FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 230, 29 September 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FOOTBALL.

: -...i^pTß^Lif,.^. Auoklakdees have every reasen to feel Prpud of the record made by their Representatives this season, and without wishing in, the slightest to detract from the mer itof the other provinces, I think it is recor^j bhab fairly puts us at the top ipftjhe tree for 1888. " I have no doubb that ib would bjsen a far better record than ifc is if it'had not been for a 'series oi accidents and cir^ cumetances entirely beyond our control. Those who saw jbhe two reburh matches I with England will have no hesitatiob' in [ sayibg that'if McCausland, Madigad^ Elliobb, Whiteside Eusk had bedn playing, and showing the form, they displayed in the first two matches, Auckland would have been credited with bwd victories.

Five provincial matches have been placed. Ido nob care for the term international, for it is misleading, : Four of these wefe played against the Englishmen, in two of which the latter were victorious once they ( were beafcei), and the last match was a. draw. , The,- fifth provincial match was against the hativeteam that is now visiting England, and proved p. triumph for the lppal players. A team frotn the Thames Rugby tFnion was also met, and suffered a l^eavy' defeat, while the old fixture against .^aurariga was revived and again -Auckland \yas victorious. Considering'the numbed pf matches played, the of the respective teams'played against, and the players Auckland was 'often! compelled to fall back on,; I consider that • £he ' recordjs ahead* of Any pf the other provinces." When you go into the. matter in detail and consider our success against the Englishmen as compared with that of the other provinces, if; will be found that \^9 have all the greater claim to the title of senior province. .jl The management of the Auckland Rugby Union have' taken the hint I threw out to the Cricket 'Association in my notes a tow' weeks ago, re the giving of caps instead rif badges to the;s6iiiPraiid junior cup winners. It is the Union's intentiort to present ! tihis season's cup winners (the Graf ton and Selwyn Football Clubs) with ; velvet caps and gold tassels instead of the badges as hitherto. This-innovation will meet with''the approval of every footballer. Bob Wbitsside left on Thursday last' by the Tarawera for fresh fields atod1 pastures new. Bqb had been out of employment for some1 time'past; and hopes to have 'better luck in some other city. He will no doubt return before the commencement of next football season. t ■'• ■ ": It would be hard to find a season when the■ selection of bur representatives roused s,b ■much public interest and wberi so much; criticism of the selection was made as in the choosing of the team tor the.first match with England. It is to the credit of the Selection Committee that they came through the ordeal with flying colours. It was impossible to find'a. weak.poirit in the selection, and each man in the team showed that he was well'worth his' plftceV The same might 'be \said of;-tne second match .as well." ;In .the return match the Selection' Committee had a remarkably hard task, and they did ■io¥Succeed s^o well as might) have been expected'; still the team they put iri the field was a'pret.ty strong one' and made a good shbw. ;; Th¥ last team was'selected outside1 the XJnion, and made an even better show; than the firsu. :A1 very m&rked improvement, has been Shown tKis; seasoii' in the play- df pur repro-' sentatives. Our backs have gone in? for kickih'g'morej and have shown.better passing; while the forwards have displayed more cbmMiiatien'ancl, dash. ;>Their 'well-knowh fribbling' rushes have not fallen off, while their scrummage power has increased very iniichi The ■ forwards ■' have .i been ■ very evenly 'mdtched "'ftil round;; .and I think 'we /. have'■ never' -had such a splendid lot of players. The backs have beto' quite Sip to the average of bur, *'rep." players. We have never had a better full-back than tusk, While Brown,' in the same position, has been, quite equal to the best we havo ha~d ibefofe. .-■■: McPauslatid; aria\ Madigan showed they had1 improved since isst season,"but'wei had no bppb'riunity 'of seeint; ho\v! Whiteside Would'shape, hs he xinfortunately met with a^'seViouß accident' in the •; first .English m'atcli; Elliott shqwsd good form when: he played; r'whileßraah'd; wa^ better thajilapt eeason. Con way played well in the first two' matches, but • fell off after; ■ that. Among the' new men, Herrold . showed himself as good as - any half-back we |iave had/ !\vhilo 'Maseheld ; gave pro-; mise of following •in tVie footsteps: of] tlie''cracks' whose departure we mourni! Of tho other new "rep." backs, Tanfieldw the only ortetha"t has shovvn: any promise, and in a coliple more seasons 1 expect to see jbhia ybuiip; player at the top of; tho tree. Quite a number of new players halvo come on among bur forwards! Hobson and McJ iKe'nzie rank' with the ;beist men {now,; Jfcfefferha'n' andMcLean are promising playprp, While Crowe has made a frame for himself. Lecky, showed very, medipcre-form at the beginning of the season,r^ever played b#ter than he did in the " rep.''! matches, O'Cortrfpr and? Wells" thongh; apyth^ing.' 'tjujj first-class in the last two " reps'? matchea showed: excellent form in., the ofirgfc. ivtwos English matches, while the same remark iapplies to Charlie Marshall. ; In connection with our''rep;?'matches; I have to chronicle !the doing away with "wing"; players;: and . also; ■; to a certain extent;'with 'a centre half-back. : I expect in future to see Auckland playing the i realgame with -one- ■fultrback,-; $hfee three-: quarters, and two halves,; with nine fdr-; :wards. \. One very noticeable' featare' of all ourproVinqiaL matches -h«s been the excellent form-in which oUr,;iilayers.stripped, for' ; tKs '•''■ fray.'■■: They have-, bean i trained , fSple&didly, and oh a system. ;The. ;c6flse:-; cftience "was that theyv played with mpre dash'l:and; determinationi"and were able to: last far 'better than.: in .previous years, Tfhotfgh pUyedion 'a/,;wet gfpqnd,* ;jIHave 'never' seen -a faster, : game; than, the first match i played': "against: Englandr^it waS a oontihual rush from end to endii Every credit is-due to the players who took the great trouble of training ori a system for months, to -the sUnion who arranged for fchp training, and also to the trainer who so successfully looked: after the players. .(.■■,■■:■ n i I 'trust;.that now the Unions have Qiice more' stairted the annpal;,fixtures with the Thames and Tauxanga, they will inofc tfllb^^^ishem^'toVyrbpV^Ti'^o^ttlii-.iirf^Qca'tia' this only for the adk^ of oxu1 6w». players ands'the' -benefits snch matches-? wtiy do them ; I think more of the incalculable good; they'do 'the i.cfauntry players, i The Auckland Rugby .Union should *dp all ixi their power to advance fQothall :■ thvougbout the province/ and I would reobmmend even more active measures .tKan: have hitherto been; a'doptedl:l Why^fop instance, could not' the.old' time fixture withVthe eom.T birieiii Waikatp I clubs be revived 1: Therfif are plenty of godd players .an these country districts who only need bringing out. If Auckland had only played Tauranga before the..last, two matches; with England, aback player for. that' townshirjf misht have strengthened our team very ci-/ .fectually ■-••■:■,■■. '■ A I .-' • The following gives the result of matches up to dafce played by the EngJisbmen :-^ ' ' : BUGBY'MATCHES. '■ ] " v; Result :!M§t(?hes!played, 32; won, 25 ; drawn, 5 ;"\6it, 2.'; Score'fof^4B goals, 81 tries; score against—-11 goals, 16 tries.- . ■■;'/ VICDfOKIAN SIATOHKS. ~ i|t •Result:.: Matches played, .19 ; won? 6; drawni 1; lost; 12.t> Score for—7o goals; score against—-106,g0a18. , • s:Ah' English :paper Jmentions that.Wi

Tofts, a memberlof the Ciapfcqn I'pptiw^1 Club, left. b,y the Kaikoura fprls^'leaV laqd. Ho js. a batfr^ckj ji|dging'|)y his reputation, the club that; s^cpires' his services n|^y regarded as forfcunafe. fan^y cj)§tuxne matcK %a to be played in; cpnneqtiQD. w>th the, sports to 'be Held next Saturday afternoon; ■ Rlessrs Skeen and Edw§rds have been very energetic ia getting tlje" ma]tch qp, an^ from a}l I can gather ij> promises, tp be a. great suc^ss. As a novelty jV is bound to attract the jpubllc. I wpul(| remind jpb|ba|.lers that Ihe acpeptances for the-, various races close at Q o*clpck thiq eyenipg at the Imperial Hotel. Curly Ohlsbn, the wel|-known footballer, crieketer^'^nd amateur athlete, is i» be spliced on Monday? The ceremony takes place at All the "boys *' unite with Action in wishing Curjy longlife and happiness. ■