FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 217, 10 September 1904, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

RUGBY

Dobson, the Otago threequarter, played a great game against Auckland last Saturday, and had it not. been for him Otago would have been in a bad way. By the way, Dobson is an old Association player.

The inclusion of Francis in the Auckland team again Otago made the. twentysixth player to gain representative honours for Auckland this season.

It is hard to understand why W. Tyler was entrusted with the majority of the place-kicks last Saturday against Otago in preference to Francis.

Fraser, the country player, who took Gallagher's place on the wing for Auckland against Otago last Saturday, played a solid hard game, and at. times showed brilliancy. I must confess his exhibition was far ahead of anything I thought he was capable of.

Frannis, whose inclusion in the Auckland team last Saturday marked his first appearance as iin Auckland representative, fully justified his selection, and liis display was equal to anything shown in the match.

In my notos last week I made menlion of the fact that when Nicholson wu-i hurt in the Aucldand-Taranaki match there wa> no sticking-plaster available , when it was required. As my informant was one who ought to have been in the position to know whether such was Ihe case or not, I took ir for granted that the statement was to be relied upon; but J have sin-ec been informed by Dr. Grant, who attended Nicholson, that everything he wanted in connection with the ease was at hand. That being so, I regret thai, my remarks should have cast a reflection on the St. John Ambulance Corps, who. i understand, give their services gratis, and for such arc deserving of the wnrme.-st commendation.

Seeling, the Auckland forward, gave another greal exhibition of his ability, and if there is a better forward in New Zealand at the present tune than Keeling, I would like his name and address.

On the form shown at Epsom this sea- ' >on by the thremjuarters of the visit,- , ing Lnterprovineial teams, [ have no hesitation jn :saying tihat McKenzie. < the Auckland crack, is one of the best (if not absolutely the best) in the position in New Zealand. That it does not do to condemn a man on his exhibition in one game has I been examplitied in tlie case of Renwiek. j Reriwick, who played as fullback for Auckland against the goldfields, gave a very poor display. aJid everyone, (myself included) agreed with ~Sir Murray, i tha-t he was not class enough to be included in the Auckland team to meet. Wellington. It i< now n matter of his- ; lory how from one cause and another the selector was obliged to fall back on those he previously discarded, and Renwick was included in the team to meet the Britishers, and in that game played up to-his I rue fnrm; while in the matches again Tnrunuki and Otago he gave as good an exhibition a.s , any back on the ground.

Mr R. Barry, of Christcbureh. who j refereed the match last week between j Ota-go and Auckland, handled tlm | game in a most attractive manner. Ills refereeing was as good ii<s # T have seen. and reminded one greatly of the di J - ' play given by "Mr Logan, who referee,l j the" match Auckland v. New South j Wales in 1804.

The last, of Auckland's interprovineial ■engageroents, that against Otngo, was played last Saturday at Epsom, and resulted in Auckland registering her first win iv jnterprovincial matches this season. The game, from a spectator's point of view, wae attractive bnt as an exhibition of football it was very moderate. It is a. long time, since' Otago was represented by such a weak fifteen, and how they came to heat Canterbury by the margin they did is hard to explain. Their forwards were without doubt a-s weak and lifeless a pack as I hare ever seen at Epsom in a big match, wniie their backs gave a display which would not have done credit to an ordinary ctuh team. The team as a whole was > long way below what OUgo usually "to represent her. Saturday. 241h insU, is <-he date fixed for the annual North v. bouth Island fixture, which this year is t-o be played β-t Dunedin. If Wellington manage to retain their hf.ld on the Ranfurly Shield, they wall have, to defend it against Taranaki oa the following Saturday, the 17-th inst., that being the date appointed -by the X Z Union for the match. To-day Wellington and Otago meet to decide the possession of the Ranfurly Shield. Unless Otago show greatly improved form to what they displayed against Auckland last Saturday they can have very little chance of wresting it from the holders. The Auckland Rugby Umon Committee 'have acceded to the request of the delegates of the Parnell, Suburbs and Grafton Clubs, and have called a meeting of ifche delegates of all affiliated clubs to" consider the advisabiKty of re-ar-ranging the district boundaries. The meeting will be hekl next Wednesday

evening. The takings at the gates last Saturday only amounted to .£ 196. a big fall-ing-ofl jrom the previous weeks. The team to play in the North v. HoUtli Island match at Dunedin are expected to be chosen early next week. Can anyone give mc any idea why a new -ball is always brought into service wheu a big game is being played? Anyone 'with any knowledge, of the game seems pretty well agreed that a ball is better 'to play with when it has been kicked a little into shape. The ball used in the Otago-Auekland ma-teh last wwk was as erratic as possible, and altogether too light and was responsible for a lot of the faulty handling witnessed.

The takings at the gates a.t Rotoraa on the occasion oE the matc'i Britai 1 v. Maori amounted to £2S odd, and of this sum £25 was handed to title members of the British' team.

It is reported that a combined !Ne>w South Wales-Queensland team will tour J*ew Zealand next season.

Yarns anent the New Zealand-Brit-ish match are still going the rounds. Here is one from a. country paper: — '•Among the spectators in the big match at Wellington was Horeoa Tipiro—designated lliroa—who was one of the 1893 New Zealand team which toured Australia. He was walking past the stand when someone called out 'Where are your colours?' Wheeling round, and looking straight at the Governor and his party, Hiroa slapped his dusky cheek, and replied, "They're here, and monkey brand won't rub 'eiu out! 3 "

"When I was at school we played a much better fjame than the British*ers," said Sir George Clifford at a social tendered to Messrs O'Brien.. Harvey and Harper at Christchurch. "How many is it you play a-side? Thirteen, isn't it?" he inquired of Mr A. 15. O'Brien, the well-known British back. "Fifteen," was the reply. '-Fifteen.' exclaimed Sir George. ''Why, we used to play seventy a-side." \iter the match between the British team and the Maoris at Rotorua the Natives were much excited and vowed a Maori team would tour New South Wales and Queensland next season. It such a thing comes to pass it is to be hoped that the financial side will be taken in hand by the New Zealand Union, and not kft to the New bouth Wales I'nion

Widespread regTet has been caused in English Rugby Union circles by the tragic death by a stroke of lightning of .lames Valentine, the famous international Rugby footballer, which painful event occurred at Barmouth on July 25. The evidence showed that Valentine with his wile and two sisters-iii-law. was walking up a hill, when they i were caught by a thunderstorm. On their way back to town, Mr and Mrs I Valentine and one of the lady's sisters. who were walking arm-in-arm, were struck by" lightning. The other sister. w4u> was some eipht yards behind, 1 shouted for help. When assistance ari rived Mr. Valentine was found -to be ! dead and the two ladies were uneonricious. There were no marks on Valentine's body except a bruise over the left eyebrow, caused by the fall, but one of his shoes was burned, as well as the lining 'of his cap. The ladies, who were, also ' bruised, soon recovered consciousness, i The jury returned n verdict of fteci- ' dentally killed by lightning, and ex- : pressed their condolence with Ihe I fainilv.