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LATE FOOTBALL

(By "Touch.”)

The game between Melrose and Poneke at the Athletic Park last Satur_ dav was an exposition of forceful football. It worked tbe spectators up to high enthusiasm, and the players to a state of feelings that led to some of them being cautioned, by the referee. The luck did not favour Melrose at all, but it remains to bo said also, that Melrose did not assist the luck. There are one Or two forwards in the Melrose team who should be transferred to a bowling club, for on the football field they do foolish things and get in the way of better players so as to spoil good openings. There is little need to criticise the. game at length—Poneke won the game because they best utilised their scoring chances. They have now a four points lead tor the championship honours, but taking a lino through recent matches there is a probability that they will be beaten m their match against Petone. To lose the championship, however, Poneke would have to be now twice beaten, and though Old Boy s and Oriental have an outside chance of achieving "this distinction the probability is mostly the other Place kicking m Wellington keeps on a low plane. In last Saturday’s games at the Athletic Park only one goal was kicked from fully a dozen place-kicks at goal. A Taranaki writer says the present New Zealand team is not to be compared with the last one that visited Australia, and says there is not an equal to Arinit, Smith,' Pauling, O’Dowda McKenzie, Mills, or Allen in their rosy days. Writes "Full Back” in the "MarlBorough Express”: —No Marlborough players are chosen in the New Zealand team. Well, seeing that some haven’t sufficient "go” in them to turn up at a trial match in their own province, it’s hardly, to be wondered at. The following i g the itinenary of the New Zealand team tour: —July 18th, v. New South Wales; July 22nd, v. Combined Country Team; July 25th, v. New South Wales; July 29th, v. City Team; August Ist to Bth v. Queensland Representatives; August 13th, y- Northern Dis_ trict of New South Wales; August 15th, v. Australia. "An Australian” supplies me with the following interesting particulars of a football match between two teams of Maoris in the Manawatu district: —"It was my good fortune to be present recently at a Rugby football match between team’s representing Waikanae and Otaki. To a stranger in these climes the game was full of interest. The occasion was marked by a beautiful mild afternoon after two or three wet days., a fairly good ground with a few small pools of

water and a large attendance of onlookers—eighty p-«r cent, of whom were Maoris. The visiting team was well supported by a loud-lunged band 'of followers, while the home team was not without its fair quota of brown-visaged barrackers. It was apparently a gala day for the Maoris. Women who had been squatting about the streets in careless neglige during the week paraded on this Saturday afternoon in their full warpaint. Pink, green, crushed strawberry, mashed mulberry, yellow and mauve were amongst the most popular colours. Piccaninies there were by the score, also many dogs—incidental at all public occasions. An impressive ceremony which the white people could copy with advantage was the "silent shake hands” by which the Maori folk greeted one another on left and right. The white man usually mutters some conventionaL ism in the shape of "How are You?” or “How do you doff” never for a minute, however, expecting a reply. The Maori 6imply spots a friend, shoots off at right angles to be met half way by the friend with outstretched hand. A dumb grip and they right about and continue on their way. The whole thing is quite devoid of civilised effusiveness- The teams contained only a few white players, the remainder being Maoris either quarteibalf, or three-quarter cast. The lack-off relieved the tension of suspense—the Maori girl, got up in thorough European costume, focussed her camera and took a snap shot of her beau as he dashed °ff after the leather. The players found both the oval and the ground very slippery, and experienced some difficulty m retaining their hold on both. Ten minutes scuffle reduced the men to a mud bespattered condition, comparable only to that of a jockey who had come a cropper in a cross-country ditch. The lining-out in the game wa® poor throuffh lack of discipline; the scrums, on the other hand, were excellent, both sides exhibiting a compactness and mobility which would have done credit to a senior team. Although there were a few throwforwards, the ball being greasy, the Otaki men were clever, but their tackling was weak. Conditions were reversed in their opponents. As for collar in s', however, high tackling seemed the only mode of procedure, the old style of low collaring with its invincible effective, ness being quit© neglected. Although very successful at high collaring the Waikaiia© players would And the "wind-mill arm” or the "straight fend” difficult obstacles to negotiate. Some quick marks were snatched almost off the kickers’ tes, feats which were greeted with marked approval. The Otaki men’s chief barracker was an insiduoug individual, clean shaven, dirty, and alas he was a white man, who rushed in and out among the ranks of the Otaki players giving orders like a field marchal on parade. The umpire expostulated in vain. A laughable diversion was caused by one of the Otaki players doubling up on the ground with cramps. He had many Maori relations —-mostly women folk—who, carried away by their feelings of alarm, rushed lielter skelter through th© players with babies on their back and uplifted skirts over to the recumbent figure of the sur_ priseq ballkicKcr. The onslaught of petticoats made him forget his aches, and he was apparently only too glad to hobble off into the thick of the football fray leaving his relations talking plentifully of the dangers of "toe-ball.” At the call of half-time a pleasant faced old Maori dame with an apron full of oranges ran among the players of both sides fiving each a reward for his prowess. ‘rom beginning to end the match was fast and furious, and each phase of the game was keenly criticised by the Maoris young and old all of whom seemed thoroughly conversant with the finer points of Rugby. Th© scoring was close Waikana© 6 points to nil, each side putting up a great contest. The umpire was "one of the best.”

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZMAIL19030708.2.105.9

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1636, 8 July 1903, Page 32

Word Count
1,098

LATE FOOTBALL New Zealand Mail, Issue 1636, 8 July 1903, Page 32

LATE FOOTBALL New Zealand Mail, Issue 1636, 8 July 1903, Page 32

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