FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 161, 9 July 1910, Page 14

FOOTBALL.

B.TTGBY. At Sydney the referee once or -twice round it necessary to ask the "rooters" (barrackers) among the American party ■to retire from the touch-line in exciting stages of play when the -visitors were attacking.

According to a Dunedin scribe, Paton and Paterson, the two Otago forwards, who performed so well in Australia with ihe New Zealand team, of a truth, played above themselves. In home matches these players" never show the form they do on foreign fields. In the North and South match at Wellington last season they were unrecognisable as the forwards who play somewhat ordinarily in club football in Dunedin.

The New Zealand Keferees' Association has given the following interpretations of amended rules:—(l) That' a player who jumps into the air and iakes the tall may claim a fair catch by calling t>lll "mark," and a free-kick should be awarded to Mm even though he is prevented from coining to the ground to make a mark with his heel. (2) That if, m the -opinion of the referee, a player -wilfully throws the 'ball out from touch less than five yards, or wilfully prevents it being thrown out five yards, the penalty of a free-kick should be awarded to the non-offending side as provided in Law 11, Section (m). Writing of .the attractions put' on by the New Zealand and Australian authorities to -counteract the visit of the British team an English writer says:—The more the merrier, 'but probably .the Rugby authorities will find the excess of attractions proving detrimental to the cause they 'have at heart. A code which has caused even Australian and New Zealand Eugby Unionists to change their rules must have a hold on the football world of the two colonies, and —well, for the rest I 'have confidence in Uomas and his colleagues so performing t-heir duties that Northern Union (football will go forward.

The standard of local football, which 'brightened up a few Saturdays ago, has fallen back, and we appear now to be hopelessly in the ruck, says a Dunedin writer. The public of late have been disgusted with some of the exhibitions given in club football, and the attendances are showing that something is radically wrong. The fact is that the players of the present day do not give the same amount of ibrain attention to the game as in the old days, with the biTly passible result—colourless football, remarkable more for its crudities than for its brilliancy. Forward, tine standard is passing fair, with a tendency to petty tricks on line-out and in the scrum, but ba-ck of the scrum to the three-quar-ter line, play and players are -decidedly poor. The public are beginning to cry out for a brighter and more spectacular game.

Thus a Sydney -writer on the test matches:—"The Australians have co far beaten the New Zealanders for possession of the ball in the ecrummage, it having been more pronounced in the second than in the first match. If this superiority be maintained by the Australian forwards, the third encounter should be one of the most stirring ever -played in Australia. It means that the Australian tracks will have greater opportunities of attacking than the New Zealand backs. In the two games played, it has been made clear that, -with players of equal skill contesting, the eight pack i 3 superior to the seven pack for securing possession of the bal], the three in the front row as a rule 'beating the two. This was clearly demonstrated in 1907, and has again been proved by the Sydney matches of the New Zealanders. In other directions the New Zealand forward play has been of the very highest order, though perhaps there has, on the whole, been less inclination to make the game loose and open than in the past— a fact- that seems to indicate lack of faith in the attacking powers of the backs. So far the New South Wales and Australian backs have shown to greater advantage in attack than the New Zealand backs. Averaging the four matches, the New Zealanders have been sounder in defence, though not co in the last two matches. However, the Australian attack has been disappointing in some directions, but as this phase of the play is touched on elsewhere, I will not labour the theme, beyond remarking that though Australia won on Monday, the ''jolting , spots in the attack were observable then as in earlier games."

Thus "Touchline," in the "Sontlilajid Daily News":—"Northern Unionism is in the air.. In fact it is more than aerial—it fe an established affair, so far as Southland, for one, is concerned. The inability of *he New Zealand Rugby Union to administer justice or to do anything off its own bat, so to epeak, lias had its result. Perhaps the rubbish spoken by Mr. F. H. Campbell as chairman at the animal meeting of the New Zealand Rngby Union had something to do -with it; perhap3 it had not. In any case that it wae TiiMbish is now fully ■established. Northern. Unionism, despite —'fr. Campbell, is going to be a. factor in the land, and the attendances in Australia speak for other lands, .too. Advices are to hand of the Northern Union movements in the North Island, Nelson, Otago, South Canterbury, and Southland, and the invasion of the Englishmen will give this spectacular game a decided filip in the Dominion. A number of leading amateurs in all these centres have been tapped, and: they have expressed their readiness to throw in their little lot with the new game. So fax as Southland is concerned, without giving any names, a goodly number of senior players are implicated, and there are sufficient players to run a. couple of very likely teams. Teams have been formed at Bluff and Invercargill, and another country centre is mentioned, but "with what accuracy or foundation this writer Icnarws not. It is not yet known whether Southland is to have a match with the but. if not several local players mil figure in the South Island match at DnneJin, and perhaps in the New Zealand test matches. It is . possible tltat one may find a place in the Australasian team, bnt the question of fitness will, decide. The Southland League was strictly amateur in its operation in 190S, and it is understood that it is the League's intention to carry out its operations on a similar basis this season. There is room for both Northern Union and Kugby football, and there is no reason why the more spectacular game should not merit a share of the public support. ,. The remarks made by Mr. Meredith, manager of the '"All Biack" team, which has jusfc concluded their Australian tour, on liis return to Wellington, -nill nor; find favour -with the majority of the football public. Mr. Meredith'-s state- I ment re the attendances at the Rugby | and Northern Union ma-tches are childish

j in the extreme, and would -have ie-tfcer I been left unsaid. As regarde the statement that the amendments did not I make for better football, surely .Mi , . ! Meredith (has been anisreported. I How I anyone with -any knowledge of the game I can say that the five-yards' throw-in is I not better ithan the scrappy line-out play ■we used to see under the old rules, is hard to understand. Mr. Meredith was one of the principal opponents of the introduction of the amendments when ithoy were being considered by the delegates jto the N.Z. Union, and is evidently conj sistent in his conservatism.

A short time ago I published a comment by the Sydney writer "Arawa," who is an ex-New Zealander, in which he classed the late "Tom" Ellison ac the greatest forward New Zealand 'has ever seen. There is no doubt Ellison was a fine forward, but in connection ■with his claim for the greatest forward New Zealand has ever seen, there is a little incident which I donU think has yet been made public. Ellison was captain of the 1903 New Zealand' team that visited Australia, and when they suffered defeat in the . second Tes-fc match, it was looked upon as a national calamity. The papers devoted columns to the matter, with the result that reinforcements were sent for the third match, four men being chosen, two of whom were "Rab" McKenzie (of Auckland) and "Bob" Oliphant (now of Auckland, but then of Wellington). When the new arrivals reached Sydney, Ellison got the forwards together and , laid down a plan of campaign, which they -were to work during the game, and, if not successful, he -would get in the pack and show them how to do it. A couple of hours after the Seleotion Committee met, and Ellison was left out of the team, which won the third Test by, I think, 16 to nil

Says an exchange: "Some amusing developments are likely to arise out of the Tansey case. The University player, it -will be remembered, was disqualified by the Otago Rugby ■Football Union with Mitchell, of the Alhambra Club, for six weeks. Tausey appealed againsfc ■the decision, and the appeal was upheld "by the New Zealand Union. The Otago Union then wrote to the New Zealand Union protesting against the New Zealand Union's action in upholding Tansey's appeal, and aeked that the matter should be referred to the English Union, as the Appeal Council's decision was a foregone conclusion. The New Zealand Rugby Union has objected to the tone of the letter and has referred the case to the Appeal Council. The joke is that the Appeal Council consists of 'Messrs. Campbell, Sincock, and jHarris, of the Otago. Rugby Union. The result is obvious. The Appeal Committee will now upset the decision of the New Zealand Hugby Union, and the matter will have to be referred after all to the English Union.

The Australian captain, S. A. Middleton, was one of the staunchest of the forwards in "The Wallabies." That team, it -will be remembered, defeated England at 'Blackheath, and scored' two tries to two tries by Wales at Cardiff, a penaltygoal beating them. In chatting over some of the"resent foot/ball with him a lew days back, a Sydney writer asked •Mr. Middleton if he considered the present New Zealand forwards equal to those of the Welsh International pack which met the Wallabies. It will interest footballers generally, and !>Te,v Zealand , particularly, to learn that he thinks the All Blacks of 1910 hot onl.r superior to the Welshmen, but the most powerful forward 'team he has ever played against. He adds that they are not only giante with a big proportion of tall men, but very fast, possessing remarkable strength, 'the vitality and cleverness of 'backs, and a perfect knowledge of every detail in the game, as well as a well-defined system of play, -with IMaon signal words, used by A. H. Francis to control and guide their movements. What the American University footballers do not know about the game they make up for in enthusiasm (eavs a Sydney paper). What Captain Jay Dwiggins docs not know about full-back work .'he makes up for in football oratory. Jay was in great form at University Oval. He clapped his hands like a Salvationist leading the G-lory Song ■before the collection, and exhorted the '|fellus"-— never by any chance the "men" or the "chaps"—to "mix it" it, and "mix ,, it they did, to such effect that they should have won if the first try had i>een declared void, as it should •have been. A season or two more of the training which the Americans appear to have had should make them among the best, if not 'the best, exponents of the Rugby Union game in the world. They come to it with pace and energy, and weight and vim; and questions of tactics alone prevent them toeing a, great side to-day. They are too slow on the pass. They think too much. There is a tendency to hang on to the frail over-long with the majority of them. They have come on with an American leap and an American bound. They are hustlers in the true sense of the word, and when they have perfected their combination, have learned the art of cutting in, and have nullified that fatal tendency to cuddle the nail, Jay Dwi<igins will not have to exhort, because no exhortation will tie needed. YounnAmerica will be able to snow Australia and New Zealand: and England points.

ASSOCIATION. Generally speaking, the matches last Saturday were disappointing. The onty game -wMch was expected to be a really keenly contested one was that betrvrcen Caledonians and North. Shore, and the xather easy -win for the former club came as a surprise to most people. Theground was heavy, and the ball wet, bo that it was not surprising that the game was slow.

The conditions did not appear to suit the Shore men quite so well as their opponents, and they did not play even up to their usual form in any respect. Their attack was disorganised, tie men were continually playing out of their places and getting at cross purposes. Theix passes went wrong more often than not, and very rarely did they look like breaking through, the Caledonians' defence. Pickering was given very t£ew chances, and he was so well marked that none of Ms lightning dashes down the line ever took Mm far. Sutherland, on the other wing, had better luck, and was responsible for the only goal scored for Ms side, but even he did not show hi 3 best form. Barraclough was not- in his place at centre, and the change made did not aeem to make the side any more effective.

The Caledonians, on the other hand, played a very fine game invddually and as a. side. la. tie forward line Tiit'e and Whittle -were better than they have been previously this season. Some of Tute's tactics were yery. clever, and

"Whittle did some •wonderful kicking at goaJ. Shepherd at centre was also in ■d-np. form. The best of the backs were Seath. and Neilson. Nothing could be got past either of them, their heading, kicking- and tackling being exceptionally good. Also they are both wonderfully strong kicks, and the ,wet ball their superiority over their opponents Tvas very marked.

The North Shore backs were very much off colour. Beazley, at centre-half, played a very indifferent game, very much 'below the form, he has shown hitherto. The fill-backs were also rather erratic, and they did not give any support to their goalkeeper, Bennett, who had in consequence a very bad time trying to save shots at an open goaJ. He did not succeed -every time, but ihe-eaved several times remarkably well.

The match was not marred by any very vigorous play, or the use by players of tricks -wnich- are calculated to- ■exasperate opponents, but it was a game which required .a referee who was very sure of himself to control it properly. There were literally scores of petty ■breaches of rules to be seen by the onlooker, and a great many of these were allowed ±0 pass. It is ail very well to argue that the letter of the rules need not always be insisted upon, but if players are allowed to persist in' tactics which are not lawful, they can easily get the better of other players who do. Thus an inducement will be offered to the successful "pointer," and a new class of players will be fostered. This is not surmise or conjecture us to what may happen. The same sort of thing has already happened in New Zealand in other games, and it will happen £gain in this game just as surely if no eteps are taken to prevent it.

Poneonby Ihad a win of YALC.A. by tho narrow margin of one goal, and again played the game through a man short. It is not a healthy sign—this habit of coming out to play short of men—and' unless the club can -revive the flagging "interest of some of its players, if will be nearer the bottom l than the top of the honours - liet at the end of the season.

Another surprise was the wonderfully good etand made by Carlton against Corinthians. This new club has improved wonderfully since its promotion to senior ranks until now it ie one of the hardest sides to beat in the city. The play in the hard and exciting, and it was not until the second spell that Corinthians were able to score th& goal neceseary to equalise the ecores.