FOOTBALL.

Evening Star, Issue 12873, 24 July 1906, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

' RUGBY. [Bv Referee.] following table shows the positions of the clubs engaged in the senior grade contest:—

OTAGO REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. July 28.—Against Taranaki, at Dunedin. August 15.—Against Southland at Invercargill. Angust 18.—Against Southland, at Dunedin. September B.—Against Canterbury, at Christchurch. September 12.—Against Manawatu, at Palmerston North. September 15.—Against Wellington, at Wellington. September 19.—Against Wanganui, at Wanganui. The best spot in the Alhambra-Dunedin match was furnished by the occasional flashes of briDhmcy shown by the Alhambra backs. In especial, Bennet*showed hinirelf once more, as he often" has before, the headiest attacking centre in Otago. Some of his openings on Saturday were brilliant, and his- fielding of the ball was never fanltv His score was prettily engineered by M'Leo'd, but many players would have missed the pass that let him in. King plaved his customary sound game at five-eighths, and Knowies shone frequently. Harrhy was not playing, and J. Dey donned the jersev with ■some success, and took his old place at fullback. He was very reliable. The forwards were rather badly beaten bv the Dunedin pack at first, but later did 'more than hold their own. If a choice must he made, Hobson, Given, M'Kenzie, and Harridge were as good as any. • The Dnnedin backs attack very weakly. As the ball travelled from one back to another, the Alhambra backs had no difficulty (in almost every case) in preventing any movement that gained ground. Clarke, indeed, played very well, and Kelly was pretty safe at full-back. Teesdale scored once, and had a remote chance of scoring again if he had properly watched the flight of the ball coming to him, and not the man. A recruit (Wilson), who filled a vacant place in the three-quarter line, did surprisingly well. He brought Shut cry down in fine style, not once nor twice. The pick of the Dunedin forwards were Fitzpatrick, Reid, and Paton. "We're hardly used to this," said a Pirates supporter when confirmation of the try-getters' names in the Union match was being sought after the game. It was an unaccustomed strain on the memory to recall exactly in what way such a large score had been built up. However,- it is safe to say that Clark, the Pirates' scram half, was largely responsible for three of the tries. Two of them, in fact, he did score himself. Pirates were very pleased with their win, but were at a slight loss as to how to explain the sudden showing oi brilliance on attack by their backs'. Luck will not account for it all. Perhaps the best way of ainstrating would be to refer readers to Kipling's story of ' The Ship That Found Herself.' Union, on the other hand, while leaving with* great vigor, and threatening danger many times, were strangely unsuccessful. Like an eight-oared boat, in which the time is ragged, they never settled down together comfortably. Wise, on, tho wing, made some brave single-handed dashes, but Ihe opposition's tackling was very solid. As tee Pirates man put it: "The Union played *>day the way we used generally to play." This bad more particular reference to the Kicks thaa» the forwards. Cramond's presence at five-eighth was of great advantage to Pirates' rearguard. Fairbairn, at centre three-quarter, was Al, while amor',!; the forwards Dennisfcon, Fenwick, and Ross stood out hut slightlv from a dashing pack. The dofoai inflicted on Kaikorai by Varsity >s the heaviest reverse which has i>ver fallen on the hill men. In 1902 their ancient foemen. Alhambra. overwhelmed than by 20 points to nothing. On that occasion the method of tho winners whs not pretty. Weight of metal may be inwardly convincing; outwardly it is not showy. But on Saturday 'Varsity hid not the light of science under a bushel of " bullocking." They accepted ero:y situation as Kaikorai left it, spread themselves over it, and finished by imposing it on the opposition. It is not nico to have "the other fellow" imposing the situation all the time. At some time or other during the gnmc every University man must have tot cJoeo to a score. In the last half-hour especially the Light Blues just sat down on the Kaikorai goal-lice and lived there. Even here the collegKHis had an eye to pleasing vari««ry. So at times they allowed themselves to be pushed back to halfway, in wttar that they might approach the position fiercer than ever. After such withdrawals —withdrawals which were rather suggestive Df the cat playing with the captured mouse —the usual thing was a rush that bore down everything. Such a shower of student fell on the Dark Blues that, often, there, was no time to sort out the'try-get-ters- until tho defenders found themsefves weanlypropping up the posts watching the erect Wa Repa walking out with the ball. Then there was time to think about the trygetter, and frequently the thought must Irave been: " A toi ' Rastua'—you again! " All these good achievements must be measured, to some extent, by the strength of the opposition. What sort of Kaikorai waa it that "Varsity struck? A well-known Kaikorai forward put it this ;way to the writer: "Oh, yes, they were trained up to the uwal—that is to say, about six were out for a run last week and nine weren't." It may be fancy, but after watching the Kaikorai team for many years I sometimes think that, eoraewher© about them, there is a shade of chivalry above the common. After many of tho <ld kittles between Kaikorai and Aiharnbia, ; ; frequent visitor to the Alhambra dressing room used to be "Jimmy" Duncan. He had a wav of dropping round to ehake hands after a hard struggle in which Fortune, maybe, had gone against him. On Saturday one of the first congratulations to the victors came from "Afick" M'Donahl. Handshakes are cheap enough, no doubt, especially from weak spirits. But 'Varsity rightly appreciated this one, and I have some reason to know that the little ceremony pleased the Light Brnes as much as anything that happened all the afternoon. In factr—but tell it not in Gath—a Taisity man said: "It is worth mßrrtkming in print, don't you think? " A pleasing feature about the University game wafi the amount of straight running. This is generally supposed to be a lost art, not seen much since 1892, at all One of tie siraightest goers in the 'Varsity team was their outside five-eighths—Wi Repa. His dummies say that he is a hard man to follow—they cannot tell whether be is going to tack or wear ship. On Saturday it did not ecem to matter. The backing up was» so good that he i.finally found fcunsett with friends both to port and starboard. A general idea of the gain© be glayed was well expressed by a ripecfeator. w^25 a P a a S am '-" ho exclaimed, as tbt -usual bolt was beginning; " they can't hold that Maori at all! "

The lesson of the ganw seems to he that the method of coaching, which consists onlv of telling and talking, is finished for ever The value of a daylight practice once a week is now ehown beyond all tloubt. A man cannot carry much "good advice" tlaough the stress of a football match There isn't time to think about it. Advice by "ban-ackers" to make it loose cr tight or forward or back, only means so much wast© of broath. All that a man can carry about the field is his uniform jok! his habits. When a team brings on to the field nii accumulation of skilled habits, and r:eets imoerfect resistance, such a icima as that

played on the Caledonian Ground on Saturday. becomes possible. By the way, the University five-eightha now stand much deeper than they used to do—an important change.. Port Chalmers residents mustered in force at Mussel Bay on Saturday, and for over an hour or more cherished a hope that their men would hold their own against the Southern team. But it waa not to be. Southern secured a most decisive win—2o to 3. This looks like a one-sided game. But it was not so, by any means. During most of tie time the teams seemed to be about evenly matched. The difference was that when chances came Southern took them, and Port couldn't for want of scoring power. The failure in the last ten minutes was modfc noticeable. Port were pressing gallantly, and from a scrum dribbled the ball parallel to the goal-line. Colthorpe, standing quite clear, had only to pick up and get in-—a Chinaman's trot would have done it—but in his anxiety he missed the ball altogether. This was dreadfufly hard luck, for Colthorpe had up to then played a really good game. Corcoran, full-back lor Port, hardly showed his best form. Two or three times in the second spell he kicked square out, instead of gaining ground. Crammond and Gray, on the other hand, did remarkably well for the back division of the Port team. So did W. Dougherty, but he was closely watched, and his brother got the greater number of chances, which he generally took, though unable to score. Amongst the Port forwards the most prominent, and perhaps the moat useful too, were Connor (from Ravensbourne) and ' Ferguson, the latter playing with consistency and dash. Of the Southern men, Stanley, Shirley, and Eckhold were keen and reliable, Sharley being specially serviceable by has gameness in stopping rushes. Smith, also, justified his place as scrum half. But the hero al the Southerners was Mick Casey. He played maryellously well and tackled hi the most deadly manner. Once in the first spell he outpaced his comrades in their pursuit of Crammond, and when he found that he could not get up he leaped upon Crammond from behind, thus preventing a sure score. M. Casey also amused the spectators -with some sleight-of-hand work in putting in the balL He seemed to have it out ae soon as it went in. But as the referee was watching, it may be assumed it waa fair enough. M'Ewan may be "e----garded as the next best forward on his side. His following up was AL Sheehan, too, made his influence felt; and S. Casey, as played unselfishlesly. It was an in terepting game to watch. FACTS. That the 'Varsity have now practically won the premiership for 1906. That should the Alhambra beat thorn tho Light Blues will still have a lead of 1 point. That their win. will be a very popular one, it being the first time they have held the premier position. That it will be well deserved, for they have been the most consistent, team in town, and have given a good exposition of the game. That the only team they have not beaten are tho Alhambra., with whom they plaved a drawn game. Tliat should they beat, tho 'Bamas in the return match, then their record will be a really brilliant one. That Bennet's exclusion from the Otago team is bad luck for him, seeing that he is now playing right up to his best form, and could get into somo of tho bast teams in the colony. That King would have been a valuable acquisition to the Otago backs had his services been available. That Otago -will not have the services of the University cracks on the Northern tour. That the visiting teams to Dnnedin aTu therefore the only ones likely to meet the Dark Blues at their full strength this season. That Adams, the idol of the Dunedin football public, captains Otago tliis year for the first time, though some would have preferred a forward—•Porteous or the popular All Black M'Donal'd—as skipper. That Billy Johnston, of the All Blacks, was ordered off the field on Saturday by Referee Duncan, who was coach for that famous combination That Duncan was looking for notoriety as a strict referee, and got it, though at the expense of a player who could have proved that the referee was wrong were it not that the latter's word is taken as final. That this was a case where this rule undoubtedly inflicted a hardship on the player. That a Wellington writer only last week wrote: " In reply to a emery on the subject, the New Zealand Rugby Union have laid it down that no evidence rebutting a referee's statement on a point of fact can be accepted. In the light of one or two peculiar caves which have cropped up in Wellington concerning the ridiculous statements made by those controlling a game, some provision should be made to call rebutting evidence when flagrant contradictory evidence is tondered by a referee." That Duncan is not the success as a referee that he was as a player. That certain North Island members of the All Blacks will smile when they hear of the Duncan-Johnston incident. That the four Otago members of the New Zealand team—Booth, M'Douald, Casey, and Johnston (since disqualified) all "found places in this year's representative team. i That some would have preferred Booth on the wing in the Otago team, with Scannell or Wyinks at full-back. That the Union and Pirates are the only teams unrepresented in the reps. That Casey and! Spiel's are a good pair of hookers, though some consider there are younger players quite their equal as frontrow men. That M'Kenzie is a dashing young forward who has well earned his place. That Harry Porteous is almost as good a wmg forward as ever, although young Harridge must have run him close for Ms place. That the team possess two gigantic place and drop kickers in Adams and Patoh (lock forward). That George Stephenson, the ex-repre-sentative wing three-quarter, arrived from Sydney last Saturday, and visited Carisbrook, where his old club gave bun three cheers. That Port Chalmers have, on their play, justified their inclusion in senior ranks. That it is a feather in their cap to produce a rep. player in their first year. 'lhat everyone was pleased to see the Pirates win their last two matches. That the Dunedin are represented this season by one of the best teams they have had for years. That the prospects of this old club are very bright for next season. That 'Varsity have four players in the reps., Kaikorai three, Zingari-Richmond, Dunedin, and Southern two each, and Port Chalmers and Alhambra one each. That with the exception of Dougherty, Dansey, Paton, and M'Kenzie, all the other members of the team have previously represented their province, while Booth, Gilray, Macphereon, Casey, MDonald, and Porteous have been members of New Zealand teams at different times. That Alf. Bayly, the selector of the Taranaki team, writing to Auckland the other day, eaid that hia province -would bo represented there by a very strong team, so that Otago can expect her usual bard game against the boys from the North next Saturday. That Southland, who tour the North this year, expect to get a real good team together. That all the leading provinces except Otago will this season visit Auckland, where the Ranfurly Shield is at present located. That Dansey, the Otago scrum half, is the only recent arrival here from other parts who is in the team, he having played in the South Canterbury district last year. That Otago and Taranaki have met on three occasions, each province winning a game and the third being drawn. That from 1885 to 1905/ (both years inclusive) Kaikorai has won the premiership ten times, Alhambra six, Union twice, and Dunedin, Pirates, and Southern once each. That Isaac Jenkins, the veteran Southlander, celebrated his twentieth year last Wednesday since first playing as a senior in Riverton. That B. J. SwanneD, who was a member of Sivright'fl English team, was ordered off .recentlr in Sydnejs for-strikmjj. an opponent.

That Cameron, throe-quarter ia. the Tara*' nald team, is the same young player who played for University Second last year and who took Gilray's place if the team that went to Sydney. That Sydney University will not play here until some time in September. That the members of tie All Blacks in the Taranaki team aro Abbott, Hunter, Mycott, and ©"Sullivan. That the names of Glasgow ajid Glenn arc missing from the team. That Abbott, of the Zmgari-Bjchmond, replaces Johnston in the Otago team. rhat a good line-out man would have strengthened the forwards, who appear to be weak in this department.

u 55 *> •2 to "S Club. E 3 C3 i2 a »►, c > a o Cfi Cv .3 5 **• 3 O 5 University ... 11 10 0 i 106 32 21 Alhambra i.. 11 8 1 2 67 38 18 Kaikorai ... ... 10 6 4 0 94 54 12 Dnnedin ... _. 10 6 4 0 72 59 12 Southern... ~. 11 4 6 1 55 56 9 ZingariRichniond ... 10 4 6 0 49 51 8 Pirates ... ... 10 2 7 1 36 94 5 rort Chalmers 11 2 8 1 70 112 5 Union ... 10 1 7 2 46 96 4