FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 514, 22 May 1909, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

'"' HUOBY, /- ft .

, , tax itMnutj

> : .SSil-Up w&trt cf a the I'etae v. Ylete,r}a : Oellege t tetoal dbatii llflß U1 ]lotlY Itehlsd pdvpf-' tiiiei Qii Friday, tho ikteess' Asijswattojti that % repraieiito Siva agwuited lor this tnaish eaulif not aV : S&flQ) Bad to Btfepa kksn y/m willloleat M aiiuiw the of another rafeam 'Mtm'ttiiisldßrault) ihqiilriei had bewi mado ■ ■ ill I'eUnw, tha: eorviccs af Mi'.; 0. Drocklo- , JuMiis. chf»ir»ai\ of tho local bcfttich ;«.t tho ~ . obtained, :v - ,v - /,* .(Victoria Ckillcso) found eliemsotvcß" pittod against a formidablo , ' (team, but 1 ' they played intrepidly . d\U'» jng tlw first, sjwll. So offioient wero their - r Bflfoneo tftotica that-tho' Yollow-and-Blaoke, 'Although straining hard, were unable to got' fcomo iaoro than onco.. In'tho second'hiuf, Cftv/ovM,' the, coll ono boys made only a feeble ' 1 Jjffort,' allowing , their opponents - five' more - ' kliasV 3?oiro being absent, the Greens had tjmforoo to; play only fourteen . man,.; and filled the vacancy at idontrs. T3e was the ono live man among the Stacks'. -, ■ The gatno was clean, tho only, flotjccablq. , i ■ Jiroaoh betivecn Symea and jlros- • Man, two opposing forwards. By' a suddeny Gwersion of tho play;' these two were left in - the ..own, any hostilities were, quickly. ■ftroppecf.' , ' ' Hie scorers for Wellington'were Hill (two tones)., L. Bridge, D. Bridge, ' Wilson, and . Attempts at goal: were made by jWyinks, ,li. Bridge; Kirkwood, and Hill, but ■ the strong' Southerly made sure goal-kicking ' ' " ; . A pretty little oonp was aocompKshdd by. Cu Biidgo, right-wing. He caught a. ball iodly, and two Groon* men, bore down upon. Slim. He mado a foint to run, and: then" idroppod down between tho two, neither of Whom anticipated, tho movo, and were quite unprepared for it:.- It:was a clover, ruae;" and brought the ball out of a tight comer. ■>: , Mud and mist, i>ermcated by a -marrowihilling .'•'southerly,"."were among the 'fprojjartioa '.of the Oriental-Southern perform- .:. tho two "acts" of wliieh wero perl (formed-with varying ability qn the bleakj .(Polo ground at Miramar. A scanty section : ■ ■' "of the football communitv was attractod by 'iha. particular, class" of- drama" ..billed ;for !tho occasion, and. although somo ablo per;Jfonpors were includod in -the ''cast," and .; . lattended to their "lines'.' -well, tho general "Stmoaphenc conditions were too inclement ex- ! cept for the . "claqueprs,7 ,and -the . curtain' • Hraa mng down on almost "empty benoh®;".]The, Southern players excelled themselves-in " >itho spell; and by fine, forward work con-, ftimjally ,-. lhe. latter - out- ' slasacd though,they v/ere, however, three , <pointa on at half-time.' Favourc<\ by tho elet meota in tho sccond spoil, Oriental opened ...- out tho play, and their speedy backs wero iirought into play with fine effect, the team's: scare boipg raised to 25 points, M tho'out-. • . • ■ come, of a splendid olfort - on, the .part .of. - Honlihan; who made a great, , dash to/ the , - • imo, Campbell was ablo to score Sauthorn's ' 'only try." at wing-forw?ffd fPT, ' . ■'.' -Boatliera, waQ the shining light of tho' . tend'he easily played tho .best gamo-on : tho ; ■ field, • This player, on n continuance.of pre™ , eeitli form, may receive the attention of the centers later on.'. His play on Satnrday , ,was without mistakes, crisp, and of a style that palled for much check-mating — more cheqk-makmg than his opponents wero always , able to funnsh: 1 , Soirthem has a fine set of fonvnrds, and'it thercforo seems a pity , that ' a similar prowess, ia ;not discernible among ; tho 'backs. \ ■ IJ'Grath,- tho ,■ Southern fulMwk,. gavo » poor display. . His kicking wafl creditable, ' 1 but i q Uisinelination -to tackle - the solid Btoff" cost his sido at least- two tries. ' * i Southern farwards.,aH deserve praise, but ;■■■■.' tho best r were, nudoubtodly Campbell and Borjlihan.- These players were irj. tno.van of ; . most of the rushes, and their play generally ,'■■■/ • took a lot of stopping. Oriental forwards on Saturday ware. out- • : t played as a combination. ' Thoy wero "in holda" with a :much heavipAlot, apd suffered in ; consequence;, . Individually, Tyrrell, M'Mahon and Perry caught .' , tho oyb oftenest. ••' .'; .7-', Two yonthful : menibora of tho Oriental three-qnarter lino are Sturrock and Kmvig— • ■ , ex-Qhnstcburch Boy?' High School playors.-, ■ . ; {Choy are both light and speedy,-and, in as- '. Bociation with Robort3, comprise a forceful < ' attacking combination,.' . : 1." at.full-back, : J)layed a sound defen- . Bwq gamo for Oriental". . The strong : wind fwas, no doubt, accountable for his placcticmg not being so good as of yore. - :.r; I Spectators, at;,.the game between Athlotis - and Petopo vote - it the bost:so ifar this sea's. -. !«®;' Play, . which' vvas: mostly '.confined. to tho fonvwds, was undoubtedly of a high ,i' ,->Now : and again ~:tho ', oxqitein.op.t : *• gtenr.quite as intense as in .the -case,of a /-■ ' representative match.. 'faking . everything into consideration,-Pc- ; iqno deserved to win. , v--- • ■'- Cunhiiigham,.-'; the , Athletic ' full-back, :* ~looked:;anything ,hut pomfpjtiibli at ' times. - J:: He 1 , fielded :the, greiasy- ' bail ."rcinarkably ' well, ;,hpt his. kiqking was,' oav the whole, not ,up : to the mark. . More than onco ho let bis 6ide down badly. , : ' , Despite: .the. attentions of:' Sullivan, ,Hardkm and 'Co., the Athlctic rearguard ac- . . quitted .themselves • well. - Only 011 low occa- ' aions, however, did thoy attempt to throw, 'v :tha>baU about. - Their'wcklihg,tin particu*F> was creditable.Evonson wa?, as usual, tho strong man among.them. /v t : liom kick-off until no-sido tho Athletic r-; /-Iqrwairds worked 'hard/,.-,!i!hey.,had p'-iich, the better of • matters at the commencement of' ,- • tlio gamo.' During-, the. second spell' they, made one of -the finest rushos that havebcon . \seon this season. Subsequently, however,thoir, oppanonts , hold the upper, hand,:.' . : Among tho Pelone backs, Uleni Green was responsible for a.lot of good play. 'From . *' time. to .time,, he>. had.. to, face, big . rushes, -'" t and never "dnco did' he' flinch.' -- Wi thout ; his senrices 4 Petono would ■ havo ' been badly off. His was .the, only.- try ■ scored during tlio match. '' '-j; Mnch;interest:,centred -in..the'.doings, of. promoted , live-eighth. Judging ■~ '. hy-' his performance on Saturday, ho should v, ,vv:-bf^pjp i .,o"iYB i luablB il |nonibo'r'.,qf.\his'!.Mdp/.'. t f course, lio has got.a lot to learn, bpt what : ho does know ho IISC3 to advantago. :. f'or , sonie- reason or other the Petone pack were not seen at their best in the ' ii'nst spell. V lndcctl, . were "times when tbey seewod at sixes aud; scvcub. During ; \ the second half,', however, they. displayed,' bettor-combination nnd linn .dasifi, ;■ • Although Old Boys wero beaten by a sub- • ; gtaptial margin by I'oneko, tho gamo. was -. • . anything but uninteresting. !Qn tho part of tho I'oneko backs there was clover passing • wMo . 'the - Old; Boys pack also did a' lot of. ;' / creditable-work.-,- -It by no means follows that- . because Old Boys are at tho bottom of .the list thoy are the ,weakest, gide in' the '.com-, petition, ' , :,\:t- -,- ■ V That Walshe is an acquisition tot local Rugby circles no ono wjll deny, Laat Saturday ho was tho best back, in thq Poneko-Old Boy? match, His .display was, however, .' . marred by pelfish tactics. '■ , Avery wag: again cpnppicfloijs for fine foot-, work, On sovornl occasions his dribbling \w pich as would delight the heart of n "soccer" ' enthusiast. But, as usual, he received praotically no support. One wonders whaiover Old Boys Tyopid do . without -Dawson.' Bis tackling :wa« 'a fea- ' turo of tho second spetl, ALas, ho found that oven a Rugby player haa his limits. Tho gathering of 10,000 at the Sydney University-Globo niatch most harvo been unanimons 'In tho , pjpinjqn . that Prl : Jamee Hughos is onco again tho best forward in New South Wales. —The "Ifeferee." : , t ' . Thore -ia no proapeet of 'eiG-seleotar' Hqgan .talcing tho.field for Southarn this.soaßon. Somo yonrp ngo.he aJi ipjury to his v leg in an importapt'jPßfch Ijl his PStlrP wilds. , Now :ho -istgoipg to undergo an. operation, ; wnth a view to the removal of a splinter. Six week? hgnc? ho W)'l) lbs wpwts) bo about. . . again, -. -uln -«a '.'AffefcSs

wrltftf, Chapman, who eoino oat with tlio British tenm, is a player wliu baa net had lib tills seftsan. : "One a{ the best tlifeequarter ,baoh§ In iHglaiitl," is haw ho doBdflbcs luiii- Continuing, he ndtlsi "He la ywy fast. he haa with his paeo it ilita swerve, ho eau l(lal(, aud he e&ii tueklu. But ho wits fated to be on a North aids that played SO pm' eent, below tboirferm against the South, and wore bniUy beaten," i It'hus tha-''Hydt!«y Httfcroo I 'i "Tho Kangaroos havo returned with a poor record of JYiiii). tlio Bjlowßjlow fields of tho Old, Land) hayhie iWtwi thorn.! Novoi'Uiolons, they havo a muoh -"bettor. combination than thoy bad prior ; to sotting out. In,a word, thoir imLiuuvomont is vory marked, and it is both individual and oollcctive. . Tho forwards know very, littlo about the six-scrummago | bofpro goiug .to Krigland) they Biota to kno\i I ail about it now, Tho b*\oksi coipbjne very olaverly; - find at good paoo.'The : sido has' racqllenVcombißstion,. find the ir.atchep with 'the Now. Zealand-team a- tiionth or so hence should produce' admirable football. ' ~ According to thb.-.'.'Sydney "All Blaolc"_ Booth's- presence appears to make a vqry .big difference to. Newtown. .Wbon he :M ..tljere .theycombine' .splendidly and at great pace, and though ho is written down as a alow player in JScw Zealand, b'o has tho peouliar faoulty of getting there just when he 'is wanted. The average' Syoncy halfback and three-quarter is weakest in seeing the slightest opening and getting in like a flash to the ball. And that is just where the average high-class New Zealand back shines. . With ■ him- : tho saying that "he, who hesitates is lost" has a real meaning. vSpeslringviit ;the,"annual dinner of tho Chiton FootbaM Club, Ifa, Tl, Lynpo. president of the Welsh Rugby Union, said that .in-the football world, and. particularly in >n i ,■ By wor<> Posing through! a' crisis, they had had to fight,against , tho Northern Rugby Union, Ho thought tho Northern Union . waa moro nearly Scotch; and ho WOffld not bo surprised'if in a short time they heartl) nothing of that Union in Wales. Jfley-had a bigger battlo th;,n that to-fight, however, and that was'the battlo of Ruggor v. Soccer. Continuing, ho. said he felt that tho stand which . was making, though some might say they had gone too far,v. would ultimately be for the good of football.; In tho Rugby world they , had jqst one, crisis 1 which should never : have arisen, and they.had'anothor in front pf them •WliCil would'. Require al| the interest which thoy-could give. ; That was* the. question of tlio formation.of.'a; National - /Thus a rofereo-corrospondent in a Homo cxchangtj: If wo.are to" see tbo game played one,would, \vish to seo it, tho rules will havo. to -be altered riiatorially in- - regard to tho question of.the 'looso head' forward in „tne formation of a. ' scrum.'. This undesirfeature of:-the: game wastintroduoed by. tpe New and bas bccomo a regular* feature of the play in some of our first-class ■clubs. Yon know .my experience is not a ?maU or.limited one in,refqroeinn, and I do not hesitate.ty.say that the loose head,question 13 growing rapidly, and is ruthlessly spoiling the forward gaino.ln 'spine matches 1-havo 'taken this season it has, been almost ibio to .get-the ball put in the f pcrum' witli practically only ono, lino of forwards, and that lino- an. irregular one. I could .PftiQQ one particular: match wliqro frequently sip? men were in the front--row.'.'As fast as onb 'man runs ..to tho -si do whore the referee is: having tile' ball put in from, another opponent runs,around .until,l have been forced -to .threaten $q penalise for obstruction, ' If it is not stopped, and at once, it will spoil tho..game. Tho only. remedy, I venture to thinlf,-that can prevent the loose head becoming; an'.: absurdity is .for ' tho 'refbreo to penalise 'the 'side tthat has more thaii-thrco •men forming;tie-front rank'of, tho 'scrum.'-" .Among a number- of remits to bo considered at'tho annual .-meeting of tho English ltugby Union on'the 27th Uic tho following:—(1) "That thjs\meeting is professionalism exists'in the jßugby Union, and that 'tho.committee has' not consistently en-' forked the Professional,ljaws," (2) "That the .following shall be. tjiomodc of scoring:— A try shall equal 3- points, : a goal from a try shall equal 2: points, and adrop, nuirk. or ponalty goal shall equal 2 points. (3) "That in no case should 1 a rtferee be paid more than reasonable and actual _6iit-of-pocket expenses,' and that any. application for or .offer' of, more, than such "expenses be reported by the person receiving the application or offor to this unjon." . (4) "Tho complainant clubs ;or members; shall-havo alright to.attend 'and bo represented.at■■'sucb'inquiries and esamirio and cross-examine witnesses and conduct their cases. 'and shall bo'permitted all reasonable facilities ■ for so doing, by inspection of matonnl, books, and papers." (o) "That ?n the caso' of a kick for goal, if .the ball i? illegally after-the kick has been taken, and 1(1 the opinion of-the roferoo a goal would undoubtedly havo been : obtained,' he ' shall havo power to award ■ a goal." . . Thp.takings raf'.tho Athlotic : Park last Saturday totalled £71. ; Old /Boys are leading in connection with tho competition at' Chriatckurcb, . | Gallagher/ the, All Blacks', captain,; is once moro. solo selector, .for the Auckland .Rngby Union. ' _ ' , General satisfaction'is expressed at Hamilton' at ' the successof tho' South Auckland Rugby Union in securing representation on the Now Zealand-.Union.: It will,bo remembered that the "sub-unjqns—'W nnd Goldfields the' Auckland Rugby Union last yenr; with the ohjebt ,'of getting reprcsenta- ; tion on. that body,, but, foiled.' ,'They. then decided Ito apply for affiliation' to tho' head body, ; 'and ~iit '.tlie gonoral meeting recently this was granted. . ~ As the result, of an incident in the Nprth Shoro-Pbrisonby souior football match played at Devonport on- Saturday afternoon (--two playera fforo ordorod off tho field. • The ,players ill quostion. wore two forwards, J. Hall (Ponsonby) and,-B,V Powell (North Shore). Thoy are alleged to have struck each other in a forward rush, and Powell foil and on the ground for sfirae time" having received n very bad cnt on tho right jaw; Hall was bleeding from the nose. The referee promptly ordered both men off the field, and tho game was resumed and .concluded without further incident. ■ ; .J : ,

, Thus ,im exchange.—Rugby football , apparently is in ,a ba<l-- way.-' in' Marlborough, if ■one can judge froUi'theintorest taken in tho ; opening match of the seasohi , Town v. Country was: thQ'ifijrture/'Vand? ahput'.-bno-hplf ■ of the, players .'.picked to -do battle-ppt in an appe'arfince. ■ /The union secretary and the referee were, prescpt, byt the oval, .was amissing: Sonio'spociators arrived, in the expectation of seeing a, good game. Thoy"didnot seo'it, howevor, as the b?.U failed tq mtiko an apponrap.ee,; and the;other.half of -the playqrs remained' away- There was a good 'deal of murmuring on the part of those who in' their own opinion, had boon ,f ljad,'' and after waiting for nearly an hour the; small crowcl disporsed, leaving their sixpences behind them. -' ;

A curious coincidence in connection with tho victory of the Richmond-(Vio,) Football Olub over University last week is vouched for by a, representative of tho elnb. During the week one of the, players (Burns) told him that he dreamed that ho was'- injured,tiind carried off the field, .while playing against the University. That was lat<j in thd. "day, but he oamo back and won tho match fortius sido.. Tho dreani was oxaotly. rflalisad iij ,the resplt. Burns was qlf . apparently, badly-hurt.' ' Internal injuries :were" feared,' and.it was suggested that ho should be sent to the hospital. Towards the end of the match, however. Burns wont into the field again, whcP thq University were leading,made a'magnificent "mark," and kicked tlio goal which put pichmond >P front, arid won them-the . game. ■ . '