FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 177, 21 April 1908, Page 5

FOOTBALL.

COLLEGE OLD BOYS' TOURNAMENT. SHIELD WON .BY CHRISTCHURCH. The final of the Inter-College; Old' Boys' tournament was played 'on'', the College. Ground yesterday; between' the " Christchurbh Boys' - High School Old Boys and Welling-:' ton Collego Old Boys. The conditions were perfect, and a capital display was given by both sides, but tho 1 visitors, aided by a strong set of backs, came off victorious. by 11 points to 6. ; The Wellington forwards were better than Iheir . opponents, but when it canie to a comparison of the rearguards the visitors were.riiuch superior, to tho local men. It was a' treat .to see the Christ-;, church men attacking,' both- of their tries being finelpieces of-work, which left tho Wellington men standing. From the -kick-off the ! Wellington-forwards', attacked, and kept up the pressure , in ' tlie-- visitors': quarters - for about ten minuted The Christchurch scrumm'ers -.then took a turn'at attacking, but Wellington; relieved with a grand' rush from one end -to, .tho'other. The backs took a hand, Lomax giving Gilbert a chance which hojiost' by failing to part with the ball soon onough.' Christchurch returned to ,the attack;;. but - Patterson 'saved : cleverly.The same player mulled a high kick a minute later, which mistake; led to 'the first score of the day. -The visitors' swarmed into Wellington 25 and -tho ball , was f sent out amongst the .backs-. ,-D..Guthrie was penned on the;line arid -looked to' have,'little chance of- scoring,, when' lie cut infield, arid;; thread-, ing his; way cleverly/through the opposition, crossed the - lino near 'the . corner flag, arid Van .round behind the posts. ; 'Brookes-'con-verted. ' Wellington rallied after this, reverse,- i and the forwards put, 'in a /strong attack. - .Two' fi'co/' kicks'" in' good.' positions, were--awarded 'the- attacking . party; ; 'but' 'Drake failed .to iriiprovo' either- of 'them', although the- first attempt was a l -poster.' Another froo kick to. Wellington saw tliei try missed by, _av narrow margin. . March ant ••prated..-.high- towards 'the. -posts,, • arid tho -forwards getting/under.thb-.i&ll carried 1 it over.; the., lilie—Christchurch,. -secured/, a timely <force .do,wn.,A' f spellof. .solid even forward, work, (ended. in a assault by, tlve-visitors, but Loniax staved .them off prettily. - Tho - chcck '.was.. only .temporary, however, .•Lawrence scouring a" mark ;in 'front of -the . posts.. 'Brookes took thor.kick and converted'. ./[Wellington wereystuhg'.to' fur-' 'ther.effort,vas.-a result of which the (visitors were'-.compolled to, 'force - down..- The. local men,;continued,-to have-.the-best to£\ the play f ( or, a time; but another. fruitless r'shot, at goal was the only-result before,Christchurch came along once more. 'From a - scriim : , between,, the 25 • and-'half-way flags,- Brookes got. tho ball, away. to Lawrence, who: handed it on to J.. S. Guthrio. • The latter; put in a brilliant' run. from outside ',-tjhe .quarter-line,' and scoredi near the corner... Brookes made a 1 good but unsuccessful-shot .'at goal//Christ-, church followed with-another pretty passing rush,.-the. ball s going-through four' hands, but when the. wing : three-quarter- had nothing to do but take , his pas's and fall' over the line, he knocked' cm) Half-time sounded with, the .score, : . . > --' Canterburyj 11. .... - ■i,, Wellington, ;0. . On resuming, -Wellington came away with a strong .forward ,rnsh. to. tho .line, Jacobson and Marcliant .in i turn . being almost over. Tho blacks were, driven out, ,:but came on again,"only,i'o see their work spoiled through the-wild-.passing of; tlie backs; The reward came at-last, C.; Butt getting over from a ruck in. the - corner. : ;No goal resulted, i /.-A free kick in front of the posts gave' Wellington, another chance,to.increase their total; but Drake failed with an easy kick. ' The local forwards were now playing a fine, game, Alexander, Froyberg, and Jacobson being noticeable for consistently good work, ana. they' were, on good ground so' long'.as play waskept to'the scrummers. , The Wellington ,backs..-were given •some fine; opportunities,but could - make nothing, of. them. Patterson threw orio particularly 'fine opportunity, away by hanging on.to the .ball. .Another try. came after .considerable'hard workj'Freyberg diving through.-throe or four opponents and scoring near <the comer /flag. Drake failed with: the kick; This was the 'final score, ' but Christchurch finished full of play and made' several creditable efforts to score. OnVone occasion J. S. Guthrie got' clean away 'up the oentre/of the; field, with only the Wellington' full back to pass. Nathanwaited for' his man,' however, and brought him safely to earth. The game.ended:— ' Christchurch, ,11.'; . ' , . " . Wellington, 6. The success of the.visitors.Tvas'lnndoubtedly. due to the -excellent allrround play 1 of their backs, tho best of the' combination , being the tw;o Guthries, . Lawrence, and Brookes! Mr. Bi Gallagher.was reforee. -

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL 'LEAGUE.. .(BY TELIfnBAPn.—PEESa - ASSOCIATION.) . :■ Auckland,. April 20. At ■ the New , Zealand,'-Football •'• League (Australian' game) Conference on Saturday night, it'was stated that*"wonderful-interest was being manifested/ in' the proposed, tour to Australia.^.-Tie..'Auckland? League*',tail raised i.£loo, and it .was hoped ! other: centres : would contribute .amounts .allotted;to .them:: In addition io. 1 carnival matches, it. was ■ decided to play at ;Ball4rat, Bendigo, G-aelong,' Sydney,'. and. South Australia.; »• The .departure ef the .team was fixed for August 3. The team will consist of 22 players. Auckland, , Canterbury, and Wellington will appoint.. selection committees to choose the best .players -from . their, own . districts, and the final selection will be made by a selection committee comprising one froni each oaritre. Auckland, Wellington . and Canterbury will have a minimum of five and Waihi a minimum of one in the total 22. , ATHLETIC V. MASTERTON.. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL ' CORRESPONDENT.] Masterton, April 20. The Wellington Athletic Club met tho Masterton Club on Saturday, and wore defeated by 6 to 3. Tho ground was slippery as a result of . Friday night's rain, but the game was interesting from the first, and evenly contested. There was little to. chooso between tho teams, except that tho local men hfid a superior back division, whioh comprise! two five-eighths as againsf. wingers, the Club taking.the initiative in introducing this system into the .Wairarapa. A try was. scored by each side, and Darville kicked a penalty goal for Masterton. A Wilson (Athletic) and C. Ross (Masterton) played great games ..among the forwards, while J . O'Leary (last year's North Island representstive).ontshono all and sundry in the back division. Hiflv all-round jilay, was pf a-

stamping him as 0110 of tho most versatile centre three-quarters at present playing. The manager of. tho visiting team. considers 0 Leary tho best man in • that position in the Dominion, and states that it is a crying shame that tho New Zealand Union should make so littj'o effort to bring out country stars,

At a banquet in tho evening, eulogistic references. wore' mado to' the local Union coming to the assistance of. the Juniors, and appointed its oivn delegates ■ to tho New Zealand' Union. It was stated that if all country Unions followed this example tho hands of the mother Union would bo forced in catering for country players. Mr. E. M'Kenzie, tho burly Wairarnpa full back, acted as refereo in the match.