FOOTBALL FACTS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9387, 10 April 1896, Page 2

FOOTBALL FACTS.

[By Drop Kick.]

The Canterbury Rugby Union's meeting on Saturday passed off most smoothly, there being no burning questions to cause much argument. The election of officers saw the majority of last season's officials re-appointed and seeing last season was such a successful one the delegates did well to adopt such a course. Mr W. G. Garrard, the hon. secretary, was untiring in his efforts on behalf of the Union, while Mr F. E. Asquith proved a good treasurer. By the wav the motion not to subscribe to the Hoben testimonial was rejected by a large majority, and rightly too. Mr Hoben gave a lob of time and worked very hard in the cause of football, and he deserves some recognition from players. It was unanimously decided to vote the sum of £25 towards the Brunner Relief Fund. The C.R.U. are to be commended for this. It is a worthy example similar bodies might follow. The final match for the County Championship was played at Richmond on February 20th between Yorkshire and Surrey, when the former won easily by 16 points to 4. W. Warbrick, the ex-NeAv Zealander, has been elected captain of the Wentworth F.C. Sydney. At the annual meeting of the Club, held on March 13th. L. T. Cobcroft, who was captain of the New South Wales cricket team which recently toured this colouy, said he was confident of obtaining the services of three prominent New Zealanders.

R. Mentiplay, the well known Sonfcbhvd footballer, has'left Invercargill for Australia for the benefit of his health. Before leaving, he was presented with a purse of sovereigns amounting to £21 10s, which was subscribed for him.

The following clause appears in the report of the Otago Rugby Union, which will be presented at the annual meeting which is to be held on April 18th :—During the year a good deal of consideration was given to representations from the Canterbury Rugby Union to the effect that the match played at Christchurch in 1877 was between teams representative of Dunedin and Christchurch, and not between teams representing the two provincial district?, and that theiefore the result of that match should be erased from the list of results of past interprovincial matches contained in the "Otago Paigby Football Union Annual." The evidence j submitted by .the Canterbury Union seems to the committee sufficiently conclusive to warrant them in recommending the Union ] to regard the match in question as an intertown match only. The annual Rugby match between Ireland and Scotland was played ; at Dublin ou February 15fch and resulted in a draw, ■ neither aide scoring. Commenting on the game the London Sportsman says:—The play on the whole was but of a moderate character, and was more remarkable for mistakes than any particular items of really clever play. The Scotsmen played a safe game, hardly ever brilliant, but comparatively free from blunders. The Irishmen at times, no doubt, displayed something of the dash that proved fatal to England, but their exhibition was extremely uneven/ and they had to blame their own mistakes, and nob any great excellence on the part of their opponents, for having failed to achieve victory. The Scotch j forwards Avere a strong and clever lot, and beat the Irishmen in the loose, Neilson, Dods, M'Ewan and Morrison being perhaps most useful. Among the Irish lot (who never seemed to really get into the stride, and some of whom shirked the scrums) O'Connor, Crean, Sealey, and Clinch were best. On the whole Ireland had slightly the best of matters in this department, for the Ion" Irish rushes more than counterbalanced the° short bursts of the Scots. The visiting halves played a sound game, and deserve considerable praise, Simpson being slightly the better. Campbell was the pick of the threequarters, while Smith played a brilliant game at back. Allen was a long way the best of the Irish defence, his partner, Magee being much off colour, which remark also apolies to Stevenson in the three-quarter line, of which Lee and Bulger were best. McAllen, who made his debut as full back, created a favourable impression. The attendance was estimated ot 15,000.