Football.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 79, 30 September 1905, Page 14

Football.

EUGBY. [By DnorKicK.] One of the heaviest representative football seasons ever gone through was practically brought to a close on Saturday last with the match against Manawatu. Altogether eleven representative matches have been played by Wellington, five of these being won, two lost, and four drawn. The local representatives were very strong in the forward 'division in the early part of the season, and had a most successful career until meeting Auckland, who completely over-ran the local men. The great weakness of the Wellington team was in the rearguard, which has been lamentably poor throughout the season. The fo.fowing are the results of the various games: — Wairarapa — Won 13 to 11. Horowhenua — Won 8 to 6. (?) Wairarapa — Drawn, 3 to 3. Challenge match.) Australia— Won 23 to 7. Auckland— 'Lost 10 to 6. Canterbury— Lost 6 to 3. Otago — Drawn (no score). Southland— Drawn, 6 to 6. Taranaki— Won 6 to 0. Manawatu — Drawn, 3 to 3. New Zealand — Won 3 to 0. Although it may be hard to believe (says the Manawatu Standard), it is nevertheless true, that there is a settlement of several hundreds of inhabitants in this provincial district where the national game of footbaJ is practically unknown. This idyllic village is Pahautanui, in the Otaki electorate. On Saturday last at this sequestered township there was played a game of football — the first ever played in the place — and a large \number of settlers turned out to witness^ the novel match, in which the contestants showed good form. The Auckland Star says: — "At the conclusion of t<he match" against the Australians the curtain was rung down on local football, that is, as far as the games under the A.R.U. are concerned. The display given by our representatives in their final appearance was disappointing in the extreme, and only goea to bear out the contention expressed by I6cal writers some time ago that the team was decidedly weak. After the Wellington match there was just a slight suspicion that we had been entertaining angels unawares, but after events have proved otherwise. Looking at matters in a calm, impartial manner, one can only come to the conclusion that the Auckland provinco must bo accounted extremely lucky to have regained possession of the Ranfurly Shield." Commenting on the Australia v. Auckland match, the Star writes: — The gjftne flid not come up to expectations from a spectacular point of view, and the poor form shown by the local team was the greatest disappointment of the match. After the tenm's spjen.did showing in the South it was thought.

they would have proved more than a match for the Australians, but on the day's play the better team undoubtedly won. The standard of play of tho Australians was by no means brilliant, but it was of a higher order than that displayed by the local men ; they adapted their game to circumstances' more readily, and on the whole they showed more dash and resource. The visiting forwards got the ball in the scrum much oftener than their opponents, and _in open play and on the line out they were also superior. The feature of the Australian- back play was their splendid fielding and kicking of the ball. The locals showed a deplorable lack of combination, principally in tho back division, and they were rather .lucky in not having a larger score run up against them