FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4084, 23 June 1900, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

RUGBY NOTES. (By “Touch No. II.”)

The second round in the senior championship competition opens this afternoon. Athletic meets Petone- on the ground of the latter. Judging by the form lately shown hy the, city team it should win with a fairly largo margin—but Petono is such r.n in-and-out team that it may give the Athletics a hard battle, and possibly come off victorious. This must not be taken as a “straight lip,” for present, writer has no wish to abrogate the rights of any particular specialist. Apropos of this matter, I would remark that the inconsistent form displayed by three of the senior teams of Wellington would bo enough to send a racehorse up for life were ho to perforin in a similar manner. At the Athletic Park, Oriental v. Melrose and Ponokc v. Wellington arc tho matches' set down for decision. The first-named contest will undoubtedly provide a fmo display of fast and open football. , - . Last Saturday’s matchers provided very fair exhibitions or football. The game between Wellington and 01cBoys wa.s one of tho most open seen on tho Park this season, and the issue- was in doubt until the ringing of tho bell. The manner in which the backs on either side passed tlu> greasy ball, and the fast pace that was maintained throughout was highly creaitable, in view of the, very heavy going, and indicated a thorough training course on tho Dart of each team. Woods (recently from Napier) played a sterling game at three-quarter-back? and bullocked' his way through whenever the spirit moved him. Meredith seems to have lost his old love for the leather, and on Saturday instead! of hugging it passed it < vmy time. Duncan maintained his reputation as a good placc-kickor, and Meredith, too, performed well in the same lino. 1 The match between Oriental and Athletic was mainly a forward struggle, though at odd times the packs cbd some good work. W. Bush at fullback was very safe in defence, but is a trifle on the light side for tho p.sition. Taylor,, promoted from _ the Oriental junior ranks, played a Cadiing game at three-quarter, and lime and again saved his side. x Sheriff was lb. best of tho Athletic backs, though Hales was very safe when called 'upon.. McKay was the pick bf the two teams of forwards, his following up being excellent .

In reply to a query from the Wellington Rugby Union, tho secretary of tho Manawatu Rugby Union recently wrote stating that there was no possibility of a. representative team from Man a wau visiting Wellington this year', as there was hardly a team in the district worthy . to bb. considered senior. This statement is a truly lamentable one,.

Many of the giants of, the game in by-gone days sprang' from the Manawatu. In the early days there were the “long” and “short” Jacksons, Seeker, and at least half a dozen more fit to do battle in any football team, and later on such sterling players as Speed, Isherwoocl, Thompson and many more equally good gave the Manawatu team a backing that kept'it in'the front rank of football exponents. That a district with, the past brilliant performances of Manawatu should be now unable to raise a. senior representative team seems hand to realise by one who has known the place in. its bygone days, and I am sure the news of the present state of football there will ho received with regret throughout Now Zealand.

Extract from report of last meeting of Wanganui Rugby Union:—“lt was resolved that the Inspector of Police bo .written to asking for assistance when senior matches aro played or. the Recreation Ground.” The vicissitudes of football may ho locally illustrated by the experience 01 the Melrose Club. For years the third fifteen of this club held a practically' unbeaten record, scoring in one season 130 points without having a. point put up against it. Now the reverse side of the picture appears. With only' two-thirds of its matches played, the same team has a total of over one hundred points scored against it, and has not yet scored a point. A further interesting feature in connection with the club is the fact that a few weeks ago the same team forfeited a match owing to an erroneous list of drawings being published. , This is the only' game in which any Melrose team has failed to put in au appearance" when drawn to attend. The refusal of the Wellington Rugby Union to oiler special terms to the .Southland Union's representative team probably dispels any, chanc« of that team appearing in • Wellington this year. The team is already' booked to play in Dunedin and Christchurch, but the Southland Union figures up that, it will be unable- to send the team lo this island unless a, guarantee of part of tho exenditure be made by the unions likely to be visited. The local union’s rule that- every visiting tram should pay the whole of its own expenses may have a hit- to recommend it, but it seems in ibis particular case to stand in the way of an extra representative match for Wellington this season. It is probable that at the end of this season a second Wellington representative team will hr sent on tour to Marlborough and Nelson. The only' thing hkel'7 to prevent such a trip is lack of funds; so upon lire receipts of the representative matches to Ko ’-played locally will depend Marlborough and Nelson’s chances of a visit from our team. What is in all probability a unique occurrence in colonial football annals is

jrovided by the result of the Wairarapa Union’s senior champonshp competition to date. Masterton has played Greytown. twice, the result in each case bang a drawn game vv....out a'score. Next me -Masterton team played Carterton, die result; being another “drawn- game without a score. It only -remains now lor Carterton and Masterton to plaj another drawn game to justifyjhe Kuguy Union in ordering the teams to settle the matter in the summary and forcible manner that obtained in the days when Rugby Union disqualifications were not. ..

ASSOCIATION. (By "Line Umpire.”) The first of a series of popular concerts arranged by the Wellington football Association in order to raise lunds to send a team to Auckland is td be held in the irocatlcro next Monday evening. An excellent programme of music has been arranged, and it is to be hoped that there will be a good muster of "soccer” players present. The Third-class Association has decided to play a second, round for the .championship. 1 think that the committee has done right in providing as much football as is possible lor the players, but if any wet Saturdays come along the committee will rind itself in a bit of a hole, as there is a cup tie round and also a six-a-side competition to bo played after the championship matches.

The score—Rovers 3 goals, Petone ni} —in the senior, match at Petone .would show ihat the former had much the best of the game. Such, however, was not the case, the suburban team has improved wonderfully during the lust few matches, and siad much the best of the exchanges in the first spell, though the score at half-time was Rovers 1, Petone 0. The Petone forwards, headed, hy Thompson, and McGee, ..ad hard luck m not scoring. In the latter part of the second spell, however, the Rovers’forward play considerably improved, and goals were added by Fernie and Fraser. The Petone backs, notably ihe Renais and lierntsen, showed sound defence, but the shooting of the forwards is not ytet up to senior form. .Fernie at centre forward and Palon at centre half for the winners were conspicuous. The other senior match (Swifts-Din-monds, at Miramar) was a poor display l'9r seniors. Only three of the Swifts’ seniors were present, .seven juniors filling up tjie team. The shooting of the'Diamonds was very poor, and the goals which Wilson obtained should have been easily saved by Salmon. Indeed, it is safe to say tkat if the maroons’ keep had rdayed as well in the opieuiug stages ,of the ,game as ho did later on, the game would have resulted in a draw. ThelJiamonds’ defence was very safe, but the attack must improve if the club wishes to win the Senior Championship. The Swifts’ juniors all played capilal games. Halo and Isaacs on the wings wore quite equal to (he men whose places they filled. Withers at full-back showed sound defence, while Staples and-Church-ward in the half-back line both did well. The Swifts-Queen’s Park junior match was not played, owing to tho appointed referee not putting in an appearance. Ae a substitute for this official could have been obtained on the ground, and as the majority of the Swifts assisted their senior team, the Queen’s Park team has claimed a victory, but it is most likely that the association will order the match to be played at the conclusion pf the championship matches-

.The Red OrossfDiamonds match was full of interest to all ’junior players, and by winning by 3 goals to 2 the fortner team has obtained,, a pood lead for.itjie cup. Every man in both teams, realising the necessity of winning, played hard., and in, consequence the game was one of the fastest and most interesting' that • have taken place this season. Special mention must be made of the good combination of the winners' forwards.Mct-cod and Dixon on the wings proving “snags" in the defence. Play bordered on the'rough at : times, and it was well that such a capable official as Mr Reynolds had charge of the game'.' '■ i Cloko. (lnte ..of Pearls) made a first, ap r nea.raii.ee this season for Swifts, against Newtowji; His play _ considerably strengthened the maroons’ attack. ' - The Queen's ’ Park Third-class team appears to be an 'in-nn'd-oiit Combination—one Saturday a win against Pptpne ,by/> io' ml- is'recorded, tbeV hexf ’ the team is easily beaten by 3 to nil, while last, Saturday the team wins against Rovers B with 7 goals, to spare. The bad shooting of ail the senior teams is one of the worst features of senior football at present, and. if it does not improve before the representative team goes to Auckland there is little chancer of the Brown shield being wrested from: the Northern city. Some of our players— Sinnett, Williams and Macdonald, for instance—show great cleverness in- weaving (he ball through an opposing defence, but when in front of the goal they wind un all their good work with woeful shots, either high over the bar or very wide of the goal. Another fault with our .senior- forwards is excessive passing in front of goal. Much time is wasted by sending the ball'mu to the wing men when near the opponents goal, for a shot from the wing rarely cai’ses a goalkeeper any trouble in clearing.. One clever kick bv a back undoes all the good work of an attack, and, therefore, when in front of goal I say. as Johnny- Goodall savs, '-'Shoot often and shoot hard! I am very pleased to hear that. Mr P. Hav, the energetic secretary of the Auckland Football, Association, who has been under an operation in the hospital, in the Northern citv, has been completely restored to health, and is fobs again seen, amongst footballers. .' I -',-...-'