ATHLETIC NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 218, 15 September 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

ATHLETIC NOTES.

(By Act^eoN.)

FOOTBALL. The football season in.Auckland is now about finished, the Union matches finish to. day, and athletes will daring the next few months be, intent on cricket andboating. Football, will notf however* be. relegated to oblivion during that time. On the other hand, it is probable that lovers of the oval will be able to take football all the year round.'; The Englishmen leave, the colony during the first week in October, and footballers' interest will then be transferred to the native team, for it will bo about that time they commence their English programing , : ~; ;,; •>' *kucklancr)iae seen the last of thojEnglish.footlallers an 4 the record of the provi|ice against them is a most creditable one, Four matches were played, out of which the visitors Aypn two,, Auckland one and one, was drawn^; Neither of bur "defeats wrts a crushing, one,, and t feet .quite justified in calling them by that term Which a footballer can appreciate the lull meaning of, "fiuky." The visitors li'ayo, without doiibt, taught us ayreq.tdeal, and during the past three piohtbs"our players have improved uiore than at any other time since the game ww.Bstariedhero, .',,■...., ; .',,. : '.■■■■..■:,'.'< •: . ■- I.was greatly disappointed with1 both of the last matches played, and I' trust, :fpr;the good of-the gai^e here that none of our playev3 will' copy the finmking ! tricks they showed us. Tricks, though they may be worked with impunity againet a L'teain- not-up.' to them, is [ not footbalU ■ fhe first spell of thd match last Satur-. day was the prettiest exhibition of football I hs|ve. ever, seeti. It was : very, fast, play was,open, and some'splendid passing and running were shown on both' sides, while Auckland shone in several brilliant "rushes. What a change came over 'the second spell, and what' a contrast; the ■.■second,match,all through.. There was too much! scrummaging in the second part of the first. match, si very noticeable lack of. ptissin'g, while save for. soiiie' ten minutes, when things proyed'a trifle'sultry for Auckland, play was iast. Xn*^e second match there s, totfil"ab'sence of any attention teing paid to the points of the game. "The EnglishTneh' played offside almost a,3 t^ey liked. Haslam; $peakman, Bum,by and Eagles were the chief offenders ip this respect, and time-after time I saw Haslam, who was playing three-quarter on the Auckland side of the scrum, 0 waiting for •halves t*> pass out. The gamejyas essen-' tially a forward one from start to finish, aiiA throughout the game* there was not a single flash of passing, that it is a pleasure to remembei\ had a very, powerful forward tearb, . but'they did riot work well together in; the firs,t spell, though once they got on an oldtime rush that swept the English.' bdcliß down, aiid only a .speculative kick by Paul intbthe crowd, making ihe ball dead,';saved a "score between the. po^ts. In the.Becoridv spell, the local men livened, up, arid: by ' a euccession of rushes, invaded the English quarters again arid again./ Right throuorh this spell, they, had all the best of ■ the play, their territory only bein^ invaded on three or. four occasions, ogee by a finje piece of folldivirig •up by1 Kent, then again through some . inexcusable fuiribljpg by O'Connor, Tanfield aud Masefißld, arid once or twice through the picking of the Englistibacks.; Our forwards played a great game and had hard lines not to score on two ofthrefe '.occasions. They were. ably assisted by Braund and Herrold at halp back, the former by his stopping rushes arid shepherding^ and the latter by his general all round clever play, . ; "The first game was particularly marked by Auckland's weakness on the touch-line. Our men Ayere demoralised by the tactics of the visitors.1 * O'Gorinbr arid our Ojher r men who are'good.' 6n ' the-touch-line ; were marked and. could never get! within cover •of the ball without being promptly downed, ,in the majority of cases, before they had even touched the ball.1 It must be'said also'tliat our men were' very lax in marking, the Engllsfimeri, arid if Speakriaan had been marked' he would 'never have secjatred that g°al- ,■ ,'■ ~ f'f "' : ' '"' ',' . In,the second match Auckland showed'?i decided improvement in their' toilcn-line

work, and if, was verj^ seldom that attEng" lishman gob dfi with the ball. .As a result? however, there was by far too much scrum* ihaging. ; The game was a very rough ime&§ another consequence, and I have always noticed that the more scrummaging there is in a match, the greater the > tendenby S) rough play. Both sides were to blame, but I chiefly attribute it to the offside; tactics of the visitors, that forced the game to be made a packed one. , '■ •■ There is not much to say about tho^Eng, lishinen. Stoddard was the Only back who in either match showed real brilliant play,; and after him I would put Dr Brooks, who played a real clever game and was always where he was wanted. Among the forwards Eagles was splendid in the first i match, but. though good/he waß not nearly so conspicuous »in the second; Stuart did about the next! best work, while*; Paul; in; both matches renderedvery effective service on the touchline. * „ , j; Tommy Brown's play on; both days wa^ very clever, and he showed better form than evenin the pracbice.matcheg. Meldrumand Ryan were both disappointing in the first match, while Tanfield, who played at threequarter in the second match was very, fair.';' he kicked well, and several times ran to some purpose. , Lusk's; play was anything but Al,; but if those whosa^w his play; also saw his leg after the:match, they would' say the wonder was how he,did so. well. Braund was again a gem of the first waterIn both matches.he played splendidly, •and the way 4 he scored in the .second-was as cleveu a ; bit.of play.as I hay§ seen., Striking an average, Herrold was the best back in the; team.: He saved his forwards a.lot of. work with his kickiiig ; his running in both matches was excellent, and his } passing,; though not so "good in the second, was splfendid in the first.- ■ , , • / ''•".".-: The forwards in the first match all played splendidly, : the -only man, perhaps, with whom any fault could be found beipg' the captain, who shirked the scrum, but a torn ear quite accounts for that. > None of them, certainly, played! badly. In the second, Hobspn,; Lecky, : and Marshall were great in the open,and \Yelig,; Heffernan, Neil McLean, were veritable walls in the sprum, Crowe,worked hard and did good service on the Une-oufc and ;;in| the open,, but did nob j>roye co usefulaa ,1 expected he would. U'Connor, who was playing akind of wtng game: t by ■arrange'!;] merit, owing to,his ear, was here, there andi everywhere, and played splendidly. He' mado. one very bad hashrup; but j the way he charged Burnett; the full-back, j down once or ,;twice, and, .-,, the clever; way he turned Stoddarb, on his , back in the second match, as if he was a turtle,, just when the craok -English back; ,w ; as making good a second try, was quite Sufficient to make up for it. The. result of the forward ; play, I /think, Hs to£. stamp i Hobson as our beistforward, while Leckyand McKerizie run each. other close for; second honours. The following is a Christchurch criticism! pf the Canterbury team that was beaten by Cf tago last - Saturday :—-" The ;•: teamj as i» whole, may be considered fairly strong, although the absence of men; Uke Bean,. J. ififuller and I)ewsbury undoubtedly prevents its being the province's best-. ,• The forwards are somewhat weak in the, §cirummage work, bub very good in the Open, and simply, splendid on the line pub, The backs in present : form are an average lot, and, though, not brillaint, will dbsound work. The weakness pf.the team is in attack, as is so often the ease jyitli Canterbury fifteens." , ,^ The natiye team were, entertained by the; Melbourne Jlugby Union ab ; a smoke concert on" the evening of their secoiid. match. Ijuring the eveping the following gentlemen contributed songs ;,r-5Mr, P^v l"^11^?- ---" There is a flower that Blobnieth :> and " Sweet - Madeline ;" * Mr T. Earquhar, " Such a Pushing Young, Man ; '^-M^;^.. Scott, "My Little Brpfcher Bill." Mr *J. .JLhdmaifa ("Smller"), 6£ the N.Z; teanii gave a song .in; Maori,;.Mr .W- Wynyard, "Oh the Ball; " andMr William. Nehua, a song composed by the captain of the s.s, M.aua\vatw,eutitlpd "The Auckland.Girls^V which was loudly"applauded, . ;

: .\ ■- ■> YACHTING. ', Thq, fpUqwing, ; ta,kenirpm the programme of,'the Centennial Regatta, to be heM in "connection with falie Melbourne Exhibition, will no doubt interest my leaders:— Ist ' &ace—Challenge ' Race, open to keel or centre-plate Yachts of 20 tons and upwards, complying with \.R.A.<. rules. Ist prize, £500 and a, gold anchor, value 100 guineas (presented by, Sir' V\Y-J,,'Qlarke, Ba-rb.lV 2rid,:£loo;" 3rd, £50. Entrance fee,.£lo 10s. Time,allowance, for sailarea ratipg, . ; (lsfc prize reduced t0,£400 if no entries from other than Intercolonial ports'.)"'' ■ . ■. , ■ ,;■,.. ~/■„ 2^d' Rape —'Keel or.. Centre-Plate Yachts exdee'aing^lO tdns and' not exceeding. 20 tons. lsb. T prize, £200; 2nd, £50 : 3rd, £10. -Entrance fee, £5 ss, Time allowatice for sail area rating. ■■ j 3bt> '^EaUe r KEEL ;or .Cektee-Plat4 YAchts, exceeding 5 tons and nptexceeding'lO toßs;—l^t price,' £130; 2nd, £50; 3rd; £10. Entrance fee, £5 ss. Time all^w'ande for feail ai?#a, rii^ing. " , 4th Race ~ Keel ok: Centee - Plate Yachts exceeding 26 feet but hot exceeding 35 feet:f Ist prize,' £100; 2nd, £40; 3rd, £10. Entrance fee, £5 ss. Time kilowance A. scale for length classes. sth '.Race— 'Keel ;oiI";CBNTitE-PLAtE1 Yachts exceeding 23 feet,' but not.exceeding '26 feet. Ist' prize, £100 ; 2nd, £40 • 2rd, £10. Entrance fee, £2 2s. Time allowance —Y.E..A. scale for length classes.;; : 6th Race : — r Keel ob, Centbe-Plate Yach^S exceeding; 26 feeifc and not exceeding 23 feet. Ist prize,1 £100; 2nd,' £40 ; 3rd, £10. Entrance fee,'£2:2sV TimeaV lo^ance—Y.R.A. scale for length classes.; j 7ih Race — Keel or Cj£Ntke-Platb Yachts ok Boats of 20 feot and under. Ist prize, £50;; 2nd, £15"; 3rd, £5,': Entrance fee, £1 Is. Time allowance—Y.R. A scale fprlengbh classes; ; 20th Rlce—Sive - oABEp Wkaleboats. let prize, £12i3jf2nd, £5. ' Entrance fee, 10s. ' •All races to be sailed as far as possible under the rules of the British Yacht Placing * Association. Therb will be ho restriction as to crews, but each yacht or boat must have On hoard its oWner, or one of them, or a ■ member of a recognised yacht club, whilst competing. The following rule is applicable to all races :—"3 startera. or no 2n4 - prize, 4 starters or no; 3rd prize: •No restriction in use of ■centre-boards.'' Entries r6ceiVed! up to and including the 17th of November.