FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 222, 16 September 1905, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

RUGBY. ! AUCKLAND WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON KUGBY CSION. September 20th — Butchers v. Grocers and Milkmen September 27th — "A" and "B" Match October 7th — -'Reps." t. City F.C. NEW ZEALAND TEAITS ENGLISH i TOCB. ! September 20—Against Cornwall ! September 23—Against Bristol ) September 28—Against Northampton September 30—Against Leicester | October 3—Against Middlesex < October 7—Against Durham October H—Against Hartlepool __ October 14—Against Northnmbertand October 1»— Against Gloucester October 21—Against Somerset October 25—Against Uevonport Albion I October 2S— Midlands November I—Against Surrey November 4—Against Blaekhpath November 6 or 7—Against Oxford November 9 —Against Cambrhljri' November 11—Against Richmond November IH—Against Scotland November 25—Against Ireland December 2—Against England December 6—Against Cheltenham December 9—Against Cheshire December 13—Against Yorkshire December 16—Against Wales Undated—Against Glamorgan December 23—Against Newport December 26—Against Cirdiff December SO—Against Swansea RUGBY. Coote, the promising young threequarter, of Ohinemuri. is not likely to play football again. It is reported that his medical adviser has cautioned him against playing. Both McKenzie (three-quarter) and Bonella (forward), who represented Auckland this season, have announced their intention of retiring permanently from the game. The Australian match this afternoon will be their last game. A curious incident is related in connection with the Anckland representatives' match played at Wanganui recently. The driver of the drag which took tlie Aucklanders to the football ground stated before the match that he had driven thirty-nine teams, and all had been defeated. He felt confident, however, that this time he was driving a winning team. But Auckland lost, and that driver's record is still unbroken. A monotonous forward game describes the return Auckland - Thames match, ! which was played at the Thames last ; Saturday. In close forward play the Thames vanguard were superior to Auckland, and naturally they played the I game to suit themselves. Auckland, on ! the other hand, who were infinitely better in open play, seemed to settle down to the Thames idea—at all events, they did not make the game as open as they might have done. On the whole, the forwards of both teams were evenly matched, while there was little to pick ! between the backs, who, with the excep- | tion of Magee, played very modcratelj". I The form shown by McDuff and Au- ! tridge left little doubt as to their claims ' to representative honours, and had it ! Dot been for the splendid combination ! displayed by the vanguard which out- ! classed the Wellington pack one or the ! other, or perhaps both, would have found I their way into the Auckland team which ! is playing the Australians to-day. I Francis gave an almost faultless exhi- • bition right through the game, his play I reminding one of those top-not-chers, Nicholson and Seeling. Thirteen members of the Thames team belong to the Rover Club, but there are only two teams at the Thames. Only £85 was taken at tbe gates for the Australia-New Zealand match at Dunedin. The match to-day between Australia and Auckland rings down the curtain on I local football —'that is, as fax a-s the Auckland Rugby Union are concerned. The Canterbury R.U. are making efforts to have the headquarters of the New Zealand Union shifted from Wellington, and have asked for the support of the affiliated unions throughout the colony. The move is the outcome of the governing body refusing to pass an , item for expenses incurred in connection with the entertaining of the New Zealand team during their stay in Christchurch. After their expression of opinion when the protest against the action of the N.Z. Union in appointing Duncan as coach to the New Zealand team was considered, it seems funny that when the ruling of the governing body is against them they should veer completely around, as they arc now doing. The management of affairs at headquarters has, it must be admitted, not given universal satisfaction even in Wellington itself,'but this to my mind is principally due to the fact that the selection of the executive has not been as happy a one as it might have been. Wellington, as the centre of New Zealand, is the proper place for the headquarters of the union, and the various affiliated unions have it in their own hands to see that the various officials elected are eminently suited for the duties they undertake. If satisfactory appointments are made it should make very little difference whether the governing body is situated at the North Cape or the Bluff. Thus the "Athletic News": "It is a little amusing to read in the 'Natal Mercury' that the players selected to represent Durban in the inter-town football match with Maritzburij 'are requested lo attend the Park Pavilion to-night at 7.30 for the purpose of a little training. , " To us in New Zealand, where all football teams train in the evening, there is nothing funny in the above par, but probably in England they are able to spare the time during the day to prepare for their football engagements. Says "Full Back" in the 'Otago Witness": "The non-inclusion of W. Tyler, i of Auckland, in the New Zealand team against the Australians raised the ire of Northern enthusiasts, who are of the opinion that Tyler has no equal in the ! colony as a wing forward. Our North!ern friends may console themselves with the fact that* Tyler would not haw , eclipsed MeMinn (who played 'wing forward) on the Wairarap* niwx'i showing [is tie "test- match agauufc Awta&t

1 08 Saturday. What I particularly ail- \ mired about MeMimi in. the position was J that he played the ball throughout the 'game, and gave one of the best exhibitions of ideal wing forward play and footwork seen on a local ground for a decade. True, the Wairarapa man waa not hampered by the Australians, vho apparently scorned to play a roan against him: but, giving this advantage in, McMinn's work from the side of the scrum was dean footba.ll, without trm- :- mings of any sort. The long fellow from I the foot of the Tararuas, or thereabouts, frequently dribbled the ball over J stretches of ground unaided while going Jat top speed. Altogether, McMinn's ; {play in the open for New Zealand ! against Australia was delightfully exj hilaratinp. If the Wairaraf>a man has been exhibiting that form throughout the season, the wonder is that he was not selected for the Home tour. Yet, again, why wonder? McMinn's case is only one of many. We are beginning to find out now that the good men have been left behind, and some of the mediocrities sent to England. AUCKLAND WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON RUGBY UNION. No "rep" match eventuated this week, ■ the Mangawai team being unable to I make the journey to Auckland with ! their full strength, the •"willingness' , of i some of their latest engagements hay- ! ing incapacitated several of their playi ers. The non-affiliation of the Secondary ; Schools Union to the New Zealand Union debar the Wednesday Union from playing the match they contemplated, and the date fixed for same has been filled up by the Butchers v. Grocers and Milkmen, the hitter still feeling aggrieved ! over the union's decision in connection with their protest over their previous meeting with the Butchers. The nonaffiliation of the Secondary Schools lnion will cause matters in connection , with their representative matches to j become rather complex, as the Auek- , jland Rugby Union contemplate disquali- , !fying those unions whose "reps' , have . played the schools. It was for this rea- ( ;son that the Wednesday Union did not Igo on with its contemplated lixture, though what action the Auckland Union L can take is problematical, as their own .1 representatives played the Schools, pre- ' Bumably without the consent of the j New Zealand Union. Alexandra Park will be engaged next ( 'Saturday' with the Australian <rame, and the following Saturday with hunt club ' sports, so that the City match will h.ave I to remain over until October 7. The postponement is rather unfortunate, as the delay will throw the City team out of ' condition; but the fixture i» such an '< 1 j attractive one from all points, and is calculated to be of such reach in g ad--1 vantage to the new union's representatives, that the Wednesday I'nion were lothae to forego it, and decided to play ' the match even as late as the date fixed. The game is sure to be interesting ' from a spectator's point of view, and ' ; should the Wedneadayites strike their • best form, the cup-winners may have one . 'defeat recorded against them this season. 3 The meeting of the Butchers :md » Grocers and Milkmen is canning con--1 .siderable interest—so much so that the " 'union felt it would be acting in the best - ; interests of football to sancliou the 1 .match. 1 The result of Wednesdaj-'s junior matches placed the Butchers at the head - of the competition with an unbeaten f; record. This club thus won both » grades, though the record of the seconds jwas better than their seniors, who were i beaten twice. The following is the re- ; suit of the junior competition: Pld. Wn. Los. Pts. Botchers " 3 — •* ; 'Bakers R •-' t :? Drapers and Chemists.. :t 1 2 1 Grocers and Milkmen.. 3 — 3 — i ASSOCIATION. Mr. -J. W. Keinpson, the well-known t Northern and Roslyn player, writing , from the Old Country to a friend in r 'Duncdin, says: "We don't hear any- , thing about the New Zealand team in , England; only a fraction of the English population, comparatively speak- • ing, are interested in Rugby. I arrived Home at the tail end of the season: saw , Everton play Stoke here on Saturday , afternoon and beat them. Ten thousand , people there, and about the same number , watching Liverpool p!ay at their ground. , These attendances arc the same throughout the season—greater when special > matches are being played—so one can j get some idea of the hold of Association. It is as much as you can do to t get 500 people to the average Rugby , match." : ! The English football season is just ? about starting. » I A draw was the only satisfactory con- • elusion to the rep. match with Taranaki J last Saturday, for although Auckland 5 was slightly the better team, tiieir su- " periority was not sufficiently 'narked >" to deserve a win. The <iame was fa.<t f enough, but the lack of combined work t ,on both sides robbed the contest of ■ I most of that spectacular interest which t ; is invariabty associated with true "socLeer," and it was most unfortunate that i the first provincial contest for some - years should have been played without - the contestants having had the oppor--1 tunity to acquire the necessary know- > ledge of each other's play. The forwards t of both provinces were evenly matched, ' all the men being real triers, but none 1 showed much finish to their work, if we - except Sehofield, the Taranaki centre, - who. with Acklon. was responsible for b what exciting play there was in the r match. Still, Schofleld, ,on the day's play, cannot be classed with Sale, the Auckland crack. He is extremely tricky, . and well able to withstand the hardest bumps, but is too unselfish. He cone tinually passed to weaker men when he B should have gone through himself. b . Tlie left wing was Auckland's strontr- - est. Both Diniery and Clark worked the j ball well up the field, and both put in 8 a fair proportion of shots. Fbrshaw, - , the centre, played a gallery game pure j and simple, and he would do well to t ;*cop placing to. tie sued., w

The. loral halves were much superior to the visitors. Yates and Audinwood, particularly, did some fine work; their overhead kicking, taokling, and feeding was almost above; reproach, and the vanguard had chances just showered upon them. Mcldrum suffered in comparison to this pair, still he was not weak by any means. The Tara-naki trio was the weakest line on their side, and left unnecessary work to fall upon the fulls. Their tackling was weak, and the clearing was not clean enough. Clark and Bullock are a. capita! pair of full-backs. Time and again they effectually closed the gate to the local frontrankers. Clark was particularly good.' j Right aJid left foot., or his head, were j equally at home in returning the leath- j er, and his weight proved irresistible to some of Auckland's men., who were frequently bowled over. Bullock, although light, is a topnotcher, and saved the goal-keeper much worry. The local backs were far below the Taranaki men. Although Webster mulled several tries he was better than Ritchie, who could not clear neatly, and was often forced to kick into touch. Still, both men played hard, and strove to make amends after any mistakes. | Frost. Taranaki's custodian, was immense. His fist was only surpassed by his eyo in alertness, and he placed it on to the sphere with no uncertain power. His style in clearing was often superb, and the ball always fell well clear of the citadel when he had tapped it. The local goalie, Bayly, had not a great deal to do, and no comparison can i fairly be made. It was a pity that Harvey was mated with a weak player like Fleming, for although the junior tried hard, he has not that fixity which distinguishes senior men. The fact is, that a tremendous blunder was made in playing a junior, for no matter how good a man may be in the lower grade, the style of play is invariably different from that of the, senior men, who do not run about to such a ridiculous extent as do the juniors. As it was. the right wing was practically useless to Auckland, as neither Harvey nor Fleming could do anything together. A Ta.raiiaki-Auckland contest - will probably be an annual fixture. Forshaw. of Corinthians, has obtained employment in' New Plymouth, and shortly leaves for that centre. Oliver, of the same team, and a splendid right winger, did not return with his team from Now Plyrtiouth, but has settled in the town. Both men will be missed from local football. It appears ac if the retirement of Sale from the football field may, alter all, be only temporary, and we may hope to see him out again next season. ""' Pyrmont (25 points) has annexed the Sydney senior championship, with Rozelle (22) and Glebe (19) second and third. The Taranaki men made no secret oi their belief that the Corinthian team ' (which defeated their strongest combination by two goals to nil on the Thursday previous to the match) was immeasurably better than the Auckland rep. team. The lines of forwards, they considered, could not be spoken of at the same time, and they expected a sound thrashing when they reached Auckland. They also were disappointed ■that Harding was not given a chance in the Auckland delegates to discuss the provincial superiority. The Corinthian forwards were Harvey, Olliver, Forshaw, and L. and J. Clark.