FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13537, 7 September 1907, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. TITERE will bo no .senior football in Auckland this afternoon, 'i he Auckland junior representatives, however, will try conclusions against a fifteen from Wuiuku on No. 1 ground at. Alexandra Park. The teams should bo pretty evenly matched, and no doubt a fair contest will take place. Tho following aro Alio teams: — Auckland: iFullback, Ballontyne; threequarters, Wynyard, Hardwick," and Cross (Ponsonby): five-eighths, Peach; halfback, Stewart; wing-forwards, Wright, Linkhoru; forwards, Moir, McLean, Inciter, Vesper, Warbriek, Shaw, and Ma gee. Emergencies, Donovan, Jackson, and Baker. Wamku: Fullback, L. Burriball: threequarters, E. Barriball, J. Herrold, V. Karriball; five-eighths, J, Bennett; halfback, S. Bright; wing- forwards, A. James, A. Hammond; forwards, W. Craig, G. Middleton. A. Holmes, C. Brockliss, F. Hurdling. E. Holmes, P. Hanfling. The match, St. Mary'.-. iVYangunui) v. Sacred Heart Old Boys, which is creating much interest amongst supporters of both teams, takes place to-day at the Polo Grounds, Remuera, at three p.m. The • match was originally fixed for last Saturday, but had to 'be postponed, on account . of the inability of tho Wanganui team to get away. Given a fine day a large attendance is expected, and a good exposition of tho Rugby code should bo witnessed. The following teams havo been selected to represent their respective clubsWanganui : McKenmi, Callaghan, .McDonald, D. O'Eelleghcit, . McAlliude'n, Hopkins, Cameron, Keyes, McCain, O'Donuell, Casey, Bofius, Wanga, Storer, O'Noil. Manager, F. D. Gaffany. Sacred Heart: Cullen. Little, Kean, Dolaney, Heath, , Nolan, Sh'eahan, O'llnrc, DeYvari'.{2) Keyes. Malioney, Galhigher, Williams, Slade. Referee, Sir. IX. McGregor. This afternoon the Law and Insurance teams will try conclusions,at North Shore. The following are- tho teams:—lnsurance ("Tho Fire Eaters"): Fullback, Archer; threequartors, Boylau. Craig, Bush liveeighths, Howarth; halfback, Yates: wingforward, Dean; forwards, Xevill, Totlon, Heorge, Robson, Horsier, Steele, Stewart. Bawson. Insurance II.: Burgess, Bucld, Wilson. Burton,. Bobinsou, Lovett, Clay, Ley land, Jacka, Dver, Cashmore, Swales, Hunt, Fletcher, Gillies. Law' IT.: Bull, Ottorson, Coleman, Alderton, Fancy. Cole, Oakley, Kavanagii, Bond, Webb, Oliphant, Northcrofl, Breadon. Nenmegon. Goulding. Emergencies :"Stilwell and Wright. Players must catch one p.m. boat. A number of matches will also he played on Alexandra Park and at North Shore between various business house employees, as published on Thursday. Tho Volunteer Rugby Union will continue its matches this afternoon. ■■■■•■ , The second last match of importance of tho season will be played next Saturday, i when tho Auckland representatives, who will havo returned.from the Southern tour, will meet the Wang;mui representatives at Alexandra Park and defend the Batifurly shield. The Wanganui team is considered a very strong one, and has a fair record for the season. They are said to be pretty confident of themselves, no doubt backed "up by ; their victory aj.'ainst the Aucklanders in 1905 on their own ground : but that match could not be taken as a criterion of the merits of the. respective teams. . i ■ •■ ; —— '■: j AUCKLAND TOURING REPRESENT A- ! .-.'.■'. TIVES.

With a draw and a victory to record for tho Auckland touring team tin's week things arc beginning to look decidedly better for our, men, for they suffered defeat in the three opening games. la the game against Otago fast Saturday both scored six points, though Auckland played in tho latter part "■'Of the game With only 14- men. The contest was apparently a very even one, and though the play was fairly interesting the standard attained was not very great. The Otago team had been previously soundly beaten 'by, its two sister provinces, but the . team had undergone sevc-rul changes for the meeting with Auckland, with tho resultthat the Southerners, especially in their forward play, showed out decidedly better than - they did before.. So well did the Otago pack shape that they secured the ball from the v majority of tho scrums, but the backs did not give them the assistance they might havo been expected to, a failing the- Auck- - landers have had to.put up with. With two .such splendid sets of forwards it was to b» expected that would put up nothing short of a Titanic .struggle.,' and the description- of tho game proved that they did so. In fact, tho Aucklanders, who were the heavier pack, showed more dash and devil— a little too much according to the referee — than they did in the. previous matches, in which they could hardly have dona themselves justice. The Auckland hookers, however, are still on the weak side, for tho Otago pair almost invariably scoured tho ball. Tho Auckland backs, from all accounts, are showing improved form, and it is to be hoped they will continue to do so. Towards tho end the Aueklandors must have made great efforts to gain an advantage, and it was only due to infringements, committed apparently in the frenzy of the game, that they were not victorious. In any case it was only an infringement by tho fullback holding on to the ball too long, his only mistake, that Otago were able to equalise the scores. In the mid-week match against Southland the uncertainties of football wore again strikingly demonstrated. Otago had been well whipped by Southland only a week or .so before, yet Otago drew with Auckland, -. and the natural conviction was that Auckland would suffer defeat. But the visitors turned round and inflicted a ten-point defeat on Southland. J: was another forward game, and in this Auckland were apparently much the superior right from the .jump. and played one -jf their best games. ■ The contest, too. was a very fast one, and as the Aucklanders la-ted well right to the end they are as well as players can be. Notwithstanding that Southland had a strong wind with them in the opening spell, the" Aucklanders obtained a load and kept, it, while they prevented their opponents from crossing their line. The back play of the visitors was a good deal ahead of tilkt of the home team (which was considered good in the rear division), while the Aucklanders , also excelled in spoiling tactics.' Neither back division .showed much combination; it was in individual play that the visitors excelled. .

»-i".' i ROUGH PLAY "AGAIN.- ■".,.. Once more the undue roughness that is very often imparted into the game has beer, brought before the public during the past week, and the most unfortunate part of it is that one of the Auckland forwards iu the Otaco-Aucklaod match was ordered off the field. All followers of the game, and especially Aticklanders, will have read the reports with regret, hut at the same time one must feel pretty certain that any rough tactics adopted wer.j not by any means one-sided. Any follower of the code during the last four years in New Zealand could not fail to have noticed the hard, continuous, and strenuous game that is always played by the forwards, and more especially when the vanguards are pretty evenly matched. Auckland's development of the forward game lias been as rapid as in anj other portion of the .„; colony, and our forwards invariably play a hard, strong game, which many followers have deprecated, and which, no doubt, doe's not mako for 'an attractive game. The consequence is that we always rely on our for- .;. wards.: to do tho major part of the work, and. tho forwards, knowing this, -play their utmost, and with what is now termed plenty of "devil." . It is nil in the game as played at present, but I do not think there is the necessity for so much of it. Of this I am assured that there is far too much of it, and with some players it becomes a habit, and it is only when they meet a strict referee, who':* in turn supported by tho crowd in some cases, that' those players realise they have overstepped the mark. I have several times referred during the past season to this aspect of tho game, and the great falling away there has been in the back play in consequence, so I need not repeat myself. .According to the telegraphed report of the match Auckland v. Otago, our players were charged with displaying "remarkable facility for tackling a player after he had kicked or passed," and, notwithstanding cautions by the referee, these tactics were continued. It is rather hard, however, to believe that all the infringements lay with tho Aueklanders; both teams can generally thus indulge if they have a mind, and , if one gives provocation the, present-dav footballer is not so constituted that he will not retaliate. But Mr. Evans' opinion might, be taken as fairly unbiassed, seeing that ho is a Ohristchurch man, and as 'our own correspondent also refers to the matter in the Southland match, our men. must unfortunately have been tho chief offenders. .'But Mr. Kvans, with 15 years' experience of football, somewhat tempers Lis remarks with

tho admission that ill© oxporienco was unique in tho Otago match, and lot us hope tho occasion will not occur again, and that the action thou taken will be a warning. If the thing is to bo put down some stricter supervision will havo to "bo devised, such as* appointing touch judges, who will havo power to assist the referee in any cases when broaches by players occur. _ It will bo interesting to note what steps, if any, tho Auckland Rugby Union will adopt. It would, however, be well to wait until the return of. the team before doing anything. A different light to that given by the telegraphed report regarding tho ordering off of MacCormick is shown in tho following 1 letter from Mr. A. Nicolson, a Dunedin resiI dent, who has written me;—"As a spectator I of tiie Auckland v. Otago match, I would J like to place- before you my opinion of tho I incident which led to MacCormick being I ordered off, an opinion which is shared by ! tho majority of footballers who witnessed j tho game. It hupponod in the following I manner:—An Auckland player kicked tho j ball to Eckhold, and MacCormick, following j up quickly, tried to charge down the return, j and Eckhold going forward collided with { Iho Aucklander, Eekliold. being winded, and ] MitcCorraick was ordered off the field. I I am perfectly satisfied that it was purely i mi accident, and that a grave injustice has j been done to the above player, It seemed J to me that the referee, in giving his tiei cision, was influenced by a section of the ! crowd, who throughout the game were, acti ing in a verj unfair manner to the visitors, and when they. that Eckhold was hurt, i hooted and cried 'put him off.' As one I who has played football in Dunedin for a j number of years. I was distrusted with tho I unsportsmanlike behaviour of the crowd, and | .sympathise with -MacCormick in his mis- : fortune, and will wait with interest to see ! Ivow ho is dealt with by the Auckland ! Union." ; The Aucklander* meet the Canterbury 15 this afternoon. Tho men of the Plains

J soundly defeated Otago, like Southland, a I week or so ago, while Auckland inflicted an ' overwhelming defeat on Canterbury in Aucki land last season.. 1 i In view of the match with Canterbury to- ■ day, the following notes bv a Christcnurch writer on the Canterbury play against Otago I should prove interesting:—All the Canter--1 bury backs played well, and gave a fine dis--1 play of passing, fielding, tackling, and line ■ kicking. Doell, at fullback, was very safe ■ He had very little to do, but his kicking was 1 powerful, and he always found the line. The I threequarters were all in good form, parJ ticularly Deans, in the centre, who was a | constant source of danger. Gray and Fulj lor, (it. five-eighth?, played well together, and fed the thrcequarter line with well-timed j passes. Burns, tit halfback, was a regular j Trojan on defence ami at tackling. lie got j the ball away smartly from the scrum, unci ! stopped rushes in daring style. The forwards : played with great dash, and were always on I the ball, Mahony and Shannon being the j pick of a fine lot. McPhail played well on i the wing. ' WELLINGTON V. MANAWATU. [BY TELEGRAPH.— I'll ESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington*, Friday. The representative football match, Wellington v. Manawatu, to have been played to-morrow, has been declared off, owing' to Manawatu being unable to get a team away, WEDNESDAY TRADES' BUG BY UNION. The Wednesday Union's competitions were continued on Wednesday. Patrons wore treated to a great tussle between tho "reps." and tho Permanent Force fifteen, and the result (a draw) was a true interpretation of the play. It was a good forward game, tho strong pack rushes of the soldiers j being- counteracted by the solid defence of j the mid-weekly fifteen. 1 There was a fair attendance, due to the j very uncertain weather. Tho feeling be- ! tween the respective supporters was very [ keen; in fact, so much* so that a return I match will eventu-ato next Wednesday. j Given a fine day there should bo a record | attendance, and the match should be a suit- ' able end to the micbweekly fixtures. For the "Force ""Gerrard was the best | of tho backs, and played a really good heady | game, but none of the others shone out, a, I conspicuous feature being a lack of dash j and want of judgment in all departments. i Amongst the forwards McGluskio, Baker, and Nasper were the best, the latter cxcclting in lino work and in the open. MeGluskie has evidentlv not forgotten his oWtime headwork, and" was prominent in attack and in the loose.

For the local representatives Marshal! and Duval were the pick of the • backs, and Pierce and Cliffe defended well, while Savory, Roscoe-Warwiok'.'and Harrison were good in all departments. The hookers. Webber and Thomas, had the best of the argument in that respect. Edwards and W. Little were _ absentees, but will be available for the deciding game next Wednesday. / HERE AND THERE. A R,ugby exponent and a runner of some promise is V. G. Poruts, of Sydney University, the Rhodes scholar, who departed for ■ Oxford recently. < ■>■ . - .. - • - ■ ■ The Blue backs defended well, but as a combination in attack were very poor. Hedley, as fullback, was very good, and Messenger good, while the others defended resolutely. A. F. Harding, who performed so brilliantly among the forwards of D. R. BedeiiSivright's British team in 1904-, lias just resigned tho captaincy of the London Welsh F.C. A. F. Williams, another Welsh international, has been elected to the position. G. W. Smith, whose shoulders were padded, showed none of his real form in the third match of the professionals in Sydney, bat was not in sufficiently good health after the sea trip to have played"in such a match I and on such a hard ground. The most re- ! sourceful back on the side was the fiveeighths, Wynyard. Kelly, as scrum-half, J played soundly. But beyond tho fact that j they combined neatly without any marked pace, the other backs did not app'ear to be dangerous. ! They are telling a tale in the North of i quick work by a member of the professional ! team for England (says a Southern writer). i He was a member of the Permanent Artill lery, and cook's orderly for the day. Ap- • preached one morning by one of the proi fessional team authorities, who'said, "We I want you.'.! . "Htuoo! They can cook their I own blooming chop-;. I'm off!" Away he • went aiid IXTilgbf* Iris discharge. TwentyI four hours later he has on the steamer en ! route for England. ! The Petoue Suburban Club. Wellington, I won .every championship for the season. i including two school competitions. Rather i a unique performance. The suburbanites' . record is 'truly a remarkable one, as lin the five classes they have play!cd 51 matches, won 43. lost only : three, and drawn three, scoring 822 point' j against 121. Tho third and fifth fifteens I have played 12 and nine matches respeci lively, and won them all, the third scoring ! 135 points against 15, while the fifth bus ; actually run up 207 points. ! It is understood that several of the New ! Zealanders will remain in England, among ! them W. Johnston, of the " All Blacks." In ! this connection the Athletic News states j that " the colonials will come to England to | stay, and it may be surmised that when the i Northern Union Challenge Cup is being j fought there will be among the contestants I New Zealanders who have found a new j home. There is an honorable agreement | made by the officials of the various N.U. i clues that no attempt to approach a New j Zealandor will be made until the lour is I finished. Then—but we shall see!"

A Rugby player, well known in the North, and now resident on the West Coast, was recently written to J%f the Buller Rugby Union, asking him why he did not attend a certain practice' match, and why be did not advise the secretary of his inability to attend. " Gentlemen." he wrote in reply. ". . , . This is how . I explain. Not playing to-morrow, and sending jersey." Tho Union suspended him for three years for refusing to play in a representative match, and for sending an impertinent letter to the Union. At the meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union the suspension was made general. On the general form of the New Zealand professionals in the three matches, they are not in the same class as either the New Zealand or New South Wales representative teams (says a Svdney exchange). It has to be borne in mind, however, that in Ensland they will play 13 aside, and under different rules from the Rtiirbv Union code. And when Messenger and Smith are working with the best of the other backs in tintop trim, the best 13 of the party should develop into a very fine team with practice, more especially if some of the forwards take pattern by' Johnston, and combine in a greater degree scientific footwork with their dash. At th* suggestion of the New Zealand Rugby Union, it has been decided to hold the proposed conference of New Zealand sports governing bodies at Wellington about the second week in September. The idea of holding a conference has been most favourably received by all the bodies interested, which indicates the necessity there has been for joint action in order to secure the objects sought after, such as legal recognition and protection. The object of meeting at Wellington in preference to Christchurch is to enable direct and promot representations being made to members of Parliament and the Government on the disabilities tinder which sports governing bodies are placed,. " .. ~~ "'-'

At a recent meeting of tho council of the New South Wales Rugby Union a communication was received from Mr. A. W. Braund. who is representing the council in England in connection with tho visit there of a New South Wales team of footballers. Mr. Braund wrote that the English Union was confident of getting the support of the Scottish, Welsh, and Irish unions for such a. trip, but that even without such they would welcome a. visit from a Now South Wales team during the winter of 1908, it being deemed inadvisable to receive any visits during the corning winter. It wh considered too early to discuss such matters as term-, but from the general tone it was apparent that these which had been given to the New Zealand and South African teams during the past two seasons would be accorded the- Now South Wales Union, and (inch. Mr. Braund was assured, were very satisfactory. He points out for the information of the council that for the New Zealand and South African teams a programme was arranged by the International Board, and the s-atne course will undoubtedly bo followed with tho New South Wales combination, with th« exception that instead of some of tho weaker counties being taken on first matches will be fixed with some of the .stronger county club.,.

j THE ASSOCIATION GAME. Now that the* Brown shield competition j has been decided tho Association football season in Auckland is fast drawing to a close, cud perhaps next Saturday will see the end of it. This afternoon only Ono match will be played, the competing teams being Pori£onby and W.Y.M.I. A. _ When ono remembers that Ponsonby defeated Corinthians three weeks ago it is hard to see how the team from the western suburb is to be defeated. The match will be played at Devonport. Mr. Dunstan will have charge of the whistle. Owing to the heavy state of the ground on Saturday last it was decided to postpone the Ivanhoe v. W.Y.M.I. A match, which was to have beeu plaved as a curtain-raiser to the Auckland-Wellington contest. The Brown shield competition was brought to a close at Alexandra Park last Saturday, when Auckland succeeded in defeating WeiI lington, and so secured tho coveted shield. ' Throe teams competed for the shield, viz., i Wellington, Taranaki. and Auckland. On j Wednesday week Taranaki mot Wellington, I and a somewhat uninteresting game ended I in an easy victory for Wellington bv six j goals to one. It was then anticipated that j tho Wellington eleven would encounter j stronger opposition on Saturday when pitted j against the local eleven. This was fully ! borne out, for when the final started it was

at once very evident that the local men were superior to their opponents. From the kick-off Auckland assumed the aggressive, and playing with excellent combination a score was soon registered, Sale scoring. The visitors attacked on several occasions, but they lacked the necessary combination possessed by their opponents, and their passing win erratic. The local vanguard were giving a grand display, and had it not been for the slippery state of the ground would have treated the spectators (estimated to number over 2000) to a splendid exhibition of the "socker" code- of football. The first spell ended with Auckland one goal to nil. Upon the resumption of play the visitors appeared to possess new life. They at- once set up a. most determined attack, on the Auckland goal. They were repulsed time after time, but not to" be denied they returned to the attack, and at last, were rewarded by seeing Ash score a splendid goal, making the scores equal. For about five minutes after this matters did not look any too promising for Auckland. However, the visitors went, to pieces, and if may be said never looked really dangerous again. On the other hand Auckland were playing hard, and two more goals were scored, one by Foreshaw and the oilier by Davidson. The goal scored by Foreshaw was a pretty effort. Hind dribbled the ball down the line and centring nicely Sale headed it on to. Foreshaw, -who in turn headed it into the net. There was no further alteration to the score, and Tingame ended in favour of Auckland by three goals to Wellington's one. For Wellington Ash played a sterling game, and was perhaps the best forward on the ground.

Scholeiieid. who is the star performer !'> the Taranaki team, has, [ am told, been playing as threcquartcr in a Rugby team this season.

The English Football Association's statement of accounts for the year ending in April last shows receipts amounting 10 £29,333 9s lid, and after deducting expenditure a credit balance of £11,230 7s is shown. Under tiie heading of expenditure, appear the items:— Amount- voted to Manchester charities, £1002 18s 9d; grant to Jamaica earthquake fund. £200: and grants from tho benevolent, fund, £210. The association's share or receipts from the professional cup is £6903 and horn the amateur cup £4-34.

'" Socket" enthusiasts will regret to hear of the death of Mr. W. .T. Hamilton, which took place suddenly in Wellington en Tuesday last. Mr. Hamilton was well known in "socket'" circles, and was one of theselectors of the Wellington team which competed for the Brown shield. Mr. W. 11. J. Reynold, secretary of the Auckland. Football Association, who, .it will be remembered, was suddenly taken ill prior to the Wollington-Taranaki match, is stated to be making a satisfactory recovery.

A correspondent, "Left-wing," writes : — "I would like to express my disgust with the mismanagement of junior "soeker'' this year, and I might mention that threequarters of the Association players in Auckland are juniors, and their competition seems to have been treated as something o: a side show. We started playing on May 11. and after playing for 11 weeks we only had to play two more games to finish the round. But hero the commit-too got- to work and decided that the competition be suspended for the purpose of playing a knockout round. This in turn was interrupted to allow tho representatives to practice, the juniors on the same day being set to play an unimportant series of marches having no bearing on tho championship. Now wo are to have more knock-out and perhaps tho junior round will be. finished before Christmas."