FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 265, 1 August 1908, Page 9

FOOTBALL.

. V ' RUGBY. . (Br AitiSTOBOLua) The result of the win of Melroso over Oriental last week has secured tho championship to Melroso, who now stand-out sis points in. adranco of anything in the competition. Tho present season has been decidedly mixed as far as Rugby is concerned. Play was commenced at tho Athletic Park at the outset, but tho Management Committco of tho Wellington Union was struck with the idea that- the Union could get along without a town ground, and arrangements were pushed along whereby a lease of a number of grounds at Miramar was entered into. Tho Union was bound for a period of throo years to those grounds, but subsequently it was. recognised that tho Park was indispensable, and negotiations were entered into which have ended; in tho Union going back to the Park, which ground is being taken over by them to the groat satisfaction of the football'public, who could not be tempted to Miramar on account of the troublo experienced, in getting to and from., the suburban ground. Tho season's play has been marked bv a good deal |of unnecessary roughness, but taking all in all-Melroso deserve their position of premier team, l'hoy have put up big fights, I'use tho word fights advisedly, ana have usually, played havoc with the'strongest opposition in the second spoil." Of thoieleven games' played thoy won' 10-' and drew one, Petone,. hist year's champions, being the only combinafton'the Melrose men could,not beat. Petone, by the way, scored more points than Melrose.-their record being 167, as against Mehrose s 155. Only 17 points were registered against Melrose, however, whilst ,70 were put on, by - tho various clubs who met Petono. As was stated in this columnatthe, beginning of the season, t)io Melroso chances were strengthened this year ,by the improvement of the rearguard. For years past Melroso' have been capable of holding tneir own with any forward team in the competition, but their backs have not been -np to the mark for a .very long time. This year,, how'evor, a good deal of new .blood, mostly youths, was introduced;iand it was noticeable:after the first match that the alteration' was going to have an' effect on the genoral effectiveness, of'the Melrose team. Oriental, and Petone.stand second on the list, both these teams having 15 points to.their credit. Petone were defeated,.by Oriental early in tho first round, and the win, although a', very' • luoky one, loft Oriental on even terms with Melrose, which position they held for somo time. Petone should really, on their merits, have run second to Melrose, and Oriental third, but luck- was against them, and such men as Byrne, Cross, Wright, and Tyno, who joined ; the professional "-''team,''-we're sadly Oriental.had, bad. luck in losing Roberts ..and Thompson', their two crack backs,:but it is.;-questionable if■:even -with those two men, they could have done much better.: , Poneke started' out badly, Wallace and Mitcliinson,,.their two star men, being laid aside.. Mitcliinson' took tho . fiold at length, but Wallace, after playing in a few snatches, retired from tho gamo for good and all. This , team , stands on level terms with St. James, a 1 young team which, has put up somo capital performances, and has paid strict attention to training, a necessity frequently or shunned, by somo of the older clubs/".'Athletics have'been'in "qnd •out alHfthe season, putting up big perform- : ances against somo of the strongest teams, and going under-'when tho.v should havo won .' easily. ,S Tho resuscitated Southern club Btartod out with great Expectations, but al- 1 were not played up to, the 1 club has' the satisfaction of finishing aliead 1 of three other _ teams. Wellington was an- 2 other' team which 'started , out with a great ! fund of- enthusiasm . and confidence. The. Yellow and Blacks put up some meritorious 1 performances, and extended some of tho best, 1 but played ! with, bad luck.. Old Boys, are a I young -toara this -season," and are not likely to be disheartened by their want of success, i They trainod hard for Old Boy players, and I if the best of the present'combination keep i together, they should develop' into . a team equal to the - strongest' in the competition. ] Victoria; College foot; the list with a record of one win and ten losses..

MELROSE—ORIENTAL. The Melrose-Oriental match last Saturday, like many that have preceded it, was characterised more by its vigour than its science... Oriental put up a" good performance , in;l the first half, but in the second term Melrose had things pretty , well their own way. M'Kay, who has been on the bank for some time, was called upon to fill the position of full-back for. Melrose, 'in place of George Spericer. ■ The' heavy ground and wet ball was■ against M'Kay, whose'kicking powers jare not yet forgotten, but on' the whole ho played a good game. Some of bis line, kicks were exceptionally good, but although he 'had several pots at goal, a form of scoring which he always affected, ho never got near the posts. The .Melrose three-quarter line ,was fairly good, Beaviß getting • through a lot of work in good;'style. : Murphy was also kept busy, but Marshall was not; given a great d?al to do. :■ . ■/:' ' >' put in/some goocl'work :at . fiveeighths, •'and the same remark applies to Greeks, the solid little Melroso half, King and Murphy wore both responsible for some clever work on the wing for Melroso, whilst J.' Spencer, Cameron, Adams, Do Bios, and Dewar, stood out prominently amongst the pack forwards. Tho best-'back on the Oriental side was A-ercoe, wliogave an excellent exhibition as ru He was pressed closely on several occasions,' but . took things coolly, and never made a mistake during the wholo game. The other _backs shaped well, more particularly M Leod and Highet, both of whom had a day out. Highet filled Robert's placo behind the scrum, and tho writer has never seen him play better in any of i cr? an nJiT Sl^'? ns ' las been called upon to nil. ■. M Leod made somo nice openings but received littlo or no support from the backs behind him when it was most wanted. Gibbonss speciality was line-kicking. Time kicks tlD?0 118 fOU " d tl3o lin ® with P Brfcct Anderson, Collerton, and Daly were invariably to the fore in the best efforts of tho Uriental pack. I'OXEICB—PETONE. The result of tho match between these teams a. win for Petono by tho narrowest of margins-was a fair index to the respective merits of tho sides. . Although tho game, which was fairly- open, was hotW contested; it was as clean' an exhibition of rugger:as ono. could wish to'sec; ■■' . It would bo better for his sido : if Morris, (the Ponoke full-bade).': discarded tho habit of ; speculating." Once or ; twico Jaßt'Saturday, ho was lucky' in finding tho lino Tv/ohill was easily tho pick of tho threequarter line. Flannagan appeared to ho playing with greater confidence than hitherto. Nothing brilliant was dorio by tho. remaining backs with the exception of Tilyard. O'Brien was the "star" of the. vanguard. His efforts wero ably seconded by Gardinor and Tresize in particular. Both of the trios gained by Poneke wero converted by Gardiner, one of the kicks being a feature of the match. 11. Ryan, tho Petono full-back, madt o number of mistakes in tho i'j«t spell, but gave a much-improved display in tho second half. ' Inistouc, at centre three-quarter, played fairly well; His colleague on' tho left wing, Fogden, promises to develop into a capablo

player. Joo Ryan, on the other wing, did not distinguish himself. , Tho suburban team bad a safe five-eighths in Jim Ryan, who had a considerable amount of work to perform. Clem. Green, tho uuggety half, earned tho distinction of being tho best back in the match. _ , Tho pick of the Petono vanguard wore undoubtedly Hardham, Con Sullivan, and Knight. 11l their, next match, Petono will probably again havo .the services of A. House,'whose shoulder was badly injured' in tho match against Orientals; SOUTHERN-OLD BOYS. Tho sloppy state of tho ground at Miramar was all against good football in the match between Old Boyd and Southern. In somo parts of the field miniature lakes had to bo negotiated, and play was nioro of the "mud scramble" type than anything else. The Southern "team has always been recognised, as possessing a good vanguard, and they owe their win on Saturday to that fact. Tho score, twelve points t-o cloven,.cannot be taken as a criterion of the merits of the teams, for in the : latter . stages of tho game Southern should, have scored , at least twice I moro, but tho opportunities woro lost , owing to tho men' not being able to keep their feet at tho right moment. Old Boys started off very well, and had registered- 8 points after ten minutes' play. -The Southern' vanguard, however, were soon on . the attack, arid continually had their oppononts on the defence. L. Campbell (Southern) played the best gamo for his side, his kick from a mark being a fine effort. Of the other Southern forwards Houlihan, Choeseman, Templeton, _ and Condliffe were tho best of a hard-working lot. . Popo played a sound gamo at wing threequarter for Southern, and his fast following up' lent valuable, assistance to his side.: Organ at half, played his usual good game. ■ •

Of the Old Boys' backs, Patterson, Dawson, and, Blacklock were tho best. The fullback was noticeably weak. / ' / '.'■Avery, as wing-forward, played a great game for his-side, but on Saturday the vanguard, lacked "conbination. Marchant and Alexander, however, did good work.

WELLINGTON-VICTORIA COLLEGE.

The match between Wellington and Victoria College was productive ol some good oi)en play, vr'ellinglon wcro out to wipe out

tne defeat inilicced at, tho previous'meeting meeting and made tho puco hot from the. start. Tne absence of iJoglo appeared to disorganise the College backs, and thoy were unable to mako any attempts at attacking. The fv'eliinfeton , tcain, too, had some -of their best men absent. Carey and Ai'Jiay, were missing, from the forwards, and Lawrence's place m the rear had also to be.fiiled. Jfias 'was & good mixture of' forwent and back work, in -both of which the teams were well matched. In tho forward branch Victoria College had, if anything, tho advantage ; but thoir opponents possessed a scar-, ing combination in the backs which the College lacked. Though the Yellow (Wellington) forwards were not so strong' as on previous daysyVthoy' had a couple .of good men in Turner and Munro. In loose work these two were les-' • pecialiy useful. Tho brunt of the heavy work was taken by' Smythe and Wilsoii. Victoria College had- : almost their usual' team in the van, and made the most of their opportunities. Their plan of attack was evi-r dently to mako the game fast and loose. ' Wellington hookers almost invariably got tho ball, but''it availed : them'very Uittle, as it frequently row. j*. De la Maro, Shor'tj" and Setters were the best.of:tho Green (Victoria College) pack. Individually the Victoria Colloge backs" were good,, but "taken as a combination theye were decidedly the reverse. They woro'com»polled to confine their efforts to defending; and in this direction Etchings' proved himself . the mainstay. • Tudhope made one or two mistakes, chiefly, through hanging- on to the ball instead of? kicking, but altogether he played a very sure game.

Prendeville was the same steady player at' wing three-quarter, and O'Learyand Goodbehere both did the work assigned* to them'satisfactorily. The .Wellington rearguard was much improved by the inclusion of M'Donald, a player with a good speed and able to make himself handy jn all departments. ;■ Sellars also..played a good game, making; some-fine openings for the wings, and doing his share of defending. NOTES ON WEDNESDAY "MATCHES. The Wednesday matches. this week were about , up to tho usual standard. Tho. two games played on the polo ground' at 'Miramar were expected to afford only.' tame displays—certain victories for'' Stars and Artillery respectively. Therefore somewhat of a surprise when the first spell; of the Stars—Butchers contest terminated with tho scores even. ' • . The Butchers' try, scored by Morris, was the result of a really fine bit of passing. ' Where Stars possessed tho,advantage, howover/ which enabled them evontually. to top', tho score,'was in the forward work. Their charges broko up tho defenco of the Butchers in a surprising manner. ■ M'Quealy put in some'serviceable work for Stars, and made several good attempts to ; place penalty goals from difficult.angles. Butchers had two good'men-in'their line of defence in Killeen and Leicester, the latter kicking into' touch in saferstyle. ' 'No interest was taken in the Artillery—' Bakers fixture, which was altogether onesided; Though Artillery had a team . very different from their usual combination they were able to keep on the attack all ' the time. Guthrio was one of tho best workers in the pack, and scored a well-earned'try. Oriental defeated .Tramway, at Newtown Park after a good game. • Kelly (Oriental) was the most.'conspicuous forward on the field.

Speaking of the inclusion of W. Hardcastle in the New' South Wales' team for England, the "Reforeo" says:—"W. Hardcastle is an old campaigner, who camp across to Australia as a representative of New Zealand as far back as 1897. If his present', condition be that is, if he does not ,becomo too fat and heavy, ho should, bo a, very useful player on a tour of this kind,.which will thoroughly, test tho stamina of the men, as tho New Zealandcrs discovered last year." Tho following'suggestions recoived from tho Country Unions Referees' Associations will shortly bo _ considered by the Queensland Rugby Union: —That wing-forward play be abolished; that at drop-out or kick-off tho ball must be kicked parallel with tho touchlines. In tho event of tho ball pitching in touch, a- scrummage to tako place at spot whence the ball was kicked; when a player is tackled with . tho ball and falls to tho ground, ho : may pass it, provided it is dono immsdiatcjy; the referee shall put tho ball in tho, scrummage; tho ball shall bo thrown in ffom to alight not less than tpn yaTils fjpw toifh; in free-kicks t|js> charge tfl be disallowetj;. jji. the e»ent gf tha knocking the ' hqll forward ant} • catchuig it again beforp it touches tho ground, it shall not. bo considered a knock-on.

Thus tho football writer to tho Timaru "Herald" in commenting on the Britishers' New Zealand tour: —"I have no hesitation in saying, however, that Harding's men bavo not done all that lay in thoir power to fulfil ' their unwritten contract with tho Now Zealand Union, and if any future teams from the Old Country aro invited to tho Dominion it would bo well to havo it thoroughly understood that a larger proportion of conscientious footballers is desirable, and that the. Now Zealand public cxpccts more for its money than tho provision of a 'roaring time' for a portion of'its guests." Taking the results of_ the_ Anglo-Welsh team's recent tour of New Zealand, tho conclusion is forced on ono that 'the form shown has been rather disappointing. And I am not forget-

ting the fact that a largo number of tho visiting team were at times placed hors do combat by injuries received on tho football field.

P. "Walsh, the New South Wales forward, who has been living in Auckland for a few years, and has represented Auckland this winter, returned to Sydney a fortnight ago. Tho result of tho matches played by tho Maori professional team woro as under: — Opponents. Ground. For. Ag. New South Wales ... Sydney Lost B—l9 Now South Wales ... Sydney Lost 16—30 Metropolis ... ... Sydney Won 23 —20 Nowcastlo .... ... ... Nowc'le Won 15— 2 Queensland ... ... BrisbanoWon 19 —16 Queensland ... ■ Brisbane Won 13 —5 Queensland ... ... BrisbanoLost s—>G Queensland ... ;.. Too'mba Lost' 9—ll Queensland ' Warw'k Lost 14—23 Newcastle ... i W. M'd. Won 30 —1G Played 10 matches, won 5, lost 5, and scored 152 points to 148. Commenting on tho tour of tho British team, "Full Back" in tho "Otago Witness" says "that tho'argument that the visit will tend to combat tho undoubted growth of professionalism in New Zealand football must be regarded as doubtful, and it is no use blinking the fact that during tho present season we have heard moro of tho probability of the introduction of professionalism into colonial football than ever before. Of course," continues tho Southern writer, "I do not wish to suggest that tho visit of the Englishmen has in tho slightest degree any direct bearing on tho professional question, but it cannot be doubted that the visit of tho All Blacks to England opened tho eyes of certain of the members of that combination to tho great money-making possibilities of the Rugby game at Home, and there can be no gainsaying the fact that tho recent visit to England of tho Now Zealand professional team was the direct outcome of tho Now Zealand amateur team's tour of England and Wales. And this opens up tho L big question of whether visits for tho purpose of playing football should bo encouraged between teams from New Zealand and the Homo Country. One of tho strongest arguments brought forward by ' tho Scottish Rugby IJniou against any of their players taking part in tho recent visit of the Englishmen was'that it had been proved, as a result of tho All Blacks' trip Home, that professionalism, instead of being checked, had. received an impetus by such visit. And who, in the light of present-day developments, is prepared to say' that tho Scottish Union havo taken a wrong view of this important question? However, this opons a very big question, and it is early in the day to prophesy what will bo tho ultimate outcome of the professional movement .which has 'crept, and is, creeping, into our Rugby gamo." ' .

A footballer, who was . charged by the Southland Union with using bad language in a rccent third grade match, beoame insolent at the committee meeting, and when'ordered out gave tho Union a taste of his swearing ability. .Ho got thrco_-ycars' suspension. TOo referee for the Wairarapa match camo from Dunedin, tho Wairarapa team wishing for an outside referee. _ It seems strange (says tho "Canterbury Times") that outaido referees should bo brought to South Canterbury, whilo South Canterbury, referees are never asked to take charge of matches in other centres. Another grievanoe of tho smaller Unions.