The Evening Star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1909.

Evening Star, Issue 14163, 13 September 1909, Page 4

The Evening Star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1909.

That there is no hope for a successful to

vival of football unckr Our National Nortljom Union rules or Came. of the professional game seriously threatening Ihe bold which Rugby has on the Dunedin public Saturday's experience must have satisfied even its staunchest supporters. The time-honored fixture belwen Wellington and Otago drew to Carisbrook an immense crowd, who impartially cheered any exhibition of scientific play. So far as the home team were concerned, wc regret to say that in the back division this was of an entirely negative character. The statement had been made during the week and reiterated that if Otago was to be successful it mu*t be through the agency of its strong pack ; but the majority of those who"agreed villi the remark were unprepared for such a puerile exhibition ad was given by the roues' backs. Scoring opportunity after opportunity, especially in the first spell, wa.s lost by the slowness or incapacity of the rearguard. It is easy to imagine how tho points would have been piled up had Otago's forwards and Wellington's clever backs been pitted against the local backs and the visiting forwards-. Truly the decadence of our hacks is deplorable, and if Otago is ever to have possession of the coveted Ranfirrly Shield an improvement will have to come from this department. In speaking thus pointedly we have no wish to detract from the honor due to Wellington by their soft win. There is still another interprovincial game to be played, and it behoves our . selectors to make radical changes in the men behind the scrum for the Canterbury match. Our province is not to suggest where the personnel might be improved. Rut the man :n the street —oftentimes not the least capable and impartial critic—thinks that the threequarter line would be improved by the inclusion of Dansey (wing) and 0.-juley or Harley (centre). The Selection Committee cannot be blind to Saturday's mistakes, and may he depended to carefully consider the position before announcing the team to represent the Province in its hist fixture for 1909.