FOOTBALL.

Northland Age, Volume IV, Issue 46, 6 July 1908, Page 5

FOOTBALL.

New Zealand v. Britain,

[By An Onlooker.]

The second test match of the British football team at present touring tne Dominion was played at the Athletic Park, Wellington, on 27th June, 1908, the game ending in a draw, three points each.

Francis kicked a goal from a penalty for New Zealand and “Ponty” Jones scored a try for Britain, all the points being scored in the second spell.

There was much speculation in Wellington on the morning of tin match as to the result of the game, the morning papers reporting confidence from both sides. The weather for the week had been showery and the “ curtain raiser” arranged in the shape of the Welling-ton-Taranaki Schoolboy Representatives match had to be played elsewhere in consequence of the state of the ground. The game was timed to start at 2.45. and a few minutes after both teams lined out amidst cheers from the crowd which at that time would about number 15,00 ft. Britain lost the toss and kicked off from tho northern end. What wind there was from the south gave little or no advantage, and as there was no change in that respect throughout neither side received any help in that direction. From the start it was easily seen that the state of the ground made it imperative for both backs and forwards to use their feet—passing being out of the question. The play, from a Rugby football point of view, was a decided failure, hut perhaps under the circumstances anything else than a mud scramble could not be expected. The British forwards used their feet to great advantage, showing that by dribbling in combination they were enabled to gain more ground than by indiscriminate individual boosting. There was a good deal of off side play indulged in by both sides, backs and forwards, but perhaps most conspicuous of all was the British captain. Maybe his burly form caught the eye better than any of the others, but it seemed as if he liked the blacks so much that he was always nearer them than anv of his fellow players. A good case of “an old dog for a hard road.”

I do not intend to try and place the game on paper as it happeued, from start to finish (the “ dailies ” published throughout the Domiuion have already done that) hut would rather endeavour to place before your readers the impression of the match as it seemed from a spectator’s point of view. That the British team should have won I have no doubt. They had hard luck in not scor-

ing at least two farther tries, and on the day they were the better team. There lacked in the N.Z. forwards that Yim which has won for ns many games, too many were waiting opportunities to shine and in waiting they gave the opposition the chance to improve their position. In the backs* N.Z. iiiiflert tbeir half-back Roberts—it was a dAy for him—and his understudy failed a good deal in endeavouring to maintain the gap made through Roberts’s absence owing to an accident in the North Island-Houth Island game on the previous Wednesday. The two full-backs gave excellent displays of finding the touch-line, Jeckett for Britain perhaps taking the palm, though Wallace was not very far behind. Back play being out of the question their exhibition was all the more meritorious. Certainly the 3-2-3 combination of the British scrum enabled tho British forwards to obtain the ball more often in the serum, but it must be borne in mind that the two front rankers in the “ Black” scrum were a very inferior pair. The writer is convinced that if the referee would insist on the hall being put in the scrum on his side there would be less talk of the advantage a 3-2-3 combination has over a 2-3-2.

The feeling of the crowd was one of disappointment, many remarking on leaving the ground that they had seen better displays by a third-class team on a worse ground, and it was true. Perhaps more was expected from two teams supposed to he the pick of either side; but there were none of those incidents about which in recalling a certain match years after one is apt to say “ I remember the game So-and-so played,” etc.

Perhaps the one outstanding feature, and the one lesson from which our footballers should benefit, was the way the “ Reds and Whites,” both backs and forwards, used their feet in dribbling, Our fellows used their feet—their opponents would tell you that—hut they would not oall it dribbling.

In comparing the match with that of 1904 one must, of course, take into consideration tho different state of the ground, but the writer is of the opinion that the present team touring the Dominion is not as good as the previous one, the weakness being amongst the backs adjacent to the scrum. The forwards may bo stronger in the present team and the full-hack undoubtedly is, but for all that the team as a whole do not contain the stars of the 1904 team.

It is, perhaps, a trifle premature to indulge in speculation as to the results of the Auckland match and the remaining “test,” but the writer, hearing in mind the Auckland teams of later years, is inclined to favour Auckland’s chances, and provided the ground is in good order and the N.Z. team a representative one the " Reds and Whites ” should lose the rubber,