FOOTBALL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXX, Issue 8525, 4 July 1888, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

The W&iravapa Union think of sending & team South next season.

Jack Taiaros, the well-known tack, who is articled to asolicitor in Hawke's Bay, has decided not to take part in the tour of the Native team owing to the difficulty in obtaining the necessary leave. Haskell's play at full-back this season has been frequently remarked upon, and it is to be hoped that in our present dearth of good backs, the Eugby Union will not neglect to give him a good trial m the coming Eugby Union matches, ' A West Coast contemporary states that the Otago High School team of footballers leave Dunedin on July 4 on their tour to Christchurch and West Coast. On July 6 their annual match with Christ’s College will eventuate, and, on July 8 they leave for Hokitika, reaching there about July 10, In order to raise the funds for the payment of the expenses of the trip, the various Clubs on the coast are each guaranteeing their respective shares. It is also intended that the visitors will give an assault-at-arms at each place they visit. Nothing like the way Stoddart parts with the bail the moment he is in danger (says a Sydney paper) has been seen in these Colonies up to date. One thing, however, may be said in favour of those good runners of ours who are blamed for sticking to it. They don’t get the backing up S toddart does.

Our men (says the Sydney Sporting Life) , think they can play the Rugby game of football. It is well they think so, for the public, after witnessing the shocking example made of them by the Englishmen, have quite the opposite opinion. We ought to adopt the Australian game generally in New South Wales. Attempting to play the Englishmen at the Eugby game is a farce.

At a recent meeting of the Southern Tasmanian Football Association (says a Tasmanian paper) a letter was read from Mr J. Lillywhite, stating that, if possible, the English football team would visit Tasmania, and that £IOO per week would have to be made to ensure the team s gainst losses during the Autralian tour. Several local supporters of the game have already intimated their willingness 'to subscribe towards a guarantee fund, so that there should be no difficulty in getting the sum required. It must have gladdened the hearts of the promoters of the English football tour to witness the immense attendance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 10, when the Englishmen played Carlton. It is estimated that about 25,000 spectators were present, and a few more attendances like this will set at rest any doubt that may have arisen as to the result of the trip financially. The match was played in fine weather, and when the visitors made their appearance they had a grand reception, and throughout the match had the sympathy of the spectators. As is already known, Carlton won by fourtetn goals to three. It must be admitted that the Englishmen made a mistake in selecting Carlton as the first Club to play in Melbourne, as Carlton at the present time stands first on the list for the premiership. The critics agree that the Englishmen played the Australian game better than was anticipated, all they knew of it practically having been picked up in two or three muff-practice matches. Seeing that they entered the field against such a splendid team, it is a wonder that they played so well as they did, and they at least gave evidence of being naturally fitted to play the game. They made no . attempts at marking from long kicks, hut in the third spell it was noticeable that the Carlton’s example of playing together was not lost upon the visitors. Mr Seddon has been interviewed by a, representative of the Melbourne Sportsman. Speaking of football and footballers in New Zealand, he said Throughout New . Zealand the men, individually, are quite i equal to our own players, but they-seem to play exactly as we did in England two or three years ago. In England the game is cut so very fine that we have found out all the fine points, and we utilised our knowledge in New Zealand, and whilst the players there perhaps take a conple out of five chances, we score four out of the five. The style of passing the ball in New Zealand is certainly not equal to. cure. Their idea of passing .is to throw the ball behind without looking where their men ore placed. My opinion of passing is that a man should never pass unless the man he passes to is in a better position than himself, and if he is charged, he should turt his back towards the man who does so, and pass with both hands. I have continually drilled into our fellows the necessity of using both hands. The New Zealanders seemed to think that passing with one hand is good enough, but that is a mistake. They are heavy men and good scrimrnagers. We do not believe in 100 much scrimmaging, and try to make the game fast and open, and therefore we try to screw the scrum in order to get the ball into the open.” Summed up, his opinion is that in New Zealand there is plenty of good material for Eugby footballers. But he is evidently possessed of a poor, opinion as to the merits of the players in .New South Wales. Mr Seddon concluded the conversation by a statement that O’Connor, of Auckland, was about the best forward they met in New Zealand. They; had heard a great deal of Whiteside, the Auckland three-quarter-back, but he was unfortunately hurt at the commencement of the game, and they had no chance of seeing what he could do.

Remarking on the disqualification; of Clowes, a member ofthe English team, by the English Rugby Union, .the Sydney Referee says:—The sapient judges sat noon the case again, and by cable on Saturday night we were informed that they had clinched instead of removing the disqualification, and meant to callupon the whole of t he members of the team besides to show cause why they should not be adjudged professionals on their return from the tour of the Colonies. 117611, for high-handed impertinence this action of the Rugby Union takes the cake.; The whole affair savours strongly of shabby spite upon .the promoters for going on with their undertaking without waiting about seven years while the Union deliberated as to whether it wouldgrant its patronage or no, and as to the ways and means of carrying out the project. The three were businessmen, had made their arrangements, and meant to go right on, and they did. They actually had the temerity to select their team, and have them ready to go before the Union had decided whether it could, or would grant, its august sanction. The dogged do- 1 termination ofthe Union to flatten out Clowes and make the other boys uncomfortable, if no more, is without doubt their revenge for the slight offered their dignity, and seems to us free Colonials as a very relic of feudal days. The end of such arbitrary actions on the part of the English Rugby Union will be that they will force professionalism like a hot stable-manure heap forces mushrooms. The hardy and hearty players in the North of England will form a Union of their own, and perhaps a Professional Union, or at least one which will recognise professionals as the Cricket Association does. When unjustifiable pressure haa forced the footballers .of England Junto revolt, and raised up a powerful opposition Union, then the present institution will recognise too late, the danger of coercion in a free country. Meanwhile, poor CloWea has the humiliation of being lugged around the Colonies—a dumb dog, a passenger in the team at Shaw and Co's expense,, and they can’t play him for fear of making all the rest pro's. One thing is certain—we will be pretty sure to gain in population and football ability by the action of the Union. Some of the team are sure to stay with us rather than take any chances. The following incident is reported in the Athletic News One of the Halifax forwards triumphantly grounded the ball over the Hornets’ twenty-five mark in the course of the match, thinking that he was over the goal-line. As he lay prostrate, with an "alone I did it” expression on his countenance, a colleague who had been in dose attendance in anticipation of a. pass, feelingly ejaculated, "Get up tha fat heead.”