SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

Mataura Ensign, 27 September 1913, Page 2

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

FOOTBALL. Notes by "Hooker." Local followers of the game witnessed the. final kick of the season as far a.s this district is concerned, on Wednesday, when Pioneer (the local premiers) annexed another championship by defeating I.F.C. {winners of the in.yereargill Wednesday competition) in the final for the banner presented by tin Sports Protection League. This is the first season for which this banner lias been competed, so Pioneer have the distinction of being the first to gain the coveted honor. I heartily congratulate the Reds on their very line j achievement during the last two seaIsoiis. During this time they have not sustained a defeat, their victories this season including wins over Southern, (the run.nei-.s-up for lthe Invercargil Wednesday competition), I.F.C. (Inverca.rgill) and Nightcaps (premiers of the Western District), a very fine performance, it must be admitted. The Reds were minus the services of some of their most players on Wednesday, and this, added to the fact that they have only had one game since the Eastern District competition closed several weeks ago, made the opinion fairly genera! that the honors would go to the Invercargill team. I.F.C had the advantage of having played right up till a week ago, and were also fortunate in getting their full strength away to Gore. The visitors opened very promisingly, both forwards and backs playing well, their first score coining just about three minutes after tlie opening of hostilities. Keeping up the pressure, the visitors for the first quarter of an hour ran all over their opponents, and it looked, any odds on a hc.'.vy bcore being compiled against the Lame team. Tho Reds' forwards were moving very sluggishly, and the -hacks with a few exceptions were attempting to collar high. Henderson, the visitors' half, was taking advantage of tho wind and kicking with groat judgment, repeatedly finding the line with long-range kicks. At tho same time it would probably have served l the Blues better had they kicked high and followed up in the first spell, as during this period the Reds had a very strong sun in their eyes.

With six points against them Pioneer began to realise that something was expected of them and led by Murray, who set a fine example to his team in the matter of following up, the Reds commenced a series of fast rashes that had the effect of badly rattling their opponents. In the .second' spell the back showed much sounder defence, O'Kane in particular, l>oth on attack and defence, being in great form ; in fact, he was quite easily the best back on the ground. With a deficit of one point, and with play surging on their own line and only a few minutes to go, Pioneer's last chaneo seemed to have vanished, but with an effort born of-despair the whole team swept down the field to the visitors' goal line. There a scrum was formed, and as an- added precaution the Blues threw out an extra wingforward, which was certainly a tribute to i' eir opinion of the Rods' -half-back. Pioneer hooked out cleanly to O'Kane who snapped up the leather in a- twinkling, and with a clever feint pass, badly fooled the two opposing five-eighths and the wing forward, finishing his-solo effort with a brilliant try. 'Faking the kick _ himself, he added the extra. points_ with a good effort, leaving his side winners by 10 points to six, after a sensational finish to a keen struggle. Though the Reds had the narrowest of shaves of being defeated., they certainly deserved their voctory. as on the run of the play, they were four points better than their oponents. !

_ From a New Zealand standpoint the history of the third test against New •South Wales can be told only in. "mournful numbers" writes "Quidnunc" in the 'Canterbury Times'. Anticipations of a good even game were woefully disappointed, for the visitors simply rani over the "All Blacks" and showed such superiority that serious heartsearchings will be necessary to decide whether New Zealand Rugby football is maintaining the high standard of the past. As the outset it may be conceded that up to a certain point little fault could be found with the forwards, but : -" their efforts to redeem the blundem of the backs they gradually died' away to nothing in. the second spell, leaving ■the opposition free to work out its plans with little or no opposition. On tho New Zealand side, of back play in the real sense, there was none. In fact, there was little back play of any kind that could be considered worthy of a Dominion team. The vague and ill-directed efforts produced on Saturday last will serve as justification of the Australian critic who consistently argues that New Zealand back play is decadent. Omitting O'Laary and Stewart from the general censure, the harassed and helpless efforts of the remainder produced such an accumulation of negative results that one woiirdors what qualifications they could have presented this season to entitle them' even to the right to try on air "All. Black" jersey, much less to represent New Zealand. If they were tho second best team of backs that New Zealand can produce, at tho present time, then back play in the Dominion bus reached tho Valley of Humiliation. _ Hut some comfort, may bo the portion of the enthusiast if he remembers that the rearguard of one of the local clubs would certainly have been i much more, presentable showing. Even the crumbs of comfort are valuable at this time, for the memory of this match will for a. long time centre round the sorriest exhiibtion of flabby and accidental back play that it has been New Zealand's misfortune to^produce.

To recite their sins of omission and mm mission would take a column, and when their most fervid apologist explains that the forwards did not get the ball, then their feeble and anaemic '■topping will provide an abundance of food for thought The man who can convince anybody that it was even moderate is wasting his time if be is not already a member of the legal profession. Burns made a. i'.w tackles that left no room for doubt, but be had no imitators. Even the forwards had no bouquets presented to them at the conclusion of the matth for their j collaring;. At least two of the tries i gained by New South Wales.' would! never have l>een soored had the Black! forwards nipped the movement in_ the bud by safe, tackling. But the bitter recollection remains of an opponent coming through the New Zealand forwards who appeared to make strenuous efforts to pat "him on the head, as if wishing him "God speed" in his efforts to score, j

The New South Wales team deserves full credit for the decisive and unqualified victory. For the first spell they showed no marked superiority, in fact any credit balance that was then existing belonged to the. All Black forwards, but the visiting vanguard, ably assisted by the I'Uwy Zealand backs, gradually ran the opposing forwards to % standstill. Then came the opportunity for the fast, concerted work of the visiting backs. The orthodoxy of 60

much of our New Zealand play where tho movement is outward until tho wing is blocked on, the line, found no place in their plans. At no time did a New South Y\'ales centre back hesitate to cut in and pierce the defence. Tho success that followed will serve as a, lesson to local players that the pretty passing among the backs, that travels straight .across the ground, is found only in the records oi prehistoric football.

The outstanding excellence of tho winning team was the accurate handling, and it would be safe to say that no attack failed on account of a dropped pass. Skill in this department of tho game was not confined to the backs only, for the forwards showed themselves experts as well. Apart from the dashy running, the handling of the ■backs, during the movement that culminated in their first try, was above all praise. Transfers were made kneehigh, above the head, but each back gathered the ball in as accurately and as unconcernedly as if it had come to him just in the manner that he liked lx>st. Their running was full of dash, and they gained confidence when they found that the majority of those opposing them, had stopping powers that could be represented only by minus signs. It would be idle to speculate what might have happened if something else had been different. More than a h>w words will be necessary to explain away tho hard cold fact that the New South Wales 'Ruglw team of 1913 inflicted a decisive and unequivocal defeat ou the All Blacks at Lancaster Park.

The second semi-final match for the League football premiership which was played recently between Fitzroy and ColLingwood, was attended by 43,614 persons and the gate wais worth £1587 18s 9d. Fitzroy started slowly, and Collmgwood had the call in tho scores at the end of the first quarter. After that, however, Fitzroy prevailed and the final scores were:— Fitzrov, 11 goals 14 behinds; Collingwood,'6 goals 7 behinds.

£20,000 FOR, BASEBALL PLAYER. The sum of £20,000 has been offered to tho Detroit Baseball Club for the "sale" of Tyrus Cobb, tho most famous player in America, to the Washington Baseball Club. Cobb, whose age is 27, is probably the fastest baseball player living. Tho high price offered to the Detroit Club for Cobb is a record. Some years ago tho Pittsburg Pirateti bought "Marty" O'Toole, a famous player, for £-1500, while "Rube" MarquaYd was "sold" for £2IOO. The Detroit Club does not seem willing to part with Cobb oven for £20,000.

SPORTING. i)IIKE FOOTE'S ENGAGEMENTS. BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COPYRIGHT. PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. SYDNEY, Sept. 28. Duke Footc has been scratched for the Metropolitan Handicap,, His owner intends to run him in weight-for-age events only at tho A.J.C. meeting at Itandwiek. It depends on how he shapes as to whether he will be started in the Melbourne Cuo.

GGXMQ. i LANGFORD AND JOHNSON. BI ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COPYRIGHT. [ PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. I LONDON. Sept. 25. Langford is anxious to meet Jack Johnson (the negro champion pugilist) at Olympia in December. Johnson has declined to fight before Juno of next year.

RIFLE-SHOOTINC. NORTH WAIRARAPA MEETING. PEE UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. MASTERTON, Sept. 26. The annual mooting of the North Wairarapa Rifle Association was held to-day in fine weather. There were 75 competitors. Tho championship results were: Championship grand aggregate.—W. N. Walden (Kaitawa It.'C.) 261, L. Lnveday (Woodvilte) 261, It J. Smith (Opaki) 259, H. Mayloy (Opaki) 258. Walden won in the shot off. All-comers' handicap aggregate.—Te Whiti (Grevtown) 263, W. N. Walden (Kaitawa) 263, L. Loveday 261, C. Nise (Featherton) 261, A. W. Trass Pahangma) 261, E. Ashworth (Kaitawa) 261.