FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1479, 29 June 1912, Page 16

FOOTBALL.

[Br Asistobulbs.] :.... ! ' Wellington College and St. Patrick's. Tlie following is a summary of tho thirty-two matches which hare been played' between Wellington College and St. Patrick's College. Of these Wellington College have von 12, and St. Patrick's Collcgo 17:— 1885—St. Patrick's won, 5 points to nil 1885—St. Patrick's won, 1C points to 2 1886 —Wellington won, 9 points to nil 188"—St. Patrick's won, 14 points to nil 1887—St. Patrick's won, 1 point to nil lSßß—Drawn, 1 point each • 1888—St. Patrick's woa, 5 points to 3 '1890—St. Patrick's won, 8 points to 3 ■3890—St. Patrick's won, 5 points to 3 1891- Wellington won, 8 points to nil 1802—St. Patrick's won, 8 points to nil 3892—St. Patrick's won, S points to 5 1893—St. Patrick's won, 10 points to 2 ISIU —Brawn, no score 3895— Wellington wdii, IS point'; to nil 3896—St. Patrick's won, 15 points to 5 1897—Wellington won, It points to 3 1898—St. Patrick's won,-9 points to nil • '1899—Wellington won, 3 points to nil I9oO— St. Patrick's won, G points to 3 ' 1901—Wellington won, G points to nil 1902 —St. Patrick's won, 9 points to 3 1903—St. Pal rick's iron, (j points to 3 J9o4—St. Patrick's won, 13 points to 3 ' 1905— : Wellington won, 10 points to 0 1906—Wellington won, 8 jjoints to 5 1907— St, Patrick's won, 11 points to G •1908r-St. Patrick's won,. 9 points to G--1909 —Wellington wou, 22 points'to nil - 1910—Wellington won, 20 points to 3 1911—Wellington won, 19 points to 9 .. 1912—Wellington won, 19 points to nil • 'Something Like a Gate. j About 12,000 peoplo watched the senior •taatch between To Auto College and Wa'jiganui Collego at the I'almerstoii North .Show Grounds on Wednesday. • Frank Mitchinson. ! Poneko are waiting for Mitchinson to 'coirio back to Wellington. It was expec.ttd..that lio would be hero by this, but' lie 3s detained on tho farm up north until someone can relieve him, and that "somejone" is in ill-health, ami will not be able :to take Mitchinson's place for a couple of 'weeks. Meanwhile the latter's services *ore badly needed by Poneko. S"ln,Committee, Gentlemen!" i Sdme of our 'sports bodies are contracting the questionable, habit .of going into committee whenever anything that touches •immediately on'the conduct of tlic game or 'loosenesses in administration or control lis concerned. As soon as tho chairman sees in his mind's eye a red flag, warning him of a ,troublous debate—oi'ttimos on an important'/point—ho will interject usually without putting it to the meeting (which, of course, is quite improper procedure)—'"AYc (ire in committee now, gentlemen!" with a glance towards the press table. At times there is no danger—the chairman's scent, is. at fault—and the. debate tails' off into nothing, and other business i comes on .without the .chairman remem- j .bering to pull tho meeting out of committee.

The trouble in one case appears to be .that the council or committee considers itself to'bo on a pur with the directorate ' of a limited liability company, not the appointed delegates of tho clubs and public, .to,attend to the organisation' and administration in Wellington of matters Concerniiig £ otir national game. They arc entirely dependent for support on the public, and it is only fair tlxat the public should know a good deal more of what goes on than is at present the case, .trusting that the blind may see I St. James and Poneke-Rather Bitter. _ "Feelings" ran riot at theHutt if i T on Saturday. If benevolent old ladies had been present, they would havo citcd tho exploits of St. .Tames and tjoneke as illustrations of the "fort" that manly sports are savage and that Jvuffly football Is awful. _ Tilings, however, were not really so bad as all that, but in cold truth the imscahed / game" was a' regrettable descent into proceedings as unpleasant to come m contact with as the mud 'mm wllicll tlle lioia was thickly coated. the trouble took its origin from a mistake by tho referee (Air. Lanvav), who awarded St. James a try to which tliev (wo not entitled. Afterwards tilings moved rapidly in the. direction of chaos. 'A single protest did not satisfy Poneke, kind still less did it satisfv 'the little .'band oi Poneke barrackers, who exerted itheir vocal organs ou the side-line. All -'.Borts of unfair remarks • were made bv the barrackers, and, as usual,. 011 thc>4 occasions, the mistake of the referee was magnified with slight regard for truth. It was roundly alleged that St. James ■had "sitxeen men en the field," and some of the Poneke supporters declared that their team had been robbed of a ; try. by a previous decision. This latter claim was either exaggeration or fabrication. The writer saw tho alleged Poneke score, and the ball was just as obviou.-lv forced on that occasion as when St. James •were awarded a try. AS' timo went, on the bitterness engendered by the score episode developed instead of waned. The play was as rough as sand : paper, and on several occasions a couple of players wrestled in tho mud j : {in. a most unfriendly way as the main j battle and the referee swept away from ■them. .j It is only fair to state that Hie referee 7°uld not well have seen these encounters without turning' his back on the game, which it in« hut business to watch. liven ■ eo, the referee must havo scon enough to warrant him in taking firmer measures. . Poneke's Grievance—And After. 1 Assuming, however, that a well-meaning referoe capped an initial mistake with nn error of judgment 110 possible excuse can be advanced for the spirit displayed by tho players engaged. If football did nothing more than develop brawn and muscle it would have a very poor claim to continued consideration. The best foatuTO of such active sports is that they tend to develop courage, steadiness, and discipline of mind and body. Poneke showed some absence of these qualities in carping at the decision of a referee, whom it would be ridiculous to suspect of any intention to injure their prospects of success, and in their subsequent tactics. 111 any eveut tliev should have been content to make ail orderly protest. The. line of action which ■ they, adopted completely obscured the gemiino grievanco from which they started., The "Big" Match. Tho Melrose-Athletic match, which was played at the parlc last Saturday, was very unspectacular, unless 0110 finds his whole interest in tight forward work. The crowd assembled was very large, but it scorns rather unlikely that such* a number would have entered tho gatpa had not tho annual match between Wellington College and St. Patrick's Collego been billed for the adjoining ground. Indeed, hundreds of people got positions from which they could pay special attention to tho College match. Facts in True Colour. Tho "big"»match was what' everyone thought it would be, only more so. Apart from the sameness of the game, it was not apparent that anything hung upon tho contest—that the result would affect i Hip championship. That laid the affair baro in all its hopelessness. The writer does not condemn wholesale all games which aro unspactacular, but the fncts must be stated, and so stated that they appear in their 1 truo colour. I On Immortality. It is a big tribute to the hold which Rugby lias got, or has had, 011 the public that "so many people will go to such affairs to suffer them for an hour and a half. Truly, UlO miblic is a tough, )>atient old parly who can put up with a lot when fed on the patriotism • that

Rugby is the national game, and when starved of other games. -Rugby would be in a Fafer seat if tho present favourablyprejudiced public was immortal, but tho great danger is that this public may dio and new ones take its place as the years roll on. Publics havo a queer way of appearing and disappearing, and Rugby might look to its future lest it contracts tho habit. Desert With One Green Patch. is for tho match in discussion, Athletic wero Melrose's superiors in finish only, and on that account alone Athletic won. Melrose beat Athletic in eloso forward work, and it was vico versa in looso forward work; but-there was .scarcely any loose play. Back play was almost entirely l absent. Tho one bright spot was li. Roberts's try, which decided tho match, and was ono of tho smartest efforts of a very brilliant back. It was as a desert with ono green patch. The Petone Walk-over. If "Wellington's" had a couple of fiveeighths who were conversant with the "how-aiid-where-to-play game," they would not have lost so heavily to Petono last Saturday. Wilks, who was No. 1, was never once in his place. Hugging the scrum like a wing-forward seemed to lie his ono object. What was the consequcncoil When a passing rush was started, Wilks was missing. Oh defence tho Otago nian was good, , but attack was foreign to him. M'Kenzie, who was second live-eighth, did not get out of position, bui ilid very little for the benefit of his side. His defence was decidedly weak. . '

The other Yellow backs (in consequence of the connecting link's weakness) starved —particular.!)'.. Millard. Lambert forced tlic play, 'kicked brilliantly, made several golid runs, and was easily the becit back on the city team's side. Grace was suffering from an injured leg, but gave a good display, including some dashing "corkscrew" runs. Bridge was very safe, and the half-back started well, although lie went off near bell time,.

Tho Wellington forwards started like tigers, causing many a. pain to the suburban supporters, but "form" and "legs" told the 'usual talc ill the second half, and Wellington were run off their foet. Perhaps' the two lightest men in the vanguard (Thompson and Irons) wero tho best of their vail.. , "

The lost art of charging down a kick from .a try-was 'revived "in this game, and M'Parlane—tho reputation goal-kicker— certainly lost several, points through the smartness of Wellington rushing out and charging the kick before M'Farlano got tho boot in. , . •

Pot'onb's "forwards are. a light, fast lot, that are grasping rapidly tho meaning (in a . football sense) of the word-"combina-tion;": -JJeside other good points they all possess a fair amount of liead. For instance, two break away,, and ono then sees two rows of couples backing them up' iu case of an over-run, anil, again, there is a systematic plan of campaign on tho line-out. Their best men wero W. liyan, Parrant, Price, and M'Farlano. Aslito'n, on the wing, was as fast and vigorous as ever. Ramsden, who is suffering from a bad leg, stood down for E. I'yan, who proved himself a resourceful second five-eighths, and, lip lo the time that he was hurt and retired, did yeoman service. MMCeiizio, J allies Ryan, and Niinii did all that was required of them.