FOOTBALL.

Evening Star, Issue 12867, 17 July 1906, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

RUGBY. [Bt R*PB»m] Tt» following table shows tho positions of the club* engaged in, the senior grade oon-testj-i-

It can he argued, from the fact* that Dunedin were * little too good for ZingariRichmond at Tahuna op Saturday. The score, 6—<s, bears witness to that proposition. Moreover, Dunedin bad bhe worst of tho wind, being compelled to fight against a strong breeze throughout the first spell, whereas when ends were changed the windpressure slackened a bit. Nevertheless, to an onlooker the teams seemed to be about fairly matched. Strange to *ay, one grave mistake in tactics was made by both. Throughout the first spell Zingari stuck far too much to tight play and the use qf the touch-hne, instead' of centring and kicking high; and when Dunedin got the wind astern they did the very same thing. The crucial point of the game was the later part of the firafcppelJ, when Dunedin were anxious to keep Zingari from adding to the score. Zingari barrackers thought, and with reason, that if their side were to win they wanted wore than a lead of 3 points with the wind. Dunedin realised this too, and from the jfcand it looked very like as though tho Bines bad made up their minds that the one important thing was to keep their opponents out, and not mind about attacking in th* meantime. It was interesting to watch Whelan and his men carrying out '-I 63 - KcU r> Fitspatrick, Gollan, MP-hail, and Watson were the most pro--minent of the defending side at this stage, and Wation's daring follow-up from a kick shone out as a noteworthy incident but w a matter of fact the stubborn work ip the dose pack by Paton, Rapson, Williams, and others was of quite equal service. Another feature Of th« game that interested tV spectators W4s the dashing attack of the Zingari forwards towards the end of the second spell, when it was legitimate Rugby to risk ■something in the hope of equalising the score. Arthur Low was specially conspicuous at this stage in making openings for his side, and Reddington's dashing play deserves mention. Reddlngton, by the way came into the Zjngari team at the last moment; that is to say, he was not in the party as originally picked. The Dunedin team also had some alterations. Drumni being absent, Watson was brought up from the Third; and as F. Ivimy could not plav having a bad leg, the veteran J, Williams (usually refereeing) took his place in the serum. During the game three of the playere got temporarily invalided, but only about fonr minutes was thereby lost. Clarke was one of these three. It was a good job for Dunedin that he was able to resume, aa ho scored the second try, got so quickly and cleverly that few on the stand knew what had happened until the flayers began to station themselves for the kick. Mr Gallaway umpired very fairly. ''lsn't it Splendid. There's no lull in the game. They are going jt all the time." ibis remark by a pavilion lady-critic about summed up the Alhambra-Kaikorai game on Saturday. In the first place, there was a jndicious man in charge of the whistle. He seldom interfered with the game—ne/er without reason—and was so unobtrusive thai many of tho spectators forgot all about bia presence. That is the highest pinnacle of usefulness a referee can reach, provided he does not let the players get out of hand, and Mr Wilson never did that. Thoy aay that, "willing" as the Kai-korai-Alhambra games always are, they are of a kind that conJd almost be trusted to referee themselves. That is but a halftruth. Certainly in a gamo like Saturday's ih© mere presence of a referee like Mr Wilson, who has the respect of tie plavens on both sides, is in itself enough to maie his duties almost a sinecure. But, gnre the teams an incompetent or interferr ing referee, and there would soon be more whistle than football. Experience has taught us that. History repeat itself. How often a team that put up a great defence against a strong wind in the first gpeil of a match find their wheels dragging towards the end of the second apeU! It was so with Kaikoraj. Even with tho wind behind them, they wtTC hard put to it near the end to keep Alhambra out, let alone scoring themselves. Yet the pace of the gam© never slackened, and perhaps the great finishing rallies put in by the Alhambra forwards need very little discounting under this head. The sympathies of tie bulk of the crowd iu the Caledonian pavilion seemed to be with Kaikorai, but there did not seem to be much blind, bigoted partisanship. Scraps of conversation passing among a fairminded littk knot of sports, noted as the game was drawing to a close, give a pretty fab; reflex of what was going on :—" Alhambra's playing a good game now." "Yes; they only want to get away in a good forward rush, and they'll score." "Aye, it's far easier to judge it against this wind than wjth it." Then carao a patch of play that made <&e spectators forget to talk, followed by the remark: "Aihambra's climbing all over them now in the forwards." Then; as Strang or Armrt sent the leather flying down the wind, " Oh, one good kick spoils all their good play." "Some of the best forward rushes I have seen," as Alhambra returned to it with the pertinacity of Bruoe's spider. "That Johnston's a great line-out player." "Yes; he takes a week to get a start, tbaugh." "This football's a great game—to look at—isn't it? Can't you see every man's faults?" "M'Kenaiel—look at him. He's there e\ecy time."

Afi to Kaiiorai, the outstanding pair «in their side were M'Donald and Porteous. They were certainly as good as the best pair of forwards on the Alhambra side. A.damwra was also prominent, but more i>tteotion to the ball and leas to the man would improve his value. Perhaps the Alhambra fuil-back may feel inclined to echo these sentiments. Dobson and Booth were the most noticeable among the backs, though occasionally both made mistakes. It was the old brigade chiefly who stood out for merit from Alhambra'a ranks. Given, Hobson, and Isaacs were almost as good ag M'Ken/ie. Given's dribbling was a treat, and he kept going tirelessly. One or two encounters between him and Porteous were exsellent little legitimate business— and honors were about e\en. Among the hacks King and Bennit were a class by themselves. Their footwork on the wet day was just as clever and brainy as their passing generally is on a dry day. Take it all through, they hardly made a mistake. Knowles, behind ike scrum, played an energetic and serviceable game, as did Coulter ia a like position 'or Kaikorji

Twenty-five years ago Carisbrook was a fen. The only pity is that it was allowed to remain so. Among the "Maori heads" there was plenty of water—good sailing for vessels of moderate draught. As the prospective port of Otago the place had its chances. Unluckily, it was decided to fight Nature and make a football ground of it. The idea waa persevered with. After ten years of " reclamation," the nautical chances of the place were considerably reduted. It became fit only for regattas and model yacht races. Even hwe, however, it was denied its legitimate usefulness, and the football fatuity was kept to the fore. There was torn© danger to the footballer, of coime-h* might be djrownfd. Humanity Urtp prompted the erection of a windmill, and since it was put up <rhe poor thins has done its best *Up to date BSLbfoS ha* heea "dried" until its viscosity is not rfw £ Mft K r th?" the sticky notion's which the chemists dwplay in the summer wiien flies are rampant. So the man who aspire* to play footbal on Carisbrook has a eirople matter before him. All be needs to do is to tram until he feete himself equivalent to afent a hawked footrtong of eneqrj. More

than ninety-nine tons will be absorbed in overcoming the ground. If a lew ounces of vis viva are left in him for the game,, well, it all helps to show what a wonderful man the Rugby player is. In general the ground seems to deal most severely with the " combination" teams. The better a team is on Iho "fine points" the worse it agrees with them, and the number of topnotch teams whose colors have been lowered on this ground are past counting. Two or three years ago a sportive Flag Committee found this out, and used to place Alhambra on it; on every possible occasion—not fo much out of malice prepense as to make the R<ds feel that if the Hag was worth winning at all ■ it was worth winning two or throe times oveT. On, Saturday 'Varsity bad the samo trouble thrown at them, and their effective, combination never got a chance. As a combination-killer this ground would be hard to beat, and if the Rugby Union ever wish to kill the Association game in the popular estimation, perhaps the quickest way would betooffer the Q.F.A- the free use of CarUbrook. As our Association friends may be inclined to take *his observation to heart, I hasten, like Artemua Ward, to add: "N.B —This is a joke." The most peculiar feature about tbo joke, however. Is tbftt the more one turns it over in his head the more it begins to look like a fact, Further inspection of 'Varsity shows that ibey are now bending all their efforts, towards strengthening their forwards. Time was, and not so long ago, when their forwards were not a circumstance, and all that a resolute opposition had to do was to get tbem down and keep them there. On Saturday they had to battle past such opposition as Sheehan, Rufsell, and M. Casey, and when it i 3 considered that they did so with creditable success the more respect one must feel for Foote, A. Thomson, Harrison, and Co. The writer is inclined to think that the uniform success of "Varsity is more closely connected to the effort? of their brilliant wing forward than 13 generally suspected. Now and again he kicks too harj, but that is the only true bill thct Can be made out against him.

Of tho btcks, i l -* re is lot mnch to be said. It was not their day. The "try" that Adams paved tlie way for was a pretty move. Nobody except a resolute runner could have got it. However, tie 'Varsity skipper was well to tha front when the quality of determination was bsin» served out" to the race. On the Southern side Eckhold was premier back, but it was noticeable that the 'Varsity attack struck solid opposition whenever it hit up against Chambers and Stanley. Of late years a considerable mistake seems to have been made with regard to "bar rackers," and matches have gradually become cs eqbdued as Quakers' meetings. Yet the stimulation that the "barracke?" cap give is unmistakcabte, and on Saturday be livened up a game which threatened to beccrne a funeraL It is idle to upbraid the " barracker " for being or.e-sided. A " barracker," who is any good at all, must be a man of likes and dislikes. And as long as he does not mistake his likes and disrkos for fair play be is all right. When he sticks up for his side but and oat he is natural and admirable. When, however, he affects to combine this good quality with the general righteousness industry, he is merely a fraud.

bo a Ohjb. -a £ J2 i3 'I 0( a £ it a "3 1 3 Unirersity ... „, , 10 9 0 1 83 27 19 Aihamhra «. ... . 10 7 1 2 58 32 16 Eaikorai „. _. 9 6 3 0 89 31 12 Dunaiin ... _ . 9 6 3 0 66 50 12 ZiTifu'riBidunond „. 10 4 6 0 49 54 8 Boufciwra ,10 3 6 1 35 53 7 Port Ctolnen ... '10 2 7 1 67 02 5 Union , 9 a 6 2 46 81 4 PiiWtes ... .„ , 9 1 7 1 21 94 3