FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15337, 25 June 1913, Page 9

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME. NOTES AND' COMMENTS. f Considering that f it was their first game together, the form shown by, the Auckland A representatives against the country players . oh Saturday was '; distinctly i promising. True, many mistakes were made during [the; afternoon, but they were due more .to over-eagerness than ■ to downright bad play. Auckland quickly realised that the opposition was very weak,i and risks were taken that would" never have been/ thought of ;in a game with, say, {Wellington or Taranaki. The backs in particular were most enterprising, and although many, of their dashes proved unsuccessful, still it Was,; pleasing to see them ; throwing "tho leather : about so freely. \ Combination can only;be gained by practice,; and it is such a game as was i played on * Saturday , that movements which, when they come off, .are highly spectacular, can be perfected. j.) The impression gained • on Saturday was that our backs this year are going' to be exceptionally dangerous on / attack. k One could not form an opinion as to their defensive capabilities; as the country- play were not really;: capable of fully 'testing them. In' cup games, however, Macky, [ McGregor;/ Stewart, : ; Weston, Olsen, and ■ o'L.eary have proved ; themselves to be j sound defensive men, and' there appears to be- no reason why they; should fail- in j this department in big games. \ <~-:' //If. there was a weakness in the back play on Saturday it lay at Geddes's door. The University player did many fine things j during the afternoon, but there were times when lie dislocated the whole back machinery by going . too far on his own. His j transfers; too, in : the early part of the 1 game were ill-directed, but in fairness : ; it ! must bo said that he ) improved greatly y in ; this connection after the interval. Geddes may -carry Mr. Gallaher's confidence when i the next team is chosen; and if such be the case he 1 ; will have the writer's best - wishes, but on the season's ; play ; he is .i by /no means the only man who can / fill i the No. If five-eighths position.;'.''-. .^, ; So far as the No.*2 five-eighths position is concerned, Weston's form , on Saturday; entitles him ; to all ; the consideration Miv> Gallaiier can give liim, and -i when /^it/is; mentioned that the Auckland selector is also a North Island selector readers will understand what the; writer is driving at. Last year Weston's play was full of promise, and although . liis < club's team is not meeting with success in the union's competition •. this - year, he proved ; on Saturday that: the deterioration of the; College Rifles > : has, in no way affected; his play. ;; Against ! the country players/he £ was. here, there, and everywhere, and although/he/made a few mistakes '■■■ he is / assured of , selection I in the team to defend 1: the Ranfurly 'Shield I against Wellington next " month. Weston | is the; making :of a great five-eighths, : and | in/view of ,the. : Californian tour it- is to be hoped that he will -.be given every opportunity of playing in - big football. - ■ ' - / i Another young player in . the Auckland rearguard • who : rose f;tb/ the occasion on Saturday was Macky, and if there is a | better wing-threequarter in the Dominion at the present time than f the University man,; then this year's New Zealand back ! , team \ is J going ; to';'. be brilliant ? on i attack. j Good player as ho undoubtedly was last j year, Macky .;. has ;, shown improved ,; ; form ! this season; and / there surely will : --/ be'' trouble ; if- he fails ; to • obtain a place in the,' team 1 to tour California. Then there is McGregor. He also/did well on Saturday, and though not so sound as Macky is right in the forefront of i New Zealand backs. 'E :/ At halfback * Olsen; gave \ a pleasing • dis- ' play, his ; try being / a very brilliant effort. \ 'Whether ho will beat Webb for a place in the rep. team remains to be seen. ; On Saturday hei wag certainly seen ; to ; more advantage than v: the Wairoa ■ '■': mm, 'y, but whereas his '.'■, team was ; playing a winning game, Webb was anchored behind a beaten pack, ? : which; was lacking 'knowledge of the fine points of the game. Thewriter would | like ;, td; see " Webb - in action behind a; winning pack before deciding as - to who he ; would /prefer to be halfback against Wellington. \ ■ ; / / Stewart did so well on Saturday that Mr. Gallaher's task is made all the more difficult, htA/;place \ in } the team ;/ to play Wellington must be found for Murray, but just where it is hard to say.. Perhaps : the writers suggestion to play, Stewart at five-eighths and Murray at centre '; will yet be accepted. ; , . /rAuckland had a 1 good deal the best of it in forward play, but after the first quarter several of the vanguard took . things easy," with? the result that the country - ■ men brought off -a' few ruslies * which might easily have ended in tries. ■ When. they did play up, the 5 city forwards gave a good display, but the writer still thinks that the pack could be''improved;.'\;,;;/ 1 } ; :'7;,'':;l : 0,- ; ; 4-\ Downing was noticeable for good play, as was - : Bruce, while Wilson ;; also shaped well in fact,: lie played : ; quite his v\ best game of the season. v The younger Hollars never ■ shirked his, task at any , time, and on one occasion he earned a cheer by running with the ball from his own twenty-five tc / past half-way,; finishing up the ; run; with a kick which found the line hear .the corner. Wylie was particularly noticeable on the line-out and in the loose./Nesbitt, who filled; the wing-forward position, was very dashing, fas spoiling tactics worry *ng , the • country * backs - a ■ great deal. He fully justified his inclusion, and it is to hp hoped that he will be , given another; chance. r ■ : \ Little , need < bo _ said |; about the country players. Webb was the best of the backs,; but as he i was playing } behind . a ; beaten pack he was hardly seen to the,-best,' advantage. .. His • tackling, / however, was a : feature of $ his play, the / opposing ? player; being brought down cleanly every time. There is. going to be a big/tussle for the back position in the shield team, and no matter" who gets in there is bound to be heartburning. ' / " '■,'■ , None of the other country backs have claims for ! inclusion in '■. shield teams, and for, that matter only one forward on Saturday's i play >>- can :. hope ; - to i. be considered. McCrae ; is the ? playe? in question, and the writer is firmly convinced he will: develop into something good if given a chance. As he is a •' hooker,. Mr. ; Gallaher will no doubt think seriously about including him in ope of the teams for the, big matches. ; Although the country /players \ ; were: heavily defeated :• in . both matches \ they were not at all discouraged and they are \ all looking i forward to "country week"' next year.;. " , . • The Auckland B team defeated the combined country B team by 28 points to 3, and the game was ; not 'such : as / to call . for any 'lengthy comment. In the first spell, the visiters pressed / Auckland ; hotly : on a number of occasions,' and managed to scpre three ! points in response / to '■■. their;; opponents' score \, of six. ': Auckland's tally in - the first half might J easily have been larger, as the backs indulged in numerous passing rushes which broke down only/ at ■ the ; critical moment.'a The / second ' spell was very much in . favour of the- home men, who rattled ■ on .an v additional ;./ 22 points,: while ■ the country team j- failed; to cross Auckland's line. i : The country forwards : were hardworking enough, 1 but were not ably supported by j their/ backs.; In ' the open i and ■> in the line-out> the Auckland - forwards -were superior to their opponents, 'but in the scrum work the visitors. were more successful. ; Hulhie, ;■■■ the country / centre-for-ward, played a very solid :' game . throughout, while perhaps, the pick of , the other forwards '■ were Montgomery '-; and Harding. Caspar ich . gave a '■■ fair display as : wing-for-ward. , ■ , . \ ?;/Dennehy gave a v really good display -for; the Auckland : team, while Avery, Hansen, and . Pountney / were in the thick of the play throughout. ■/; Masters, .-'of,;' : 'i College Rifles, . was absent ? ; from the ; pack, { being unable to .'•; play / owing to 'i business reasons. The Auckland' backs were head and shoulders above those of the visiting combination. v The country backs were weak both in defence and attack, and rarely did they '* essay any combined "<;■-. play. , Carter, at five-eighths, showed up fairly ? well, but undoubtedly the mainstay • of the back - division was Te Tuhi. The Otamatea man

was responsible for/ Some clevei work,' and he should develop into a really- good back. None of the other backs showed up at all prominently. With such indifferent opposition, the home backs naturally were seen in a favourable light. Ross shaped' well 1 ; behind .thet/ pack, and gave" his colleagues plenty of chances to display their mettle. The passing generally was sound, but carelessness undoubtedly cost Auckland several tries. ; Gray and Barclay were always prominent, * but the latter ' marred his display by his tendency to attempt to run through the / opposition unassisted. ' Hardwicke did riot shape at all badly wing-threequar-ter, while Moffatt was very safe ;at ■, fullback. ■ , NORTH SHORE CLUB. «* > v NOTES ABOUT PLAYERS, i 4 Last SaturdayHlie-North Shore District Football' Club's fifth grade team suffered defeat at the hands;of .Marist-Brothers./by 5 ; pbintfl, to 3,; after a strenuous and exciting game, in: which the outstanding feature was the fine : forward ; work of Shore arid the excellent back play of the Tykes. The writer v has seen h many / games - during football career, but none more evenly con-" tested, the result : being in doubt to the call of time. For Shore. A. Turner, at wingthreequarter, played: splendidly, speedy runs/ winning. great approbation : from ' the large and enthusiastic "crowd assembled off the line. I /His dash /from his own twentyfive /to his opponents'- chalk-mark was a particularly fine effort. W. Little, at fullback, also acquitted himself well, //his ' handling of the ball leaving nothing to be j desired. In the forwards, C. Bauem and ! L. Lovett showed to advantage, especially in the. open, and T. Chaplin, who scored, "gave them amole- support. Next Saturday.. North.; Shore V, will /meet- Parnell, the leading team in the X grade, ' arid, the green and white " players are in strict training for. the great event. • - ./ (The club's -first junior team will also play Grafton this week-end, and are. leaving ho stone unturned to snatch a victory. A. Alford - has his ? players well/ i hand, arid as the ; services of A.' Coleman, -: and H. Hatrick are how; available (these players having been graded by the A.R. U.),: a good team should placed in the field to. battle for the marine suburb. The records of the Shore teams are as follows :— 5 First Juniors : Matches played, 5; 'won, 3; ; drawn. 1; lost, 1; points for, ; 26; against, 14. - • ' •" ■ ./.,. • ■ ■ '■'.-" Fifth Grade : Matches played, 6 won, j 3;' drawn. 1; lost, -2; points for, 36; againi3t."2o. .- ... 4; A description of the playing' capabilities I of the first junior players may be of inter-, est : —C. Woolley : ; Usually plays fullback. IA very ' solid and sound player, who handles the ball well. Strong tackier. / Probably the best j full-back in; the grade. SA. Alford (captain) : A speedy wingI threequarter back, and ;■ dangerous »scoring ! man, also Al defence and a fine kick with cither foot. : Has captained the team [ for the past four years.: Junior representa- ■ tive. ' ■ .-' . , "' -i- ..':,' : J. ;Roscoe: /Centre-threequarter./.Vcry I heady, with a ; natural ■-. swerve. ?;'; Unselfish, and good tackier. Feeds his wings: well. I An old Wednesday representative player. ; /: N. L;VTremiain The fastest man in the 'team; smart ; and nippy, ? quick at taking ! advantage of an; opening. An ideal threeI quarter-back. /„ ~ ;G. : Wilding V. Outside five-eighth. Solid, with great defensive /powers, Runs strongly -arid passes i neatlv j',' also shines ,on; attack. Should catch the eye of the junior selector. ■ W. Cowdrey : Inside five-eighth. Clever screw-kick with either foot; handles the leather with; accuracy, and opens up the game splendidly; very fast. - N. Bater : Halfback. vv Feeds /hie fiveeighths unselfishly, and has proved himself a- good v -scoring man:/ heady in-attack and reliable on defence. k - ■ ' '~ t ' W. Moore (vice-captain) : An ideal wingforward; Who^ is always on the ball particularly good* in short screw-punts- to the ; line, and shines at smothering the opposing halves. '';•■* H. McKubrey : Back-row man of : the scrum; never shirks , work, and is always in the van of a forward rush. Junior representative. /* Played % against Hokianga last Saturday. . L- . £"' M. : Johnson : Also back-row man. Particularly fine in open play, and dangerous ; near; ■ his 'opnonents' line ; does his share in the oack; has a peculiar swerving run. Q. Herring: Second row; Best punt in the - team ; t can always be depended upon, to play I a good game, his weight being of great advantage in the scrums; is always found where the play is most strenuous. ,/< % S. McMillan V Centre-forward. - /First year with "i the " club,: but a promising colt. "Holds the forwards together well, and withmore experience should develop into a firstclaas man;; handy 'with his feet in dribbling rushes. . , , .v, v ; T. Lendmm : Second row. A solid clean player; follows up in good style, and bis never far away from ] .the? " thick" ; also does his share in' defence. ; Joined the club in' 1911. v:--: , . "/ - ■' '. '■/?i'F."- Hunt: Front row. Hooks the ball in good • style, ; and is J never known ;to shirk; accepts "passes cleanly; and /: shines ;in th 3 loose play.V Has / played for Shore or several years. • J. Jar vis : Front row man. ■' One 'of the best forwards in the tc?m,; and hooks the leather almost every time; quick on attack and solid on defence should be a junior representative before tlie; season closes. Has played for the club since 1910. FIFTH GRADE NOTES., - Parnell and; Ponsonby fought out a game that was not so onesided as the. score of 25 points in the; former's favour indicates. The blue and blacks' weakness was lack ;of combined effort, for" on several occasions Ponsonby looked like scoring, ; and ; would have done so.by combined effort. 1 Parnell: at the present time, are. at their strongest, and | their great; point is /- combined / play;/ but | several mistakes wero made by the centre; . in crowding the wings on to the lines./: The j maroons would do well to .remember;: that self-reliance, is an essential factor in good Rugby, and'/ that even the matter of combination may be overdone. - Possessing - uuch players as. Stretton, ; Bovaird, : Cameron, and White, the maroons should encourage, indi- ] vidual . effort: Several times, when pressed j by Ponsonby in their own •■ quarters, Parnell; seemed at a loss as to what they should, do J boyond : ; starting a • pausing rush. ;/- Certainly 1 attack is the best means -of defence, but j much - work : could '■■■->. have * been ¥ done,: by! judicious lino-kicking by one player,; instead of pumping a ' whole team of : backs .needlessly.- , /';-./-- : /;.. ' The , defeat of North Shore -by Marist Brothers came somewhat as; a surprise, » but, as was hinted a few/ weeks ago, the Tykes ', individually ), were .. a good ■% team, arid ; con- j ; certed - effort was all that was heeded to j make them a winning one. /North "<. Shore were beaten both forward and back, and although they had a lot of : hard luck, ;the same may 1 be said of the Marist, Brothers team. The combined-; forward rushes : were the Tykes' • strong point, and incidentally the undoing of North Shore. The ;greens made 'too > many • spasmodic efforts •at rush-stopping and attacking, and ?.-;until * the/: second naif held the blues too i cheap. It was i too late to retrieve disaster then, as North Shore learned to their cost. = / ' :;>."■//.-.• : City, with' a much ; strengthened team, met Newton; and went under by 15 points. The back /play of * both : teams was : far • above the :average, and the forward departments had a struggle from beginning to end. : Newton forced Oity;36'*Mnea during the game, and it says a lot for the improved form of; the red and -blacks that they ■ were able to stave off.all Newton's^■ attemptssto score, except :five." The inclusion of Gall ' (the ex-Grafton-ite) *in the Newton rearguard was fully justified. Ho played 'a; rattling game throughout. fOf City, t brothers in the backs, and iValvoi in the forwards were remarkably good,; but tho remainder of the team/ is, deserving;; of; every praise. -Newton's kicking was disgusting; .out •of 10 . attempts from fairly easy angles not , one success;resulted.';/;::..;;", ' ' '.' '-',*, ifi : ' "V.":-;-The - •second;/: series of matches in -the second round of the fifth -grade competition takes place on Saturday next, when two important ' matches ; will' eventuate, viz. -Parriell : v.* North Shore arid Marist Brothers v. New- . ton. The ? last game 'ibetween/- the f former teams was full of 'incident,; the result being very doubtful fright up - till i the ' call of time. , Parnell jf should ;.win /by'* a"' small margin, but judging on the form shown in the previous match, anything may happen, conditionally on North Shore putting their strongest team .in tho a field. Newton -^defeated" Marist Brothers /by 10 ■;' points to nil in / the - first round, but the /Tykes'^; defeat of i/North Shore shows them \ a much improved r. team, who will make Newton go every inch ,to win. Both games should be worth going a long ; way watch, as the form shown; in this;;' grade ;is superior j . to :>. that of higher grades, on the season's play.

* UNDER LEAGUE , RULES. .

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS " Spectator."—The waiter fails to see any sense in either p argument. There, are absolutely no grounds for ; any > appeal at all, for> owing to the rules of the ? New Zealand League, an official ceases ■to be an official ? the moment i he takes the field; as } a player. >c The v rules provide ' that if >; any official ; plays \ the,;gajne he shall be considered as having resigned office. The fact that he holds office does not mean that he is debarred from playing, but, on the other hand, the fact of his playing ; prevents him from holding office. v •;•:'-:>;;

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

.As was generally anticipated, ; the "knock-out" round amongst the local senior < teams is going to have ■ a different .; result from that of the first-grade competition. ' North ' Shore i premiers for this year, suffered ; a very decisive defeat at the hands of Newton on Saturday, though L it ; must be admitted that they had a . rather; weak- team in the . field. : / Grinin, hooker, who has been; of great service to ; the side during the ? season, was an absentee, and H. Wynyard was; missing from the half line. ./-Nevertheless, /.Newton; were : superior in every point of the ; game, and no one would, .have 1/ been surprised had the score been considerably larger. The fed-and-white forwards played a dashing game in the loose, and the backs worked well together, besides being individually in first-class form. .; The game was/by no means a very interesting one in the first spell. Scrums were faitoo ; frequent to allow of its ; being ;: spectacular and almost v without/,; exception,; these , scrums ended in Newton. being Pf»*W for lifting. In the second spell, however, thev got rid of t this habit with beneficial results to themselves. Scrums were much fewer and the quenUy was worth watehing. ;^e^eg! ton rearguard was in fine fettle. Ctarg stood out very conspicuously, and showed a fine turn'of speecf, lch ,^ ble a d -S to score three tries. .^o, played » *H game throughout,; his nlav was ; perhaps the : bestc on. tne him ub ablv. Bennett; /worked-.like a forwards,, and ! in Sod stvle. The : feature/of the. Shore mefwas their deadly tackling, andu.tin. department of the game Weston and Stew art excelled themselves. >: Mdler on the whole, safe at were by ho /means beyond the aveiage. the forwards also lackeo^'; and were beaten for the ball in of the scrums. On the whole , the - blacks Vnvft a verv moderate display. ~ ;., nesVed match between PonsonbyUnited arid . City Rovers / at» Victoria Park , last Saturday were.treated to a fast display of Kalflnaway, the match was of a surprise, for ;Popsonby/had a.leadol seven points before City had any at.all, and matters looked extremely favourable ; for the blues. Their ;forwards were at first in excellent trim, and the backs were quite up ;to the City standard The team. Ins playing; with considerable dash, and then tide turned. A sher S, d t penalty goal for ■ City',/ and from «^iOUt fhe game was Cityl Ponsonby became 1 or less'demoralwed, and though they j made several brilliant sorties toward" the City line, and very nearly,;crossed, it on each occasion, they were met by a most ! determined defence, which;: could not be j penetrated. /■ On the pother: hand,:/ City - attacks were ' relentless =in their vigour and persistency, and consequently they made a big ; impression on the opposing ranks. The forwards ? worked V with indefatigable energy, and the backs did the same,; with the result, that Ponsonby were outclassed. Of the Poasbnby batiks, McClymont, at fiveeighths, attracted most/attention. Wher-; ever the ball was, he was there also, and he was ae usual responsible for many clever dashes, besides initiating nearly- every ; move-; ment I amongst the/ backs. Montgomery, fullback, played a sterling game -in /the, early stages, and - some of ■ his saves were beautiful. : Cross i did Bomo -good/; placekicking, and McCollam was seen in several splendid runs. ":'■■■ Deniw,/ one of the City forwards, though suffering /from a bad leg, executed some fine ,work for his: side. Watehb and Asher were exceedingly handy, especially the latter, /who had >/ very:good share >of the • scoring account. Altogether, the game was ah enjoyable and interesting one. 1 *, ' > > " * > ■■*■■■ ■■ : - : ""■■■■ -: ; "';.sj : " : - :; '*i --■The team chosen by Mr. R. McDonald to represent", Auckland against the Combined ? Country /Leagues - at -Victoria. Park should render a -good account ;of .; itself, and is about as good r as could be chosen from the material at present available. One , finds it rather ' difficult, >..however, to account for the .inclusion of Mansell las ; fullback. ■', He is/certainly / a good threequarter; : but there are <■■ at least ' three men,. playing <regularly^ in custodian's position; whose claims for selection were stronger.: Miller, the ; Shore ; fullback, and Childs, the City man, have both bean playing l well - this season, v while Montgomery, ,' Ponsonby'si back line lof defence, is vat present -; perhaps^ the ; best / man ; in; Auckland playing in the position. , The tjhreequarter ';-,- line - : contains : K three solid men. though :;■ Tobin /: might be i' seen fe; to better advantage .next.'to' the ; scrum half. He is a natural five-eighths, and his'showr; ing* against ) Shore last Saturday stamped him as a ■-top-notchier in ; the , position.* It is just as well that Weston has been placed on the -wing instead of closer in, for; although he' is certainly a solid man, he is: given/ far too much to 5 " going/ on ? his own."' On the wing, however, he should render valuable assistance. /McOlynibnt;more than ;' any other player, has .earnedj his place in the team. He has been playwell, even brilliantly, all j through,, the season, and it was a fortunate day for Porisbnby when he joined their ranks. The selected halfback, Webb, could : not :be im-; { »roved upon. The forwards are a solid ot, and are as : good a j combination ;as could have been selected, though' Mr. McDonald's task in v choosing/them, must have f been far rom ; a light ; one. The ; country: team jis by no ": means'',' a- weak ; one. and a close game should be witnessed. . , . After their fine showing against' New ; South Wales on Saturday ..the New Zealand team's inglorious defeat on 5 Monday came :, as a'- great surprise %to their supporters. // It was generally.; anticipated that they- would excel . themselves in the .latter 'game in view of;:a ;: "conqueror" and a bumper gate on Saturday next. -They: held' their, own fairly well during the first spell oh Monday, but in the second ' half the speedy New South Wales backs exhibited great dash and scored no /less , than five tries, ' while Dally Messenger's /v goalkicking "-.-capabilities/', added another eight points to the score/ /The result of the match dispels all ideas of an extra game on. Saturday, and the team will probably play ; two more matches, • against Bathurst and Orange; leaving for home on Saturday.