, play all round was Jai butct brilliant. The forp4 M* matched but the Srafton backs to" much above their, pppouents, andT solely on account of their m^ this department, that tb . ceeded m Bcoring a win. Of the f wards, Twiname, ,£ecky, and fe were the pick on the Grafton side Z first - named, in , conjunctioa till' Stewart, was/ frequently off-A the scrums. For Auckland, G, U'alteti ■T. Henderson were about tlie bested forwards, but all the rent,played U want of combinatfon being, tweve I visible. As moßt of the men were m each other this was to beexpected, loj, undoubtedly mend with time." Of thext men Sheddon (Grafwm), was the best, closely pressed by H. Parker' (Auckj I do not wish to criticise the Auckland^ play ; it is susceptible of imprweaefy will undoubtedly improve astbeseasa vances ; but the chief faults areslojts returning and bad tackling, ,'% take your man low" jyu the motto of all backs., Maud, tboijU in tackling, and O'Connor srere thei Had the latter's weight been adSedt) scrum, and his place taken by a leii back, Grafton would have had k "grafting" for a score.''Elliott w best back on the field. He tackled, pas ; picked up, and ran well-everyiik' kicked. Madigan, bar one or tm takes, played well up'to liis form. 1 with great judgment, well within tit and made a good deal Of ground it forwards. Graham, passed well at a and T. Brqwn,'asfull-back I didwll,fc i.ng down O'Connor by' tie 1 at a critical moment when i seemed certain.. I regret'to.havebi that too much talking was alsoiiiljsi in this match, 'and among the # fenders were some members of tit Go old representatives who oughttolniisi] better. •.'.■",.....:'" ■, . The absence of "potting W? very conspicuous last Saturdajiw matches. I trust that this; Am the season grows older and ttsp?J begin to understand the new »',« better. , , . ■ ..... ~i« In the Rovers-Graiton 11. wV sides scored a goal. Nortaj"'' Grafton forwards, was compelled W off playing early in the game, ow»i« having wrenched his knee. , Buckland played a good game»», day, dodging splendidly. Hempta*' while the forwards played very rf North Shore man did notitaf fl""' going to pieces after the first Wj b The umpiring and refereei c mtch at the North Shore las * was not all that could be g* Yon Stanner wants to have^J in his rulings and not h«J» after .he sticks have-been h«J Sims is evidently not fail* «J rules which have been laid d^ umpires and referee. Ao mgj allowed to hold up his A^J peal is made to MX mitted to do just ®J* P" this matter, things w*w way worse than they « 5 to this fact, imee-qua i , tf last issue of the "^ey^ The matter ot appeals s0"el &p careful study by our plagf; dotheyneedtoa^end^bela^ appeals for offside. # mnkeappearonth.spmi.fc. » whenitisnottohi S sde-a b h so, and there fore the ags to the captain^ ]t^J. lifl | c , officials hayeconsideedpj <f( nesses in this matto. «• them to refuse to li ten ° J p . offside which are not made by The follomng are M, .^j, Dunedin April 28th ana . Adelaide, July -^Vwd * X Melbourne, Wy 2 J ana thed aW and Hth- As thies • Melbourne« Saturday, the team D(i U country teams, ' \ hey t&ej n main, in the inter als. effCSSt^ to Sydney, and will p it^v/e' which they may aKain nslßn d. via Auckland^rgoW^^