FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12618, 27 July 1904, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

i, Thß Auckland A and B teams will 9 play a practice match on Saturday afternoon H'» ' next, after which the Auckland provincial I representatives to meet Wellington on Aura gust 6 will be chosen. i - The Britishers play the thirgl test matoh ■ ; ' against Australia at Sydney on Saturday I next and leave the same evening for WellI, ington. ? I ■ -Mr. F. Murray, one of the selectors of the | I. , New Zealand team to play the Britishers, I is in Wellington in connection with the seI lection of the colonial combination. I "Bonne" Fanning, the sturdy "lock" of ■i' l£e Linwood forward division, has now ; played for Canterbury in 50 representative games, and, like the Rajah of Bhong, is "going still strong." In addition he has played three times for South Island, was a member of last year's New Zealand team in , . Australia, and has also represented Wellington. Many of the British forwards hare given splendid exhibitions of the dribbling game in their matches in Sydney, thus giving 1 - > one the impression that they have practised one of the main features of the British As- ] sociation game. In the case of Harding, rt- one of the best men in the team, however, it is due to the fact that until within a ' 1 year or two ago he was a British Association playor. This is also evident by the way he catches a ball. From all souroes the British football captain is reported to have been very strict as regards attention to training during the voyage from England. T. H. Vile, k member of the combination, gave his testimony ' on the matter in the following way in a letter written from Port Said: " Our skipper, D. R. Bedell-Sivright, is very strict as * - regards training. At seven in the morning we get up, and he then starts to give it'to «s. We have manual exercise, dumb-bells, and skipping at the morning practice, and - .in the afternoon skipping, passing sandbags, cricket, and punching ball." The faot of the British team having defeated New South Wales more easily than New Zealand did is not proof that the British team will beat New Zealand (says "The Cynic.") The Britishers have shown themffv; selves to be more brilliant and versatile in attack through the backs than the New Zealanders are. But it is not altogether unlikely that New Zealand , may aohieve success, as Ireland did against Wales last season, by making it a game for the forwards. Another of the famous New Zealand native team has joined the great majority in J. the person of Harry Lee, who died in Wellington recently. Deceased, who originally hailed from Southland, was a useful forward, and could play a splendid threequar-ter-back game. Lee particularly distinguished himself in one match with the native team in England when opposing the crack threequarter-back, Anderton, who was a member of the English team which toured k- New Zealand in 1888* Writing to Mr. F. J. Ohlson, of Auckland, Mr. J. Henderson, the well-known New South Wales enthusiast, ventures the opinion that the best New Zealand team should just about beat the Britishers. This evening Mr. P. Quinlan, licensee of ) the Clarendon Hotel, will entertain the mem- • ' tiers of the Newton District Football Club > ■'at a dinner, to celebrate the club's success in winning the senior Rugby championship for season 1904. Mr. Quinlan has for a num- ~ inr of years been » staunch e«pporter ,of the . Blub. The match between Wairoa and Waiuku (Franklin Union) was played at Clevedon on Saturday last in Mr. McNicol's grounds, and resulted in a draw (two tries each). . From the kick-off the visitors assumed the aggressive and pressed Wairoa hard during the whole of the first spell, Bennett getting over ; the line twice and registering the two tries i for Waiuku. Wairoa's defence was excep- I tionally good, and Luke (fullback) saved on j several occasions. In the. second half the 1 local men reversed things* and were only ; once in danger when Herrold, bv a da'hing : run, got to within a yard of the line. From i this out Waiuku seemed unable to withstand the determined rushes of the home team, : and Pearson, who throughout had played a. good game, got over the lino, scoring Wai- ■ , roa's first try. A short while afterwards McGuinness broke through with the ball at toe, .and. picking up got round between the posts, - the attempt at coal failing. From this out Waiuku were kept on the defensive, and befff' fore time was called Pearson got over the .line again but no try was allowed. _ Mr. J. B. Lusk as referee gave every satisfaction.—• [Own Correspondent.] A match between the chemists' assistants ' and a team representing Court's drapery esc' tablishment is to be played at Alexandra Park to-day. The fixture is exciting a fair amount of interest, as the winning team will take the lead in the Wednesday afternoon competitions. The following will represent the chemists:— Derv.in, W. Bonguard. H. ! * Wiles, J. Macklow, Wilson, o'Ka.ne, Mci Kenzie, Mcintosh, J. George, V. Rhodes, .Mahon, G. Mobberly, Hodgson, Ready, Armstrong. ■■ ■ THE ARITHMETIC OF FOOTBALL. "The arithmetic of football is a very peculiar thing," said a well-known enthusiV ast a- day or two ago. In ©very way the .statement is correct, as most persons who "■ , have given any attention to the question ,can tell. For instance, it is no uncommon thing to hear a supporter of a club say * that his club should beat another team (say B for sake of argument), because _ B had ' been beaten by a combination which had ' previously been beaten by his club. Oi, to ,put it plainer:—A beat C and C beat B, ■so that A should defeat B. But very rarely does this manner of working out victories prove correct. If it did, some guide could be obtained a3 to the probable result of the "match between Great Britain and New Zealand Dext month (says a writer in the Town • and Country Journal). Adding all the scores of the Britishers' first five matches together, - and doing the same with the scores in the . same contests played last season by New 'Zealand, it is found there is, on figures, of ,course, little difference between the British and New Zealand combinations. The Britishers have scored 113 points to-18, and , the New Zealand,erg notched 117 to 17. The men from the Land of the Maori, however. ( - scored 47 points in the Bathurst match, and ' 33 in the game against Sydney; whereas the v. > Britishers only recorded 21 and 19 in the j 'I same contests. For the purpose of comparison, the results of the first five mutches played by the team from Great Britain are •published, in addition to the results in the same games last season. They are: — Against New South Wales: Great Britain .won by 27 to nil and 29 to 6; New Zealand won by 12 to nil and 3 to nil. Against Bathurst: Great Britain won by •21 to 6; New Zealand won by 47 to 7. Against Metropolis: Great Britain won by 19 to 6; New Zealand won by 33 to 3. I . ' Against Australia: Great Britain won by .. 17 to nil; New Zealand won by 22 to 3. A NEW ZEALANDER ON THE BRITISHERS. | Mr. George Stephenson, the theatrical entrepreneur, and a well-known New Zealand footballer, witnessed the two New South Wales matches against the British team, and i j. : ihas given "The Cynic" of the Sydney Re- i feree some of his impressions. Still youthful enough and active enough to don the jersey in a big match, he knows all about i |&|! New Zealand football of the present day, i and is well in touch with football in England. He wrote a book on "Back Play," i which was published in Yorkshire only two i years ago. ... 1 n * Asked how he thought the British team i compared with New Zealand, Mi. Stephen- i eon said:— . 1 •"*' "I think the British team is weak in de- < fence. The New Zealand backs are no* so brilliant and versatile in attack as the Brit- ] fe'. -ish backs, but they are very good stoppers, I II we call them. They are all good tack- ' lws and sound on defence. If not so bril»nt in attack as the Britishers, they can ; V* • always take an opportunity of scoring. The ; New Zealand forwards will be much keener ad faster op the ball than the Britishers, i .New Zealand will make it a forward game, - and try to stop the British backs from get- 1 Wf. ng the ball. No footballer—especially a . „ back—is any good without the ball he must , i 't it to score." 4 '

" Don't you think the centred kicking or foot passing will: bother the New Zealanders ? ,r . " , , "New Zealanders," replied > Mr. Stephenson, * are well up in that kind of attack, and the Britishers will not succeed by that method of scoring to ; the same extent as they have done here. It is no new idea, as far as New Zealand is concerned. In 1896, when playing for Otago against Auckland, I introduced it. Against opponents who know how to check this system ,of attack it may bo turned against the attacking side by a return" cross kick well behind the player who first kicked. If this can be done, it leaves the wing threequarter on that side of the field a fine opening." "How do New Zealand forwards compare with Britishers ?" "The New Zealand forwards will, I think, bo better and harder players in the loose. And in the > scrummages they will about equal . the Britishers, l whether they , play seven or eight. The whole object of New Zealand will be to stop the British backs from getting the ball. And if they succeed in that they will beat the Britishers. The New Zealand tackling will be very deadly." THE NEW Zealand"union and its CRITICS. [by telegraph.—press association.] Wellington, Tuesday. The executive of the New Zealand Rugby Union has issued • a manifesto in reply to criticism concerning its action relating to the visit of the British team. As to gate charges, it is contended that the prioes provided for are necessary for safe finance. As to failure to arrange for a practice game for the New I Zealand team, it says it is not going to take I the risk of knocking the men up. with a practice game, and that combination among players of the first flight is easily gained off tho field. Moreover, it points out that the union cannot risk the popularity of the game by making unwise demands upon the time and pockets of players and their employers in the matter of leave of absence. THE GREAT FOOTBALL MATCH. • TO THE EDITOR. - Sir, Having notioed several letters from your readers regarding the coming BritishAuckland football match, I should like to make a suggestion. The annual match, solicitors versus insurance offices, has not yet been played; let < them engage the ground ! on the afternoon and play their match before the big event takes place. Many good players work in these offices, and with pome practice a really good match might easily be obtained, and. what is more, this will serve to accentuate the following first-class football. Hoping someone in either of these offices will take this matter up.l am, etc. Interested.