SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 19143, 9 January 1926, Page 12

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[From Our English Correspondent.] LONDON, November 25. RUGBY. Cambridge University ■ recently gained a splendid win over the. powerful Glasgow Academicals, and now Oxford have gone down when mooting the Dublin University team. The Irishmen made no mistake about it cither, tho margin being 23 points to 3 in their favor. It does not do to? form hasty conclusions regarding in-tcr-’varsity Rugby, but tho form mentioned rather points to the Cantabs having a big chance in the coming struggle. Oxford suffered another reverse when meeting Harlequins at the weekend, the London club prevailing by 22 points to 8. This, however, shows the Dark Blues in far too bad a light, circumstances leading to four of tho regular Oxford players being absent. Harloauins. on the other hand, were at full strength, and at the top of their form.

Cambridge University gained a success at the expense of Old Leysians, scoring 25 points to 13, hut their display was by no means inspiring. Some of the other club games were particularly interesting, that between Swansea and Cardiff providing a great struggle, tho former winning by 16 points to 6. This marked the first reverse of the season for Cardiff in Wales. . , , Richmond showed their by defeating London Scottish by 21 points to 10, and Newport beat Gloucester by 17 points to 3. 'Somo sensational results were forthcoming in the Rugby county championship matches, Cheshire unexpectedly prevailing by a try to 0, when visiting Cumberland, whilst Devon beat Cornwall by 6 points to 0 at Redruth, The other fixture in this competition ended in Northumberland beating Durham by 17 points to 0. SOCCER,

Arsenal stands first among the London clubs at present, and the manner 'the Highbury players are bidding for | the leadership of the League table is giving much satisfaction in southern ! football circles. Called on to visit Blackburn on Saturday, the Arsenal men played great football to win by the odd goal in five,. j Sunderland also took both points when receiving West Ham, the London club going under by 4 points to 1. Thus there was no' alteration in the position so far as the two leading clubs are concerned, Sunderland showing the way with 24 points for eighteen | matches, Arsenal be in" a point be- ' hind, with a match in hand. | Manchester United accomplished a smart performance by beating Bury by 3 goals to 1, and this at Bury. As a result, the winners are now third on j the table with 20 points for sixteen ! matches. Huddersfield gained another ; excellent victory when receiving Lei--1 cestor City, scoring three times without response. Actually Huddersfield are equally as well placed as Sunderland, the champions of last season having secured 19 points in fourteen games, j Up to last Saturday Chelsea alone remained unbeaten among the teams in the League championship, A reverse I was expected at some time, but few 1 imagined it would come about last j Saturday, when playing at the Stamford Bridge ground against Swansea j Town. The Welsh club showed more ' resource and enterprise, whilst Chelsea appeared to fall away after missj ing a penalty kick, and the team, as ! a whole, seemed to lack “ ginger 1 going under by 3 goals to I. Still, Chelsea has a proud record in the second division table, and the prospects i of winning tho leadership of the division are excellent. Curiously enough t Middlesborough, the leaders, failed at Fort Vale, where tho home team won by 4 goals to 0. Thus Middlesborough still load, with 24 points for seventeen engagements, with Chelsea and Derby County each 1 claiming 23 points for fifteen matches. 1 Derby beat South Shields by 2 goals i to 0 on Saturday, and this team litj now mak&g a bold bid for top place. St, Mirrin head the Scottish table with 24 poims for sixteen matches, ' but Celtic may be a lot nearer soon, as tb© dub has secured 19 points in thirteen engagements, ATHLETICS. Saturday’s cross-country races served to show that the Oxford and Cambridge teams ara rather stronger than usual Tho Light Blues brought off a decided surprise by defeating the Surrey AjC. team at Cambridge by 35 points to 43, Even more surprising was the defeat of W. M. Cotterell for first place. The national cross-country champion is taking a course of instruction at Cambridge, and he was wearing the colors of the Surrey A.C. on Saturday. ' He and L. W. Johnson had a good race for six miles, but the ’Varsity runner then got away, and won by 45yds. Cotterell can hardly be racing fit yet; nevertheless, the performance suggests that Cambridge has a fine stayer in Johnson,

The Oxford stayers were in opposition to tho South London Harriers at Coulsdon, but they found tho homo contingent a bit too strong, the totals being 45 points to 50 in favor of South London. The London Club also supplied the two first men home in S. G. AJinutt and B, C. V. Oddio, who finished together, with W. A. M. Edwards, of Oxford, 20yds away. Sportsmen in Britain quite anticipated that the inquiry into tho question of the amateur status of L. Murchison would show that there was no justification for assuming he had accepted excessive expenses when in Germany last snmmer. The Amateur Athletic Union of America is satisfied on this point, and this means that tho governing body in England will now hand over tho two championship medals to Murchison for Ids victories in the 100yds and 220yds chamiponships /at Stamford Bridge last July. All’s well that ends well, and sportsmen who desire to see happy relationships in international athletic circles are relieved and pleased at the happy ending to tho business.

The American athletic authorities evidently believe in the educational value of tours. They are quite right, as it naturally follows that when star athletes visit a country the homo man and women profit, and are given a chance to note new and other methods. Charles Hoff, of Norway, is tho finest polevaulter in the world, if record figures go for anything. Thus should he accept the invitation to tour America nexts iimmer the young pole-vaulters will be eager to watch his methods. This is how progress is made, and the enterprise of the Americans is to be admired.

C. R. Goodwin, an English chain* pion walker, has also been invited, and should ho go the Americans will see a good stayer, with a fair style. Mention of walking is a reminder that P. Granville, the Canadian, headed the field in a five miles road walk at, Wimbledon last Saturday. Ho was representing the Southern Railway A.C., which organisation lie has joined. BOXING. Harry Mason, of Leeds, the lightweight boxing champion of Europe, made no mistake in his return match with J. Brown, of Scotland. It mav he recalled that the Scot gained the decision when they mot a few weeks ago, this being partly due to the fact that Mason took matters too easily, believing that he was a good winner on points. This time ho put more vim into his work, and_ apart from showing superiority as a scientific boxer ho also proved that he can be aggressive when

necessary. The bout went the full twenty rounds, though’ there was a period in the fourteenth round when a knock-out looked possible. Mason got home a well-timed right to the point of tho jaw, which dropped Brown. The latter was shaken, but he stuck to his work and outlived the shock. Mason, has enhanced his reputation by his win, hut ho will .have to develop a, real knock-out punch if ho entertains any great hope of heating the leading American light-weights, who will not be kent off with anything save a punch with speed and weight behind it.

Another recent happening of note was the summary manner young Con O’Kelly beat J. Mullins at the National 'Sporting Club. He put his rival down in the opening round, and knocked him nut. in the third. The son of the 390 S Olympic wrestler can punch hard, and this should carry him far among British heavy-weights. lil LLTARDS. Young Davis, of Chesterfield, suffered another reverse when meeting Willie Smith in a billiard match _ at Hull. He was receiving 2,500 (mints in 9,000, and eventually wont under by 217 points. Davis made a good fight of it, liis best breaks being 582 and 805, the latter being the second highest in his career. This effort, enabled him to rattain tha Isad, that he com-

monced the final day’s play with a slight advantage. Smith 'was equal to the occasion, however,' and won as staled. They are now contesting another match, tliis time of 18,000 up, Davis with 6,000 points start. So far he has done very well, and possibly ho will make up for the reverses he has experienced in his last two engagements against 'Smith. GOLF. The meeting of Oxford University golfers and the cracks of the Sunningdale Club enabled A. 1). Cave, of Oxford. to accomplish another fine performance. Playing in the ton match he heat f. A'.' Tolley by 2 up, and the Oxford captain has now beaten two ex-(.l,-iinpions of England in successive weeks. With 11. D. •M.athieson as a pari nor, the .foursome match against Tolley, and A. H. Head was halved, bill on (lie scries, Sumiingdale had an easy win hv 11 to Aparl from the success ol ( ave. the onlv oilier singles win by Oxford was secured by J. H, Taylor, jun., the son of .the. old . open champion, who is now at Oxford, where he aims to qualify as a minister. ('am bridge fared better aganst Wimbledon, winning the singles by three matches to two, and losing the foursomes by six to five, which left Hie resell, aJJ square, each team with audit wins.