Football.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 47, 23 August 1902, Page 6 (Supplement)

Football.

RUGBY'

[llv Dkoi'KlCk.]

REPRESENTATIVE FIXTURES Southland v. Wellington.— Wellington, 3rd September. Otugo v. Wellington. — Wellington, 6th September.

THE NORTHERN TOUR. Now that tho Auckland-Taranaki tour of tho Wellington reps, is over, n, few tiolos *s to jelutivo styles of play will no doubt bo of interest. Tho tour started with tho anticipation of defeat in Auckland, nnd that expectation was quite realised. Tho defoftt by a penalty goal at Taranaki veil a disappointment, but, according to Press Association leporls, the match was largely thiown away. Scoring chances were messed, play was slovonly on each side, and tho game was of that loose undefined character that calls for no comment, except that some of the >Vellnigton boys apeak well of O'Dowda'H form.

In Auckland, the gamo was won by the Northern forwaids, who took chargeabout seventeen miuuUs after half-time, after the attack of th?.r backs had been repeatedly, buflled. Tho failuro of the Auckland" rearguard ivkh duo to n. number of things — to tho fact that Wellington bacl<H went out with a determination to concentrate themselves on a hard tackling, man-for-man syst?m of defence ; that, when tho ball readied Ihompson \l wing thrco-qutvrlcr it nover occurred to tho laller to eend it back to any one; that M'Gregor (five-eighths) had a bad leg, and Mackenzie Riid Thompson were weak ; also, probably, that tho ground was a bit damp and heavy, and Auckland three-quarters went out with a, notion that they need only get the ball to score. The result was thnt Wellington remained in the lead till Laing (winger) scored a try on his own, after which three tries— scored by Cunningham and Tyler (forwards) and Asher (back) — wero

added, none being the outcome of combined back play. The Auckland verdict was that the backs had their day out against Canterbury, and the forwards against Wellington. Certainly, judged on the Wellington match, the backs did not come off. On the other .hand, it would be hard to equal the effective scrumming, hooking, line-out play, and breaking away of the forwards, who combine the rare qualities of weight, speed, and science. They beat our forwards in all departments, and 'but for the tackling and touch-lino kicking of our backs tire points must havo been registered much earlier.

There ; was not a player in the pack that did not command notice, unless it bo Alex. Wilson, and to except him is not for a moment to hifer that he was a shirker. There has been a quite extraordinary unanimity among football critics as to %vho were the best of the Aucklanders, so the question need not be canvassed, M'Duff and Nicholson on the line-out, Tyler and Long in the open, Laing on tho wing, and Kiernan and Asher among tho backs have been generally awarded tho palm. M'Duff, who is, by the way, a Thames boy, and holds the position bf director of the Karangahake School of Mines, is probably the best all-round forward in the colony at the present moment. His six feet odd on the line-out, his weight in the back of the pack, "and his prowess in the open enable him to constantly break away and head rushes, or transfer to his backs. With a pair of tall grabbers .on tho line-out like M'Duff and Nicholson, a dasher like Long, a front row like the Tyler-Brady, and Cunningham to lock, it must be admitted that Auckland is well supplied. The Wellington pack waa overpowered, as well as outplayed.

Kiernan's play admits of but one objection. As a half, lie is clever at mixing his pla3% passing out quickly at one moment ; the next, slipping through on bis own, and beating a couple of men before transferring. But "there, was no mixing in Kiernan's play against Wellington. He flung it at the five-eighths every time, and then dived out to take a second hand in the passing between the three-quarters. This was all right for Kiernau, but was not the best for

iJrecror at five-eighths, who consequently became a regular target for the smothering.. lushes. .oi»the«hlacks. .. „.,. Handicapped in this way, and by a bad leg, M'Gregor did as well as could be expected. His Rtopping was good, as it always is, and if any of the throequarters got into difficulties, he was al* ways to be found backing up as an extra lino of defence. In att»ck he was unselfish, and displayed tho headiness that has placed him in tho selector's eyes before Gerrard, who displayed such a dashing attack Inst year in Wellington. The writer went up with an impression that Qerrnrd and M'Pike would be a better scoring combination than M'Gregor and Mackenzie. As far ns^ the centre three-quarter position is concerned, those who accept Mackenzie's play against Wellington must admit that M'Pike must havo sadly fallen off if ho cannot better it AJoo, Harrison nnd Absolum as wing three-quarters must have vastly deterio rated if they, cannot improve on what Thompson did. With Asher there is no fault to find except that he is jumping worse than ever, nnd that the fate ol Armit will probably bo his if he cannot keep a little bit closer to terra finna.

Against this combination, wo had to oppose a staunch -lot of backs — Meredith, who stood right up to his work. Johnson, Wallace. S. Wilson', .juul M'lntyiv. Wallace's taking and kicking were sound, and he was tho most nggivHwve of the Wellington backs. But Wallace has t uot luo endurance of the Wallace of 'last year, and at times appeared to faJl from sheer weakness.

.M'lntyre kicked very well, and with ono exception, stopped the dashes of the formidable Asher, whom he tacked high. It. looked risky, but nt any i\iu-, it checkmated the jumping. Several of the repbrts treated M'lntyre badly b.v crediting him with wniting for the bounce nnd giving tuvay v try to AshiTi It was Spencer, not M'lntyie, who was concerned in Ibis; but the reporters nro hardly to be blamed for the error, ihe press-box in Aucklnnd is a low structure at on« corner of tho ground, ami nil th.- play in the second half was towards the farther goal. Almofcl any ono ou the btaudu could coi bctwr thau the reporters. As M'lntyro lins nleo been credit rd with dropping ji p.iSN which he did not drop, und with knocking one on nt Tarannki that be dU not knock on, a word of correction is due.

S. Wilson and Jdhnson, particularly tin* former, were sound iv kick nnd tackle. Wilson made only one failure — wnen Lain;,' got p.wt him nnd scored. It was \\iA\y one of Lining's "points." He lined liis men dwp iv the 'W *"lluiglon 20, and .Uiuimmi. who ui'.s mur'oug Mm, wnlkul out a fiw steps to gui'i'd against ivL-r-mui making .. dnsh Mirou^h ilio breach, Kiting iniiiM'diutfly threw tiie ball in the air, tool: it. t.gain, ciu'i bustlud for the goal line. SlntU'ry (Wellington lino umpire) says^Laing'u loot w-.s out ol play when he took the ball. V>ut r'nr fad remains that he caught the blacku noppuig.

pleaded Aueklanders with n Sltmpi«» of bw best toiu-li-lir." work. His one emu 1 hus Ivon moMtiu'it'd. Hnmcoi', at fulUbjick, for Auckland, tuok the bail brillinntly at times, but did r.ot imprest* one us a well-proportioned full-back. Was beuten by a drilible byM'Mnin, which led to V/utkins scoring Wellington's try. M'Minn, Adams, and Joyce wero ' the pick of the Wellington pack. iSkilton <vaa seen more than usual.

The chief lesson of th 6 trip ia —at Auckland's superiority is based on the undoubtedly great hold which Rugby possesses there on all classes of the community, nnd the whole-souled sunnort it gets from every one. At this one match, the attendance wns between t<?u nnd twelve thousand, nnd tho takings amounted to £468 ! The Tramway Company ownb the ground, but, being wisely content with traffic profits, lets the Rugby Union have tho ground at nominal charge, nnd with a freo hand to manage things properly, 'me result is n good ndmmistration, a high grade of football, and correspondingly rich returns to tho Tramway Company and to the Union. Forwards lire encouraged to - play with science, and on this necessary foundation the galloping backs are grafttd. Aiso, the provincial sub-unions send their halfdozen or so of players, und their several hundreds of excursionist spectators, to assist nnd applaud Auckland in her foreign engagements. The public is enthusiastic, tho Union's finances are abundant, it has no old men of the sea on ...» shoulders, it has everything in going order — and these aro the chief reasons why they have better Rugby football in tho north than hore.

From a social point of view, tho trip waß-very successful. Manager King kept a firm grip on his men. and, if some of them thought him strict, they all agreed tltal- he was conscientious. Tho Auckland football authorities, and Host Molloy of the Albion, did their best for the team, und its experience in Taranaki was equally fortunate.

Tho Wnirarapa papers refer in specially complimentary terms to tho manner in which the duties of reforce wero carried out by Mr. A. C. Norris, who journeyed to CnVterlon last Saturday to coutrol the final championship niatcii, Greytown v. Cartorton. Tho Carterton Leader's foothill writer says "the prompt decisions of Mr. A. C. Norris as referee wero duly recognised by tho keen spectators, the general opinion beiuii that he is tho Best

referee been this season in the Wairarapa." The Age and other papers pay similar tributes. The match itself is described as the most interesting and keenly contested game seen in the district for years.