FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

RUOBY. ,v / (Bx AbibtobuiiTJß.) ' When the game, degenerate, ■*'» Toils towards its ancient state; "■ When, as in an older day, / "Pack and roarguard really play; / When a fairly decent game Sets the children's mind aflame—' , From the shrill hyperbole, Libera nos, Domino When the passing, haply wise. And the rare uniumbled tries Wake a misty memory Of the Game that Used-to-Be; When to-day's Deoropitudo Sndden bloomi to Fairly Good— From the shrill hyperbole, Libera nos, Domine Djing night-lights t emit many a shaft of brilliance before they go out for good, and the flickering Rugby candlo is not different Ten years will see it •blotted with Egyptian Wackiees.ybut meantime it shoots an intensely bright tongu* towards tho ceiling at time!), , and the flies on'''the wall are deceived. The Jim-fly nudges the Emma fly, end ssys: "Beloved, it is morn." Poor fliefll They walked over a plate in the daytime, Muhmistook it for the* universe. G&soonnade—the gasoonnade'* which haa been poured over the Onental-Potone match, the gaeconnade of the "street corners, and the gaseonnade of killing Rugby. Conceive some of it , — \° Never m tho memory of mortal man has such a memorable etrugelo boon waged than the contest which eventuated on Saturday last between the clever Oriental team and the redoubtablo Fe- *' tone combination. It was an epochl 'marking event m the annals of Dominion Bugby in which every man performed prodigies of valour, and it surpasses in ite transcendent excellence- tbo evanescent brilliances of ordinary club games, reaching, as it 'does, ,a high pinnacle of brilliancy, compared with which many intercolonial, and international, pale into insignificance. Amid the Tro-" jan-like efforts of tbe victors, whose iridescent and meteoric passing was tho feature of the match, we particularly 1 noted the Herculean performances of Brown, Smith . . while, for tho losers, who left the field vanquished but not 'disgraced, we may say, without making , invidious comparisons, that, I Jones, Robinson . . . (and thirteen more) 'toiled strenuously to avert .de- > feat That the better side won there , is no geinsaying, but ... etc., etc, eto. ft [ill this, of course, is deadly on the players—everyone who has coached a good team understands that—but otherwise it is goni ially funny. It brings such rare, remote i ' places as Constantinople to one's elbow, for all who lack the senso of proportion are much the same, and the unkempt hawker 1 rushes on stnotly sober Mohammedans with the cry: "In the name of the Prophetfigs I" ' • The meeting of Oriental and Petone was 1 b fino spectacle, but not much of a match. 1 It seemed to require fifteen of Petone to hold ten of Oriental in check. Whilo these were locked up doing that the five Oriental ■"unemployed" kept "doing things." .And tevery time, these doings ended up the same way-ra Petone player etandmg near his own goal-line, wondering how one could stop three. The 'last of these three was always Matheson—Matheson, who is worth about three in himself The other four "unemployed" were Roberie, 1 M'Leod, Sturrock, 1 and Kinvig., ( And the greatest of these was M'Leod and Roberts both state that they have a way of lotting each other know the move that is "on," but they keep that to themsolves.* "The ex-Alhambra player also mdmite that a dasher like Roberts is a hard jnaa to follow,, Every first-class baok is. Forwards on tho Oriental side wore only fair; Petone forwards'poor, and Potone backs I poorer. In faot, among the twenty-six players other than/the aristocrats who "stood off" and-did tho /scoring, there is only one name worth mentioning that that name 'is . Perry (Oriental)., <In the van of his late club (Port Chalmers) he used generally to be in tne thick of things, and, provided ho is not killed by tho usual poisons, ho ought to become a very fair forward. ' Mud has been thrown at the referee by Uomo members and supporters of the Petono jtoam, and one allegation ought to be looked ' «t. It is stated that Sturrock was three yards off-side at tie close of tho game when 'Petone were tackling and the referee took i mo notice • This is really true, but what flPetone do not realise, and what tho roarers ' Iwho threw their 1 caps in the air last week never suspect, is that tho best referee who ■walks on to "a s football field any Saturday makes at least forty mistakes every mutch (Every player knows that, but tho fault is not Ifcho fault of the roferoe Tho multiplication of rales killed a certain game in America, ' and the thicket of case law, special interpretations, decisions of referees' conferences, ttnd all that sort 'of thing is only another nail into the coffin of Rugby. Theso annual ' alterations to the laws of'tlie game aro executed annually by ,men quite unskilled in tho meanings of words, and the result is that one may pick up a Rugby annual and find five or six contradictions in five or six pages The rules we not "going t<) the dogs'—thoy have long left them, and are speeding on in ' the direction of the noxt-infonor animal > That is one more'mask of the passing of Rugby, onlj, just now ( it is a htflo concealed Ibehind tho cheerful noises of loyagours whose canoe is already /in tlie rapids if they could only see it All that iraj bo reisonably v asked of a rcforco now fa to lot the gamo t run, holding , an oven balance between the two sides Mr. Quina did that, and consequently one is justified in calling him a good • referee^ Scorpion-hko, tho sting of Oriental is in its tail, and it,is now 'supposed that it will Bting its wa) straight into the premiership It may. But tlion there must be a ivay qf grasping "any deadly thu'g," so that it ceases to hurt ToUho nntcnit seems that tho correct uay is to hold the bodv of the croaturo firml) —thit is to say, thoroughly engage 'its foinards —an<l then catch tho etmg joint b) joint Talvo hold of tho actiyo M'Leod joint,' the Sturrrck joint, tho Kinvig joint, and the swift Matheson joint 'Above all do not necleet the Roboiti joint Stand right up to tho "attack lino," "go for" every bick, and go for him low If Oriental meet somo team which is able to do this, tho gamo ought to bo worth seeing Ponoko may bo able to do it all, but if they • neglect one fraction of it they are "done " How far wero Petono able to do anything like this? They wero not ablo at all. After the first six points had been put dn thoy tried to grasp "the body of the Oriental creature, and forgot tho tail Then the Roborts joint wagged very loose, and Matheson scored. After that they turned all their energy to tho Oriental tail, and tho body of the vigorous animal fetched clear. It bit with its forwards, and M'Mahon scored So that, as before stated, ft scorned to need fifteen of Petone to keep ten of Oriental quiet • Facts, severely distorted bj tho flies on the roll, are now nearh back m proper perspective. One most important—TV ill mako so Many seem to ha\o iorgotten that it was an unprecedontedly jfoak Potono that was sent out to engage the Onontal addei Sullivan—best forward in Wellington.—severed his connection with his club on Thursday night Will Rjan announced an injury to his kneo, sustained at the Gear Works as late as Saturday morning M. Ryan, injured in the Ponoko match, was still unfit to play Tho team were thoreforo tho weakost which has represented Petone this year. It has been siid thit Hardham could havo altered the result of tho pamo by throwing out I'nco, as rover, soonor. With tho abovo diwginised team 0 Moonshine I Tho talengs at the Athlotic Park last Sat- . urday totalled £107. Melroso's chnncos of premiership honours jeem to bo growing smaller, though, of

course,; one never knows what the next round may have in store for thorn.. Six games ■ played, 3 won . and 3 lost is their record to date. .': If Melrose wish to do better they will, have to find a leader for their , forwards—how about Sullivan, anyway ?— and their backs' will have, to learn how to throw about tho ball. Their display against Athletic was the poorest they: have given so far this winter. . : . .-;■ .-,'. . ... . ■ Under the circumstances, however, Athletic were , lucky .in scoring; a] victory over MeTrosb. Owing to the loss of '.&.' Wilson, at the bnd'of the'first half, several changes, became -necessary among the: backs. Had Melroso'. shown , ' the. dash for., which i. they are' noted-they must have won.; .Athletic were; however,- more , successful in getting' the ball in- the scrum, and used tho touch line to greater.advantage,;than Melrose.' '. Evenson stood out '.by himself' among the Athletic : backs. His '. kicking was indeed a .distinct;feature of.-thoigame. If it had not been;for 'his! skill Melrose would have been returned the winners. Opportunely ho took; a ; :hand"'in v a^forward : ;rush, and- scored .a try whichf-he succeeded.in converting.C S. Wilson waß'not a groat: success at five-eighths, Certainly .he'takes; the baU very .well,, but he does not;;always,'tn'ow , .;.wliat',,to..do with it. Qn;one 'occasion,'at any rate, he. excited the of his colleagues. 'lii/cold blood he actually threw the ball I. blindly behind him. yards, away from hisVneaiest"attendant.':;f .: ;•.. v- ■ . ■ - , -.Richardson,; the! Atnletio -half, 'played 'splendidly."in;'the. first spell., . Unluckily, before; the game was half, over; he got a blow bh.ithe ;hcadi;- That accounts;.for; the, fact slightly dazed during, the remainder,of ; the "contest., ' ; ; r ■ •', •' •■': .:■ ' • 'among the Athletic forwards.; were Irvine.)and Cunningham;; For 'some;treason ; i or.; another,! ~'!Ranji" Wilson ;.was»,not'at'ithe [topVofThis"form,' but Bell 'didfdtidit ■ to "■. himself, :: 'and ;■ his'.side.....; ; ; ' : ■■' : ;'>.lTn'do)ibtedly. thVbest of the Melrose backs waKC.TMurphy, .who. performed the large •"share-bf'i'wo'rk which 'fell to -his lot in: good s'tyleK'if (;-'■ ;• •, 'W^ \ ,■ .■'.-. v . ■:Marshaili;haigßc|me.''.valuable experie'nee in .JandinJsi /^pqliVln;^^j;ying'vWin3.: ,:"S'or , a' , time ■he j gamMi<very;';iitt(e "ground ■' for ;his j rside with', his' the game .worpoii, there-.wa's ; a:decided,.improvement'in'his ais-, . play. ; ' r : .'. - : .' ■'' : ; -:■■.,-, /, .■ ;■ ■ V -■ - ,'. ■ ;•';-''' ■ ; • ■ ..Among..-.the "'Melrose. pack .whose' efforts lacked?, vim,': Sullivan ''appeared , to bo the, most assidu6us..uNext in- order came . J; was: repeatedly to ,the" fore.. -VvThus.the -"Cynic" in ;the ''Sydney. Re-' •■feree",:—One/ has: very great admiration for '.F.-lßobDrtsyjas'scrum; half-back , , and vwould '.not, , 'care 'tolj say ;'that,;l. J ever saw' a : bettor ; 'playbr; in the. .position'; , :- .'But,. in ..'comparing •Roberts contemporary, , ithree,"; have ;b'6; ;con|idered:' : One, , that'.-'ie ■•; is-'» : prottoted---by : ■• a ;-.wing-fofward; twb,' ; that benini'..a"v l seven pack: he receives . the'-ball ■''shatp.-taai* clean'.'.-jVithreelS'that''in —at ■ all / events • npt?in ; \the'' same.' degree'; as' ■'the'ppposingjhyf.iisfbloqKed,'..-; e,-0C '■ :; ..I'rA- great/; the large : crowd \of: spe'ptatorstto,' : enthusiasm,.iwas wit•nessed' at ;the;;iAgripultural'.: Ground,-, Sydney, the: other ;' SaturdayiV-iitf'^the , - course.-.,0f the 'league!:footba!lSato)i..b>tweenjSbuth , Sydney l and''.Eastern i ,;Sub;urbs.' , accomplished ■ by-iSurriclge,;'of.'the .'.Eastern Suburbs team, ibeginningv of ..the., second: .half.■', The ball -:was: "placed, -fa Nfpot; behind : _'the.' centre line,' : and. fteburlyV forward getting: his'.fool wel) : uhderViii sent it flying;through ; the uir Straight v over.. the ■ gb'aL' .so that! it: pitehed ■abbuK 3oyds.'..behind.:thei'posts. , ; -; The. .feat wae;:tho;more|meritorious. i ,because:there was ipractipally/no-wind; at'-"thV-.time;-';.-The • distance ;< -was , vnp't--measured,' 'but-it, was. pro-. bably-between 80yds; and. 90yds.--Surndgfl bids fair to rival -Messenger at his; best; ..'He'll 'is a l ;neTv-ac^uisitioiiijtb;the Eastern Suburbs': ,tei'mi-:and'.:'ia/a,:.;wonderfuUy..:Vkee'n' : ,;w6rker,: : bpth'iin ; ;the ,scrum's.- : and the loose. ■' He is' .tallerj-arid',' heavier::'than : ayerage, foot-' balleri'-and/ is \ a quick:., tackier ■for-a; , man', of ■ his stature, i, Perhapa his daily •pecupation,'-.thati'of a.policeman,'.makes,him good .'at "■■'arresting"' men .'running away:with thevbalU:,< f>l^ ',. -M : / /J:'fi(;:r/ ';^'-)t'\ ■■:■': '.'■'Thp"m'aMger i :;bf.the-Australian:;.team on ;thefEnglish' 'tour, .has supplied.,copies., of the.':financial;'.statement' of. the.-receipts.-and ioxpenditurei v etc;, , s 'joE i the'-.'.tonr. v > -The: share "bfr''tKeV-gatV^^eceipitia-"'inT.'Enjglaii3 , ' 'amonnted ;.tbi£4s7B'•■.Bs. : ('Bd;,''iarid-itho:.total-receipts (including' advance' 0f;.£1978::15i';1id.);.;£7127 ; items rare: ■ Dpntitionsr from/.Nißln;', £193:65.': 5d,; ;tipnHo?players from;N;R.U.y £54; advances. ■from VN.R;U/;' )£l4o; '■} and'players'.. signing iph-fee'j,'"•£J7s;:''■•T;h'e;: three-big , ..'items. of 'ex-' ;pense;f'areV".-£25.85,;:75.-!';6d;: as .travelling exjpenses, J£1535- 6s; ■ 9d.' hotel - iii accommodavtibniJandi:£7Bß';:ss'.{players' 'advances. '.'-, The ! rietvlbs's -on -the , tour-is '£285 Is. 6d.; which. :(lessi' £4p;'bwing'itpvthe;N,R.U.)': so farthe manager, ,-,is i.pnt:- Of;, pocket.;'; .:'-■•.-; '-\* ,':,?,;.. '■■ ■■. -,;,Th'e.' small ".cpterie'.'ofivspebta.tore'.whb , withstood the 'bitter, wind which raked the No. 2 •Polo.-ground'-at\ Miram'ai'in : order-to-'.watch ;the Old Bpys-yictoriaGpllege'matoh deserve ;consid6ratioii'' : from;..some',hero: fund. ■ -If' it : : was".|;the .expectation of : ; interesting':football ithat.induced 'their, outlay in!-itr'am and. boat v .'fa'roS'..tMeyi were'iadly.- disappointed, and -'an-' ptheir :expectdtion'T-a':win .for' Old Boys—was ■also:!unfulnlled:• ;K- ':.' ■■/■v:.:,' V- : '.' : ,* ; \: i-vNeitHerinbout^he;play nor_theiplayers was; there that, atmosphere or ability.. re.'cbllcct's ! ',m v ;connection -'With :"se'niof.". r ;. foot-; JSal| , .'pf ,: ress''jihan;<a';doca"de-'ago';;\ln:faot,.th ■pld-timer c,aii,'at* almpst'any fixture,'be heard -making, the ■:!■' comparison which is odioue ", anehtHhe game; : ih;progress.]..and;the contests' .iofv.loiigl.agp^in''which,; giants;'of'evergreen mempryi'strove.'j : In, its'tiull VA.U'!Black: stage.. Merei'^fjernaM;smuch. that is',"advanced", .abp'dtf prtsent-day^fbotballi'.'.but .-with that, 'grade iβ|^nuriate^,^ : .o■ne:■ : l reachesva'■very medi'ocreiistratuni; partly; multiplicity>^f v clußs',;Whifch ',bhngs less than: passable;juniors;;into :the : game.. And: this'Shs"especially.-noticeable' about the Old Boys-VictorialCpllege , :match.- , ; ".:. '.'' -; ; ;•' ' :,:■ .:: Old Boys ,were, jperhaps,.stale after their sojourn in Ohristohurch': in connection with , the'Devenish Shield--at any. rate, they, were ■"nevef'in:it'''with'itlie:Collegians,; who would have registered:a'muoh bigger score had they been smiled on a little!more kindly, by Dame Fortune. : -As it/'wasy Old Boys came out of a game that, was • chiofly; .fought- but, by the .forwards in.a:minoritj?:,of one point.' ;_' v.Victoria- College: showed, to .advantage in the'..sorums; v and'-in'.this.:cpnneotion 1 -'Avery l . thpVfringbj'.'fori Old-Boys, imight be. mentioned for, his consistent smothering, of the Col- : Avery has performed ■yery isorviceably for Old Boys in recent seasons, but he is not very fleet./ On Saturday, by'shappißg'up an opportunity from .a line-:out,,he,-had a dear fun in, but, owing to deficifenoy in speed, he was overhauled when a try would have been within.the powers of almost any member of a harrier club's second contingent.-'',i. ' ■ ..:.■;' .' i ', Dt 'tie;rest.of the^ Old'Boys' team thero is little to .'bo; said; excepting that. Marchant 'was. a good'lieutehahC..to .Ayery in the.for|wards.Marchant.,s!!ts";an example to many forwards .by - his unfailing fol]owipg-up. Fol16wing:Aip to a,solid;set of backs is, perhaps, licart-breaking work,«but. even the beet of them'.mike.inistakeS/and.hcre it is that tho Mllowing'up.'forward comes, in.for his :ward-..' : -'v- <;•■ ■ , " , ' , . , ■':■■. ■', ' -~. ... , ' •' „ . ' Thatnuggety'.wing-three-quarter, Dawson. was most m" evidence amohg the Old Boys' backs? and ho mado few mistakes. ; ;v One ima"ginos that the Victoria College forwards isirtpjised .even,,!themselves on .Satur-'d»y.''.Anyway,--in:comparison with their previous displays this season, their, exhibition' when pitted against Old Boys outclasses their othor showings this soason. They are a heavy lot, and insufficient training'has no doubt been responsible for their inferior work up till this match. ':,.." : ;' '.'Do- la' Mare was invariably at the head of Victoria Cojlogo'ii/forivard rushes, _ and ho ;alsP put iii some-vory-'uspful defensive work, 'and the Collegians "have a lot. to thank him for.in connection, n'itji' their : win.. If there ;was':onp i oiitstniKlingf«ituro about the game 'it. was' the tackling, Which lias',of tho deBoription known as "hard , , , —a -little unneces■snrilj'.'so on some occasions, while on others ithe' piayermaking to Mother. Earth had not even had a nodding acquaintance with the leather for .quite a few minntee. .

Like their opponents, Victoria CoDcgo had Irttie ohanoe to indulge in back play. CrLeory was usually most prominent-. in tiio oomibined rushes, which woro few and far between. Borondson's pace enabled nun to outstrip tie opposition from good scoring openings, end to touch down on two occasions.

■ A "regretkble incident" from a Wellington point of view was responsible for their team s overthrow by Southern at Polo No. 1 ground, Miramar, on Saturday. 'The winners 5 points was the result of most of the players oalling a halt during a hot passago in the game owing to thi Bounding of a ioreign whistle.being taken for that of.the referee in charge. While.tho other players wero standing 'by, J. Campbell; Southern, seized, alike the opportunity and the ball, and after a "go" on his own was joined by "Les." Campbell, who picked up the leather and touched dow,n. 'After an explanation by the referee in the ■ matter of the whistlo-blpwing, "lies." Camp.bell converted .the try. -.'.;'" '.-. : This was the ,most: noteworthy; incident in ■a game of haphazard scrambling, and general inability on the part of both'teams'to do the •right thing at the,right moment. < :- ; On . "form"—that' entirely inconclusive term—Wellington should have won. And,so should niany a horse in a steeplechase, "if" he had only been able to negotiate the fences. The "fence" that'brought the Wellington team downtime and again Was the inability, of the back's at critical times, to handle' the ball'cleanly. Also it would indeed'he well if the* Selection. Committee of -the 1 club could induce the members of a. very'likely, combination to pay more serious attention • to .training operations'than is ; apparently the ease" at present. -The material is at hand; and it only .requires a proper moulding. It Jsrathei costly payment for •.this present , apparent inattention to "condition" that a team should practically throw away a 'match.as. Wellington did last Saturday. .'. ~/.■; •; . The Southern team deserve a. , small'meed of praise for the plugging.manner-in which: they stuck -to their heavy task .of .repelling Wellington's repeated onslaughts, , particu-; larly towards tne. latter half of ;tbo • second spell. /■■:■ : :V ;..-;,' ■■■" ';'■•■■■■ .' ': ;'-. ..•■'' To .come to the players individually, come sort of-mention might be made,of Houlihan, Moriarty, and J., and "Les." "Campbell, who strove hard. for., Southorn,V. and Malfroy, M'Kellar, Bridge, Hill, and Wilson, who-ex-erted -every effort to put on -the winning points for Wellington; ': •,.'■:■-'. ..■.'.;;, i., ' ■ "Keep off the : line I" The reminder is intended for those- who sinned at the junior match; played'at Lower Hutt- last Saturday. Trespassing on' the field is not' a fair thing. As a rule, Wellington spectators do not' err greatly in. this respect,;and the. Hutt. scene was. a glaring' exception. At iPetone matches earlier in the season tho same thing, happened, but, latterly, the true 'sporting'.in-' stinct has conquered, .and .the'players have had a. clear' field.- ■ A .word to our Hutt friends 'should, therefore, have effect. : -Ia there reasonable excuse for a man who takes a perambulator on;to- the field five-Tards in front 'of the'goal? v That was actually "done, • The pace which Poneke; set at Petone was just a trifle too-strenuous for the"St.- James, men, and, as.; the game, wore on; to a close, the backs of the leading team practised some concerted -tactics. ->TJien ! iit" was- that Flanagan,;.'Frank Mitchinson, knd Ryan bestirred themselves., .The first score , of ■. the" match -was' easily obtained by Ponekd.f Taking .a. , .: pass, from .Walshe. F. Mitchinson' potted a,: cool goal.. ■ : St;'. James' wereVawarded 'a try for obstruction'by Ryan; t and.the ball came back again . in .Shadbolt's , hands, : ,?but Flanagan let' it 'go: as he fell, across.;'the.'iine,. and failed. to touch down. ■' ■ :-'\' ■■■■'.-.< '!,,'■-. ■.'/■,"■[. '~'■■:..

The second score for St. James was given by, Walsho after half-time. From a line-out St. James pushed to some purpose, and the Red five-eighths in between his iown posts, kicked high in the wind, enabling Hills to jump over again* Later, the Reds woro diligent, and competed their opponents to 1 force a couple of times. M'Gratn (wing) rather showed the white feather by stepping smartly out of the way of the ball when Hunter and somo more big Ponekes charged down. A score followed. F. Mitchinson kicked with judgment, Thomas (full-back) was too slow to prevent Tilyard and "Walsho from taking the ball over Tho last try was obtained by NTilyard r , i Dennehy kept to the fore' in the Poneko attacks, and lyler was of considerable value in tho St. James forwards.' Treziso, who sustained n damaged side, was replaced by Whiting in tho second spell, and Calcinai was another Poneko man who suffered injury. Hβ limped about on the wing with a rather painful injury to his foot.