AUSTRALIAN CAME.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 193, 9 May 1908, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN CAME.

(By Hian-MAitK.) ■ vf - Ott Saturday, list -the opening premiership match' of the season took place,on the Basin Reserve, when Newtown, last 'year's premiers,' mot; the City. te?m. Th6>weather was all that could be desired, and-the ground was in first-rate order, trifle hard. About 500 spectators assembled';' • Tlie teams took thij field with fifteen men aside, instead of eighteen, as is usually the case, as it was felt that on tho small 'ground the play would becoiue'tco much congested! The experiment proved a wiso- one, ij.nd. as a result tho play was a 'little' more',-'/' opon " than on the previous Saturday, there is stjUl; room. for 1 , improyenient. in'.- this' direction. . - !' : " In the opening stages of the game the City men put in some sinart work, and by a series pf clever exchanges had wy/ked up a substantial ]ead' : at tho end of the first quarter. In the sccond quarter the men reduced the City lead to olio point only; and. thereafter* they prevailed till tho. 'finish of .the game. j Although there 'were some .patches' oi' brii- 1 . liant 'play,. tlie game .'as'a -whole was not lip .to the highest staridard.'KAt. the same time the kicking was good, also .the hand-balling arid -the seeing the/players, are. so short 'of: practice. It', is in-the'ground work and'the ruck play where there seemed to be too mticlr crowding, .that there lies' the most room for improvement. When the different teams , have remedied these. defects and got 'into 'their, stride, jvo may expect to see some fine expositions cf the same. . . For Newtown', Furniss played a clean,-cool ■game, and was\invaluable to his side.: It was as fine a performance as "he has .yet shown. Bond ' excelled. in' hand-ball work, and showes great , cleverness in picking out a;man and passing to him. Patrick effected some fine high marks, talcing the ball at a great height, , and. .also kicked. ..splendidly.. .Waters was shoeing'excellent form when he had his ankle, damaged-in, an accidental "collision, and had to'retire from tho garnet . His play .was n:ost promising. ' • r ■ .-. For the' City team, Melville was first.' His play in the iruck was 0001, clean,' and concerted. Ho was one of the ablest men on the ground. Jacks and M'Donald also put in solid, useful work. Payne, on the halfback line, was a valuable defender. His marking was a feature of the' game. Of tho old stagers, Crbmie and Robinson were most in evidence. Despite one missfire, Robinson's kicking from tho back lino was admirable. Cromie was clever and fast in the centre, and seems to have dropped straight, away into that form, which made him the leading player last season. Hodge, on the'forward line, played a sound useful game, and kicked a couple of first-rate goals.' The umpiring 'was' satisfactory, but a little more pace ■ would ihavo' achieved a highor standard still... : The following'' will' represent. Newtown against Wellington at the Basin Reserve:— Mathewson, • Furniss, Grant, ' Andersen,' Burns, Peters, Ryan, Neville,. King, "Booth, B[ute.hison,. M'Gratli, • Foreman, Saunders.-, (Mid emergencies, Holmes arid Bradshaw.' / , •: