ATHLETIC SPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9130, 11 August 1888, Page 3

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

FOOTBALL.

To-day's match at the Tramway Company's Ground, Epsom, promises to be of a very Interesting character, inasmuch as it is the first occasion for many years upon which the footballers of the Thames district have considered themselves strong enough to also send a fifteen to do battle with the representatives of Auckland on their own ground. The Rugby game has during the last couple of seasons made considerable strides in Quartzopolis, and the local clubs deserve to be complimented on their enterprise. Although having witnessed several matches at the Thames that took place between the local players and an Auckland fifteon, all those who took part in those old-time games have now passed out of the Rugby field, barring those two evergreen veterans—T. Henderson and G. Carterand those comprising the present selection of the Thames are, so to speak, a new generation, of whose capabilities 1 know nothing save from the hearsay evidence of the Auckland Club men who have from time to time made pleasant trips to the Hauraki township. Their backs are reported to be strong and fairly fast, and good at defensive work, while the forwards are heavy and powerful. Concerning the Auckland team, it is not up to the standard of those fifteens that have nad the honour of representing the province this season, owing to the absence and illness of half-a-dozen of our best backs, but notwithstanding this deficiency, it would be nearly as good as could be chosen if the men were all in condition. It is, however, too late to make any changes (unless indeed Twiname lias the generosity to resign in favour of H. Gould, a player who ;s his superior in merit, and has already been emergency man several times without gaining his cap), and I can only trust that the men will do their best, and not allow their defeat in Taranaki in ISS7 to be repeated, through the fatal error of holding any opponents "too cheap." The Ponsonby-Gordon match last week was a poor exhibition of the Rugby game—indeed, except in tho representative contests, what is known as scientific football, has been much less frequently displayed this year than last season. One of the great reasons of this falling off is, I take it, the increasing frequency with which the umpires handle the ball during the game. This evil has arisen gradually, but has now assumed such dimensions that it seriously interferes with the proper style of play, as laid down by the rules ana advocated by till known authorities on Rugby football. Every time a back is penned by the opposing forwards, or a team has half its men offside, the cry " Umpire's ball" is raised, apparently as a device to allow the dilatory players to take up their positions. Without going so far as to say that this idea is in the minds of those \v..o cry out to give the ball to the official, the practice certainly has the effect of frequently neutralising the hard work of those forwards that follow up fast, by placing them oil an equality with others who often wait offside on the chance of their backs returning the ball. By the greater number of scrums which result from this practice smart forward rushing play is also lessened, to say nothing of the actual loss of time that takes place. Instead of allowing a man to hold or lie upon the ball till his side get round him, and then hand it quietly to the umpire to poke into the middle of a serried pack, those in charge of the game should insist upon the ball being hacked off directly it has been held, and refuse to take it from a serum unless when some players have fallen and are in danger of being hurt. In last Saturday's fixture the game was once or twice in the hands of the Ponsonby team, but their backs failed to follow up many advantages gained by their forwards, and their returns were in the second spell poor and slow. This was no donbt owing to Arneil and Braund being hurt, but Conway, though collaring fairly, did not kick enough, while he missed taking the ball cleanly oil two occasions, when there was every likelihood of his scoring. Wool let - also was very poor, and by an offside rush at a critical moment lost his side fully '2d yards, thereby causing a scrum to be formed in front of his coal, from which Gordon scored almost immediately. His attempts to pick up. and an ill-timed backward kick, were also pieces of bad play which should never have been made by a player of Wooller's experience. Fagan also made several mistakes, being one of those apparently who think that wildly tossing the bail into the air, regardless of surroundings, is "passing." This sort of thing looks very poor in a senior match, not to mention the bad impression of Auckland football that it gives to a stranger. As several changes have taken place the Auckland forwards since they were firstchosen, 1 append the names of the two fifteens who will do battle this afternoon in the Auckland-Thames match :—

Thames. —Full-back : J. buehan. Tkreeqti&rter. backs: Jordan, Poland, McConnell. Halfbacks: McGregor, Moronev, Steedman. Forwards : Dare, Brownlee, J. Steed man, Cautley, McNiece, Sullivan, Tetley, Wateiß'. AUCKLAND. Fullback : 1. Brown. Tlireequarter backs : Tantield, T. Kyan, It. MasetUdd. Halfhacks : 11. Stephenson. A. Braund, P. Mackie. Forwards: O. Wells, H. Poland, I', Could, R. Crowe, J. I.ccky. F. A. Twin-one. W. Huhson, It. MoKen7.i<\

Oil Saturday liexi, lue lt»th instant, it has been decided to send a team to Tauranga, and the following have been selected :_— T. Brown, T. Ryan, H. Masefield, A. Tuniield, H. Stephenson, A. Braiuul, P. Mackie, .J. Lecky, R. Mckenzie, F. A. Twiname, \\". Hobson, R. Crowe, P. Gould, .J. Johnston, A. Stewart; emergencies, John Fisher, J. Conway, Herrold, F. Moginie, J. Harper. The trip is expected to be a very enjoyable one, ami those who have been chosen to represent the city are requested to make no delay in acquainting the secretary of the Selection Committee, Mr. J. M. if they are unable to go. The Clansman will leave on Friday night, and reach Auckland again on Sunday afternoon. The Ponsonby Club appears to have fallen into disfavour with some of its members lately, on account of its couple of defeats. Oh Saturday week last, the day of the Grafton match, M. Keefe absented himself without giving his captain any notice of his intention, and left the club to find a substitute at the eleventh hour as best they might. Last Saturday, shortly before twelve o'clock, the captain and a member of the committee were informed that Laird h;r.d hurt his ankle, and could not put his foot to the ground. After some trouble a substitute was secured, but the boys were astonished to see the "lame" man linking for nearly three hours the same evening. CRICKET. Auckland Cricket Club Statistics for Season ISS788. First Eleven: —Cup Matches ; Played, 10 ; won i ; lost, ti. Extra Matches, 1 ; won 1. Batting Averages.

c3=§fjf! ■? I Name. o':L "a o £ ZcH's" H > h| W. E. Barton .. 8 j 0 ! 98 j 201 j 25.1 Rev. I Richards.. .. 12 1 07 235 21.4 C. K. Reid .. -.10 1 ! 65 *l 180 -20. Robt. Neill . ..12 3 42 152 10.8 .1 Arneil 3 0 53 110 13.6 A. Morrison .. ..11 1 85 137 13.7 A. O'Brien .. ..7 1 37 75 12.3 R. Blair 3 0 31 37 12.1 A. K. Dcwfis .. ..4 0 13 3S 8.1 A. Howard .. ..0 0 80 03 7. A. (".Stewart .. ..93 11* 42 7. A. M. Benin .. .. 11 4 14" 42 0. A.Atkinson .. ..0 0 24 30 5. F. C. Cheeseman ..3 0 4 10 3.1 * Denotes not out. Bowling Analyses. ! to I I m o 2 c a a! a* Name. g n i 5 2 O < B > > < lj*J J " A.O.Stewart .. 81)4 1 4 It. Noil! ... .. .. 88-1! .5 111 14 7.13 A. .Morrison .. . .|l79'2 60 272 31 8'24 A.M. Beak; .. ..215 1 07 417 45 9 12 W. K. Barton .. ,, 5'3 0 I 19 2 9 1 A. O'Brien 3*7'2 0 101 9 1.1-2 F. 0. Cheeseman.. ..9 1 24 2 12 J. Arneil 27'2 4 71 3 2.'i'2 A. Howard .. ..37 7 95 3 31 2 C. F. lteid | 38 13 81 j 2 40 X, _ .. L ■ T" Messrs. Barton and Morrison each bowled 1 no ball. Jason.