(NOTES BY FORWARD.)

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume X, Issue 1918, 1 May 1888, Page 2

(NOTES BY FORWARD.)

In view of the near approach of tbe match against the British team, a few words of advice to the likely Taranaki representatives will, I hope, be useful. The first factor to a ohance of success is condition. Taking the Otago game as a standpoint, the visitors' big score in the second spell indicates that they are full of it, and unless our representatives are in a like condition, able to play a hard and dashing game riebt through, their show of winning is small. The time at hand is just sufficient to enable our men to get into form. It is assumed that with three weeks of the season passed they are already fairly fit. The best means towards that end" are to be absteniious in the use of all liquids, and careful to eat only a good and sound diet, food with a large per centage of nutrition and easy of digestion, as during fast work the strain on the stomach in digesting, and on man's other functions in assimilating large quantities of solid and liquid foods, upsets the .whole system. Sound sleep in well-ventilated rooms is highly important ; also a morning plunge bath, with a rubbing sufficient to make a glow of heat felt throughout the trame. Care must bo taken to keep the bowels regular. This is all, no doubt, time-worn information ; nevertheless, having stood time's test, its repetition will, I think, prove useful. Speaking generally, our representatives would do well to pay heed to a few points in the game that the Englishmen will adhere to rigidly that is, dropping the ball immediately they are collared and taking it along with their feet, these rushes are very hard to stop. Therefore it is well to be prepared for them. Again, as to picking up the ball when it is dead, our men were almost getting into trouble in the Auckland match by picking up the ball when it was motionless. Attention must he given in these matters, as it would be very bad form to have any wrangling on the ground. The Englishmen to my mind are a bit better than we colonials had anticipated from the information we have had to hand concerning them. My present opinion and conviction is that they will find their game with the Taranaki representatives as hard as any they will have to fight in the colony. That is assuming our players are in the buckle they should be. I hear that the delegates will meet in New Plymouth on Wednesday to choose the team. I have seen the names of the team chosen at Manaia on Saturday to play in the match Hawera County v. Taranaki and Clifton Couutys, and think the selection committee have picked a strong 15.