FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 306, 19 September 1908, Page 9

FOOTBALL.

.RUGBY. (By Aeistobulus.) OTACO v.' WELLINGTON. The curtain will be rung down, on representative Rugby for this season with tho •' Otago-Wellington match, which is to be, played on'tho Athletic Park this) afternoon. The Otago team: will be as follows: — '■ 'FULL-BACK: ' ■ ■ ;.1 'Cla.rko.' • - • - < . THREE-QUARTERS: Chambers, Don, P. Sullivan. .. . FIVE-EIGHTHS: ' M'Leod and Dougherty. ' ' IIALF : " • > ' Sutherland. ' ■ . FORWARDS: > Casey, Fitzpatriek, Paton, Johnston, M'Kenzie, Ivimey. WING-FORWARD: - A. M'Donald. There has been one change in the Wellington team from the original selection, Ver; coe going full-back in'place of J. Ryan, who not quite recovered-from a .slight injury , received in tho Taranaki game. Tbe curtain-, raiser on this occasion should also prove interesting, .. Wellington College - Old rßoys. playing the Old Boys, of, Wanganui College. WELLINGTON'Vi'TARANAKI.:' The more or : less scratch'Taranaki team which met. Wellington last Saturday put up a ' good fight in the firs't- spell, but -faded, away •• to nothing in the second term. Interest in / the game wafe spoiled by'the absence of four of the star men of,the visitors', best teamHunter, Mynott, Hardgraves, and Colman. . With this quartette absent the Taranaki : combination is not a very.formidable one. ■ ' Stohr, who played full-back for the yisitors, gave an excellent exhibition, when' it is , considered that he is a junior representative > three-quarter of ."the present season._ His , kicking was first-class, .but', lie had difficulty i in'finding.'the : line sometimes.: Con" Sneahan',was the best of the: Taranaki three-quarter lino. He played a fine all-round game'j- being "soimd ; alike defence', and- at- ; tackj and. making; no mistakes all day. Dive ~ plaved well, but was not particularly striking, : and tho same'may be said, of .Buckland. .Cariieron got, through a good deal -of neat ' wbrkat five-eighths, and his comrade Beauiisli,- a good' club, nian, .who .was tried in the; representative trial early in the season and. dropped, also gave a capital exhibition. , Thurston'was a success at'half, and'got ' the. ball away nicely to his five-eighths from . what appeared to be impossible positions'. ' ! Of the visitors' forwards, a willing, even ■ eet, O'Sullivan, Tamu, Whittington, and Tom ;< Sheahan- were -the pick-. ■' - — ■ J. Ryan, full-back for Wellington, was not as safe as usual, and was badly beaten on a couple of. occasions. Green, -Evenson, Roberts, V' and M'Leod were the pick; of the other backs: "Ranji]' Wilson'was about the most useful . forward in the Wellington p'dck, v but. Rush, Ready, and Shadbolt were also noticeable for' consistently, good work. / •.. . il Sixteen matches,have now been played be-, ftween Wellingtons and.^Taranaki,,i; each pror •"•vince having won Has been Vdraw and'one abandoned.

N U. MATCH AT PETONE. Though tho ' match between Wellington and Auckland, played under Northern Union rules at-Pctone last Saturday, was not such' a, pretty game td Watch as the match played at. Atljletic Park'-a couple of months ago, it was; nevertheless,.;of an intere'stin'g description. Both teams were.'evenly matched, the scores.'being 8 poifats ; each; in ; first spell and 13 point's each at'the conclusion of the l ;; play. • That-the new style' of football isr already fairly popular was evidenced by tho ,satisfactory, attendance: of the public—arid; this' in face of a .strong attraction in the shape of a Rugby representative match (Wellington'' v.' Taranaki) on the Athletic Park. With a couple of exceptions, thp'arranged jnents in connection with Saturday's match', left nothing to be desired. At future matches' it'would be as well if tho teams entered the field promptly at tho advertised time, and some steps should be-taken to prevent the public from encroaching within a certain distance of the field of play. On only one occasion on Saturday did any of the public swarm on the line, but'this happened while a score' was being . registered, and as the few hot-headed-individuals rushed forward, they blocked the vision of 'hundreds of the other spectators. ' This annoying statd of affairs could be obviated if- the spectators were roped off .from the playing area. In the first few minutes following the Jkick-off, the; Auckland backs commenced briskly, and. appeared to outclass their opponents. As the game proceoded, however, it was' evident that the superiority of the visiting backs was counterbalanced by' their inferior forwards. In fact, with the exception of Barclay, the Auckland vanguard was composed of a poor lot of players, R. Wynyard was, perhaps, the best of the Auckland backs. He played a useful game at halfj and opened up play in a pleasing manner, "almost invariably making; -an opening before.he transferred the,ball.

Tyler at five-eighths I '\i-a's a useful 'allround man; and kicked one'very fine ; goal. Ashcr looked as if lie would have-been of more service to his team at wing threequarter than at five-eighths.' Altogether he gave an attractive exhibition, and his try was the result of a particularly brilliant run, but for-a fivfr-eighths -he went '' on his own" rathor too much, and was as often as-not put out of action before lie got rid of" the ball.' His effort' at hurdling in tho early stages of tho game landed him in trouble, /and resulted , in his. discontinuing tho' practice. , Rowe aud Dillamore both. did excellent work.in the- three-quarter lino. .The former showed a thorough knowledge of' the finer points of tho game, and exhibited plenty of pace when occasion'demanded it. ' ' ' Of tho Auckland, forwards, Barclay stood out head and shoulders'-'above the "rest. He used to play ■' a good game last season as wilig forward for. the ;Wellington . Football Club, but he gets more opportunity .to shine in the. Northern; Union game; where the play is fast and open. He,was the,principal factor in the Auckland dribbling rushes on Saturday, and was always handy when the passing rushes commenced. ' ' The .Wellington forwards all worked well, hut .J.-Spencer and P. M'Gill were in particularly good form. Tho first named was prominent a!! tlirough the second spell, and evince;! a relish for tho new game. His uoort wis a smart piece -of work, in which ho olnded sf-reral of the visitors' backs. Ai'Oill was in the van of. tho forward rushes throughout the game. The other forwards all rendered material assistance, and it was' owing to their united efforts that passing rushes of the Aucklahd backs did' not result in more scoring. G. Spesccr, J. Barber, and A. Kelly played well among the /Wellington rearguard, but the other bacl;*'did not appear to'be quite at home under .the . new rules. Kelly managed matters well behind the ocrui"., initiating several good passing rushes, and on other occasions, when the exigencies' of the circumstances required-it, lie went on his own account and always gained considerable ground.Geo. Spencer was a splendid full-hack, and with Ms excellent kicking gave other members of his side several scoring opportunities. Two, of his kicks at goal were beautiful efforts-

NOTES. Referring to their defeat by Canterbury by 13 points .to 8, Dr. :P. F. M'Evedy, vice-captain of - tho AngloWelsh teanij writing to the London "Sportsman, .comments as follows:— "This has to date (June 13) been the most disappointing match of the .tour. On tho day's play we were certainly unlucky to lose, but the whole display was entirely unworthy of such a side as ours. True, wa suffered tremendously' through, incompetent refcreeing. _ , . . Tho start;promised'Well, and within four minutes of the kick-off, from a forward rush, Dibble picked up and dashed over,, in the corner. The try, nowever, was disallowed, the referee ruling touch-in-goal, though Dibble was at least a> yard from, the line. ; ... . From a, scrum on the. i lino Morgan got over, but again the referee disallowed. tho try) ruling that he was'held outside.", ~ . .' , . , .

The opinion of Dr. Hardie Neil, lion.: surgeon, to tho Auckland Rugby Union, in regard to field casualties is interesting. Speaking on the occasion of the Auckland Union's smoke concert to tho Otago team, said* that whilst .there liavo.,been, over 700 individuals playing the game in Auckland during the season* there had been only seventeen nien on the casualty list., This brought to mind that Rugby'could be played with as little risk as possible, i There, was room in tho game for dash and pluck, and, at times this led to/one player, butting another out of tho road, was, mostly junior players who had been on tho injured list. The seniors had'been ,very free from accident for,a few years, and it seemed that the more, skill a player acquired, tho less tho risk of accident. Mr. Dovore, of, the Auck-land-Union, said that'there" had been talk ■of rough-play, but. though he had watched tho matches closely, .he had not seen any. In consideration of the numbei; of players, the' number of.-casualties', was verysmall." Some 'of the Anglo-Welsh team had; stated that there was/rough, play here,'not particularly Auckland, but in New, Zealand, and that was why .he; was referring 'the obvious facts that the game is cleanly played in Auckland. During tho past; week, says tho Christchurch "Press,'.' 'Mr.- A. Geddes, the-secre-iarjr'of the. Otago. League, .. has ■ been ,in Christchurch, with a view, 'of arranging an exhibition game in Dunedin on".October. 10 between 'representative Otago; and Canterbury teams. In conversation, the, Southern visitor stated that the meetings held in"Dunedin- were w6ll attended, ;and the, committee appointed comprised - a : largo, percentage of business people, who were disgusted with the governing union over the charges levied, at the first Test match. ItwaS anticipated that the new League, which will bo adopting the Northern Union code under, amateur conditions, would secure the principal: players-in Dunedin, and some, members' of the team ! jit present touring the North Island have signified .their intention of.playing for,the League. Mr. Geddes addressed a meeting at.Timar.u, and a very large and representative committee has been formed in South Canterbury. An . effort is .being made" in. Christchurch to get a team South, though ;the majority; of players.have had, a surfeit of football; for tho present season. The arrangements made 'aro: —Southland play South ''Canterbury on October 1;. Southland meet Otago on October 3, and if a toitrii can be: sent, Otago'play Canterbury, on October 10. •'The l -Caledonian Grounds have been secured for that date, aijd in- the 'event of -a" game- not ■ being arranged' with, a .Christchurch. ; t^am,\.probably.-,a .yi^it wi!l"lje'.und^keli''by:a"te4jft.'fi;6m'jWftning^ ton.-, ;It; is understood that ; :one : of.i.the.: chifef items is the formation of a'South Island Association to further the interests of .the ncw much-discussed new code.'<:

One of the questions .'which will have'to he faced sooner' or Inter by the Rugby legislators in -Zealand, says the '" Otaso Daily Timesj" jjSi one of payment to players, not" for Ibss,. of time, so much asi'l see* quoted, hut for actual "out-of-pocket " expenses. The English, Rugby ; Union, or the International Board, so'far relaxes its rules as to professionalism by- paying amateur players the sum of 2s. and 3s. per day out; of-poclcct expenses. The "All Black" team for England received 3s. per day,, and the re-cently-departed British team' 2s. per day "out-of-pocket" expenses. Now both these teams . were amateur, in the ; best sense of tho is, .the -bfest. sense withinlimitations; The fact ; tbat;'a .player .receives 2s. per day . " out-of-pocket " expenses does' not. make him any more an amateur, than : the/acceptance of'the. sum of, say, 55., per day -would mako him a professional!' ,To bo strictly, amateur .110. player, should receivo a single penny for any other expenses, .and if. the English,dßjUgby Union, Which holds such high-minded iriews on tho question,- can still regard its players as amateurs 'in-tho best, sense when -only .'2s., or 3s. per, day is accepted for out-of-pocket oxpwises,'why brand tlio same players pro : fcssiorials.wheri ss! per; day is offered?, If a player is a professional'because he accepts 55.-per day out-of-pocket. 6xpenses, equally so is; lie, who ouly accepts 2s. or 3s. amount should'not enter into the argument.' It is• the. principle which counts for so much. The .term " bu&of-pocket expenses,"' in connection with, travelling teams is a misnomer.' For -a man .to/bo'-really • paid liis ' 1 oiit-of-pocket" expenses, he shpuld . gqt ■anything frqnr 55. : to - 10s.- per day. In the case' of certaiii players; now' touring with the Otago teanwl know their! "outrof-pficket,'■ expenses- are considerably, over; the amount- per day,-quoted. . But the ' hardship; does not falKso much on the" players who lose .their day's 'wages to go touring .with the toarn. It is for these that I would-'advocate the' payment for.loss.' ;Tp .these.'it;.means more '..than out-of-pocket- expenses l -it'means their : .very livelihood, and it Vis.'for players who come under this heading that- our football legislators must give' earnest .'consideration, otherwise wo shall. open tlie gate to Northern Unionism with' a .-vengeance. ..' ■ • FOOTBALL. AUTOCRACY.

The Auckland _ "Observer" is . the . latest paper to deal editorially'with the New Zca : land Union. Iho Northern weekly .has the following to say: —The members of the management comm'itteo of the New Zealand Rugby Union, would probably bo the first to drop a silent tear over the fact' that professional football was fast gaining a hold in the Dominion.;. • Also, they would probably bo the first to strenuously. deny that they had had any hand in the encouragement of professionalism.' That; of course,, is where the trouble-'lies'The NiZ.R.U. is obtuse. The latest sample of decidedly , negative .Wisdom (to--put it politely) that was furnished by the N.Z.R.U. occurred in connection with an .application.that was .received by the New Plymouth , SportsVGround Committee from the secretary of the ,Tariuaki Northern Union team. The application was'for .the use of tho Recreation Ground "upon which tp play a match under Northern Union'; rules. Tho Recreation Grounds, Committee .decided that, as tho New, Zealand Rugby Union had been the'means of making tho grounds pay handsomely, that body should nave,;'a say in the •matter. Accordingly, a letter, was sent'-ask-ing-, their opinion. Apparently, tho very words "Northern. Union are : sufficient to send tho N.Z.R.U. into a state, of uncontrollable and unthinking fury. Anyway,' in this case, the' Union sent a reply back to tho effect that, it did' object to the use of the ground being granted to the wicked Northern Unionists. Furthermore,, it - very severely, but rather childishly, added 'that it would probably disqualify the ground ■ for amateur matches-if it-were.so.,let. .It is liot.by such .tactics as thqse.that professionalism in football is'going to bo crushed. Instead, such childish and-unwarrantable outbursts of temper on tho-part of tho N.Z.R.U. will inevitably damage, the causo of amaterir football a great deal'more than they .will hurt tho professional game. ' A large teoction of tho public has already decreed hero that, although it is'opposed to professionalism, it prefers tho No'rthorn Union ganio to tho other variety, and if the N.Z.R.U., is too donso to take the 'hint and too conservative to act upon it, then the speedy downfall of amateur football in New. Zealand will follow as surely as night follows day,.,' And when that comes about, the N.Z.R.U. will '"/ !j ivp itself to blamo tor it.

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION. CIRCULAR TO AFFILIATED UNIONS. A meeting of tho Management Committee of tho New Zealand Rugby Union was hold last evening, when tile principal business was the consideration of a draft circular to bo sent to all affiliated unions. The following circular.was read: —

"In view of the far-reaching nature of some of the proposals appearing on the order paper for the special general meeting on October 8, tho committee desires to place the , following position before- affiliated unions:—At the annual meeting held on May 14.it was decided, on the motion of the Ota«o Union—'That the affiliated unions (and tho Referees'. Association), be requested to submit to tho Management Committee suggestions for tho improvement of tho game within two months", and that tho proposals of tho Management Committee on these suggestions bo forwarded to the English Rugby Union as soon as convenient, with a request that they be dealt with before next season.' Acting under these directions, tho, committee invited suggestions from the various unions and from the New Zealand Referees' Association. A number of suggestions wero received and considered by the committee, and tho . Management. Committee's; proposals on these suggestions .wero subsequently sent to the , English Rugby Union for submission to tho International Board. -The proposals were also discussed with Mr. Harnett, manager of tho Anglo-Welsh team, who undertook (with one: exception) to support the suggested amendments when before 1 tho English .Union. It must also bo borne in mind that, in conjunction with the.New South Wales, Queensland, and South African Unions, your committee has made representation to the English Union with regard to the various colonial unions being accorded representation on the International Board .when matters affecting tho laws or the game are under consideration. We have every reason to believe that this proposal will have the support of tho English Union. . In view of the fact that the resolution carried at tho annual meeting has been given effect to, your committee is strongly of opinion that Clause 3 of the Otago Union's, suggestions is premature. The logical attitude is to await the outcome of the consideration of the Union's proposals by the International Board before even discussing the advisability of severance from the unions of tho Mother Country. In any caso it would appear to the committee that at this stage it would bo sufficient. to make further suggestions for the improvement of the game, if in the opinion of the delegates any further suggestions are desirable. With regard to proposal, No. 4, your commtiteo is unanimously opposed thereto, and is of opinion that a regulation of this naturo would undoubtedly bo the first step towards professionalism. In this connection it may bo pointed out that tho funds of tho various unions in the Dominion,are largely utilised in tho support and'encouragement of football in tho lower grades, and in the-majority of cases tho available . funds, are—even under present-conditions—not sufficient for tho demands made upon them." . • It was decided to forward; the circular to all affiliated unions;;' The notices of motion given by the Otago Union, in the direction of improving the game, and which arc to be brought up at a special meeting of delegates on October 8, arc as follow: —:. . . (1.) That, in the. opinion of this union, the time has arrived when it is imperatively necessary that tho. rules of Rugby football should bo amended. . ', (2.): That, with this end in view, a committee bo' appointed to reviso the rul.es, in the direction of For'the abolition of' the- 'charge in .the-case, of 'a''free-kick or kick at goal;,' (b). for the throw-in.' from touch being for a distance of not less than say, .five yards; (c), for the, imposition of a in the' event of tho ball landing directly in.touch from the kick-off or kick-, out; (a) for the imposition of a penalty upon any • player who shall cross an imaginary line drawn through tho back 'of . tho scrummage on his own sido, while the ball is in ;the scrani; (e) for-the reduction of the side to 14 players; (f) for the modification of the iadvantage given! i to- a side which touches down ;'(g) fpr tho ..referee placing the . ball in tho scrummage in all cases;, (h) that a goal from a mark or penalty kick; shall count two points; (i) that a player,brought to the •ground -be allowed to pass , the ball, even though it has touched the.ground, .provided it bo dono immediately; (j) that tho game be played in four spells of-twenty minutes each. - •

(3.) That it be'an. instruction to the Management Coramitteo to forward a copy', of the forogoing resolutions to the New South Wales and Queensland Rugby Unions with the view to securing their co-operation in the formation of an -Australasian Rugby Utiiori to control the game under the roused,'rnles. i, ■ ' '• • ■ .. (4.) That the rules as to professionalism be revised in the direction of paying players for loss of 1 timo while touring" with representative'teams.'