NOTES.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 287, 10 June 1907, Page 2

NOTES.

It is a debateable question where the "Feilding team would hare been on Saturday without their skipper. So far from making any mistakes, he was right on the spot every time, and did the oortject thing whenever he gpt the ball, j He had evidently instructed his team how to play against such a team on such a ground. The two Whiskjers^ played the genuine forward ganW in the match on Saturday, but perhaps if the younger one gave more attention to the position of the ball and kept on side, and thought less about the "gallery," he would improve. Old Boys were penalised a good

many times in the game on Saturday for passing forward, and for staying off-side. Serve 'em right. It looked much like intentional off-side occasionally. It is time the Feilding team had sense enough to get behind the ball when it is being kicked from a mark, etc. There's no excuse for rushing off-side before the ball is kicked. Feilding Seniors have now by far the best position as regards the championship of the season. They have three matches to play — Kia Toa and Palmerston, at Palmerston, and Huimai at Awahuri — and if they only make a draw of one and lose the other two, they retain the lead. Both teams were strongly supported by the "barrackers" on Saturday, but the crowd was a goodhumoured one. The match all through was played in a good spirit. Owing to grip Taylor was unable to play on Saturday, and his following up and kicking was missed. Let us hope that he will be able to take his place next Saturday. Burgess, a new arrival, played a fine game in the forwards, his line-out work being particularly good. It was rather strange to notice how severely his old club treated Ongley on Saturday, frequently tackling him after he had let the ball go and when he had been granted a mark. On one occasion Smith found this game a little unpleasant. Ongley had been given a mark, and as he swung round Smith tried to tackle him as usual, when Ongley's hand caught him a swinging blow under the jaw. As the occurrence was clearly accidental, the victim gave a rueful smile, and — thought a lot. "A gentlemanly lot of players down this way," remarked one who played his first game for Feilding on Saturday. "When we lined out the first time that big Palmerston chap (Fenton) said 'Don't throw me and I won't throw you ' That we agreed upon, and neither of us upset one another." The largest attendance of the Racecourse this season was when the Feilding-Huimai match wag played. There is a great difference in the interpretation of rules by the various referees. What one gives a free kick for another gives a scrum, and so on. A Feilding Junior explained the sweeping defeat experienced at the hands of the Palmerston 11. team thuswise: — "Well, you see, the Palmerston blokes fair paralysed us." A Feilding forward "forced" the I all during Saturday's match here, and an Old Boy knocked him off, took the ball and appealed for a try. Referee Warden was too cute, and gave a force. Then an Old Boy, just behind the referee remarked, "The (adjective) referee won't give us a (adjective) show at all." The referee was discreetly deaf. Rongotea's weakness is in the backs. They nave a good forward team, but if their backs were coached and turned up for practice a different fane may be put on the state of affairs. Some of the Old Boys waste their lung power in too much talk. Smith, Old Boys' wing forward, gave Feilding six penalty kicks for off-side play in the scrum. He did not allow .for the fact that bis own side most frequently scoured the ball in the scrums. The Feilding ground was so muddy that in the third class match there was a sound of "smush, &mush, smush," every time there was a rush on as the feet touched mud. Feilding Seniors have scored 46 points in the Cup contest, against 6 by their opponents. Huimai having the proud record or scoring the 6.