FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

f^'" ; WW ■

(By ARlsionDLtis)

HISTORY REPEATS." ["An auburn-haired,, lately-promoted, hard working Petono forward swooped down on ihe ball, gathered it up, and dashed over tho Red goal with it in a manner that must have made "Harry Stopporloss"—tlio military writer who does .football as a side-line-think of the advance of "the thin red line" of the Old Guard at Waterloo. Perhaps Harry will bo vexed becauso' "Drop-kick" r has thought of this comparison first, but we 'won't discuss that"—Evening paper, July 3.J The eagled Guard! When out it sped , Upon its mission solemn— It formed no ''lino," it wore no "red. t 111 fact, it marched in'column It hit a "lino" with bay'nets fixed, 1 "Boney" orieds "AltGuabds am mixed. Ko eagle now the field bedecks— 1 No guns or bows or arrows; , Our only wounds>are harmless peck 9 By journalistio sparrows. , Still "history repeats," 'tis fixed, ■> I Look up above—ran "Post" is, mixed. Our, friend, the dying gladiator of Willis {Street, is down apparently, and what looks 'like "the remains now occupies an unasI saining position in the sand • Let ns look ' over s tho dying depositiops as contained in the "Post" of last Saturday:— 1 I Neither in sorrow nor in anger. ' V " Dropkick " returns, for tho third and } hst time, to'the subject of "Harry » » Stopperless," It has been convoyed to ■ this writer that many people aro dorivj ing a lot ,of entertainment from these l passages at words, but "Dropkick" can- ' not see his way to let the contentions if develop into a choleric serial argument. r ( Harry is reported to be aggrioved and annoyed a,t the' twist _ given to his pen name; but ho has misinterpreted wnat I was intended. The reforeiico to "Stop- * , t porlesa " was meant to satirise Harry s f •\ burbling habit, ' his glugtoty grtig of \ assertion minus proof; his flood of words about war, and his smooth-flowing un- { substantial allegation about why foot- * ball matches were won and why nil • t critics who disagreed with his deductions t wore lo3t. 1 Last Saturday, Harry was i I posing as a martyr, and incidentally at- ' \ tacking tho ono critic of tho throe Kicks ' who was innocent of all or any of tho ( counter-attacks\mado/ against him., Tho \position, briefly put, is that Harry, while i { suffering from torpid liver, violently dis- \ agreed, in print, with the praise given to tno Potonc-Oricntal match by certain / other critics. Ho sneored at them as \ " flies on the wall." His more recont experiences have shown him that they were ' 1 something much more virile than flics, fand in his chagrin ho has changed from , mentor to martyr. ,Ho is notjtho first , man who lias been unable to distinguish .' hornets from flies, nor the firsf< who has ' j cried griovously iwhen stung as he do- » • I served to he. ' , ' Before this ekemplum horridum, let us pause, take off our hats, and ondeavour to t profit. It would seem that deceased was fairly angry at'tho moment Of dissolution, and anger is no use either for fencing or ' for dying. Tho col!apso,\also was somewhat sudden, after tho gay way in which '"Dropkick" plunged into tho matter thiee wooks ago. "Gluggity grng' of'words" is good, coming, as it doeß, from a journal whioh daily turns out that truly mosme,nsing i effort— "Topics of'tho Day"—wheiein an iota , of satisfying fact is daily concealed underia * dictionary-full of-chan> Three weeks ago, tho samo "gluggity fllug" was referred to in tho "Post" as Dright and original wrii- , ing, but "poor ,IVeril.y, thero is not / much continuity of' policy or expression i about the "Post" As to wounding ' tho wrong member of that Convenes Of Incompetents, who call themselves tho "Three • Kicks, 'I say Hliat'"l do not' know tho "Thkle Kinks" personally, and have endeavoured to keep tho personal clement out of this controversy all through All that I ' know about tho "Kinks" is that, jointly, * tnoy nro the perpetrators* of 'an extremely Billy and meretricious column. Then' there \ is tho huge .-"Post" joke—"Aristobulus," and - ' I'Sarry; Stopperless" "The Kinks" are 'wrong in supposing that I complain of thoir a Cheap Jack wit I mcrelv stop to advise t them that there was no need to oxplaili tho ; why and wherefore of this colossal Witticism, > (as they seem to do in jfche ©xtra<St 'quoted laboyoi I have already given them some'good ,advico, both as writers of English,' and rc- ' ' corders of faots in football - Let <me * now admonish them in thoir chosen role of con-< » I troversialistsj 'Whenever you aro caught, flagrante delicto, never wait to bandy words with/ the policeman, but iun.\ As soon as 'you halt to "explain," a qrowd collects, cabs (stop, and dogs hurry up from round the corner. Lastly, as to tho statement about ijtho "flies on the w.i 11," alleged to have be- ,' come hornets, I retreat temporarily several vorats and a furlong into the , wilderness boyond Packakanki, and say unto 'myself, "Hal ha!" i ' Boa constrictor methods were applied by Old Boys to Poncke. The boa was a slow and < deliberate' boa, but also fairly cffoctivo. 1 .Whenever tho ball camo out a big toil was > thrown round Flanagan, another round ,Walsbo, and a third took two half-hitches ( and a turn round Mitchinson, It reminded one of tho old monochromes showing Laocoon writhing among serpents. It was perilously near to time before Poneko finally broko freo, . " e bo*» a « has boon said, was deliberate. Ho was playing for a draw, being too well ' fed and comfortable-looking to really bo play- - ing for a wm. But, though fat, ho was in-' tolligent, and always ho kept half a wary oye fixed on Ryan. Whenever tho fast Poneko wing looked liko "doing things" the boa bo6tnred himself, and threw out tho Dawson coil with the speed of a Mexican lariat. ( Arcadian peaco reigned on the field otherwise. Wliilo tho boa and his prey wcro locked ( together at ono end of it the small boys were ' walking about tho other. When a dog jumps barking on to tho field it is a sign that the match is a stirring one, but when the smalj bojs invade tho paddock the performers may ' pe quite sure tint tlio'proceedings aro not interesting enough. Generally speaking, it was a nmtoh. whore one might have camped behind tho scrum, and boiled tho billy, and told tales, and slept. As a matter of generalship, what should a team do when its backs are "marked down." man for man, and thoroughly stuck up ? Tho best .remedy... is, to "bruise, ~the serpent's iead" when his coils become too troublesome—that is to say, attack with tho forwards. Unfortunately a number of the Ponoko forwards are not in training, so (as Against Old Boys) that procedure would havo , been out of the question. What may be called "trick tries" sometimes coma in handy, but all of ,them require extensive.practice—inoro practice probably • than any club in New Zealand is now giving to the dying Rugby game. Cross-passirig, of one kind or another, opons up efiectivo poseibilities, and hero is perhaps the simplest.—

No. i (which ii tlio centre three-quarter) stands rißht forward as far as the off-side , rule permits, whon the ball is being hooker! , from ihe scrum. . No, 3 is 'the "outside fivewjiiths, and No. 6 is the wine, and everything depends on the realistic, decontivo look i v

in the oyo of No. 3 as lie is racing forward ; with'the balL Misleading, tllo defence, as. most top-notch backs know, is !-dono by tho. look of the eye,"'and it is this "look of tho; oyp"' which.- lots ono playor across tho line.. ;while^another, .apparently jiist: as good, \is j • thrown-down;and mobbed for tlio brill. 1 No.': 3, .then, .mustroomo awav with his-gaze in; - tensely fixed on No. 5, and feinting violently ;to": hiui all jthOv'tiiSieV, If.: for one instant he ■feo much-as'looks at.tho dofcnce the trick isj at r.n ond., But if lie.keeps Elio deception up, , still (raci rig : •' - top,' ho passes presently in! front of No. '4, and, as he does so, slips tho ; 'ball'into' the hands of that hithorto-passivo l member of the combination. t No. 4, as tho diagram helps to show, will be..'.across the lino liko a flash. ' " The writer; anticipates a cart-load of. sottovoca objections- to this, mostly: based on.; chapter XXlV",'.'section"' 78, sub-section 3 (a); of-i tho rules on off-side.. To this ho could reply; with a horde of sections and: sub-sec-,tions • drawn-ffom: the same frightful -rule: !booEV All that' ho wi6hes; t to 'say ".is , that, ■aa j ooach ! of a metropolitan premier team, lio In- , vonted this dodgo-and some twenty others in order to deal, with .tho disreputable defensive manoeuvre of ."marking down the baoks," and has seen it work as often as three ; times in a miVtch.; But in such passivc-dofonco games as Old Boys'playod on Saturday it only needs to- work onco to bring about a gendral collapse. When tho defence of . Old Boys was onco pierced tho boa promptly uncoilod' himsolf.--. and died. ■ Ono "trick try," howivor, would have-brought tho end about sooner- As it was, Poneko playod perilously closo'up W tho odgfc of a draw. • s . But "trick -trios" -are only ompty atmosphere to; teams not in training, and all this to say that Poneko aro promising,, candidates for -troublo-unloss they toko steps to harden up the van. . Excepting.l'etone. itbero is "probably not a'senior fifteen in Wellington ]in -condition, and, as lonfe as thfly .figure as weekly .'.'marvels," etc;,-,-there never will bo. ." ''-i.'V;', !'i W-'"-'' v Curious thing about training and geheral "stranuosity" is that, not onl". tho sense of the need for training has been disßipatcd by tho- Apostles of tho General Compliment, Mid'"tho"Calaulatod, commercial venom published 'ovory-'-week- by these ( . but oven tho proper ; mothods i.of: training ' has been forgotten. - I made inquiries, last week as to how/various teams wero training, and tho answers supplied wero exceedingly toournfiil to anyone who wishes, tho game of Rugby woll:-,.Theso' "methods".. will, probably be described next week. . .

'1 ho -Poisoners occasionally, figuro as Pliysicmiis, .but they are lar better as.; Efficient. Poisoners, and. should remain so. >< Thus, last Week, 1 .-; in, l commenting,.on: the. ;last-gasps vof Ponoko against. Pctone, one of tho I'onekc; backs, who kicked wildly at.tho last and brought on•>a score, was ,''subjected;to-con-siderable'adverse-. comment." This. is effect mistaken, for cause. - What really happened' was. that tho 'Six. battlers in. tho Poneko van; having., carried, two;.passengers about with'them , all,' day, , wero tiring.i And when, the forwards •ibegm,,to ;tiro, and vlet down, '.'tho- whole show", on;: tho backß,: then - all manner; of. mistakes ; ar&rpossiblo. But don't blamo.tho.poor backs.. © Stated that in. the match, Old Boys v. Poneke, the referee inade a mistake over the first '".try>! tho corner flag having gone down. Tho writer never., cared; .for. criticising . re'forcos'. : Tho; po6r\reforoo -has; to-administer, an ;inipoSSiblo> rule-book; pleaso thirty halftrained (and,<thereforej,'bad-tempered) play-i ers,-- satisfy .tho .crowd;., weather his way past. .tho?"adverso:ireJwrteJ'-sof' writers-who take their-cuo-from the mobile vulgus; and gen-, orally', perform -prodigies. of:. valour. And, "as'i :ovory._ player knows, ;tbo .:bcst; .roforeo"tliat ! i ;oyeri stepped at'least twenty Or .thirty mistakes 6Very miitcli.., !'thought. | that,! on oifoJ occasion, Mr.; Qitnin i ..was. entirely wrong- iri-.ovurrulmg one of ,tho touch-jiidges.,' '. ; . I • ,; tis - trueithat; a' small soc-i . tion ! bt : tho ;crowd clainoiired'' to havo/ that 'Jail Utho Sattioif .that entirely right,in:holding-up hiß flag when'and where lie did... ' • 1 • Potono. was not_ happy fdr ,a considerable periodjOf its liiateh with Wellington. Captain Hardham had many' anxious during 'the first-spell;: .when' .tho" Yellfe ; forwards! continually swept away tho barriers of tho Potono dfefonco, and established their team in good '.striking distance of ,thc Blacks' line.!Butfit, .\Vas;tSo'samo',old ;story:.for; Wellington; bvqr., : agam-—there was no onc to .mako pr-ac-.tical .Use] : ;bfAhoib^Hunitiesi' Carr tried, strqhuously .pn -seve-ral occasions'to break the: last strands of . the I'otono; defence; and so porsistent wero his assaults that Hardham was obliged'to throw out two badks to mark the • sturdy- Wellington, back.:Tho result' iwas that parr,; was - well' checked, but on "sundry' occasions only just in time. • Tho first' spell <was s,all<tho way, but neverth®..loss Petono scored the only points —three. ■ At .'the;; commencement of tlio second spell Wellington put on fivo points, but perhaps -fcho fact of holding tho lead—an unwonted occurrence-.with tho team of lato—proved too' mncli,- and tho Yellows apparently- weht a- : wool-gathering, for Petone' then .rattled' on 17 . points in about as many minutes.- " During ■ this soro .period tho defensive efforts of somo of ~the Wellington-, backs —and particularly two of them—woro simply,deploraolo. It was, indeed> pitiable to watch their apologotio ,don't-let-me-intrudo - stylo of tackling. . -A . player runniug at his full spoed for tho lrno Cahriot be , :di» l erted!from his course by an arm jutted out like a semaphore, and then wearily . dropped again. ( : i,' .With the at Petone 20, Wollington,;,s ; forwards sot about trying to catch up to tho runaway, and play .- was/fast "'and' interesting ; but tho Petono dofenco stood every strain imposed ott it, and tlio Yollows aro stilLr looking for that winning which has now beon j donied , them so-long..

;Tho Petono team was without Green; who is l on holiday m.Nelson, and tho absenco of that gamo little: half-back was-folt in many trying pinches. Hardham decided to 'go back himself to wing-threo-quartcr, and as Nankiville—who was iniuredi a few Saturdays back—was" available, that player filled tho gap in -tho forwards ' Hardham showed what a vorsatilo player'he is: by Ins exhibition on Saturday. Always ■noticeable in tho forwards, ho demonstrated ho was equally reliable m-his new role, his try being a very creditable one. . .The -Petono; forwards woro not equal to holding the Wellington;,pack, but.tlio team's backs generally acquitted themselves creditablv, especially the. Ryan: brothers (2) and M'Konzio. ; M'Parlane had mahy chances at place-kicking, but his form was-only.moder-ate." ■ ■

'' Of tho Wellington players, Carr (wing three-quarter) played' tho. best gamo on thoground.' - Ho '.was respont«blo for some very -good.dashing-runs tbat helped hiß side cooi siderably, and his lino-kicking was,also creditable; Misfortune ' shadowed his efforts right through tho game,-however,-and on one hoccasion ho .wiis pushed _ put at "tho corner | when a try, scoped certain. | L. Bridge mado a bad fumble for Wellingi ton last Saturday, which meant a try (by. James Ryan) being scored,against them. ; Sheridan, with a littlo more, practico, may dovolop into a useful full-back. On Saturdav his kicking was better than previously, ras also- was his-tackling., . ;' '" Of tho Wellington forwards, all that can bo said is that they played uniformly well—ex-, cecdingly well. Wilson, Smytho,: Fernandos, M'Kellar, and Symo aro players who'possess a broad conception of a forward's.duties in the schomn'of things—to keep hard on the ball, not amble round aimlessly waiting for the next scrum, or line-out. .• . ■ The indifferent, showings of the Wellington backs this' seasori havo: awakonW the seleor tors of that club, and-to-day three juniors— Powor, Durie, and ;Trcahy—promoted from junior ranks, aro playing for tho first fifteen. It is hoped that'this move will provo beneficial to the -team. Part of tho cause of Oriental's recent failures lis poor scrumming. " Until an improvement is shown in that direction they will continue at ii big disadvantage. In tho matter of, a-lock, ill-luck seems to have attended them , throughout the season.- Several players-have be«n tried-in; that position, but the .only one who was tip to tho mark had his aaklo ioiurcd' straight'away, t'-.j '-. ; '!■'' .

It is improbable that either Matheson or Voreoo-will again take tho field this season. Before ho was injured,' Matheson played well. up' to ,his previous high reputation. Given anything like a decent' ohance, he showed that ho took, a lot of stopping. For the-position of full-back, Vercoe. has many, .oxcollcrit qualifications; and, as a place-kick, ho is about-equal to', the . best in club football this'season. • , i. -- •Far. from well, Roberts undertook :• to constitute tho. last line of Oriental's defence. Without his aid, tho team would repeatedly have been in"a sorry plight. ; Ilis goal from near tho lino was a very meritorious-effort. As the uninteresting , game ' progressed, "Fred" could not refrain from "getting into" tho'thick of it; as often ps possible., From; his.| isolated 'position, ho' "fmtiated"" several passing rushes, which, -however, proved, resultless. Once he gained considerable,ground by going alono., Athletic . principally have to thank their forwards for victory on' Saturday. But tho methods'of. the. pack lacked tho finishing touches. * Wli/if, they require— and badly, too—is further; practice:-fWilsbn was fairly, conspicuous Of thn backs, Evensoii'did a lot'of good work! - ' Peter" Ward, who at various times played for Southland, ■ Taranaki,: and.: , New ; ' SouthWales, and who is now'approaching the veteran stage, is. a'member of .bno'bf tho now! clubs pioneering Rugby, in Melbourne, - ;. Thus "Full-back" in the "Otago Witness" A: footballer with' a wboden leg- playing . in Christchurchis mentionedfas something of a ouriosity,' : wbich it is in its way. He has not slipped on tho'ball yet. This reminds mo of two footballers in Dunedin who rojoiood in woodeij arms.. . Their fending powers with the dead limb wore :,vsomething -pxtriordinary. There wero safer • places: in tho field tbani' within range of tho wooden - ' arm, which whirled like a mill-flail. I remember attempting to tackle ono of tho players, who was blessed with this uniquo weapon, df defenoe, receiving a whack oil tho head as; tho substitute for ,an arm swung through the, air. Tho movement was quite accidental, butover after, whenever the player; Clime my. way 1 gave -his wooden arm a : widoj berth, and tackled him from tho "blind" side. '

Aoooiding to t-ho "Weekly Pros 3,'.' tho oision of tho Now Zealand Rugby Union* to [>lay-tho North v. South Island matoh in Wel< lington- has caused a good deal of comment ill Canterbury football circles, and non 6 of it has becn favourablo 't-o tho govcrnmg body, Th« ooiiplamt. is ..made, ; and - with a considerable amount of. justification too, that Wellingtonis being unduly favoured in this respect. With this' ''years! game, it means that four out'of the'last five inter-island fixtures' have been allotted' to tho .Empire Oity, tho only break being in \1907/when.' tho game was played in Christchurch. This":.v.ear'the Canterbury Rugby; Union; applied for the match, to--bo playod again in Ohristchurcliy but tho request-was ignored. .. If - the' match is :to. be made a' permanent fixture for Wellington, tlio Now Zealaml Union would do well to havo a rulo made to that- effect so ■ that afliliatcd unions would bo saved the troublo of trying to secure the gamo. What tho reason was that actuated tho governing body, is not stated, but one may conclude that financial considerations' had sfimothing'to. do . with the decision. . '