FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 196, 18 August 1900, Page 4 (Supplement)

FOOTBALL.

It was high time Auckland scored a,win against the Thames. Three de-

feats in three successive years wa's certainly humiliating to Auckland football, but a fourth defeat would have been a "crusher." How could Auckland have held up its diminished head again if Thames had proved victorious once more? Under the shadow of that defeat, would not such victories as we might gain over the sister provinces be as dead sea fruit? Perhaps I exaggerate, but really the Thames people were growing so confident that it was high time, for the honour of Auckland football, that our reps, asserted themselves. And on Saturday lust they did assert themselves with a vengeance. The Thames team, came here confident of victory; they went away quite satisfied that they had met a better team. Auckland's victory was complete. Luck had nothing to do with it; the game was won on the merits. Thames played a good game, but our boys played a better, and that is the position in a nutshell.

It was a capital game to watch—fast from the jump, and always open. The way the Auckland forwards held their own against the heavy Thames pack in the first spell, wnen the3r were playing against a strong wind, Avas a treat to see. The issue was never really in doubt. Anyone who followed the game closely could see from the way the local men were holding' their ground against the wind that they would have all the best of it when ends were changed. And so it proved. Thames were almost continually on the defensive in the second spell, and though they defended well, the Auckland forwards gradually wore them down. Then came the chance for the home backs, and they certainly made the most of their opportunities in the last fifteen minutes, scoring three tries in quick succession. Had the game lasted a little longer Auckland must have added to their score, for the visitors' forwards were just about "done" at the finish. However, the victory was quite decisive enough to demonstrate in a satisfactory manner the superiority of the Auckland team.

The play of the Auckland forwards was the feature of the game, which overshadowed all others. They are a grand lot, and the way they outplaj'ed their heavier opponents was a treat to watch. "Bring on your Southern teams," said one delighted follower of the game—and a good judge, too—after the match on Saturday. "Let 'em all come! We've got a forward team that'll carry us through the lot." Remembering the disappointment of the old lady who counted her chickens before they were hatched, or of the enthusiasts who brought along a brass band to play the bound-to-win team home again, we should not be too cock-sure about the interprovincials. If our boys take the field expecting an easy win, the odds are they will get beaten. But at least after our team's display on Saturday we can look forward with- a reasonable amount of confidence to the forthcoming contests.

The conditions under which the game was played on Saturday were just the opposite of those at Paeroa the week before. The Ohinemuri match was played on one of the worst grounds I have^ever seen, and it was difficult to estimate then what Auckland's true form was like, for the wet ground and greasy ba3l put scientific football out of the question. But from the' way our forwards shaped in that sea of mud I felt confident they would distinguish themselves on a dry clay. Last Saturday was such a day, and on the dry ground at Potter's Paddock the Auckland forwards "came to light" with a vengeance.

Asher's play on Saturday reminds me that he was the hero of the previous Thames-Auckland match played at Potter's Paddock—that of 1898. Those who saw that match will remember his sensational run in the second spell. Down near Auckland's 25 Braund passed out to Laws, and he t6 Absolum, who sent the ball on to Asher about five yards from the halfway dine. Asher went off at a great pace, knocked first Paul then Rockley off their pins when they tried to collar him, and then ran round all the rest of his opponents, finishing up a great run by grounding the ball between the posts, amidst a perfect furore of enthusiasm.

The clever way in which Absolum can "ground" the ball without falling on it, when crossing the goal-line at full speed, was shown again on Saturday, . when he scored Auckland's second try. He got the ball near the touch-line, but managed to keep within bounds, streaked over the line, and had the ball down before you could say "knife." And it never shifted an inch after his hapd left it.

The erection of a sixpenny grandstand on the northern side of the ground at Epsom was a wise move on the part of the A.R.U. In fact, the stand should have been put up long ago. On Saturday it was quickly crowded vto its fullest capacity. The management would do well to extend it farther along the ground before the Wellington match comes on.

I milst confess I was surprised at the splendid attendance at the Thames-Auckland match. To see the crowd one would have thought the match of the year was being- played. It was a striking evidence of the unusual interest which the fixture had

excited. I doubt if even the Wellington match next Saturday will draw as large a crowd

The veteran Tom Clarlcm was in great form last Saturday, playing for Waifai against Tauranga. If he shows up well in the trial match to-day he will hare a strong claim for inclusion in the rep. team. The match between Canterbury anrl Wellington was to take place, this afternoon, on the latter's ground. The match ought to prove a victory for the home team. Canterbury do not appear to be too strong this season. Wairarapa beat them by 4 points (from a fine place kick by E. McKenssie) to nil, and reports of the game state that the better team won. Says the Christchurch "Press": —

"Judging by Saturday's exhibition, Canterbury will have to improve vastly to have any chance of defeating either Wellington or Otago."

South Canterbury appear to have a first rate full back in O'Malley. "Drop Kick," of the Christchurch "Press," says his display against Wairarapa the other day would do credit to any "rep" team in New Zealand.

Wanganui's rep. team against Rangitikei last Saturday was as follows: "Fullback, Takarangi; threequarters, Stedman, Price, Tregear; five-eighths, Gordon; half, Bullock; wings, Malone, Johnston; forwards, Blair, LeCrcn, Montgoinerie, Morgaii, Symes, McLean, and Hawken. Visits will be paid 1o the Thames and Auckland in September.

Strange as it may seem (says the Dunedin "Star"), it is nevertheless a fact that for the last eleven seasons— ten, at any rate —the premiership has either gone to the Kaikorai or Alhambra Club, not one of the other six tonras competing in Dunedin having on n single occasion found themselves on top. Coming to the unparalleled performance of the Kaikorai.^it will be seen that they did not lose a match from the beginning1 of 1892, when they wove defeated by the Alhamb'ra, until 1897, when they suffered their first loss, the Pirates being their vangniahers. Duncan and the late Alexander Armit were not playing in this match, they being absent in Australia with the New Zealand team. During" Ihe seven successive years of their premiership the Kaikojai played 73 mutches, winning 65, losing 3, drawing 5, and scoring 963 points in all, while. £5 were registerefl against them. If the Blue and Blacks claim that the^were equal with the Alhambra in 1892, and that the y have thus won the premiersnip for eight seasons, then they played S4 matches, winning 74, losing -1. drawing 0, scoring 1055 points, and having 106 scored against them. This is a performance of which the Kaikorai should feel proud, and I doubt if there is a team playing senior football in the colony that can claim such a bvilHont record as theirs. If there ss, let. its name be given. The Blue and Blacks' best ye'nr was in 1894, when they won all their matches, thirteen in all, anil put up the phenomenal score of 2GO points, while only four were recorded against them.

Truly it is a brilliant record, till a of the lCjiikorai, and one upon which they deserve to be congratulated. At the same time, one cannot help thinking it would be better for football in Dunedin if the honours were more evenly divided among the various clubs. The s\icccss of the district scheme in Auckland is proof positive that it has tended to raise the standard of football here, and to increase public interest in the game, in a way that the old club system would never have done. We don't want to see one team carrying off the championship year after 3'ear. The more eventy matched the teams are the better for the game

I was very sorry to hear insinuating suggestions put forward in some quarters this week to the effect that "Olley" Riley, the Thames live-eights, was deliberately playing below his true form on Saturday. To a practised observer the suggestion is of course absurd. The energy he put into his tackling, for one thing, should have convinced anyone fliat he was trying his level best. The reason why Kiley did not appear to advantage in attack on Saturday was that the Thames pack were not getting the ball. Had he been behind the Auckland pack I have no doubt he would have played a far better game. But to insinuate thut he intentionally failed to exert himself is a mean and cowardly method of trying to explain away a defeat.