From Goal to Goal.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 14

From Goal to Goal.

ALTHOUGH the weather was as near, to perfection as winter weather can. be, the Athletic Park and some of the playing fields in and around .the city were greasy and heavy last Saturday. The big event was, of course, the St. James-Athletic match, which was witnessed by a crowd of some 4000 peopio. The red and .whites had suffered their second defeat already, and the Saturday previous they had scored a very lucky nun -over .Southern, a team which had, up till then, scarcely won recognition ns one of the first-class teams in the competition. The fact that St. Janies just managed to win against them led followers of tho game to think that Athletic might possibly beat them, especially in view of the showing the blues had made when tho teams met in tho first round, and so reduce St. James from their leading position. _ fit is stale news now that the blues did win, and they played such a sterling game that the win could scarce fail ,to be a popular one.

The state of tie .ground was such as to make, anything in the nature of attractive passing play by tho backs of either side altogether impossible, and the striking features of the game were ,not tile few incidents 'for which individual backs were now and then responsible. The two packs fought a battle which for sustained ferocity is without parallel so far as this season in Wellington is concerned. The speed’ was so terrific that there could be, but little spiteful play, for the very good reason that ,the men had no time to indulge in it, but tho speed had tho other effect of making the .treatment of (jhe opposing players by each other ruthlessly severe. Once or twice a forward was called by tho referee for playing tho man instead of (ho ball, but the probabilities are that tile player called acted as he did rather from want of thought than from illwill. To bo really .useful in a game as this was, a forward .must play with a zeal which in other perspective might look like fury, and ho must reck nothing of the consequences of his fury to himself or to his opponents. Forthe splendid condition and endurance displayed by the best players in both teams no one who had the slightest respect for strength could fail to be struck' with, admiration, but the .game was not. .the same kind of Rugby that the .spectators could have seen say fifteen years ago. The strength of the Athletic forwards was in their excellent foot work ,and fast following and tackling. Some pf their dribbling rushes were as well controlled and cleverly, and accurately executed as if the participants in them had been merely trotting up and down the floor of their own gymnasium. None of these rushes were ever actually carried through, but many .times they served to gain'a deal .of ground. The Athletic forwards, -.too, were a far greater source of annoyance to the opposing backs than were the St, James lot. If'.the ball got awtoy from the ruck the hind forwards were always chasing it, and unless the opposing, hacks were quick- .to play it, they wore certain to be played themselves, and ,n«t always gently. .This sort of attention the St. James rearguard never does relish; they are a. good lot if .they are permitted to attack more than half the time, but they never make a good showing against a busy lot of forwards.

The best forward on -tho ground was Banji \\ r ilson, and 'ha was a very good beat. In the line-out, jn the loose, tackling, running, or, passing, he was at the top, of his form in all styles of play. Nest in order of merit came Derick. Tho latter does -not know ' as much as players like Wilson, but for his lack of knowledge he makes up in great part in .fiery, tireless energy. He us fast learning the game, too,, and .he must soon be recognised os one of the best forwards playing in'.Wellington.' The best of the backs were McVay and tire two- -McDonalds. 'MoVny was. very : clever and .rosourooful' behind the pack, and tho McDonalds assisted now and -then by Gceling did' all .that was required of them .well enough. They did not play an attacking game at any time, but.they kept the ball up to let the forwards attack. Sim, .Wilson and Madden .were never sure with their. kicks, but none of their failures ever' cost the side anything considerable. Tiro St. James pack were a rather more oven lot .than Athletic, hut tho average was not nearly ,so high. : Their chief defect was in lack of speed. They worked and fought just as hard, but they were never ®o busy amongst tho opposing backs as were the blue pack. | The beet of the bunch on the day,were Moffitt and De Bkus. Behind the scrum 33, Roberts was a tower of strength when .the play was purely defensive, but he'showed only poor "judgment when he tried to run -with the ball or pass it. Tie strength of tho back division was in the' threcrquarter line, every member of which played a sound game. Cook was always the unknown quantity, and every time the ball came his way there was a flutter .of excitement. He never had a real chance to do anything of much consequence, but he made several good runs none the -less. Hekita and Crowes were both above their usual form in .handling the ball and kicking, nut neither of them tackled with much confidence.

Those who for the'first time this season saw the. Wellington juniors in action on Saturday must have asked themselves or their neighbours: What have Wellington been doing ■with those players all the season ? The pack of forwards which heat a strong Petone junior team at the Park in the championship final was . a very much better pack than that which ordinarily d6cs battle for Wellington seniors. Tire explanation is obvious; the policy of the club has been to sacrifice its senior fifteen in order to win the junior -championship. A\dub may dispose its members very much as it pleases apparently, but the Hugby Union would be well within ,ite Tights in taking some action to prevent the repetition of such a flagrant example of a club refusing to play its best players, in its senior team. . There is only one justification in this case—the players in age and physique are juniors. They are all boys, and an exceptionally good lot of boj-f?, who deserved every bit of their success.

The result of the Victoria CollegeMelrose match, was a surprise to fol-

Review of Matches Past. The AthletioSt. James Battle, Melrose Surprised. By “WICKLOW."

lowers of Rugby in the city.' Previously this season the collegians had not won a single match, and for them to defeat Melrose was a thing altogether unexpected. Tho margin of .victory was not groat, still, had it not been for slight individual mistakes it would have been mufeh larger. There is no disputing the foot that Victoria College had tho better of the match right throughout. The green backs were far superior to the Melrose Jot, but the forwards wore not quite so good. O’Shea was the weakest man in the green combination. It was owing to several of his blunders that tries were not obtained. Poananga and Cnrtayne played great games, tho former man especially. Daniels also did. good work in the forwards, making amendments for his previous poor display. Gray, in tho 'threequarter .line, showed up to good advantage by reason of soma filne kicking. Pair .was the hero of the day for he scored the winning try. Tins man is really good, and the game ha played on Saturday was a credit to him.. Mention must bo mode of Pyan for he played a very energetic game.. If.,Victoria Oollego play, throughout. next season as they di<J last .week they may achieve distinction. ■ j

Tho match had net boon in progress many minutes before it was evident that Melrose had met their match. None of the team played up to their , usual standard. W. Majsiliall, tile full back, did not exhibit his ordinary confidence when meeting an attack, but he had very bad luck with one of his penalty kicks, the ball Striking the post. Gilchrist was net so prominent ,as he lias been in other games. Tho Melrosians did not display any of their dash which they did when they played Petone. During Die course of tho second half Ohnrch had to go off on account of receiving an injury to his-head, ,aiid B.- Sullivan fillbci his place in the roar division. Dune. Mo Guinness then name on and played in the forwards. •

The good luck which has attended tho Poneke team so closely throughout tho season did not desert them on Saturday when they sent Southern from the tielu a beaten team by 3 points to nil. In the early stages of the game Poneke did a good deal of attacking and made the pace fairly warm, but they did not stand tho strain so well as Southern, and before the first spell was half way through the maroon forwards were putting in a succession of hot attacks that made Poneke’s chances: look > decidedly dull. Fortune was against the maroons, however, for just as he was commencing to make his presence felt Bradley received a knock which necessitated him joining the spectators on tho .lino. His absence did not have a very appreciable effect on Southern until they found themselves close to the Poneke line. It was here that they sullered through the absence of their/ brilliant scoring player.

Poneko were repeatedly forced back into their own twenty-five, where they were kept busily defending for lengthy periods. It was tho splendid defensive work of their backs which saved them. Had Southern possessed backs of equal calibre to their forwards, they mu6t have scored on a number of occasions, but it was here that their weakness lay. The forwards played splendidly and the opposition had no hope of stopping them when once they got properly going. They raced the, whole length of the field at times, scattering the defence in all directions’, only to be brought to a standstill when: success , seemed inevitable. They had the best of 1 the argument at all points, and on their, play should have won by a comfortable margin. When they were occasionally thrown on the defensive their , tackling was very safe and the Poneko attacks seldom got far.’ They maintained the pace at ■ a high pitch to. the end, and it was only the absence of Bradley which: prevented them from scoring in tho closing stages of the match. . ’

Poneke’s try was a singdlarly lucky affair. Gardiner potted' high from half .i way and W. Capper came out for a mark. He. called, but missed the ball, and Gardiner, who had followed up fast, took the leather on the bounce and was over the line before anybody had quite realised, what had happened and before Southern fwho had stopped: in anticipation of tho murk) could make a defensive .move. ! It was certainly a: smart bit of play :on the part of Gardiner, but the luck was all with him. Tho red and black backs played their usual good : game and ,did some good passing work in the initial stages. As the game wore on, however, they got very few chances and contented themselves for the most part with defending. The forwards played a hard, plucky game, but from the start were badly outclassed. Their -at-' tack was not nearly, so sura or so well organised as that of Southern, who were individually and collectively the cleverer , of the two. The Poncke backs were better than those of Southern, but they did not get the same, opportunities. Southern did not handle the ball as well as they might have done and seem inclined to let the forwards do Coo much work.

Prendeville, Gardiner, Mitchinson, Sothenan, and Galcinai all played good games for Poneke. Prendeville was seen at his best r and it'is solely due to Jiia safe and cool defensive play and sure kicking that Southern did not score on. several occasions. Tilyard played smartly and usually put the ball to fhe best use when it came his way. Mitchinson wras as dangerous as usual, but he found the defence of the maroons a very sever*, obstacle to surmount. liyan and Kolij played. with useful consistency and took, their full share of wdiat worlE w ? as offer* ing.

Until he left the field Bradley was the outstanding man in the Southern pack and did a tremendous amount of wbrk. He appeared to be everywhere, and was never missing when his services werar required. Johnson infused plenty of vim into his .work and had rather hard luck in not scoring just before the end of the game. Campbell played well all through and was always noticeable in defence. Houlihan did a lot of hard work, as also did McDonald, while Os borne, Parker, and W. Capper were always useful.

A woman of forty-eight, Mme, Dupetit* who had lost the power of speech and movement since 1905, was taken with hysterics during a violent thunderstorm at Paris last month. She suddenly got out of bed and, going into the next room ; announced to a surprised daughter that she was cured* •