FOOTBALL

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1682, 25 May 1904, Page 30

FOOTBALL

(By “Touch.”)

Football in Wellington seems to be on an up-grade. That the xorwards are working into form is shown by the vigour with which the second spells are now contested. Back play still leaves something to be achieved. 'There is a tendency amongst most of our halves to Hold the ball too long—a pass long delayed is a scoring chance abandoned. The two items above set forth are the chief lessons shown by the games played •last Saturday on. the Athletic Park. Principal interest centred m the m&tcu between Poneke and Wellington. The yellows made most of. the play in. the first half, Poneke being content to play defence. There was also a seeming disposition on the part of the forwards to take matters easy. Wellington scored first, as a result of a sound by Brebner, Wilson,. Pascoe, and McKay, The team was working very hard, but it would have ‘done better had it made play more open. Sun at back and wind in favour made an open game desirable for Wellington, but practically ail the spell they made play close and kept 't alongside the touchJine. When the teams turned round Poneke made “no race'’ ot the contest, the forwards (led by Calnan, Dallam, Mann and Sweeney) surging through all opposition and notching live tries in addition to one gained by them in the first half. One of the tries was bettered, and thus Poneke won by ZO points to 3.

For Poneke, -Slater, McKay, Stevens and Robinson did fine work in the backs, and ~ C'alnan, Rush, Callam, Sweeney, Mann and Taylor were specially prominent amongst the forwards. Griffiths was good in the loose. A bad feature about his ■ play is a tendency to sly methods. Many a player’s services have been temporarily lest to his side through the player being caught by a referee in the act of doing something to an opponent likely to lead to bad reeling. “A word to the wise is sufficient,'”

Wilson, Brebner, Pascoe, and Cooper did best amongst the Wellington backs; the forwards were an even lot of hard workers. Carey at wing deserves special mention. Ilis play was open and fast, but _he has lately developed a tendency to occasional off-side play that handicaps his side. . Athletic, with a better team than : t has been represented by in previous games this season, made a very creditable stand against Old Boy*s. The “boys” notched 13 points early in the game, but in the second half they could only add three points more while Athletic added six. E. Hales deserves credit for a fine field goal kicked by him from a distance of about 40 yards. Old Boys were without the services "of Stuckey in the rearguard, and L. t McKenzie filled his place with credit. Seddon, a wing forward, made his senior debut in this match ancl did spme useful work.

The Old Boy pack played with great consideration for itself all throxxgh. Buddie at fxxll back played very well, and Cleland -was the best man amongst the line backs.

For Athletic, Pritchard, Hales, Coady, Bray and Moir shone most amongst a team that worked hard to a man. Moir is a southern forward (recently arrived in Wellington) xvlxose play is a good deal above the average. The Athletic team, notwithstanding lugubrious remarks as to its prospects and the advisableness of withdrawing 1 its senior team fxpm the championship, is steadily improving, and by present appearances Athletic will be a very hard team to defeat by the time the second round comes on for decision. The Melrose and. Oriental teams met at Petone last Saturday, and conti'ary to expectations Melrose were defeated by 7 points to nil. The xvhites owe their victory to their backs. Melrose sent out about the poorest reargxxard they have yet been saddled with this season. Foothead" wag asked to fill a gap as centre tlireequarter and Evans on (tlie right wing xvas chiefly noticeable for the things he did not do. He never once attempted to use his pace, failed to take almost every pass that came bis way, and had such consideration _ for his boots that he rarely, if ever, kicked the ball to any purpose. George Spencer was called uprii to do txvo or three men’s work until he was injured. Afterwards matters amongst the backs were somewhat mixed. However Spencer played on and frequently got his side out of trouble.. The loser’s forwards xviorked hard and well, but all their efforts were nullified b?{ the poor showing of the men behind the scrum. Adams played a stiff game throughout and so did M.cGrath. The winner’s pack grafted most industriously. Callerton is a consistent player, bxxt might with advantage to himself and his opponents cxxrb his kicking tendencies. If he does not do so he will hurt somebody. Roberts (half) and Bush xvere easily the pick of the backs. The former played a sterling game from start to finish. Bush did good service for his -side, but was slightly off in passing at times. .Had Melrose entered the field with a senior fjeam, the result xvould no doubt have been different. At the same time the fact remains that the reds are sadly in need of scoring backs. “Full-back” .of the “Witness” recently took me to task for my advocacy of sending a New Zealand team to England, he says, “means well; but hQ

doesn’t know/’ Then “Fhll-baek” propounds seven questions for “Touch” to answer. As time with me is no object and space unlimited I will tackle “Fullback’s” ,examination paper seriatim. First query: “What benefits outside of the trip to the footballers themselves is New Zealand going to derive from sending a team to England ?” This is too easy! New Zealand will thus assure a return visit of Englishmen and will also be discharging the obligation she is under for past visits. Our men will see new styles of play, ancl in varying their attacks to meet them will doubtless evolve improved methods that in time will become general in New Zealand football. There are other obvious advantages to be gained, but those already stated will do.

Second query: “llow many of our footballers can afford to leave their employment for seven or eight months; also-, will their positions be kept open for them that length of time ?” Events must je left to decide this. Apropos, it will urobably interest “Full-back” to know that the English team that is to visit Australia this year under permission of the English Rugby Union is being allowed out-of-pocket expenses from clay to clay. This fact was advertised by the organiser of the team in English sporting newspapers. Third query: “How will the members of the team be reimbursed for loss of' seven or eight months’ wages, without breaking the rules of professionalism?” 1 would recommend “Full-back” to put this query to nine separate members of the English Rugby team that toured Australia a few years ago. That tour was made under permission of the English Rugby Union, so the conditions then applied can by right of precedent be applied to the New Zealand team. Fourth query: “Will not some homes be left unprovided for by the absence of tlio main supporters in England with the New Zealand team ?” “Touch” takes it that the N.Z.R.U. will take care (.when selecting the 'team) that no such thing occurs. “Full-back” will porbablv gasp when I tell him there is absolutely nothing in the laws as to professionU ism that will debar the N.Z.R.U. from making an allowance for the support of any player's family during his absence. All the provisions regarding pipfessionalism are specifically made to refer to “acts of individuals,” ancl "acts of a club or other organisation.” The only rule that by any stretch of imagination could be held to bar is that specifying chat anv individual commits au act of professionalism by “asking, receiving, or relying on a promise, direct gr implied, to receive any money consideration whatever, actual or prospective; any employment Gr advancement; any establishment , : n business; or any compensation whatever.” There is, hpwever, no specifications in this as to a player’s family—ancl the E.R.U. is not likely to go out of its way to have this provision stretched to make it more comprehensive. Fifth query: “Can a representative team be got together to make the tour and retain their amateur status ?” Purely a question of application. It is notorious, however, that no£ one touring English team lias travelled within the strict spirit of the ambigious professionalism laws; and “Touch” takes it that the New Zealand Rugby Union is not called on to be mere punctilious than the parent body. Sixth query: “Is the standard of football in New Zealand so high that even a fairly l #3* esentative team could be sent to England ?” I presume “Fullback’’ here says one thing and means another. The standard of football could not possibly affect the “representative” nature of a team. If, however, “Fullback” means to ask would a New Zealand representative team picked at oe a strong one, “Touch” answers “Yes/’ The doings of last yeai'’s New Zealand team in New South 'Wales is some proof of this.

Seventh query: “Will the players who make the trip to England feel disposed to take up the game in New Zealand on their return, seeing that they will have already played two seasons without interruption?'’ Yes, certainly! We have had proof in the case of the New Zealand Native Team, which on its return did more. for the improvement of colonial football than any other influence did, or has since done. Those xvho, like myself, saw the Natives play on Newtown JPark after their return xvere astounded by the exposition given of nexv and improved tactics and methods. As for the contention that footballers would be knocked out by the prospect of playing football for three seasons without intermission, the Native team’s captain was playing the game continuously till at least five years subsequently (1894). Other instances are the two Wynyards and Harry Lee—and probably there are others I do not know of.

“Full-back” finishes his list of queries by saying: “There are other questions which might be. asked on this important subject, but these will do for the present, and if ‘Touch’ or any of the agitators for the New Zealand team to England xvill answer them, I, with a host of others at this end, will fell indebted.” Perhaps now that I have badly burst “Full-backs” seven bladders of xvind he will trot along his “other questions” to be punctured.