LACROSSE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 19 June 1909, Page 12

LACROSSE.

(Br "Lira DfitEKcn.")

Last wbek's game; ot test of playing' the twd , most cveiily-inatched teams available hojo at present, ui\ist be'deeraed a suocessful one, even if it only went to show that our niuch-booined ■ attaekihg line are at: present some cases—not within pounds ef the oonditioh. that will be required in a, few weeks' 'time'.They are very flashy, when pitted against a feeble opposition,' but, When it comes to &/.tough, "go," with experienced defenders,;' well—the»deduction' is that, for tko Auckland match, we. shall havo to rely a good .deal upon our defenco players, if Saturday's form is tho best they can prbdTiee. ■■ :

Ih some instances, however, tho conditions 1 in Saturday's game Were in. favour of tho 1 men with the heavy crossos, Tlie back' ground,,for threo sides was a, dark-coated 1 human: line, and. this, combined with a hlaok ball, made tho catching oxtromely difficulty Also " the ettcfoaehnicnt of . BpMtators ' .Upon the; playing, area considerably interfered, with niou when in the :aot -of . taking t1i0.. ; balli : HoWevor, tlidSe i-oasohs not actoUnt for the generally disappointing;display.igiv.en b'y the palpably .'out-at»oonditioned set ,of at-, taclcers. ' Tho writer's keeomcss' to . .beat Auckland has caused him to write' more, than he intended, .but, really,; it . is, to 'bo hoped thi) pkycrt will tmprovo eonsiflefably bfl'Satufday's. display. ,: Atneng' the isaiiy, thii greuhd—'isrfiifo Messfi. Moiitgbmery; Otot'ite, luid. Oleustbn, of' the, Selection: Committee, while another of those, constituting that body was .'be' seen funning about in; different pl4ees > 6n the field, presumably as a player, lit this connection.;, it !was', '.that one player who had , hopes ■ demonstrating'. to ~' the Sflleetors ; that his fflhn had .been; considolv . ably improved, by ptaeticO during' tho' froek, and who already stripped for action,* was eoaipblled to den Us mufti, as each team had a .full complement. . The governing body Shoold certainly take pointed notice of this incidents. I. hie to a entioisffi of; the playots. Littlo fault can bo found with .tho centres. J. Rankin is probably in. better condition than any other Jnim at the game jtist navf, and revelled ( in the galloping up ( and down the field, iind the bibeking and heavjp eheol!Ing hol. undertobfei Ho"' was c'cSftUmly tho ertiy nlightMainong u theoifcenrftellation 6ff tirod-mcit}■. af 'the' end^ofcihV Hay's play. Cafrtr has made mafked impreveineHti and, if he continues doing , so, Will Bhdrtly bo the best centre We Jiavo.,' Ho":i6- flnbtller that would ohhaneo :his play by tfftnsffli'ring tho ball oarlier than is nis wont. HoweVcr, there are many other defaulters in this spect. ~: ; ', Alan' Montgomery made a reappearance, And his dodging and duoking oanied him, fiiany admirersj although ho let his man roam en a number of, occasions, when work of a Jultry nature was anticipated, Alao ho farely seettife to see hiilf'-a-dbzeii playefs waiting for, a_: pass: while: he is counting irtlible by trying to tfctlge his jvay through •A' string iof ■ defendets. .Bulkley," Robinson, and Fama showed thelf uSual aptitude y at i the gam#, and accounted for everything that came theit way. The flvst-iifttted m indeed . unlubky ttj reotiivo : a misdirected «nd painful knock early in the gahin! He Must be if good fibro, wheu he pliickily : resumed his place under •the trying ciroumstances• Casey played his tlSu.il eoneistctit game, and this nno sport is another;that can take a bump from the hardest, with a sportsman's feel- ; ;irtg..-v': The oentro of attraction throughout was a medium-built" player, wearing ft light bltlo eap.;; A pioture of cjilmncssi seldolh a 'Word, he. glided about with (( beautifully : graceful action, . always waiting eagerly lor the.;pass,;'which:was always, l 'taken, eicept . when it .was an' ojio'eptionally/ wild".' tIiMW. This was; Meyer, ;of whom wo : havo'i heard and expected so much, alsd, personally, tho Writer's expectations have* been fully realised, Ho is an .extremely capable and unselfish player, and-one whose actions' on the fielu might bo emulated , with advantage by. a flumber of othets Who 1 , could bo, mentiOneuj and . who talk to& much. .Hotn Seemed but of place at defence,; and' was often but* generillod by Fama, Wbo is beooming moM pMcient Jeaeli game,' in .thA art'of passing accuratoly and . swiftly. > Hudson' added to his - previous big tally of ( goals this year, and. Wellington will feel his loss very fnUcit when he departSi Somo of his shots were tropidah > _; . Coming to tho goalkeeperSj Schftlenhfetg played a very fair game for one 1 that has rtot plhyed; a great dhal this seasdtt, bui , Webb mUst have extinguished anything tCit merited a tick being put against: his nafrte for; d place among the representative teanl| < -by; .being consistently absent from the netSi What ho doeß wheh touring up the field is diillcnlt to' say,. but,, time niter tiflio oh Satufday,;'olio notieiJd Movan filling tiie goalkeepers's position, anil, at the same time, marking GaSoy, i'Vom the S,Vduey i ,."Rofejee' , .! ii -SiS ,thbll'« .. sand'people Witnessed a gattie on the Spßi'-ts Ground ,iri .Sydney last Saturday, Week. The "gate' 1 was devoted: tharitifeii "Poiat," in the. same paper, writes that Petersham, in their Match with BufWood, felt the loss of 'Meyer veiy mnchi