FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 96, 22 April 1905, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

All the clubs had teams practising at Alexandra Park on Saturday last. The senior players did not attend in as large numbers as might have b?en expected, Still the attendances on the whole were good. Playprs of all grades belonging to tbe City. Grafton, Parnell, and Shore teams arranged a practice match on the No. 1 ground, there being about thirty playprs on each side. Newton, Suburbs and Ponsonby players played a scratch match on t4e Xo. 2 ground. Another match between junior players was played on one of tie? othpr grounds. The men were naturally much below form, and most of them tired very early. Th> spells were short—about half an* hour each.

I Ci ;°_rl e _"***"• Smith, "the greyhound*' of I the '97 New Zealand team which toured Australia, and who shortly afterwards retired from the game, took part in tinpractice on the No. 1 ground. He did some useful sprinting and kicking, while bis handling and fit lding of the hall showed that, despite his long absence from the game, lie still retains much of his old ability. Although in very good form for the beginning of the season, he showed signs of fatigue long before the game was over, which was only to be expected. It is no secret that f'eorge is donning the jersry this season Jin view of the visit of a Xew Zealand | team to England. If he can show anything like his old form there are few backs in New Zealand who would take pr.?cedence of him. and it is to be hoped he can, for the team at sight is in want of a brilliant back or two. On the ground ou Saturday I heard some footballers discussing his chances of inclusion in the team, and the opinion was expressed that "it was a fixed-up job that Smith should go with the team, and it was hardly likely he would go to the trouble of training and playing in the Cup matches on a mere speculation." It wa» also stated that it was unfair that a man who had been absent from the game so long as Smith' should take precedence of players who had been playing year in and year out. As regards the • first statement, I might say that it is absolute nonsense, as neither the Now Zealand Union nor the selectors would take such steps. "Seobie" Mackenzie, one of the probables for the New Zealand team, practised on Saturday. I also noticed Tyler. D. Galagher, who is another likely candidate, refyeed in the No. 2 match. The Suburbs senior fifteen has undergone several alterations since last s°ason. Stuckey, who play.d five-eighths, is now in England. The new players are G. Riddle, who played for North Shore last season; Trimple, a Piako three-quar-ter; Bennett, the Waiuku 13st. threequarter, whose disqualification, the chib j anticipate, will be ra»ioved; Lovell and i Pascoe, two front-rankers, who represen- ■

' ted Waihi last season. H. Absolom will be among the old members appearing again this season.

The Ponsonby senior team will also undergo some alterations this season. Lendrum's retirement from the game is j a serious less to the club. Phillips, i who played full-back for Xewton last year, is qualified for the Ponsonby district, and by all accounts will don the blue and black jersey. A. Hill, one of last year's junior players, will probably fill a vaeiyicy in the backs, and F. Bigelow and McDonald, forwards, at present in the North, are expected to return to town to play for their club. ! The Tramway Co. is considering the advisability of increasing the seating accommodation at Alexandra Park. °The ; proposal is to extend the present stand and erect a movable steel stand on the opposite side of the ground.

Harding, who was here last season with , the British team, and who is one of tbe finest forwards in the world, recently gave his views on training. He said: "I indulge in walking as much as possible; it is a fine exercise. I am a j smoker, but I knock off the weed a week or so before an international match, and . add to my walking a little running." I Other topics were also touched upon. Harding stated that his summer reereaj tion is cricket, and that only once had he j experienced a serious accident, that be- ; ing in the Cardiff v. Swansea match, at ! the latter town, in 1901, when his collar- ■ bone was broken. Of contemporaries, he i confessed admiration for that fine for- ; ward D. R. Medell-Sivright. the leader of j the British Rugby football team in Ausj tralia. i Slattery. the Poneke three quarter and I Wellington rep., has been transferred to Dunedin, and has joined the Alhambra. iHe is a member of the permanent force. Ru. Cooke is coaching the Timaru ! Club, of which he is a member, this soai son. * ) The "much retired" Jimmy Duncan is at it again, and will play for Kaikorai again this season. He scored all the tries in a club practice on Saturday , week. j Bishop, of Xapier. and Horgan, of j Christchurch, are both in Christchurch jthis year. I A. Low, a Kelson five-eights, is now lin Dunedin, and will play for Zingari j this season. J Allan Adams, tb? Otago rep. three- | quarter who was- in Wellington last 'year, has returned to Dunedin. | The South African Rugby Union, hopI ing for a visit from the Xew Zealand | team, either going to or coming from . England, cannot see its way clear to j s.'iicl a team to Australia during the com | ing season.' j At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Rugby' Union. the chairman, Messrs. J. R. Evans and Walton were j appointed a sub-eommitto? to consider !the financial position of l,he Union, and to report to the committee at a future I meeting, on the feasibility of acquiring j a ground for the Canterbury Rugby Union. It \n< resolved that the I'nion

should be represented by iv full complement of delegates at the annual meting of ihe New Zealand Rugby Union on May 3.

It is almost definitely decided that the Otago University will send a team to Sydney this season. The secretary* of the Dunedin institution has received a communication advising that Sydney University is prepared to pay the Otago team's travelling expenses, but that the expenses incurred by tlie team while staying in Sydney be borne by the Otago players themselves. The Otago team will probably leave in July, during the winter vacation, and will be absent over three weeks.

A Wellington representative team will visit Otago this teason. A recommendation was passed at the annual meeting of the Wellington Rugby Union to th.. 1 Management Committee that the representative team for South be not sent away until the championship fixtures are practically finished, on the ground that club games were being sacrificed for the benefit of representative players.

Swannell was asked if there was any chance of I'odell-Sivright, the captain of the last British team, playing in Sydney this season. The Britisher said he did not think so, as the famous forward was thinking of going home again. "Still, 1 am going to write to see if 1 can coax him," added Swannell. When the time comes for the final selection to be made of the Xew Zealand Rugby team for England those responsible should give lirst consideration to those men who are most likely to play the game on their return to the colony, I wisely says "Full-hack" in the "Wit■ness." The man who has retired, and is coming out again simply for the trip Home, should not be encouraged. He is only keeping another playear out who will impart some football knowledge learnt during the trip in England on his return. The Canterbury Rugby Union wants the Xorth v. South Island match to b' played at Christchurch. The N.Z.R.U. has decided that it be played at Wellington in the presence of the selectors of the Home team. " Messrs. J. R. Henderson, P. M. Lane, and J. MeMahon have been appointed selectors to the Xew South Wales Rugby Union. Mr. MeMahon, who is also a Metropolitan Union selector, takes the place of Mr. J. F. Maemanauiey. The last-named would not again stand for the position he has so well filled for about 16 years, other duties demanding his time.

The North Shore Senior Club will undergo several changes. Mays (centrehalf) will not play this season. J. Campbell, who played for Grafton several seasons ago prior to his removal to Nelson, is in the district, and may assist the club later in the season. The backs will otherwise be the same as last season. The absentees from the forwards will be:— A. Wells, (wing forward), who is now in Wellington, and Joyce, Irvine, Yeo'.and, and B. Wells. The club has no new players to fill the vacancies, and will draw on the second grade team, who have won their caps two years in succession. It is stated that the alterations will not materially affect the teaan, as there are a, rmmber of players in the third grade capable their .place.).