FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 242, 6 July 1908, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

RUGBY; WANGANUI v. TARANAK'.. . - V THE LATTER WIN THROUGH . THEIR ■ BACKS.. (BY TEItEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION'.) ' Hawera, July 5.' For tho Rugby match Taranaki'v. Wanganui there was ideal woathor and a, gocd attendance. Thb.gtmo was full of interest, though it did not'provide a brilliant oxhibiiioii bf football. ' Tboro* was nbt a'deal ef difference betwcbn the teams oil tlio day's play, Taranaki winning owing to tho cleverness of the backs. • ■ ■ Southcombo' replaced licid in tho Wanganui team, and Thurston and Davidson took tho places-of Coleman and ©'Sullivan in t-ho Taranaki team. Wanganui: showed groat dash in tho early , stages',\ and secured ia ;mark in the homo •• twenty-five;; but nothing important followed. Exchanges of kicks betweon tho back divisions'ended in Cameron finding touch in ■ iWanganui . territory. Taranaki' gradually avorked tho leather towards tho visitors' lino. There. was a marked contrast between tho ; ; (methods bf the respective vanguards,, tho visitors simply revelling in. tight work, while tho ho'mp pack eiidoavoured to mako tho >. jgamo open. The visitors generally hooked tho ball in tho scrums, but the homo for'wards were superior in the line-out. Play; geared Wanganui's lino, but tho visitors'.; 'nippiness,'frustrated, the passing movements of the homo backs, and thb leather went back - (again to midficld. .Fine 'work by W.hitting'jxm and Davidson put Taranaki in a good ,\ . position.' Thurston secured from.-the,scrum and passed out to Hunter, who transferred ; i >to Cameron, 'and the latter cleverly dropped', •'. B goal after twenty minutes' play. Taranaki ... . . ... ... ... 4 : ■Wanganui • w.. 0 ; '••' - The. visiting forwards were playing wi th great..vim. . Suiter and ;MitchelLw;ero prcmijient"in a rushVwhich Hardgravo' stopped.-' Jfaranaki wero forced twice in quick succes<jion. Play then fluctuated until Abbott . placed his side on tho attack. Tho Taranaki backs were soon . back again . with a ■ passing movement,; the visitors responding ■fvith a sweeping forward rush, . jtingtori; stopped finely.' ; Tho homo" forwards . . wero lacking in combination; while the backs . promised to ,db: great things if given :chances.v :: Hunter, : and C. Sheehan transierrcd neatly, ■ but Seeling relieved. . Leahy end Guscbtt headed a dribbling rush 'which' jmoant dangor to Taranaki,-but' Whittington' marked, and jv good; kick-by Dive changed tho vonuo of play... Tho visitors', intercepted ; passes when their ' lino wa6 ' : in '. da)iger of ; being ;crossed.Play travelled quicklj;.". from •'■■■■ end. to,end, the. fonvard ruslios giv : . ing tho ! homo backs plentjr.'toldo,"' : . ••IHo'JTara- • .. . naki pack seldom got pessessibn in tho scrum, ' Jbiit rthe backs,, clcverly turned''defence' into (attack.' Tlio spell ended:' t . : • Taranaki-- ... ...'' 4 - •Wanganui ■ v.. 0 ,

.On. resuming it' was, hard .to say how. the . h • game would end; ■ Tho homo' forwards had ' : not fulfilled ''expectations, ' and the visiting 'jj . team had quito their share of tho play. Hosi- n tation on tho part of Soutlicombe and' Smith p ' ' nearly let Taranaki in.:" 'Play on tho visitors'. 0 lmo followed, but smartness m smothering- f . the passes of tho. homo backs saved, .the n v- situation. . Fine forward work by the visitors: t was responded-to by Sullivan • and Crowley f • heading a rush. ; Dowo (Wanganui'half) [, was repeatedly: of good servico. • A pretty [i passing movemont—Dove, Mitchell;, Seelin" v ' AbbcrttAmded in the latter scoring:" South-' ;l combe failed to convert. ■ .. . Both tcalfls: woro playing determinedly, j\ tlicro being rmly :, ono point botweon them, e Tho homo pack showed up better, .but failed: ... to liocl tho leather out or tho scrum cleanly. . A Taranaki attack was frustrated by Meuli. . Tho visiting forwards wero again in evidonco, and Hunter got; down a rush wlnWtho lino was m danger. l : Tho vonuo of play changed quickly. The linc-outs gcnorally ended in scrums owing to tho ball not'being'thrown in straight. Smart trans- j fers between Thurston, Mynott,'and. Hunter 1 ended in tho lattor crossing-tho line j Haj-d- • igravo failed to convert..- r •■<■■■■■■ ; ! • 'Taranaki •• ... ■. ' 7. - 'Wauganui ' j;v 3 -. Quarter of an hour was loft for play, and ' , ' tho gamo waSrStiU':vigorously.contested. Tho >•>': visitors offered a,.stubborn...defence>.to tho .T . attacks of the homo backs.: :■ Crowley, Dive,: ' and: .Cameron gained an advantageous posi- ; tion, -and off-side against; the visitors gayo Hardgrave a fino opportunity' of kicking'-a .' goal, in which ho failed; - Immediately-after-: /•/.' Tvards a fine , round ;of passing by Hunter, Dive, Cameron, and Mynott onded in .tho .: . ! ]atter grounding-the ball'as, the result of : a : > brilhant: piecoi of play: . v Hardgravo did not v .'. add-the; extra points.' — ' ; ~ Nearing ? tho end • tho . forwards t on both .\ sides, showed signs .of disWss'/jbutitho Tara- ■ - r ; : riaki ;}])a'cks '.wero -.prominent'; and/'/gave tho visitors' There was no furthcrscQriiig,'aiid'tho gaine;e'uded: . •Taranaki - ... 10 Wanganui '. 3 , . ■ Mr. Williams^.of/Napier, was roforeo. ] :