RUGBY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1533, 31 August 1912, Page 12

RUGBY NOTES.

[Br AtIISTOBULOS 1 • THE SELECTOR'S STATEMENT. We Get a Letter. Dear, dear! Wo have got a letter. Tho chief distinction between "Aristobulus" and other football writers is not so much that he bears the "contradiction of sinners" against himself, but that he bears it more meekly than most men. It is no pleasant thing to have a lot read into a noto that you did not intend, and, in fact', did not write, but as tho letter man is "awaiting the reply with great interest on Saturday morning," why not meet him? Here is the letter, and, in a way, it wins:— Wellington, August 26, 1912. Dear Aristobulus,—Eihoa,- tena koe. How comes it about that this Auckland team of deorepit, superannuated forwards and chicken-hearted backs (vide your notes in last Saturday's supplement) manages to get away, apparently without any great difficulty with the redoubtable men from tho windy town? I wonder how you would describo the same Wellington team, in view of your very uncomplimentary and unflattering description of tho Aucklanders. It would bo interesting to know. I am looking forward to your next notes with some degree of curiosity.—l am, etc., A LOVER OP FAIR PLAY.' The Joy of "Looking Forward." ' On the day on which this arrived the 6taff know that there _wes something momentous in the vicinity of the premises immediately it heard the postman's whistle. Even the scenery on the outside of the 'envelope gave signs of a legacy or a poem within. Not in tho least is anyone surprised, because "Loveir, etc.," has been looking forward to this morning's Rugby notes. -"Lover, etc.," has contracted tho common failing. Many thanks to "Lover, etc.," for "looking forward" to to-day. Tho next appointment this writer is looking forward to is a match where hq will see Rugby. Drawing Conilusions. However, "Lover, etc.," seems to havo drawn all sorts of conclusions from last Saturday's Rugby column. Tho genius who wroto last Saturday's Rugby masterpiece in Tub Dominion discussed tho situation,- and paid that to his mind tho Auckland team's-chief fault was that it contained an overdose of has-beens. So it did, and tho circumstance that it defeated Wellington does not alter tho fact. Congratulations to the., veteran forwards on their victory! In tho meantime, to save these dreadful _ stresses, "Lover" ought, in common fair play to "Aristobulus," to read exactly what was written all over again. We Also Get ai Telegram. Tho telegram is what is popularly called "getting one's own back,' and it comes from Mr. D. Gallaher, selector of tho Auckland team. Ho says:— I Would be happy to supply you with ono or two of our ancient Maori War and Crimean Veterans . . . Wellington badly needs them. GALLAHER. Now, as everyone knows, Wellington has been long and justly; celebrated for its faculty of splendid silence in certain matters and occasions. That renowned silenco is duly applied here. '<■ ;V . -vMediocrity at Ptay. ' t " The Marlbttrough-Wellington B match was the dullest affair that has pushed itself. on to the Park this season. Marlborough aro not. nearly up to' the standard of other years.' Neither their backs nor their forwards havo much, to commend them. Both aro very, very ordinary. The Wellington B collection was a poor -lot, .and- the mediocrities distinguished themselves by making almost the maximum percentage of mistakes. On ono of tho .only occasions on which the wholo of the backs omitted to make a mistake Wellington scored easily. M'Kenzie, of tho Wellington Club team, was about the only back who gave any indication of being ablo to play creditable Rugby.

Tho Cup Final. The cup filial is to bo played on September 21. That is the first available Saturday. The members of the teams concerned—Petone and Athletic—were eased oft their training a while ago, but are to be set to work again in ample time for the match. Thero is a feeling among tho -Athletic Club meu that tho delay in getting tlie final off has been to Petono's advantage. "If the match had been played on tho Saturday after the semi-final, we would have won," said an Athletic man. "As it is, I think Petono will." The League People are Reported to have said " A Rugby enthusiast has brought under notice the fact that tho League people aro reported, to have said that, there are not three better backs in Wellingfon than Kelly. Apart from whether or not the Leaguers said so, tho idea is mythical. Kelly may shino more at the League game than at Rugby, but he would not be in the leading trio of backs were he still a Rugby player. It is ' absolutely certain that ho would not have been considered for the Wellington team this year. Never- . theless, Ivolly was a. fairly useful back in tho Athletic team, even though he was not one of the leading trio. What Think Ye of Nelson? . Naturally enough the Wellington Wednesday representatives were very' disappointed ivlien the Nelson touring team did not turn up to play on Wednesday ■afternoon. The ground at the Athletic Park was all marked out, and even tho pole on the stand had a flag hoisted. Just inside the Park gates wero about half a dozen Wellington players, and about twioe as ninny spectators. > Three o'clock came, but there were no signs indicating that tho match was about to start. Shortly after 3 o'clock word was received at the Park that the Nelson team wore not going to play. Everybody asked why, but at tlie Park the question remained unanswered. | Members of the Wellington team showed visible signs of disappointment, and their tone of speech was also of a disappointed nature. The few spectators began to dwindle away, the players did likewise, and the custodian let down tho flag. Th:e Nelson team caught the 1 p.m. boat on Wednesday for Nelson. A thing like this has never happened in New Zealand representative Rugby before.

OVR WATERLOO. HOW AUCKLAND HUMBLED US. . "It was tactics—puro tactics!" 6aid Mr. V. Meredith, solo selector of the Wellington representative team which was defeated so signally in the game for tho Ranfurly Shield by Auckland on Saturday last. Mr. Meredith had witnessed the match, and knew the true inwardness of the whole scheme. "In the past we havo won our games by pursuing a certain policy with our forwards—that is within the 50-yard line to get tho ball back to the backs, instead of playing tho usual forward game. I had a talk with 'Freddy' Roberts, and he said that at Rotorua tlio team was inclined to overdo tho thing, and tho result, was that there was very little forward play on tlie jiart of the front line, und ho was hardly inclined to follow the stylo in Auckland. So we agreed that for the first spell the old forward play should Iw retained. "The game went all right during the first spell—we held them well, and I was feeling quite comfortable about the result. Tlie only thing that was worrying mo was that our hocks were not getting the bull at all. The forwards were doing bftt.tor than Auckland's vanguard, except

in tlio scrums, whore our fellows were helpless. "Still I thought that if wo oould only open out a bit anil yet the ball to our bnelcs, we would be finite safe. "The first spell ended 3 points to nil in Auckland's favour. During the spell 1 saw Roberts, and advised the back action in loose forward piny in order to [five our men a chance. Roberts instructed his forwards that way, und when I took my scat again I was confident that wo would make no raco of it. "I was prepared to throw in the three points scored in .the first spell, so confident was I that if Roberts, M'Kenzie, and Ranisden conld have got hold of the ball they must score. Auckland had, however, decided to make it tight. Scrum followod scrum, and every time Auckland secured tho ball—our men, I think, only got it once all day. "To show what tliev could have done ■with opportunities, M'Kenzie got away once and beat everyone of Auckland's backs, and then lost the ball on tho line through a collision with Skinner, oui own wing forward. "Hut, really, our backs never had a fly, and if we could have got the ball from the scrum a thiril ns many times as Auckland did, we would have won handsomely. Their • tactics in tightening up when thero appeared to be anvthing like loose forward ploy, and their "facility for securing the oval from tho pack won thorn tho game."