Football.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 136, 9 June 1906, Page 14

Football.

[By DnorKiCK.]

RUGBY. The Petone and Old Boys Clubs were well matched on Saturday, even allowing for the wretched display of the ex-col-legians' rearguard. There was little to choose between the scrummers, out undoubtedly the Petono backs were the best. Old Boys generally obtained the ball, and the half-back got rid of it smartly, but tho stumbling-block was the five-eighths, who could never do the right thing when attacking, and failed to watch his vis-a-vis when defending. Tho gamo was not as interesting for spectators aa the Petone-Melrose match of the previous Saturday. The winners' full-back, M. Ryan, was caught napping onca or twice, but taken rieht through his work was well up to the mark. None of the Petone threemiarters were above the average, but Kelly hardly re-.iched the standard. M'Gregor, at five-eighths, was the pick of the rearguard, and both the Petottfc tries were directly tho outcome of openings made by him. He also put in somo remarkably good line kicking. The most prominent man in the Petone pack was Burns, a weighty but fast forward, who grafted in the tight and was to the fore in aU tho loose rushes. Cross worked hard in the solid, and &'i»ill and Driscoll both played with considerable) dasu. Blacklock, who played jull back in tho first term and half iiT the eecond spell, did well in the former position, but made a poor showing behind the scrum. H. D. Thomson put in some capital work in the first spell, but gave up looking for opportunities in the second half. 'Matthews was the best of the Old Boys' wing threequarters. Cleland at five-eighths was a failure, but a severely injured thumb handicapped him. A.. M. Tliomson played a good allround game, both as half in the first spall and flvs-eighths in the eecond term. He stopped rushes well, kicked nicely and generally gained ground when he ran. Dodd, Alexander, Watkins, M'Lean, and Gardiner -were the most conspicuoua of tho forwards. The two Qrst mentioned players did fine work on the line. The Wellington-Wairurripa rep. match was a veritable football treat, and after seeing tho Wellington backs pile on their 62 paints in face of the opposition of the strong Wairarapa forwards, it is easier to credit some of the reporls of even games of Homo teams against th* " All Blacks, 1 ' although the latter wor by- big scores. At the time these re ports came through it seemed almost in credible that the games could have beei: close and interesting when the New Zea land men won by, say, 30 oi 40 points, but after Monday's game it is easy to imagine that the games were interesting The Wairarapa forwards played a realh good game, and had it not been for the marked superiority of tho Welliiigtor rearguard the- Greens would have had s fair day's sport. G-eo. Spencer played -a sound jrame »• I full-back, his kicking, handling the ball, J and tackling beinp; soind. VVallacs played biilliuutly in the three quarter line. He took daring risks ir running across his own goal, but cavrt through with flying colours every time Some of his mils were masterpieces, and ho kicked and defended without a mistake. H. D. Thomson, on the otl c. wing, also plpyed a great game, arid Rnmsden the young Petone centre, di r " not sufter when compared with his "All Black " associates. M'Gregor at five-ei?lith», did aoint clever attacking, but, did not like heavi defence. I am still 'convinced 'that he should be played wing threequarter, ii which position he has few equals. Ro berts, the other five-eighth, was right up to form, defending well and run ning brilliantly. A. M. Thomson made i good show at half, getting the ball avray well, and doing a heap of stopping. His kickin was excellently judged, but at tht> sametime the team could be strengthened witl Roberts as half. Gardiner's exhibition as wing forward was probably tho best that, player hnr ever given Of the pack forwards, Wat kin&, Cross, and -Manning were the most prominent. The Wellington reps, have a fin© stoc' of place kicks this year. Geo. Spence is a rcmuTkablv good" kick, and Wallace's ability in this direction is known ore, a wide area. M'Gregor is another mai well above the average, and Roberts also does sonic good kicking. The trouble which N has arisen be tween the Rugby Union and the Re ferees' Association has threatened foi a considerable timol Of the action of the Potone Club which brought thi matter to a head " little need be said As far as I can see, the club was quite within its rights, as the laws stand, in tho 'position it took up It is tin practice of some delegates to the Rugb} Union to heap contumely on tho referee, on every possible occasion, but it is a noticeable fact that in e\ery instanc« these men are not prepared to com< forward and, in the interests of Ui< gamo, try and put the association oa higher plane They, contend that tii. referees, or a percentage of them, an incompetent, and also that tho asm ciation is trying to "run" football, anurge that it the association cannot bi placed under tho direct control of tht Management Committee of tho unior a new association should bo foririeo which will bo under the union. Theo rctically this may bo right enough h tho main, but where is tha man oi body of men who will undertake thr work of organising a new association, and where are the referees to comi from? It would not be a very diffi cult matter to provide referees for the senior matches, and perhaps a few en thusiasts would bo found for junioi games, but where are tho men who wi! 1 givo up Saturday after Saturday going to Petono, Lower Hutt, Johnsonville Miramar, etc., to control third, fourth and fifth class games? Not from the ranks of ex-senior players, to whom the advocates of a new association look, and certainly not from the ranks of the present association, which body, wo un derstand, does not intend to disband if delegates to the union try to bring thi:about, but simply intends to adjouri' for the time being. This will mean that in forming a new association none of the members of the present associn ' tion will bo available for membership ' With its now association, provided il could bo formed, delegates and player: who are dissatisfied with tho present stato of affairs would no doubt find that even ex -senior*- players can make incompetent referees. Tho Referees' Association has done n great work for football, and is deserving of every credit, but at tho s.™ time tho making of appointments for matches might well bo left in the hands of a representative fcoard such as advocated by Mr. T. A. Hunter. Mr. Hunter's idea is that tho power of ap pointing and examining referees and of settling all disputes arising therefrom should be delegated to a board of seven constituted as follows: "Threo membeiH elected by the referees, two (not io ferees) elected by tho W.R.F.U. Committco of Management, two (not it: ferees) elected by captains of clubs, (b) That tho decision of this boa-d on all matters coming wi'bii its powers shall be final, (c) l^at it b/ a •ecommenchi tion to the board that, as tar as postho jrofoeß oi ,cluhs in rejjara to

the appointment of referees be complied with." This would not injure the referees in any way, and would, . we think, tend to improve the relations existing between tho association and players generally. The misplaced energy of the men who are always railing against the association might well be directed towards finding competent linesmen who could be invested with certain powers and be enabled to help referees, for there are many things seen from the line which pass tSe referee and which should be reported With competent line umpires with power to report players for "dirty" play the game wonld soon be played as it should be played. Delegates to last week's meeting of the Rugby Union had, several resolutions placed before them, but were nofc disposed to accept any of them, and adjourned their meeting for a week. This shelving of the question has led to complications, and the Referees' Association has not appointed any referees this week, on the ground that delegates to the union have decided that the association has no power to appoint referees to matches under the control of the union. As a result, thero will be no referees next Saturday unless volunteers in the way of ex-players come forwajd in response to the advertised appeal from the secretary of tho Wellington union. Even granting that a sufficient number of men come forward, it is not likely that they will five as satisfactory rulings as the Roerees' Association men, who have as near as possible all worked on the ono lino. Further, if ex-players know no more about the rules than the average player of to-day, their rulings will not be very favourably received. I It appears to us chat a little tact on the part of delegates to the union would have saved the present deadlock, and a sensible body of men like the referees would, we think, be prepared to work with the Management Committee under some such terms as provided for in Mr. Hunter's motion. ,A correspondent, "Watcher," wrote as follows previous to the Wellington-Wai-rarapa match : — I know it is far easier to criticise other people's work than to do that work oneself, yet I think that the selectors of the Wellington representative team could have done their work a little more thoroughly, particularly as regards the placing of the backs. Now, jusfc take the material in hand. No one ■could reasonably object to Spencer at full. His play "this year is as good as ever.' Having filled the rear position satisfactorily, we can look at the players left for the attacking backs. We have four members of the "All Blacks' " touring tean. — they are "'certainties," and they will be Wellington's main hope. Three of them are champion three-quar-ters, and certainly it would be hard to find anywhere a more brilliant trio attacking than Thomson, Wallace, and M'Gregor. Add to theso Roberts, "the best half-back in the world," and Are have tho nucleus of one of the best back divisions in the colony. All that is needed to Complete the chain is a good connecting link — a pair of clever fiveeighths—and, above all ; unselfish. Sunh a pair is to be found, m my opinion, in Cleary and Ramsden. These two are ooth fast, clever, and slippery ; both are young, and both are unselfis-h. deary . n ho. would be No. 1 five-eight, would have the additional advantage of having played every week in conjunction with Roberts at half — to my mind a most important item in back combination. Ramsden is very fast, and in club games plays centre, which position, is exactly similar to No. 2 five-eight. These two youngstezs would be only too eager to feed their brilliant three-quarter line. It will bo seen that this team comprises exactly the same players as the representative team with the exception of Jeary substituted for A. Thomson. And yet the selectors have contrived, with the same matorial, to gather together a hotch-potch of players in strange positions, apparently without * any * idea of combination .... Of the five- ■ -ighths, M'Gregor is far too weak in Jefence; The committee must have very bad memories indeed if they have forgotten the miserable "exhibition of defence — or rather lack of defence — at C'arterton ..wo years ago in the return match igainst Wairarapa. M'Gregor is a champion attacking wing three-quarter, but uo lacks the defence necessary for a iive-oighth in a hard forwaid game such is Wairarapa play. To my mind, the Diggtst blunder of all is the placing of iloberts at five-eighth. He was a comparative failure in that position in club james, and after two games went back lo half. Of course, the committee know better. Ths advantage of placing the three "All Blacks" together in the threequarter line — Wallace, for piefeieucu, at ,entre — is obvious. They have not yet forgotten how to play tho New Zealander's game, and they, I think, would Jiow us some splendid combination. . . . We have received from Mr. J. M. Kobb, Hon. Secretary of the New Zealand Referees' Association, a neatly artanged booklet issued by the association ontaining the rules and bylaws of the und alho notes from decisions of the International Board, and rulings and interpretations given by the recent Con-

ference of New Zealand Referees. Alterations to the rules are specially marked by being printed in red ink. The book is a handy and useful work, and can be obtained from Mr. Robb. Up to 2nd June the Athletic Club has played 29 matches this season. Fourteen have been won, 9 lost, and 6 drawn. The points scored for totalled 218, and 160 have been hcored against.