FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13839, 27 August 1908, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME. MEETING OF AUCKLAND UNION. A MEETIXG of the Management. Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union was held in the Sports Club rooms last evening, Mr. M. .1. Sheahan (chairman) presiding. The following members were also in attendance: Messrs. E. S. Murray, K. H. Froude, C. P. Stichbury, S. W. Somorfield, F. J. Ohlson, and C. V. Langsford (secretary). "Curtain-raisers:" The Lower Waikato Union wrote asking that their representative team be granted a match against the Ai'.ekla id Union's B team as a "curtainraiser" to one of the " big" matches. It was decided to grant the request, the match to take place on tits day of the Otago-Auck-land fixture. Consideration of an applicai tion from the Onehunga Club for a match i with the Auckland junior representatives on I September 5 as a •'curtain-raiser'' to the Auckland B Wednesday Union match was deferred. It was decided to play tho PonRonby JII.-King's College match on September 5 at 1 p.m. as a " curtain-raiser " to the Auckland B-Weduesday Union match, pro--1 vided tin- King's College team accept, the | engagement. Insurance and Law : The request from the ! Insurance and Law fraternities for permisI sion to hold their annual match on Septein- ! ber 19 at. Alexandra Park on the No. 1 ' ground was granted. j Brown Shield: The Auckland Football i Association wrote asking the union to assist | it financially towards sending a team to j Dunedin to defend the Brown shield. After considerable discussion it was decided to I defer the matter for future consideration. Ordered Off: The secretary of the Thames i Union wrote staling that bis union had decided to take no further action in regard to the ordering off of an Auckland player during the currency of the Thames-Auckland representative match last Saturday.

! TARANAKI V. AUCKLAND.

! The members of the Taranaki football

team wore to leave New Plymouth last evening:, being due to arrive at Onelmnga this morning. They will be met. there by the officials of the A.R.U. and driven into town in brakes to the Imperial Hotel, where they will be quartered during their stay in Auckland. They leave for home on Sunday. The referee for the match, Mr. J. Williams, of Dunedin, is also expected to arrive by the West Coast steamer this morning. The Auckland Rugby Union last evening decided to engage West's City Band for the match. Tho Waiuku seniors will play a "curtain-raiser" with the Auckland junior representatives .on Saturday. Mr. H. Frost, will act as referee in this match. [BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] New Plymouth, Wednesday. The Taranaki representative. football team left to-night for Auckland, and will nut in two days' training there prior to meeting Auckland in the Ranfurly shield match. The I feeling is fairly confident in Taranaki that | the representatives will give a good account of themselves.

WEDNESDAY UNION V. PERMANENT FORCE. The representatives of the Wednesday Tradesmen's Union journeyed across to Dovonport yesterday afternoon and met a team from the Permanent Force station at Fort Cautley. The match was played on the Devonport Domain, a fair number of spectators being present. The tradesmen won tho toss. The soldiers kicked off, and set up a great attack on the visitors' line. From a mark in a handy position Neighbour kicked a goal for the soldiers. Piay was very even for a spell following this score, and then McKenzie. made a fine opening, and parsing to Linton the latter ran across the line, and scored the tradesmen's first try. Webber converted, and at the end of "the first spell, in which neither team had much advantage, tho scores stood: Wednesday Union 5, Permanent Force 3. The tradesmen made a great dash on tho resumption of play, and less than two minutes after the start Griffiths scored for them out of a loose rush. Webber failed to convert. It was not long after that the tradesmen scored their third and final try, Linton concluding a passing rush by touching down near the corner. Savory raised the major points with a magnificent kick. Play was willing right up to the end of the game, being in favour of the tradesmen, who thus won by 13 points to 3. Tho Wednesday Union backs were, a good, even lot, tho most prominent perhaps being McKenzie and Greenwood. Savory, Pearce, Cooper, and Griffiths were tho most prominent of the forwards. Tho Permanent Force has always had in its ranks prominent provincial players. Yesterday P. Gerrard, once one of Auckland's famous backs, donned the jersey, and, although not as good as he was in the past, played a useful game. ' Sutton and Neighbour also played good back games. In the forward line Griffin, Irvine, Wells, West, and Baker played well. Mr. C. Pollard refereed. It is tho intention of the teams to <play a return match at Alexandra (Park at an early date.

WEDNESDAY UNION V. AUCKLAND B. The following Wednesday Union players are requested to train on Monday and Thursday evenings next at the Ponsonby training sheds, in view of the coining match with the Auckland B team on September 5: — Fullback: Littlejohn. Thrccquarters: Hunt, Little, Greenwood. Five-eighths: Purely, McKenzie. Halfback: Burton. Forwards: Jackson (wing), Graham, Cooper, Parker, Harrison, Knight, Johnston, Griffiths, Saddler, Bridson, Roscoe, and Linton. WELLINGTON BEATS SOUTHLAND. EIGHT POINTS TO NIL. [BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Wednesday. On the Athletic Park this afternoon, before an attendance of about 1000 spectators, Wellington defeated Southland at Rugby by 8 points to nil, after a close, hard game. The score is a fair indication of the relative .merits of the teams. Wellington had a slight advantage, over their opponents almost throughout, although Southland gave them very anxious moments, especially in the second half. Wellington got away from the start, and for some time the maroons (Southland) wore kept penned up in their own 25. The " going" was exceedingly heavy, and both teams relied more on hard pushing than on scientific tactics. The Wellington forwards worked very hard, and kept the maroons busy in defence play, being' removed only rarely into the home. half. Southland was forced twice, and at one time Flanagan crossed the line, taking a neat pass from Sullivan, but the ball was held, and a scrum was given. A. McNeeco got the ball in Southland's 25, and ran with it right to the other end of the field, supported by Jenkins. Here he was collared by Ryan, and he lost the ball, which was sent into touch by ilcLeod, well past half-way. Some minutes after Wellington had to save by kicking the ball back out of bounds, tho maroon forwards having instituted a very dangerous rush. The Wellington backs were attacking strongly when half-time was called.

In the second 6pell Southland used the wind to advantage, and from the kick off got away nicely with a fine rush, headed by J. McNcece, who was playing an excellent game. He was stopped just under the posts, and a free kick relieved the blacks. Matheson crossed the line subsequently, but was held up. A series of scrums on the line ensued. After give-and-take play Gardener snapped up the ball from a scramble in front of the maroons' posts, and scored boside the posts. Ryan kicked a goal: Wellington 5 points, Southland 0. This reverse had a good effect on Southland, who played up well, and took the ball into home territory, whence it was removed by Evenson. The visitors brought play back again on to Wellington's line, where a series of miskicks by the black backs ended in the ball going into touch in goal. A. McNeece had a shot at goal from a • mark, without result. Later there was a scramble on the visitors' line, the ball going over. Evenson just managed to touch it, scoring a second try for the blacks. Evenson made «> splendid "attempt to convert his try, and

just failed'. ■ The game ended without further addition to the score, which t>tood : Wellington ... 3 Southland 0 Mr. Griffiths, of New Plymouth, was a very efficient referee. ■ Before the Wellington-Southland match, a match was played as a curtain-raiser" between a Wellington B team and the representatives of the Bush Districts' Union. The game was a very even one, victory ultimately resting with the homo team by 6 points to nil.