FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3994, 26 July 1913, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

(By “Longpot.”)

Poverty Bay’s Chances of Lifting the Shield.

A correspondent who viewed the Auckland —Wellington match on Saturday last and who has been watching very closely the football in Poverty Bay for the greater part of this season, writes me concerning what he thinks of Poverty Bay’s chances of beating Auckland for the shield. He says:—“lf Poverty Bay wants to lift the shield they will hare to send a good, solid, fast pack of forwards in the best of condition. Tor the forwards here are very weighty and in great order. Of course Poverty Bay’s drawback will be condition for they have not the facilities of these men. But still the Poverty Bay players do not seem to have taken advantage of what the Union has done for them in the past. If they do not train it will be of no use after the match of trying to blame it on fo the selector (Mr Howard.). The team to do any good must be in the best of condition to last it out with these tigers, for they were going greater guns at the finish against Wellington than at the start. The Auckland backs on Saturday were only fair, but they are very speedy and might be good on a fine day. That was the impression one got from their play. O’Leary is still as safe as ever, and Murray was the pick of the others. Geddes did a lot of spoiling among the black backs when they were passing, but the others did nothing to write home about. Poverty Bay should hold their own in the rear department. There was not a back on the ground who could make an opening like Kaipara, and if the forwards can only get a share of the ball, Poverty B i/ should do well. Of course it is hard to judge how the local backs will play on a fine day as the conditions on Saturday were so bad.”

Auckland and Wellington.

Concerning this match the same correspondent says that there were 10,000 people present when the great rivals Wellington and Auckland met to contest the Ranfurly Shield under the worst of circumstances. The wind blew almost straight down the field and it rained incessantly, making the ground and the -ball very greasy. The Wellington backs handled the ball marvellously well and Mitchinson’s try was the outcome of a splendid exhibition of passing, ending with a piece of ciever play on the trygetter’s part. Local sports thought it was going to be. a walk-over for Auckland but the visitors from the windy town in the south started to work bright and early and kept knocking at the «oor, and it was only through over-anxiousness, with a little bad luck, that they did not add- to their score in the first spell. The Auckland invincible forwards met their match, and Wellington were not by any means the chopping blocks northern enthusiasts thought they were going to be. The home forwards got going in the second spell and won the game for Auckland. O’Leary still knows bow to kick goals and landed a nice penalty, but failed to convert Nesbitt’s try. Roberts kas badly obstructed tndi this was bow Auckland, scored. Through a mull by the Wellington backs the Auckland players dashed on with a rush and just as Roberts went to get the an Auckland forward deliberately collared him and a penalty for obstruction should have been given. No doubt in the ruck the referee failed to see the breach, but it cost Wellington the shield as the ball went over the line and Nesbitt' scored making Auckland 6 points to 5. Had it been fine there is no doubt that a brilliant game would have eventuated and it is bard to say who would have won. Certain it is that the visitors backs on their Saturday's showing would have given a brilliant display of passing. The’r forwards too, were good in the b-.se and also got their share of the ball although it was not quite so clean in coming out of the scrum as in the case of the local men. It was a great game on a wet day and under, the worst or conditions. he result was a great shock to Auckland enthusiasts as they were giving fair odds, and in some cases allowing a good number of points in.

To-day’s Match.

It is quite on the tapis that Y.M.P. will hand out a beating to Uni+ed u to-day’s match on the Domain. On paper the Maori—or rather Maori-Pa-keha—team is a very strong one, and should be 'an exceedingly tough pro-

position. With the inclusion of tho pick of the Garrison players —Roche, Stitchbury, and Gardiner —the Y.M.P. team as now constituted must be conceded to be a formidable factor in the competition. Besides these players already mentioned, the Mangatu Sub-union threequarter Tate, of whom a great deal has been heard recently, is expected to play in tho match, and his performance will be watched with a great deal of interest. The United fifteen has not been published, and presumably the wearers of the patriotic colors will be represented by practically the sanie players who so handsomely defeated Kaiti-City a week or two back. Ofi course, G. Pollock will be unable to take, the field, for I understand he is still troubled by the injury he received in the match just mentioned. At the time of writing, the prospects are for fine weather, consequently football followers should be treated to a brilliant exhibition of" Rugby.

Notes.

The popularity of football in the north is by no means on the wane as evidenced by the large attendance at the Ranfurly Shield match at Auck' “and on Saturday last. Notwithstanding tliat tho worst of weather prevailed during the whole afternoon no fewer than 10,000 people passed through the stiles which should be ample proof to those, who are continually crying about the decadence of Rugby, that in some parts of the Dominion at least the good old game is still flourishing.

A conference is to be held at 1 e Karaka to-day consisting of the referees in the Mangatu Sub-Union and representatives of the local Association, when various matters relating to the welfare of the game and the placing of country referees in closer cooperation will be discussed. A very probable result of the conference will be the formation of an Association in the Mangatu district.

Writing me from Auckland -during the week a correspondent who witnessed the Auckland —Wellington match does not seem to have Been impressed by the refereeing of Mr Nicholson. In the course of his remarks he says: “The game was very clean throughout but Mr Nicholson’s decisions were at times very funny. 'For instance, O’Leary was allowed to deliberately lay on the ball and the Wellington forwards pulled him along the ground while he still held on. For this Mr Nicholson penalised the Wellington men. Then on the other hand I saw the visitors penalised for holding on when tho ball bad not beeif in their possession a quarter of the time O Learv was allowed to hug it. * * *

Many Aucklanders must have thought that the blue and white fifteen were going to have an easy victory over the Wellington shield challengers for they did not hesitate to invest money on their fancy and in many cases a wide margin of points was given in. I am assured that aftei the match there were many dwellers in the northern city who were much poorer in pocket but richer in knowledge.