RUGBY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25, 29 July 1911, Page 14

RUGBY.

(By "Dropkick.") Melrose gave the somewhat confident Poneke a bit of a fright on Saturday last at Petone, a.nd it is reasonable to suppose that, had the game started at the proper time and finished in a decent light, the climing Melrose would at least have drawn with the reds. Melrose maintained their lead until well through the second spell, and the Poneke team had half a dozen captains at this stage, exhorting and appealing. Tho lively Jimmy Tilyard was setting a very warm pace behind the ecrum, but though the backs made a number of spectacular splashee, th«y all went for nothing. When Gardiner got over and equalled Poneke breathed a little more freely, and then set out to get in front. It took a lot of doing, and Melrose resisted so whole-heartedly that it was not until after the sti'eet lamps had started work some time and darkened window-panes took on red flashes that Joe 'Elliott^a ghostly figure in the gloom"— was said to have run in at the corner. He repeated (so it is said) the performance a few minutes later, but • how anyone could «cc it is hard to know, for a man three stride* distant might have been anyone. Certainly the referee was not in a position to view the proceedings, and there was a disputatious three minutes between that authority and a section of the Melrose team as to what really had happened. However it was, it i« quite certain that Elliott had gone mighty close to the side-line in this dash. Looked at from most aspects, the gAffie resulted • in a somewhat unsatisfactory way. Playing in the dark, it was simply a matter of luck, and the men dashed and scrambled about, the team on the defence being put to the greatest disadvantage. iWhy the referee (Mr, Neilson) permitted the alleged contest to • continue under such conditions this deponent knoweth not. What was quite a hard-fought game, and one full of surprises, was turned into a farce. Melrose did not deserve to be beaten by 6 points. Tilyard was the best back on the ground, S. Marshall running him a close second. A. Gilchrist, who fields, Tuna, 1 and kicks like a back, was the best forward on the day's play. The Poneke backs flashed spasmodically, but .there too much hesitation in the pass, and too much selfishness. Mitchmson nearly always hung on too long, and as a consequence was well smothered by I the solid Melrose tackier®. Gardiner played a useful game, and Prendeville mad# few mistakes. Church and W. Marshall did well for Melrose, whose forwards as usual had the most to say. That ie, as Tegards the actual play. B. Sullivan and a brother followed up untiringly. The incident of the verbal ' trouble between some of the losers and the referee has already been referred to. It was foolish ori the part of the players to dispute to such length the referee's ruling, bat it was, in the" writer's opinion, equally foolish for him to have permitted the game to go so far. It was really blind asylum football at the finish. Wellington were by no mean* diegraced in their game with (Mental at Miramar on Saturday ; in fact, they held up their end remarkably well, and it> waa only lack of finish that prevented at least a couple of tries being, registered in their favour. There can be no doubt that there is good material in the yellow and black ranks, but a guiding hand is. badly needed. In Munro, Bridge, Carr, Sheehan, and Lambert-, they have men who would be acquisitions to any senior team, and on his display on Saturday Lambert is one of the best full-baGks in the competition. The lengthy Wellingtonian has been playing wing-three-quarter for the greater part of- the Bea6on, and his play in that position has always been good. He simply excelled himself on Saturday, and it tfrafl the opinion of many competent critics on the line that the selectors need look no further. for a guardian of the posts in the next rep. team. Lambert has all the qualifications that go to making an ideal full-back. He is fast; kicks well, and his .rush stopping ami tackling could not he improved on. Another thing, he seldom loses his head. Unfortunately for Lambert, the selectors seldom pay Visits to Miramat and Karori, where tho Wellington team usually spends its Saturday afternoons, and consequently any good play is overlooked. A disappointing feature of last Saturday's game was the poor display of the Oriental backs. They seemed to be lost without Roberts, who was playing fullback. Little did a lot of hard work behind the scrum, but he nullified it all by hanging on, too much. M'Leod played his usual solid game. He, however, had few chances on attack. M'Bean was the best of the pack, which was somewhat' inclined to roughness. St James had far from an easy task to defeat Southern at the Park Jast Saturday. In fact, so far as the first spell was concerned, Southern more than held their own. In the second half they put up a very plucky resistance to the determined attack by St. JaTnes. That they managed to keep the score down to two tries against them was a teal credit to the vastly-improved Southern team. There is not the least doubt that Soutnern are a coming team.' At one time not so Very long ago they were just a pack of ponderous and not overskilful forwards. Now they have an equally good and a more versatile vanguard, and 1 the rearguard is improved but of all recognition. Of course, Brad ley is chief nerve and source of strength among the backs, and on his play thi* season he fully deserves a place in any senior representative team Wellington may put in the field. He simply, can not be overlooked. Both in attack and defence he is extremely capable, and his tackling is excellent. Though ho is out on his own among the Southern backs, there are at least two others, who d& serve mention— namely, Gallagher and Parker, both of whom played veTy well on Saturday. Capp«r on the wing is b weak spot. Among the forwards Houlihan and Les Campbell were the most conspicuous, though Campbell was not up to his place-kicking reputation. On the St. James side the pick of tho backs Were the two Eobertses, particu larly Harry, who played one of his best games- during the season. Hk judgment in defence waa noteworthy. Cook made one great run, but otherwise does not seem to have acquired that polish and certainty of touch a first-class back must possess. He is not too reliable in taking his passes, and altogether is not clean enough in his handling of the ball. He ought to look to these points before hoping to gain senior honours. Among the forwards Moffitt stood out absolutely on his own. He played a little bit too vigorously at times, but his initiative in getting away with the ball was fine to' watch. In a game that was decidedly rough at times he got a nasty punch in the eye on the line out. There wefe two or three instances of tough fllay of this kind that a fnotoalert referee might well have seen and taken action upon. It is particularly important that a referee should keep his eyes open to rough play at the present time, when the public is watching the game very carefully. There was not much in the Petone* Old Boys' match on No. 2, Athletic; Part?, to justify comment. Petone just had a. day out, and enjoyed themselves immensely. Som© of their numerous &i& ft£is bcaLUtiittl examples of book-

tactics. The use of the cross-kick by M'Kenzie was again noticeable. _ This is decidedly a popular feature in football generally this season.