FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11686, 22 June 1901, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

TO-DAY'S RUGBY PROGRAMME. Tee "Rugby Cup competitions will be continued at Potter's Paddock and Devonport this afternoon, the senior fixtures being Newton v. City, Grafton v. Suburbs, and North Shore v. Parnell. Principal interest will centre in the. meeting between City and Newton, who will occupy the No. 1 ground, and the odds read decidedly in favour of City, when past form is taken into consideration. On Saturday last the Newton boys, though running up a very fair number of points, really had all their work cut out to bring about the defeat of Suburbs, and certainly had nothing the best of it so far as the forward division was concerned. This being so. and at th? mm time making all duo allowance for the fact that Suburbs now put a stronger vanguard in the field than when they fell such easy victim? to City at the commencement of the season, this would hardly bring the front divisions together to-day, while no doubt can exist as to the superiority of City's hack division. Nevertheless, Newton may 'no expected to offer a stronger resistance to the red and blacks than has been offered by oilier of the teams that have met last year"? Cup winners, and., this being so, there will no doubt be a very good, attendance at Potter's Paddock to-day. Grafton should beat Suburbs, but are not likely to have matter; all their own way, while the match at Devonport should bo won by the home team (North Shore). Appended arc the grounds and referees for to-day's fixtures:

FIRST FIFTEENS. No. 1 ground: Citv v. Newton. Mr. P. M?ckie. No. 2 ground: Grafton v. Suburbs, Mr. Peiruvm. At North Shore: Farnell v. North Shore. Mr. Blakey. SECOND FIFTEENS.

No. 3 grour.d: Newton v. City, Mr. F. S. Murray. At Eilorslie : Grafton v. Suburbs, Mr. A. Campbell. At North Shore: P&roell v. North Shore, Mr. White. THIRD FIFTEENS. No. 4 ground: City v. Grafton, Mr. Greenhough. No. 5 ground: Parncll v. Ponsonby A. Mr. Pitts. No. 6 ground: Newton v. Fou'onby B, Mr. Boyce. THE AIT ON CITY MEETING. ' The conclusion of the -fifth series of the

Cup matches leaves City and Grafton on even terms for the season's honours clubs having played and won four matches— and the meeting of these teams on Saturday next is being looked forward to with considerable interest by Auckland Rugby enthusiasts. The supporters of the Grafton team are confident that their representatives will put up a big fight against City ; some even look forward to their winning, but the ■weight of evidence reads in favour of City doing the trick. Grafton have won the samo number of matches as their rivals of the red-and b'aok uniform, hut in no single instance have they routed the opposition so completely as the City boys have done; in fact, in some of the matches played they have only just succeeded in defeating teams that succumbed to City to the tune of anything between 15 and 2*5 points. Neither in the forward nor back divisions have they shown the same rnea-sure of combination that has marked the play of the City fifteen, and unleas they work more in harmony next Saturday than they have done up to the present, I cannot see how anyone can view their procpects of success in a hopeful light. They certainly have some speedy men behind the pack to cope with the fleet-footed and wellorganised rear division that back up the Cityforwards, but, as past experience has taught US, individual play, however good, cannot compote .successfully against organised and systematic play. Everything depends on their combination: if they pull well together, then those who look forward to Grafton giving City a close run foi their money should not be disappointed: if not, then City should win fairly easily. I'p to the present the City team ha- not been asked to go right out, but should it. be that Grafton asks the question seriously next Saturday, then I am of opinion that thoy will show that they are equal to something better than we have yet seen of them— point that must not be overlooked when summing tip the chances of the respective tca-,m. LAST WEEK'S CUP COMPETITION'S. Last week's matches did not prove productive of anything of a very exciting nature, and the want of that combination so essentia! to success on the football held was again conBpiouons only by its absence in the senior competitions. In this respect there were many present at the Epsom convincingground who expressed disappointment at tho display given by City, and it must certainly be admitted that the rear division of the redand black fifteen did no handle the ball with tho samo precision that has marked their efforts in previous mutches To me this appeared due to two causesthe inability of ' Young (at halfback) to get the ball out to , hi 3 backs as ■-veil as might have been the case, and t je disorganisation of the line of attack caused by the absence of Asher, who, a? the result of experience, knows his men better than a straiige man. That Young failed to cater for his hacks a* wed as could be hod was not altogether his own fault, as the heeling out of the forwards was at times by no means as smart and straight a-'- might have been, the ball at times hanging about: just inside the back row. and at other times coming out slowly at the sides. There is room for much improvement in this respect, taking last Saturday's display as a criterion. At the Fame time, it cannot Ik: argued that North Shore seriously threatened the opposing side at any stage of the game, for while they apparently held their own in the first half the play in the second spell, when City had matters pretty well their own way, showed plainly suough that the winners had not let themselves right out I in the earlier stages In saying thin, I do . not wish i: to be thought that I am incline*] | to speak disparagingly of the Shore team they did quite as well as I expected they Would, and some of the back's showed very fair form at times, but the fact remains that j they were really not in the hunt. On the i No. 2 ground Newton defeated Suburbs by j the substantial margin of 13 points to nil, j but for the information of those who did not ; witness the game it, may bo said, without j fear of contradiction, that the score does : net fairly indicate the difference between j the two teams. Throughout Suburb-, ' had something Die best of the ; forward play, but they lack- d the presence of backs equal to making use of the oppor- ■ tunities afforded them by the front-rankers, ; while on the other hand Newton showed ] better form behind the scrum, and an ele- \ merit of luck assisted them in their march : to victory. The remark as to the scores not j indicating the merits of the respective teams may also bo applied to the remaining senior | fixture, Grafton v. Ponsonby, fur although j Grafton won by 3 points to nil, (hey were j not that number of points superior to their j opponents on the day's play, Ponsonby j having decidedly hard luck in not scoring .

Grnfcn ) d B? U - durin K which they kept Stion. TVu The followi »3 teble shows the Potion of the seven clubs competing in the first-grade fixtures: — Points— ,-.., P. W. L. D. For. Agst. L ;- V... -... 4 * 0 0 121 4 C.raf on ... 4 4 0 0 39 0 Newton ... 4 2 2 0 26 20 £ orth Shore ... 5 2 3 0 21 39 lonsonby ... 5 1 4 0 T 6 , larnell ... 4 0 4 0 8 65 HERE AND THERE. „?"?% meeting between City and Grafton next Saturday is exacted to prove the game oi too season. Wo could do with a good game by way of a. ehange. MeGniro, who hails from Ohinemuri, was piayod on the wing by City last Saturday and although he did not do anything senna! tional he ncvertUjMs gave the impression that he is not 0 ail a bad forward. Ilia proper place is fn the pack

Among the matters dealt with at last Wednesday evening's meeting were (he dates of proposed interunion and interprovineial fix- • ures lor this season. The following arrangements were made, subject, of course, to the approval of the unions concerned:—Aucklandv. Thames, at Thames, August 24; Auckland v. Poverty Bay, at Auckland, August 31; Auckland v. Northern Wairoa, heptembor 14; Auckland v. Wellington, at Wellington, September 14; Auckland v. laraiuki. at New Plymouth or Han-era Sep•ember 18 or 19. The date nt the AucklandA ™ South Wales match (September 7) was approved. Trooper Johnstone, of Wuiuku, who won the bulk of the single-handed competitions last week at the military sports, is identical with the burly forward who last vent plavod

for Suburbs, and was given a trial in one c toe "A ' and " B" matches played preparr tory to the selection of the Auckland -'rep. team. Of the "wingers" at present playing i our c-.ip competitions, "Sid." Brown is ur (lountouly the best, and the evergreen "City if 6 'W'*' make the running very strong fo ■'rep." honours on the wing' this season, i lie continues in his present form. Browi doesn't play at circus with the opposin wing:, but watches the ball, and is " righ there" every time, as our American cousin would put it. W. Tyler continues in good goal-kickin; form, and is also playing a sound, hard gaim in the City pack. There will probably be ; "rep." cap for hist year's junior this seasoi if ho goes on all right. Sutherland's kicking in last Saturday'; match against Newton was quite the bes on the ground— long, hard, and almost in variably to the touch-line. In club matches he has always proved himself a sterling full back, but unfortunately has failed in big' football, a great pity, as it is possible thai his past failures will cause him to be over looked when the selection is being made this season. It will be remembered that some time back the Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union sounded Mr. Frank lervis, in the hope of persuading him to take iip tlio duties of selector of the Auckland representative teams, but without success. since then, as far as J: can learn, nothing further has been clone in the matter, but I lave heard the names of Messrs. A. H. .'otter, F. 'Murray, and W. Elliott mentioned is a suitable trio from which to choose a selector, though I do not know whether .'tier of them would accept if approached, -lowever, the fr.ct remains that nothing lias Teen done, and the sooner a selector is aplointcd the better.

The Wellington " reps." met and defeated Nelson last Wednesday to the tune of 31 points to nil. The inferences to be drawn from this are two. the one being that Wellington football must bo very strong this season, or (inference No. 2) that the Nelson representatives are lamentably weak. Which is it? Local football having teen very disappointing so far, there are those among us who are to be found contending that our

** rep." team will be weaker this year than for some years past, but 1 cannot say that I agree with this gloomy view of affairs. There is no lack of individual players of high quality, and if the selection is taken in hand in good time, and the team given a reasonable chance for training and practice, we should put as good a fifteen in the field as ever, For instance, the following should make a great back combination, and one possessed of all the essential elements of successful attack and defence:—Fullback, " Scobie" McKenzie; threeauarters, George

son or Asher; five-eighths, 'Dick McGregor; halfback. Kiernsn. I should say that in seoriu;* 121 points in four matches. City have established a fresh record for senior cup football in this colony, giving, as it does, an average of no less than 30 points per match. Since they started to score not a single point has been scored against them, the only four points credited to opposing teams beiug the goal from a mark by Ponsonby, obtained in the first match of the season, and put on before City got their first score. If this is not a record, then I stand— I should rather say sit— corrected. The Otago Rugby Union has accepted tho date suggested by the Wellington Union for the representative match between the two provinces this season, and the teams will meet in the Southern city on August 10. The provisional programme drawn up for the tour through New Zealand of the New South Wales team has reversed the old order of things. In the prist Auckland lias usually claimed tho distinction of hoiasr the first province to meet teams corning from the

other si' ! e, but this year we are absolutely J last on the list, the date suggested being j September 7. According to the present arrangement, there will only be one test match between ' the representatives of New South Wales and I New Zealand this season. The venue of the match will bo Wellington, and the date August 31, a week before the Auckland match. It was Riven out a few weeks back that Duncau, of Otago, had decided to retire from the game, but such decs not appear to bo the case, as latest reports from the Southern citv show that the evergreen "Jimmy" is afcftl pegging away, and to good purpose. The Nelson Rugby representatives play Canterbury at Lancaster Park this afternoon. If the recent match against Wellington may be taken as a criterion, 1 should say their chances of success are not very bright. A writer in the Christohuroh Press advocates the abolition of the wing forward, and suggests that such players be placed in the pack, and mode to " graft" like tho other players. fn Auckland, Dunedin, and Chrislchurch complaints are being made about the poor kicking in senior matches. Recently in tho last-named place six tries scored in one match ware left unconverted (says a Wellington writer). Wo of Wellington are better off this season for place-kickers than wo have been for some time past. 6. Spencer, Jacobs, Hales, and MeLaoghlan have all been performing creditably as placekickers this season. Private J. O'Dwycr, of the .Seventh Contingent, who, as the cable recently informed us, was killed in South Africa, was one of the best footballers in Marlborough. At a recent meeting of the Wellington Referees' Association, Mr. Burke submitted that it was necessary for a wing player to have Doth feet behind the ball when a scrum was being contested. His argument was disagreed with, and it was held that it was only necessary to keep one foot behind the ball*. On the motion of Mr. Katterns, it was resolved that a team forming a scrummage partly behind its lino and partly in the field, cannot be held to have heeled over its line by passing the ball backwards, since it is against the laws of the game for a scrummage to exist in a team's own goal. It wae also decided to ask the Referees' Conference to rule on this point. .Judging from the following remarks by a writer in the Canterbury Times, Auckland does not stand alone as far as inferior football is concerned this season:—Taken all round, local senior football is of a very poor quality. True, the forward play is an advance on that of the last few seasons, and it is now possible to pick a pack of heavy. fast, strong men capable of comparing with anything that can be brought against it from any other part of the colony. But the backs ! There is not a really good, re liable back to be found. And yet there is some splendid material, which in a district where back play was made as great a feature as forward would speedily be developed into a first-class article. They play football in parts of Lancashire, I believe, and judging from the following yarn, they play it in deadly earnest, too. A tobacconist, by way of obliging his patron-:. displayed in Ins window a card on which was printed: "Football results received here." One Saturday afternoon three or four players entered, bearing an unfortunate companion, who looked as though ho had itnt been " tram carred," and then dragged through a slaughterhouse yard at, killing time. ''Mister 1" exclaimed the spokesman of the party, "ye receive rilba' results here, don't ye?" "Yes, I do," replied the shopkeeper. "Very well," said the other, as the limp, insensible form of the knocked out party was dumped on the floor, " here's the first result frae th' match t'-day. Y' might keep him till he comes t' himsel', an' I'm thinkin' we'll hev a lot more results before long. Th' lads are playiii' a vera vvillin game t'-day !" A,

Irue .Sport writes me a? follows from Rotorua:—"To 'Lynx': Dear sir,A foolball match was arranged between the Piako and Rotorua Rugby unions for Saturday, the 15th, at Rotorua, but owing to the action of the officer,* of the Tauranga Mounted Rifles in camping on the football ground when there was room to camp 1000 troops on Pukoroa Reserve without using the iiei'J of play, the match had to bo put off. What makes their action appear decidedly unsportsmanlike is the fact that before a peg had been driven, the .secretary of the Rotorua Rugby Union explained matters to them and asked them to piece their ii-uti a! least outside the lines of the football ground, where there was ampin room. This reasonable request was refuse..!, and the match was spoilt, while the ground is so cut up .villi the bora-lines that it will not be fit to pi.. ™ again this season." It docs fcoern from the foregoing that "True .Sport" has some reason to complain, but then, c., course, there are alwayr two side? to every question, and the volunteers may be able to ixplain away what appears to be an unsportsmanlike inn. THK ASSOCIATION GAME. The match Pitt-street v. Tabernacle A was lot exactly what was expect'•■.!—a diirr-dong ro. _ 'dree!; played a really good game. :eoping their positions well, but. when passng they invariably shot too far, giving their ipponcnte a chance- of securing the ball and irking well down the field.

Win-tone, on the right wing-, played a fast, safe game., but he is rather excitable tint) a bit hasty in trying to gain possession, tlrreby often losing the chance to -core. V>. Nichols was about the best forward for Pitt street. Vii tackling was done in a bu mc~- like manner. D. Whitehead was safe at fullback, and I should, with practice, make a. very safe I man before the season has been brought to a, close. The Tabernacle team felt the loss of A. Chic! (at fullback), whoso place was filled by 11. Wood. lie acquitted himself in a very creditable manner, but he is not the man Chiel lias proved liiimrsf to be. lie is nevertheless a very sound kick, but, owing to ill-health, could not do much in the sham; cf tackling. G. Guy and A. Carbines Mere not v.)) to form when most needed. They had plenty of work to do, but did not show any brif-

lianoy._ . ' R. Noton and ,T. Bigelow were the pick ' of the Tahwnado A forwards. The latter j showed plenty of condition when asked to I make a spurt. I The senior matches under the Auckland ! Football Association to-dav will lie Grafs on I v. United, and Y.M.C.A." v. North Shore I tho first-named match to he played at Hie | Domain, and the latter at Dovon'port. Tho i Grafton-UniUd match should prove a very interesting and well-contested one. There appears to be some discontent with I regard to the association changing the venue I of the United v. Taborruu-,'.« 15 match to Khyber Pass. ]~ fact. th- referee for this event declined to leave the Domain and journey to Khyber Pass. it is a pity that, ; the Management Committee does not 'notify ' | tho referees of the various changes tukiiie I j place. " B j The United team, though playing one man 1 short last Saturday, easily defeat 1 their on- | pononts to the tunc of seven to nil. Neither I side had their own team on tho ground bid recruited from the spectators. j There is hard work ahead for the Selection Committee, jndpinp; by the form that is being shown throughout the various clubs by players likely to have a . eh* nee for ren honours (says a writer in the Witness) Otn~o' ought to bo able to put tin strongest possible team in the field this season a* the mtcrpro match is to be played in ' Dun odin, and players will not have to ask for leave of absence. Ail Ofago writer says that the end of July would be a more accentable date than the end of August for the visit of the Auckland socker team to the Southern centre, if tho Northern association could so arrange it but adds that whenever the AucHander* come the locals will be ready for them. J.ho fact that the association international match between England and .Scotland beinplayed at the Crystal Palace, reminds one of tho return to l-Tngland from South \friri ' of a halfback who took part in the ronton at hennmijton Oval in 1359. This is 11. K. D. Hammond, the Lancing Old Bay. who took a double blue— athletics ami football—at Oxford, and who a few years aero received an important Government scholastic appointment at Salisbury, Rhodesia. Rccntiv however, Mr. Hammond was invalided home'. The. following tables show the positions of the senior and junior clubs at (ha conclusion of the fir*! round of cup eomnetitions under the Auckland Football Association: — SENIOR.

. Oor.li Club. U.V. W. L. D. I';.. F. A Grafton >•', 3 0 0 6 I! ? 'Y.M.C.A. ... 3 S 1 0 4 4 3 North Shore ... 3 1 2 0 2 0 5 United 3 0 3 0 0 0 2 JUNIOR. Goals. club. M.P. W. L. J), rts. V. \ Tabernacle A ... 5 5 0 0 10 13 2 Pitt-street ... 5 4 1 0 a 5 3 North Shore 11. 5 4 1 0 8 7 6 United 11. ... 5 3 2 0 fa 10 5 Tabernacle B ... 5 1 4 0 Z 1 20