NORTHERN UNION.

Evening Star, Issue 15513, 8 June 1914, Page 6

NORTHERN UNION.

BRITISH FOOTBALLERS IN SYDNEY. A SPLENDID GATE, The British Northern Union footballers opened their tour at Sydney on Saturday against a strong metropolitan team. The weather was fine. The game -was all in far or of the local men, owing to six of the best British players having arrived only on Thursday. The- visitors' team were hardly as strong as might have- been fielded, whereas the metropolitan side practically represented the league of New South Wales. The local players led at, half-time by 23 points to 2, finallv winning by 38 points to 10. A crowd of 60,000 witnessed the game, and the gate takings were £2,800. This created a record for the Northern Union game. Messenger was the principal goal-kicking being very effective. Wood, England's full-back, was injured in the first spell, and had to retire. The visitors were much the heavier team, but practically the whole of the second half they were on their defence, and had to pive way to the cleverness of the Australians. The Englishmen appeared nonplussed, and the home team seemed to do as they liked. England's defeat was attributed tnore to lack of combination than lack of condition. The most material difference between the teams was in the methods of combination in collective play, while in individual trieki ness the colonials were superior to the Englishmen. The latter were weakened by the retirement of Wood, who, ©ontrary to the Australian custom, was notreplaoed. The Englishmen were surprised at the talent developed by the metropolitans, but with their best men in they think they will win.

VIEWS ON THE TEAM. FORWARDS HEAVY BUT SLOW. SYDNEY, June 8. (Received June 8, at 10.40 a.m.) Heavy rain is falling, which may affect ,the success of various sports meetings today. Unless the match is postponed tb« conditions should give the English Rugbj League team an advantage against NewSouth Wales. The visitors axe putting the full strength of their team on the field.

Press comments are not in favor of the visitors' action in not replacing an injured man on Saturday, aa the spectators were thereby deprived of witnessing an sven came, while the team's opponents w«ra deprived of the full fruits of victory. Experts consider that the Englishmen are too heavy and slow, and that there i« too much of the " Dreadnought" about the forwards. English teams previously have been beaten because their forwards wer< not fast, weighty, ani rugged enough U ' cope with the Australian opposition. Tin English selectors seem to have gow "heavy forward mad." Kelly's (an ex-New Zeaiander) triekines* Border's all-round play, and Mesaenger'l phenomenal goal-kicking were the features of Saturday's match.

Following are the results of footbaTl games under League rules played in the Northern centres on Saturday :

Auckland,— City 16 beat Ponsonbr 13: Grafton 12. Otabuhu 10; North. Shore 18, Newton ril.

heat Petone by 20 to 13; Athletic beat Newtown, by li to 6.

Christchurch. —Sydenham 19 best Linwood 10; St. Albans 26, City nil.