FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15357, 19 July 1913, Page 9

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME.

TO-DAY'S BIG CONTEST.

AUCKLAND V. WELLINGTON.

At Alexandra Park this afternoon the Wellington Rugby representatives will endeavour to wrest the Ranfurly Shield from Auckland. The visitors have brought a team to Auckland fully representative of football in Wellington, and as Auckland will place ,a strong team In the field, a great game is expected. On form Auckland should win, but those who saw Wellington defeat Taranaki last week are confident that he " blacks " will prevail. The game, which will commence, at three o'clock, will be preceded by two school games, the first of which will commence at one o'clock. Following are . the teams taking part in the shield match: —

WELLINGTON. * ; Fullback': ' Evenson. Threequarters: Ryan, Kinvig, Mitchinson. Five-eighths: McKenzie, Tilyard. Halfback: E. Roberta. Wing-forward: Cunningham. Forwards : " s Hills, Francis, Paton, Gillespie, "Rangi" • Wilson (captain), . Miller, O'Sullivan. AUCKLAND. Fullback: j O'Le^ry. Threequarters: , Macky, Murray, McGregor. Five-eighths: Geddes, Weston. Halfback: Olsen. ' Wing-forward: , Nesbitt.

Forwards: Sellars, Tresize, Downing, Wilson, Wylie, Bruce, Barrett.

Mr. G. Nicholson, of Auckland, has been chosen by the visitors to act as referee. Visitors would do well to not© that the only entrance to the stand is from the Green Lane side.

PREVIOUS CONTESTS.

AUCKLAND'S FINE RECORD.

In connection with the Ranfurly Shield contest this afternoon, the following brief sketch of games played by the two provinces will, no doubt, prove of interest: — In 1875 the first match between Wellington and Auckland took place at Wellington. It was really a game between, the Auckland Club and the Wellington Club, but it has gone down to history as a representative game, there being no such things as Rugby unions in those days. The Auckland Club made the first tour of New Zealand, .and. as stated before, met Wellington at Wellington. The Auckland team included G. Carter (a great forward, who toured Australia with the New Zealand team in 1884), F. Abrams, L. Dacre, G. Dunnett, F. Earl. E. Ellis, W. Gudgeon, W. H. Henderson. J. Nolan, H. Niccol, F. Pilling, R. Peacock, F. Sharland, H. Whittaker, and W. Woon. The Wellington team was as follows : N. W. Werry (captain), P. P. Webb (a member of the 1884 New Zealand team), C. Wray Palliser, G. F. C. Campbell, G. Bishop, 3. G. Biacklock, W. P. James, A. G. W. Bumes. A. B. Campbell, R. G. Park, C. A. Knapp, H. Pollen, F. Sheppard, J. Snodgrass, and J. Thompson. The Wellingtonians were a heavy, powerful combination, and won easily by 16 points to 1. » The Wellington Rugby Union was formed in 1879. and in 1880 the Aucklanders' visit was returned. The game was played on the old barrack ground, the teams being as follows :Auckland : J. Arneil, A. M. Beale, V. Bindon, C. Burgess, G. Carter, C. H. Croxton, T. Henderson. W. Lang, T. Macky, F. Pilling, W. Ring, T. Verity, J. C. Webster, W. Webster, and J. Wood. Wellington : G. F. C. Campbell (captain), E. Davy fa. member of the New Zealand team in 1884), H. Hickson, J. Berrv, W. Berry, A. B. Campbell, H. C. Roberts, A. W. Leckie, J. A. Thompson, J. Warbrick, J. Thompson, D. Cameron. '"Barney" Ronaldson, W. Wylie, and J. McMaster. the. last four-mentioned players being Wairarapa men. Wellington won by 4 points (a goal potted by Joe Warbrick) to nil. It was no disgrace for Auckland to lose, for Wellington had that season beaten Otago, Canterbury, and Nelson. Auckland journeyed to Wellington again in 1883. Though Wellington claimed a victory by a goal and a try to a goal, the match is on the records as a draw. A try Wellington scored having been disputed. The Auckland team included five players who toured Australia with the New Zealand team in the following season, viz., T. Ryan, J. A. Warbrick, T. B. O'Connor, J. Lecky, and G. Carter, while among the others were such sterling players as Bob Whiteside, J. Arneil, C. H. Croxton, J. C. Webster, P. Spencer, and T. Henderson. There were four 1884 New Zealand rerjresentatives in the Wellington team. E. Davy, J. T. Dumbell, P. P. Webb, and Hart Udy, the latter hailing from Wairarapa. The other Wellington players were. R. S. Allen (who had previously played for Otago), G. F. C. Camp- j bell. J. Brown, W. Moore, A. Cooper, A. j D. Thompson, J. Thomson. J. Young, H. C. Roberts. B. Harvey, and J. Perry, the j two latter being Wairarapa players. It was not till. 1886 that the teams met again, Wellington journeying to Auckland. Auckland had a great team in the field, among whom were T. Ryan, T. B. O'Connor, W. Meldrum, J. A. Warbrick, Bob Whiteside, C. Madigan, J. Lecky, the late Orlando Wells, J. Arneil, J. Braund.' and W. Warbrick. Wellington were represented by the late Tommy Ellison (captain of the, New Zealand team

which visited Australia in 1393, and also '"•'■ a member of the native team which visited England in 1888), H. Roberta (a member ' of the 1384 New Zealand team) A. Cooper. E. Connal, U. M. King, F. Fairbrother, Harry Mclntyre, E. McCauslaud, J. A.. Thomson, L. Storey, G. Williams (a mem- ' ber of the 1888 native team), J. T. Shaw, H. Stock, J. E. Smith, and G. Pearce. Auckland won by 4 points (tries by Whiteside and McldrumJ to 2 points (a try by Smith). Another three years elapsed before tho rivals met again, this match being played at Wellington. The Queen City combination included " Doss" Jervis F. S. Murray, A. E. Bravmd, \V. T. Wynyard, 'J', B. O'Connor, 0. Wells, J. Leeky, R. Masefield, H. Poland, 11. McKenzic, W. Warbrick, and W. Elliott. The Wellington team consisted of Sammy Coekroft, Davy Gage. Tommy Ellison, Sid Nicholls, Harry Lee, Harry Moorhouse, Hob Malcolm, A. D. Thompson, J. Reich, F. Moore, A. Stuart, H. Mclntyre, R. C. Sim, J. Collins, and T. Coulton. Wellington won, by a glial to a try. For the winners Ellison scored a try, which Nicholls converted. Jervis scored a try for Auckland. Lecky's kick at goal striking the bar. Five years later Wellington visited Auckland, the team having a fair smattering of a New Zealand combination about it. * There was Davy Gage, " Offside Bill" M - Kenzie, Wally Pringle, Tab Wynyard (all of whom were members of tho New Zealand team- which had visited Australia in the previous year), G. Maber, .1. Swindley, (both of whom played against New South Wales at Christcliiirch in 1894), A. % Campbell, " Cork" Davidson (a great Poneke fullback in those days), J. Kellyfa fast Poneke wing-forward), J. Pudney (a clever Poneke'half), F. Young. A. Duncan, J. Bennett, and F. J. Bishop. Auckland's team included Jervis, "Doc" Murray, A. E. Braund. J. A. Warbrick, IT. "Speight, H. Poland R. Oliphant, 11. Massfield. R. McKenzie, W. Elliott, C. Brady, and D. McGill. Wellington won by 13 points to nil. In 1895 Auckland reduced the margin of points at Wellington to 9 to 5, and the next year at Auckland still further lessened the gap to nil. In 1897 victory came to Auckland, the first since 1886. This match first introduced Billy Wallace to the public as a " rep.," and brought under the notice of the spectators the brilliancy of George Smith, of Auckland. It was a game full of excitement. With 12 minutes to play Wellington led by 4 point.* to 3. But in that 12 minutes George; Smith scored two tries, one of which was converted, and Auckland left the field victors by 11 points to 4. Wellington's score was a goal kicked by Wallace, while Harrison accounted for the other Auckland ■' score try. In 1898 the game was played at Potter's Paddock, Auckland. The Auckland team was as follows : Smith, Absolum, Laws, Asher. Riley, Hay, Lang, McGregor (2), Gillett, Swmdley, Otway, Clarkin, Sampson, McKenzie. Wellington fifteen in- ' eluded : McAnally, Soffe, .Mason, Kelly, O'Brien, Matson, Hawke, and Ramsay. Auckland won by 19 points to nil. R. McGregor, S. McGregor, Absolum, and Sampson scored tries, Laws and Absolum con- , verting one each, 'and Laws kicked a penalty goal. During the next fonr vears Auckland won by 14 to 3, 14 to 4,*9 to. 3, and 18 to '5. In 1903 Wellington secured the victory by 4 points (a goal kicked by Georgo . Spencer) to* 3 points (a try). •■."..>■ • On August 6, 1904. Wellington won the Ranfurly Shield from Auckland by 6 points (tries by D. McGregor and D. Gray) to 3 points. J Wellington did not hold the shield very, long, for next season the. Northerners defeated the empire city men by 10 points... to 6. •. . " '■-- ■■;'.■"•"•- ■;*■? The match played at Auckland in 1906 •'■ will always be known as " Dufty's match,' •as the great Auckland goal-kicker accounted for 8 out -of the 11 points scored by the wearers of the blue and white jerseys. He kicked two goals and converted a try scored by Wynyard. Wellington could only register 5 pointsa try by Thompson, converted by Wallace. . ;> Since then the games have resulted as follows: 1907 Wellington won, 11 to 3; 1908, Auckland won, 24 to 3; 1909, Auck- ! land won, 3 to nil; 1910. drawn, 3 points each; 1911, Auckland won, 16 to 9 1912, j Auckland won, 12 to nil. , ;

NOTES AND COMMENTS. Marist Brothers second grade team had bad luck in not getting oil the ground in * time on t Saturday. They had just got a:, food team together,-and had a chance of . nishing second in the competition. Perhaps a replay can be arranged. Grafton, , won by default. , ■•'..-'■'.'_f '. The play-off for the fourth grade cham- . pionship between the Marist Brothers and '• City team on Saturday last proved most < interesting. Both teams, had been training , solidly for" some weeks past, and despite * the fact that the Tykes proved too good V; earlier in the season, it was thought that City would win the final, as two of the t Marist's best had left the . town. As it; was another player had to be registered to ;: fill one of the vacancies. Both teams weighed before going on the field, and to the surpise of many E. Earlly, who was supposed to be 31b. overweight a fortnight ago, was found to be 31b under the limit. :;' : 'o The game was mostly a forward one, '-V despite the efforts of the, Tykes to open,/ it up, but the ball travelled about at a f great' rate, and the handling, considering * : the conditions, would have done credit to 'd"■• any senior team. T. Hoare, H. Hancox, ; and Morris were the befit City forwards, and were always causing .. trouble. 'Their' • work, however, was hampered by the poor scrum methods of the rest of the forwards, who although invariably getting th» ball .in ■: the scrums, failed to heel quick enough, ; the Marist pack breaking tip and getting round on the half every time, \P. Warden was easily the best back in the team, and J.... should be in a higher grade. His attempts to cross the lino were really brilliant,, and had he got a little support from Harris the game.might'have resu'ted differently. The Tyke forwards played with great heart, and to their stubborn fight the win is due. White led all the time, and made the pace very hot. His try between the posts was a very fine effort.; The backs tried to pass whenever they got the chance, but the greasy, etate of \ the ground and ball hampered them , considerably. Courtaney, Burns, and Craw- , ford were the best of a very, even lot. .v ;

UNIVERSITY TEAM IN ' SYDNEY*

PRAISE 01 AMATEUR GAME. [FROM Orß OWN CORRESPONDENT.] , Sydney, July 12. At a luncheon given yesterday ' to the* New Zealand University football team, Mr. H. Y. Braddon, president of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, and a one-time representative Rugby footballer, «was entrusted with the toast of " Our Visitors." Mr. Braddon praised those who kept the amateur flag of Rugby Union football flying in preference to the professional game. He complimented' the visitors and their opponents upon their sterling and sportsmanlike play. He remembered the first intrusion of the desire for money reward for football in New Zealand. It was when Bob Whiteside, a clever player, who could do his 100 yds in*. was asked to go to Sydney with the New Zealand fifteen. Whiteside said he.would go if he were given £25 to compensate hira for his loss of business while away. The proviso was turned down, and there were no more communications with -the player respecting representing his country in amateur sport.-Recently a League. team, which purported to be a New Zealand one. was in Sydney. Well, if it represented tho best "footballers the Dominion could produce, he had no hesitation in saying that the 1884 team, of which he. was a member, could have "eaten them." He was glad to hear that the-league was not progressing in New Zealand, and that it failed to get a footing at all in Dunedin. The. amateur game produced a reputation for sportsmanship which would stand a man , in good stead throughout his life. He constantly j met in his business career friends who had ! been his respected opponents on the field. Mr. W. Perry, manager of the team, thanked the firm for its hospitality, ami said that if Rugby were, always Splayed with the same spirit as that which animated the teams in tho last two matches, no one could complain .of it. His. team had been lucky to win the last mateh. The team gave two stirring Maori warcries, and Mr. Braddon, when he had to respond to the toast of his health, said ha remembered when Tairoa, a graduate from New Zealand, was in Newcastle, he" was £gked to speak in Maori. He accordingly.

recited the Lord's Prayer in Maori, and the chairman thanked him for all the kind things he had said of the footballers of Newcastle-

UNDER LEAGUE RULES.

NOTES 'AND COMMENTS.

Mr. W. Perry, the manager of the New Zealand University team now in Australia, lias been talking in Sydney, so much so that he has been given quite an amount of space in the Sydney Sun. His line of talk has been to belittle the league game in New Zealand as much as possible, but his statements are astounding, and quite contrary to fact. Fancy any person who professes to know anything about New Zealand. football making such (statements as these, which are printed in the language of the Sydney scribe: —"Mr. Perry lias no fears for the union game in the Dominion. He told me yesterday that, the league game is going backward instead of forward. "The reason.' ho said, 'is because no professional sport of any kind can get any permanent hold in- New Zealand. 1 don't believe it ever will. League football there is a dead letter. The statement that it is being held back livause the league, is unable to secure grounds is not well founded. Their present players of any class are made up tor the most part of disqualified union men and union players who were disappointed in Dot being picked in representative teams. "'Some of the players.' continued Mr. Ferry, 'are anxious to get back into the union fold. The Southland Union were willing, to reinstate some of the players who had gone over to the league, but the parent union would have.none of it. They have shown pretty plainly' that secession. means disqualification for life. The league men have some hold in Auckland, but none in Wellington. There are four clubs there, and. including their reserves* have only about 80 players. There has never been, a toe put into a league football at Dunedin. nor is there likely to be. This season all the spectators are going to the union matches, while the league fixtures are neglected. The latter did not gat 100 onlookers of a match they regarded as important, while a union match of little account drew 7000. In some towns the grounds are allocated by the municipal j councils or. a club membership basis, and j the league is so weak that they are squeezed out. They have a few line players, but only two of them would have anv chance of inclusion in a New Zealand representative fifteen if the best team from . both codes were chosen They are If wearson and Hay ward. If the best New Zealand union team were pitted against the ' best league team in the league's own game —a scheme, of course, that could not bs put into operationl reckon the union men would win by about 45 points to nil in every fixture. The league game will never *go'*over there. Once"a game is branded as professional over there, that is the end of it.'" From beginning to end the statement is painfully childish, and is such as would never emanate from anybody but a biassed union supporter. No one who has the slightest knowledge of, the game in NewZealand could say" that the game is going backward. From Mr. Perry's statement it would appear that the only place in the Dominion where it has "some hold" is Auckland. No one can deny that it has " some bold" in this city, in fact a very considerable hold. Mr. Perry's eyes might be opened if he were to pay a visit to Victoria Park some Saturday afternoon when an ordinary club match is in progress. Then what has he to say to all the other leagues of the Dominion? What about Canterbury, Nelson. Marlborough. Wellineton, Taraiiaki. Hav.ke'ft Bay, Rotorua, Waikato. Thames, only to mention. a few. The New Zealand Council receives budgets of applications from all over the Dominion for a first-class team to pay a visit to help on some new league, or other. The game is undoubtedly gaining ground «?verv week, and is very, very 5 far from being a " dead letter." "Next," Mr. Perry makes a most unfair statement. He says, "Their present players of any class are made up for the most part of disqualified union men. and union players who were disappointed in not being picked in representative teams." ¥ Such a statement is quite unworthy of comment. Just to take a few examples : Was Ifwerson a disqualified or ' disappointed man ? Was W. J. Mitchell, who gained New Zealand honours in his second year as a senior under the union code? Were Bradley, Shadbolt. Auld, Pearee, Campbell, King, or in fact almost anv player of class he likes to mention? With regard to. the game in Wellington, Mr. Perry might possibly change his views were he to have a few minutes' chat with Mr. W. S. Brice, with whom he is no doubt acquainted. One of Mr. Perry's statements the writer is quite at a loss to grasp. He says: " There has never been a toe put into a league football at Dunedin, nor is there going to be. This ' season all the SDectators are going to the union matches, "while the league fixtures, are neglected. ' The latter did not get a hundred onlookers of a match they regarded as important, while a union match of little account drew 7000." In one breath he says that there has never been a toe put into a league football in Dunedin. ' nor is there going to be, and in the next be criticises the attendances it the league # fixtures. This is surely a most paradoxical -.statement. Further, the writer would like to know where Mr. Perry got his information that the game will never even start in the Southern city. It might interest him to know that several requests have come from Dunedin for an organiser to go down and start the ball rolling, while liberal s;unport haa been guaranteed. Mr. Perry states that the professional game cannot expect to receive much support in New Zealand. Quite so. If the New Zealand .League openly countenanced professionalism, the writer for one would not support it, but can it be said that the game as played here is a professional game ? The writer* says "No." Certainly players on tour get "compensated for loss of wages, but the "All Blacks* set the example when they toured England, each man receiving per day for "out of pocket expenses." Not a single league player in the Dominion is earning a living playing football nt the present time, and the New Zealand League intends that such a state of affairs shall continue. Live . and let live is • a wellknown maxim, and the writer certainly thinks that the time has arrived when enthusiastic supporters of the union game should try to be a little fairer in their dealings with the other game. There is room for both games in the Dominion, and so long as professionalism is not countenanced the league game can rely on receiving a fair share of support in these columns.

The two Ponsonby delegates who attended the general meeting of the Auckland League last Wednesday evidently came with the intention of dropping a bomb in the Management Committee's camp. They held the floor for the greater part of the evening, and spoke in 1:0 uncertain terms of their opinion of the comUliitee'/i ability. Especially did they take umbrage at the committee's action in granting transfers to fome of the players of the Eden and Manukau Clubs, which, on principle, was certainly a bad move, though the the cases justified the action the committee took. Many of the remarks passed by one of the delegates were in very bad taste. He concluded by moving a motion which lie stated he wished to be regarded as a motion of no-confidence in the committee, but as it involved an alteration in the rules it could not be dealt with before the annual meeting. The action of the New South Wales League in cutting out some of the fixtures in the itinerary for their New Zealand tour submitted by the New Zealand League is going to rako at least one difficulty. The New Zealand League was not consulted in the matter, and naturally got to work arranging grounds for the various matches. A telegram was despatched to Taranaki, where a ground w r as secured just the day before the Rugby Union applied for it." The New South Wales League now proposes -to cut out the Taranaki match altogether, so that if the match is not played there will be a dead loss against the New Zealand Council's account. It would appear that league footballers as a whole are desirous of shifting the headquarters of the Now Zealand Council from Auckland to Wellington, but serious thought should be given to the matter before the step is taken. Auckland is unquestionably the home town of the game in the Dominion, and is at present the stronghold, though Southern leagues are rapidly training in strength. At pre sent Auckland is unctuestionably the right place for the council to he, though in a few years' time it will no doubt lie found better to remove its headquarters to a more central position.

Mr. W. S. Brice. one of the managers with the New Zealand team in Australia, told a Wellington writer that the refereeing in Australia was an eye-opener to the New Zealanders. Further, he added that, | if the referees in New Zealand wore to act like McMahon, the leading referee in New South Wales, the people here would think they were too slow with the whistle. .McMahon watched the game, and took every opportunity to allow the " advantage" rule, which "meant that the offending side were not penalised unless the advantage went to them through their infringement of the rules. Line umpires in New Zealand do not a«u. up to the rules in the way in which tley do in Australia. In the 'last match between New South Wales and New Zealand, said -Mr. Brice, the New Zealanders put- in a brilliant passing rush, and Bradley scored between the posts. The lineumpire ran out with his flag up. away down the line, and tho referee went over and s\wke to him, then disallowed the try. It appeared that several minutes before someone had obstructed F raw ley, the Australian captain. The referee did not see the incident but he upheld the line-umpire. Mr. George Ball (South Sydney) and Mr. R. Hooper (.Eastern Suburbs.), who nave been appointed managers of New South Wales team to visit New Zealand, are weVl-known worKers in the game, says a Svdmry writer. " Teddy" Hooper was a uiiejnt er of the old Wentworth Rugby Union Club in the days when Billy Warbrick was captain. He was a forward, but frequently played with skill in the back division vheiiever a vacancy occurred or a man w. is injured. One of the most popular players in the game, he was clever with the hall, and never known to stoop to foul play. -Mr. Ball is one of the younger generation, and an organiser of considerable skill and tact, as the South Sydney Club knows. The management of the League team will bo in good, tactful hands.

The members of the New Zealand team who played against Canterbury were loud in their praise of Mr. D. McGregor, who refereed in the match. They described him as one of the best they had played under. Mr. McGregor is, by the way, identical with " Dune" McGregor, the wing-threequarter who toured England with the first and immortal "All Black" Rugby combination.