Here and There.

NZ Truth, Issue 65, 15 September 1906, Page 2

Here and There.

Mr Jim Frost, brother of Harry of that ilk, the well-known ex-Canter-bury representative forward, was a spectator at the Auckland-Wellington match. ', Jim says that though the partisanship of the local crowd was m great evidence,, it was nothing near so black as is painted. He considers the goal kicked by Wallace off Thomson's try was quite up to Dufty's best, efforts m the match.

The takines at the Auckland-Well-ington match last Saturday (£768) easily constituted, a record for any interprovincial match played m this color- The receipts from the New Zealand v, . British match, played at the Athletic Park, m 1904, ran to something like £1,400,

v Though Gillett was cracked up by the Auckland writers as having got all over Hardham during the Well-ington-Auckland match, neutral spectators who* saw the "go" aver that the visiting winger more. than held his own with the "All Black" representative. The Petone man is said b- a Wellington expert to have played a great game.

The decisions of Mr H. Tilly, of Wanganui, who carried the whistle m the Taranaki-Wellington matoh were not altogether satisfyine: to the spectators, certain sections of whom hooted and jeered him without reason. Mr Tilly. accordine;: to the notions ol this rabble, was too strict his interpretation of the laws of the -ame.

After the -. glowing reports to,; hand concerning the dqines of the Sydney University .-team^^ jh;the:!N.S.W.:>senior: •#i;ade competitions, and against the Auckland City Club, local sports were ' ; 'to hear of the' Welshmen putting. :*ip a bi# performance m their dbnte^t 1 ' with th's Otap-o Varsity ites ;6ri'^Saturday. That they were so •easily "snuffed" out makes all the nibre surprising readitip:. Either the Otago combination is a, clinking one or the Sydneyites are not what they a,ye cracked up to be. The up-ending of , the visitors would cive a bit of a shock to Sv&neyites across the Tasjhan.

7 Q-. W. Smith, Scofoie McKenize, Harry Kiernan, George Gillett and '"Bu'bsy" Tyler have announced their intention of • definitely giving up the game, and other probables are "Burley" Cunningham, Nicholson and Seeling. The latter has still some idea of. going to the Old Country m a few weeks. ',

It, is just possible that before next season comes around two English forwards who showed to advantage against the "All Blacks."'. on ; their British tour will have .found their way to New Zealand. ;They have written to friends m the colony m regard to the prospects of taking up larid, either m the Wangahui or Tara-

naki district. A Welsh player, who figured prominently m that ■■ historic contest at Cardiff, informs a local resident, by recent mail, that he has serious intentions of making bi« future home m New Zealand, the North Island for « reference.

An unreported incident m the Auck-land-Wellington "match, but a true bill all the same. Wellington skipper to Auckland frontranker, who was lashing out viciously with his feet to the imminent danger of an opponent lying on the p-round : "Hi, George, that's not football : play the game fair and square." Aucklander's retort : " Never mind you, Billy, we're out to win the game." This lovely gentleman's troubles whether the Wellingtonian's brains were dashed out or he was maimed for life so long as the blue and whites came out on top alright.

Freddie Roberts got an unmerciful "•ruellin"- at the hands of •fee- Auckland forwards, and his body is said to have been a mass of bruises all over when the tussle came to an end. The northern vanguard put the "tooot" m with a vengeance, and George Nicholson and "Bubsy" Tyler are credited with doing the lion's share.

Dave Gallagher is said to have worn his most angelic smile when he heard that the Wellington rearguard against Auckland would provide for Billy Wallace playing at five-eighths: The "All Black" skipper knew from experience oh the British tour that the Wellington man was not fitted for that position. The writer has always held that Wallace is a right winff-threequarter or full, and m either of those positions he will take a lot of beating m the world's rugby arena. At five-eighth, Billy is clean out of his element.

Rugbyites m Woodville have a great enthusiast m the sport m Dr. Mules, who entertained the local combination at a dinner m celebration of its dual win m the championship conte&ts of the season. At the conclusion of the evening's function those present evinced their o-ratifica-tion of the good doctor's generosity b^ hoisting him shoulder high and carrying him round the room to the accompaniment of hurricane cheering.Dr. Mules is an old hand at the Rugby game, and he is sparing no effort to promote its best interests m the Woodville district for which he deserves the thanks of, all interested m the national sport of New Zealand.

Newspaper .complaints have been made as to the wretched accommodation provided for their representatives at the Taranaki-Wellirigton match. The scribes had to dafty on their work "under many difficulties. Their task is none too easjr under the best of conditions^ u|he remedy:, however,- is m their 1 own hSaids. • :■■

The "leakage:' m the gate takingsat the New Plymouth Recreation^ Grounds has long been a stumbling : block t6 promoters of sport funcr, tions. The fencing m of the footbjaUnrround and the stationing of scouts, dealt with the leakage fairly satis- - factorily on the occasion of the Wel-lington-Taranaki contest last Thurs-.. day and about £140 was , taken. As, the leakage is generally estimated- at one-third, it may be reckoned the fence and scouts saved to the Union a little matter of about £40.

A who is at present representing a-. hie London produce firm m, New Zealand, has a tale to tell concerning the bag Rugby contest at Cardiff last year. When the tussle was about to eventuate between the leek-wearers and the men from Mba-land, one of the -firm's customers bespoke a column advertisement m which the result; of the match was published. It read-., as follows :•—" Wales may beat New Zealand at football, but' New Zealand can lick creation a.t making butter. Come and see our Eltham dairies at Is M per' lb." The enterprising tradesman also distributed 10,000 handbills at the football match and made a Vreat display of New "Zealand butter m his shop window. ;■

Extracts from the "Heralds.: sum-; mi'hg-up of the Taranaki-Wellington match :—*' Wellington are undoubtedly, a fast, clever team. It was their < combination that carried the day. , .>

. . There was a lack of support noticeable at the crucial moment on Taranaki's part, a contrast with the skill and precision which characterised the Wellingtbnians m attack, i. ; .' The comparison m the back play may fairly be said to be m the visitors' favor, m attack : i'f hot defence., Their passing was quick arid clean, and all the movements were rather more concerted than our own."

George- Smith • and <:■. "Bubs" -Tyler intimated to the North Island Selectors that their services 'were not available m the. 'lnter-Island match next Saturday, ■,:,-. • /

Dufty is credited with havine dropkicked a goal, -m practice at Parawai which on being measured was found to be 96 yards from rise to fall, while m a match between Waihi and Karangahake this season he kicked a goal from a place kick 84 yards, R. McDufi. the well-known goldfields rep, vouches for the truth of these statements." • '...." ■••....■

Harr~ Mclntyre declares that the penalty goal kicked by Dufty m the Auckland-Wellington match beat anything he has ever seen oh the Rugby field, and Harry has landed a few "hot 'uns" m his playing tipie. The ball was apparently going a foot or : so short of the post when, to , use the WellinEctoniari's words, "it 1 suddenly kinked inwards and shot fair over the cross-bar." When discussingHhe; mat-; ter afterwards with Dufty the latter said he could give no reason- for thecircumstance other than the. probability of a light "whirlwind" having been, m evidence at the crucial mo? ment.

A report comes to mv ears that Mr Peter Mackie was the recipient of a telegram from a prominent -official

of the Auckland Rugby Union whert on his way to- Auckland, stating that; widespread dissatisfaction existed m the Northern city over his appoint" nient as referee' in the Aucklan4-Wel« lington match. If this is true' th« Wellingtoa Rugby Union would bt quite justified m demanding &n ex-£ planation from the Auckland Rugbyf Union as to whether its approval, fu as g i Veh to the message sent btf the official m question, seeing that the Northern .Union had, m the first instance, so I am led to believe, preferred a request that either Mb Mackie or 'Mr A. C. Norris should control the match. Some people m Auckland appear to have got th»idea firmly wedged m their brainbox that the New Zealand Rugby Union is virtually run by Wellington,' and that it was a cunning move on the part of those m authority here to foist Mr Mackie upon the Auckland .team for the purpose of making it a "sure thing" for the. black combination. It would be as well to let this unthinking section know tHat the Auckland Rugby Union, and. not the. New Zealand, Union, was solely responsible for Mr Mackie being selected to carry the whistle.. It is just as likely as. not that the message was sent with the object of intimidating Mr Mackie. into giving decisions pair??, atable, to Auckland tastes, and there are not a few who are unkind en-' ough to say that the trick succeeded.. Anyway; the Wellington Rugajymnioß should sift the matter for its . own satisfaction, and'if i^ is proved' 'that the Auckland Rugby Uniojir 6fiJeial ~ forwarded the message on '"his, own responsibility .not a~ single moment should be lost: by; bisl colleagues m firing him but ot ; the Union's Executive. I intend haying; another fling at this inattet 'later bn L : ■ On the most reliable authority I hear . that- z, /strong movement is on foot "among Thames j'rugbyites to secede ' from the -Auckland Rug-by Union and form an indepapdent Union, the argument m favpipof sueh 1 step being that Thames representatives m the past have largely, if not wholly, contributed to Aucjc* land's successes on v the field, \ an< that other good players from th« mining districts have never been, given a show of displaying their skill against the colony's crack combinations. The Thames people contend: that they are capable of putting a team' m the, field which would, stretch*anv other interrUnion combination io Maoriiand. The present arrangement is not to their liking, hence rthe agitation to remove the grievance.' The all powerful i.New}, Zealand, , Union, however, is likely to use its strengths and influence lin s^uelshing the proposal, [whiph,- savors rof common-sens* and justice.. The tendency pf the colonial Union's present-day methods ,is centralising, ;witiv a view of the. four; largest Unions having. sole power m ,the ; admim^tration of the sport isp" t&ecoloiry.. !<; _ , ■/; , „ At . jthe jdinpef following on the, :;ManawaturWey.ington match; the- Itev, Harper,., in xejuy to the toast of the "Referee," said that during 13 years refereeing he had never onqp orderedl a player off the. field, yetjdp, one, be Thought, qduid say he had been lax. Harm was often done by a re/ere* harrassimg players, and above . all a referee should have sijrpng, control over his temper. The speaker had never been jnsulted on the field, and he had never had to speak .more than once to a man for swearing. "A- remarkably fine spirit charaoterised the game . The Wclliogtoniana also appreciated the impartial attitude of.- the local, spectators^ 1 _One .. taste of oartKian 'public spirit apparently lasts for a long time."— Extract from , the "Dailyi Times" report of the Wellington* Manawatu match. ■

The local Union is now .investigate ing a case 61, alleged ringtng-in andl of playing disqualified men by one o£ the teams engaged m the tower grade championships. : It appears that the Glufb'Was unable to raise a team on 4he .Frid-a.y vflYenino 1 and sent word to ■ its; opponents that ' they intended forfeiting the^match. Some of their supporters, liho^ever, heird of this and, perswaded them to go out it only with half a-iteam , so as to save the 'forfeit- A canvass was made and the names, of fifteen -placers were obtained -and written on :the cazd forthe referee but onl'v: thirteen of them

put m an appearance . ■-£^couple of strangers.rwere, pickedr.Ui?^nd playe.d^ but it appears that fchey. were men who had, ., been •; dis^u^llped by the. N.Z.R.U., one of them beitte a well" known senior three-quarter who has represented more than one provincial

district m; this Islfind., : TKe question the JJnion has to decide is/ whether the-irdlub at "fault Jchew %ho -.the men, were when they played theni or hot. It is , only fair: to state.Hhat the Club; m question' was aware 'Iliati 'if it, won* the match on the field a.protes# would hoist). it as high 'as BMdiwin, as besides informing its ■ opponents that it. ..intended to forfeit, it hacL neglected to send" m names of flayers on the Friday; as provided by; the

laws of the competition, .A- 'will-o'* the 'wisp" 6t the Rug^y . Union,^** ecutive went noseins around- fpr^information when he heard how^he cat \ was . jumpinp; and, his inve^kations will probably be, retaileti^io* the benefit of his colleagues at ;%eir ■< next meeting. tls