THE LEAGUE GAME

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10632, 3 July 1920, Page 11

THE LEAGUE GAME

HAWKE’S BAY v. WELLINGTON. MATCH AT BASIN~RESERVE THIS AFTERNOON, Football enthusiasts will hare on opportunity this afternoon of witnessing a League game between Hawke's Bay and Wellington. It is to be played at the Basin Reserve at 2.45 p.m., and a first-class exhibition of fast, open play, seems certain. The Hawke’s Bay team, which arrived last night, is a, strong one, and the members believe they oan win. The local thirteen, representing the playing strength of the province, is a much better team than that which was beaten by a small margin at Napier. Mr George Bradley will act as referee. The following are the teams: HAWKE’S BAY. Full-back ; Franklin; three-quarters, Merritt, Findlay and Seymour: fiveeighths, McCarthy (captain) and Exeter; half-back, Fulrord; forwards, Bring, J. Downing, Hellyer, Burrows, Cameron and E. Downing. Emergencies: Back, Kennorloy; forward, Pointcra. WELLINGTON. Full-back, Baulke; three-quarters, Henderson, Rigby and Salisbury • fiveeighths, Lynch and “Doc.” Nicholls (captain); half-back, M. Pollock: forwards, Zimmerman, Childs, lleed, Pukatapu, Carroll and Scott. Emergencies: Backs, Levy and Dobson; Forwards, J. Spencer and Woolf. THE ENGLISH TEAM. DEFEAT OF NEW SOUTH WALES; SOME COMMENT. In view of the approaching visit of the English team,' which is at present in Australia, recent files to hand contain some interesting comment on recent? games, - It is as follows: After a very oven game England turned the tables on the Now South Wales team, and won by 18 points to 10. A feature of the game was the. solid and determined tackling. Again, it was noticed that unnecessary pushing and twisting was indulged in before the ball was put into the scrum. The tackling aas severe and determined, but in no part of the game was there anything to suggest roughness or ill-feeling. The Englishmen were very, clever in anticipating many movements, and they thoroughly deserved their good win. Two tries were scored by each side, and had Burge reproduced his good goal-kicking the match might have been won by the home aide. Gronow was particularly accurate in that department recently. Ho is more methodical than Burge, and- possibly more as ho is called upon to put all his strength into tho scrums, tho Englishman’s display was all the more meritorious. The English captain was seen at his best. Ho played with that splendid dash that characterised his display when ho was hero in 1914. Generally,! the English forwards were slow, in j the open, but Roea waa a notable- ex^j

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oeptkm. '■ Thomas, at full-back, •wan several times cheered Ironically for “marking’' when in desperate straits, but as his actions were perfectly legitimate,- the feelings of the onlookers reflected the scones. In the third match, against- New South Wales, A. Johnson, the New South Wales five-eighth, retired from the match with a gory mouth, and his Ups had to bo stitched. As Johnston is a particularly sturdy specimen of half-back, the blow which disabled him must have had some sting behind it. Reported that he was struck by an opponent with clenched fist. The attendances at three English Northern Union matches in Sydney wore 67,939, 48,219, and 40,475. The gradual falling away may be ascribed to the football being somewhat disappointing.