FOOTBALL.

Bruce Herald, Volume LV, Issue 62, 14 August 1919, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

By <"old % 'Un." TOKO (0) v. CRESCENT (0). The following were the teams on Saturday:— Toko. —Guff, Ifassett, Heads, A.'Shcppard, S. Fahey, Eawlin'son, J. Fahey, .Moffat, Wilson, 'Groves, Currow, Bryant, Hitchon, Hewitt, and 'Costcllo. 'Crescent.—Josephs, Hair, Pres'cott, Peete, 'Cowan, Matehctt, Hughes, Baird, Hansen, 'G-rib'ben, Sizemore, McCaoiley, Smith, Race, Barron. 'The Tofco-'Croscent players will be got-tingi. quite used to one I 'another. They have played four game's this season," and arc booked to •meet 'again next Saturday to determine the question of which is the better team. It is quite air unusuaL incident in R.ugger to see 'two combinations, so dissimilar in many branches of the game, yet in the aggregate of such equal strength. In previous games it was a question of vastly .superior Toko backs against an equally superior set of forwards. On> Saturday, these were 'evened up somewhat. The Toko ibacks, probably on account of the slippery ball, were not so accurate in their fielding and handling generally, 'and the Toko forwards held up the hefty van-guard in much' improved style, whilst the Crescent 'backs kept the opposing rearguard ibusy. on quite a number of occasions. Unfortunately a drizzling rain set in when the game commenced, with' a slight wind, whiclv died down towards the. end of the second spell, and although the ground was not affected thereby it. made the leather somewhat, greasy. The accurate 'handling 'by the teams which was particularly 'marked in previous ■inatehes,'\vas not observable day, and on that account the game was not up to the very high- standard of the tussle the preceding fortnight.

Crescent won the toss and -secured the advantage of the drizzle and freshening wind in the first- spell. They were not.long in staking out a claim ill •the Toko twenty-live, but hamimered fruitlessly at the defence of 'Cuff, Heads 1 and Co. The first-named saved his side repeatedly by his unerring fielding, against .the wind (he Avas 'One of the several exceptions in this department) and well-judged kicking. On one occasion he -turneel a dangerous rush into a possible attacking position !by his taking on his own goal line, clever eluding of several attacking forwards, and prodigious punt up the line. Cowan on one occasion--got away and beat several opposing 'backs, 'but- when he had drawn a circle around; him: he failed to turn his effort to account by- neglecting to pass, the .ball -to a waiting comrade. Nevertheless, it was a fine piece of solo play on his part. 'Free kicks were frequent against 'both teams, and €rescent erred in judgment in 'Wasting so much time- -essaying very difficult shots at goal. The wind was fresh enough to be helpful, and' no doubt the frequent opportunities were tempting, but dropkicking would probably have 'been found uracil more economical, and with the wind to assist, more profitable. The Toko forward's mimic several fine loose rushes, one taking the ball right up the field. Backwards and forwards it went, generally on the Toko sidle of the halfway, but no tangible result followed, and half-time was called. With the wind in -their favour it looked as if the Tokoites were- going to do things in the second half, but the Kaitangata forwards put renewed vigour into their woi'k, and their 'better staying powers set off any climatic ad-' vantage, that prevailed, which, as the gai'nrc proceeded'., declined to almost a negligible quantity. Toko attacked the first 20 minutes, and a score was imminent on .more than one occasion. Their half-iback was all at sea with tire slippery ball, otherwise -a score would alMivost certainly have eventuated. 'He could not get it away from the scrum, ami the invariable result was a 'Crescent forward rush that removed the danger. Towards the. finish the Toko forwards were perceptibly tiring, but with the- hefty kicking of their backs the Kaitangata tea in were not allowed to become" particularly dangerous. The yainc thus ended without a score. A fine exhibition of fielding and kicking was given by Cuff, the Toko full-back. He is lit to take his place in the best of football society, and his position in the South Otago team is assured.

Heads played 1 his usual good) game, although -the greasy ball affected 1 his •usually unerring fielding. If Otago wants a full-back this year the Toko player could 'deliver the goods better than anyone the writer has seen: in the Blue ranks for a number of years. Hassett was not up' to the mark, and Sheppard got few chances. Rawlinscm, at five-eighths-, did effective work in the first spell, but has not the foot for the position. Fahey, the half, failed' badly in getting the ball away. Of a very much improved) pack of forwards Hewitt and. Oostello were in the forefront, both doing good work in the line-out and open. Currow was not Hip to his u&ual'form. Toko ainearthed an old-timer in Moffat. "Old 'Un" remembers playing! against him 20 years ago, and although ; the Tokoite has lost the. friv.olity of j youth, be still showed form on Saturday, : Josephs iddd not canre up to the 'Standard. Probably the fact that he was shivering im the cold; the first spellhe scarcely touched the ball—affected bis play. At all events the long kicks appeared to beat him. . _ Hair had tire misfortune to jar his collarbone badly in the first spell when playing- safely. Peete, on the other wing, showed)..promise, but his captain should advise hdmi to cut out a tendency .toi'-"!Ii«i!d" play, to put it miMly. There were two instances on Saturday, and in one -case be. made a bad.sort out. ■Prescott played a capital ; gamo in the centra, taking and kicking the ball and generally rush stopping most effectively. He should toe "set" as a fiveeighths in the South Otago team. Cowan's pace allowed him to save >a certain try> and in spite of a disability to Ma faawdi to ihaii'cLiX'&d the ball wonder-

Mly. 'Matchett also, did) "good! saving •work. :.'v Hughes 'outclassed 1 his ' vis-a-vis at half; audi also appears a probability for suib-unio'ii/'honours. , The front-rankers in the Kaitangata serum: id'eserve a word of praise for their hoelittg" work. Barron shone 'out in the open, and Mc'Gauley also played a dashing game. ' ' , •The game was an exciting one to watch,-and. the l large crowd> (£22 Is was taken at the gates) were bbliviousi to the .'weather conditions when' watching it. Mr L. 'Edwards (Waiwera) ref-ereed the strictest impartiality, and came down on sonve oil the " points'' that were attempted.

S.O. RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION. A meeting of the' South Otag.o.'llugby Union .was held on Saturday evening. There wterc present:—Messrs P. C. llis'lop (president), F, Johnson (Clutha), Sheehan and Muir (Crescent), E. Moore and McLarew (Toko), Spence and Wylie (Ko<m-ahapa), Gunthorp and Gusbafson (Owaka)-. A letter from the secretary of the Owaka Football Club forwarding affiliation fee for the- year was received. — It was resolved), 'on the .motion of Messrs Sheeihan audi Muir, that the fee be accepted, and the .affiliation of the Owaka Club to the union hold good : . The secretary of the Clutha Valley Club wrote asking that as l a new club had been formed 1 at Clyde vale-Green-field, a visit from one of the union teams for a .match at Clydevale would encourage the prospects of a teami for wext year's competition.—lt was resolved, on the motion of Messrs Johnson an* Muir, that the Clutha Club be asked to send' a team to the Clutha Valley on a coming' Saturday to play a match there, a -suitable date to 'be arranged. .

Mr GustafS'on moved, and Mr.Moore f.ecoii'ded, and it was agreed, •that the ■Crescent and 1 Milton 'team® play off the final for the competition at Balchitha on Saturday, thei lGth inst. Mr P. C Hislop was appointed referee. In regard to the forthcoming match to Ijci played between a South Otago. team and a returned soldiers' team on the Balclutha ground, it was resolved •that the union team -play in red and white, and the 'Olutha Club !bo asked) to supply jerseys for the occasion, any damage done to the jerseys to bc\ defrayed by the union. In connection with the proposed match, South OtagO' v. Eastern Districts, Mr Moore was asked to interview Mr E. Wall-is, president of the 'Eastern Districts Union, regarding the possibility of the South Otago Union receiving a proportion of the gate money to defray travelling expenses' in the event of the .match .being played at Gore. It was also agreed that arrangements' he nuulte for fixin'g; a date- for the match. The secretary was instructed! to write to the Otago Rugby Union regarding the possibility of a match 'being arranged' between a South Otago team and a Duneditt team, and to inquire, in the errent of the match 'bciivg played at Duutedin, whether the Otago Union would) pay the expensed of the. South Otagio team.