Canterbury Notes.

NZ Truth, Issue 263, 9 July 1910, Page 3

Canterbury Notes.

■ The seocmd round has closed witil )Al- -. 'lion m the lead by a fraction. ' The Modes have 7 pouts, then ccune Me_i- j , vote 6_, Q_-_rt_-_rc-. «, LiawooA s*. T%e final fltfit will be between tke first; three, with «v_rytk__f ia A&rian'B fosror. Uerivale fcos been g*>*g te pieces tattly, but afaeaU pick up again vettk tbe return -of Fi__er aad KitcWl frana Australia. Q_; tbe other hand, Altoen wiH have the . grant and only Paddy Boms behind tha scrum, add the closing contests should be [ interesting. Christchurch, with respect|b able forwards and an improving back team, has got a good sporting outside' . chance. There is always a possibility, too, that Sydenham and Li_wood will unexpectedly settle the hash of one ot the 4 leaders. Saturday's matches were played In a* quagmire, and brilliant football was so undiscoverable as to be almost entirely, off the premises. The Sydenham-irinwood dis--4 jturbance was a plain forward go, without trimmings, and aroused no enthusiasm. Although thete was no score by either . side, Linwood had the best of the scrap, and should have crossed the line on several occasions. Linwood, by superhuman efforts, usually pen their opponents on to their own line,' tiien appalled by the responsibility attached to crossing it, they/ fail to score; or they over-run the. ball,or kick too hard, or give a penalty for infringement, and all the sweat and puffing, and stßenuousness are thrown away. The potted goals of the previous Saturday seemed to have given Dingle an idea, for he had two or three creditable .drops for the bar when Linwood was awarded a penalty. Dingle, on more than, one occasion, though playing full; showed a bit ,of speed, and as Linwood badly .wants a scoring man, _ he ought to be - ..shifted up to three-quarter. Sydenham were Po freqjueatly on the de- ; if ence thai} D.oell had a lot of work to do* and played his best game this season. He was absolutely safe and was only smothered by numbers. On the showing, his honors as rep. full-back dontt appear to. be;in any danger. "Baby* Wilson, old-time North Island v _ep., refereed m this con-test.' Hutcftincs, behind the Sydenham pack, J <was probably the most versatile back m! ■'tins particular discussion. He opened up _npst of tiie Sydenham play, kicked accurately, collared convincingly, and contused Linwood passing rushes by hovering menacingly between the man with the "Wall and the eager person waiting for it. "Did" Qtmondy, regarded as permanently dead as a 'bailer, is m tiie thick of it again for Linwood, and surges about with his old- dash. When he retired. .it was a case of Ormondy did, but now "Did" does. Old Boys gave Aljbjion a hot time on tbe : western ground, and - the championship ..leaders squeezed home by only two points represented by a converted try. tit -was a magnificent kick from a touch-line angle by Weston, and the game ended 5 to 3. Won't Atfrions (and particularly .Dolly Gray) be glad When Burns gets i,back ! They have had very close calls. '-The Albion forwalds didn't show up tbo -prominently m- the mud, and heaven only 'knows what the future has m store. Old Boys seem -tb play best when pitted against a superior team. What would appear to be another injustice tb Ireland is the experience of. Marist Bros., who were condemned to ■ play eight of nine matches on the Show Grounds m tbe "subbubs." It might be .said tbat the necessity for acquiring the . Show Grounds was due t 0 Marists entering ior senior championship, also that the - form shown has not been good, but the new club, is a decided acquisition, and its r appearance enaWed every team m the. ; competition to play every Saturday, and did away with byes'. Besides, the Sfarists have shown greatly -improved form, and it was an act of tardy justice on Saturday to give them the south ground on Lancaster Park for their match with jMerivale. A very large crowd assembled to watch the greens go down before the Merivale, >and were pleasurably . surprised to find a ding-dong exciting contest m tiie first .' spell. The spectators included a crowd of 'gentlemen whose nationality was indisputable and unhidden, and their spirited advice to the wearers of the harp inspired, the Marists to superhuman efforts against ta better team m the first spell. Not ouly •did they hold their own, hut Merivale ■ were sometimes m sore trouble, and it was only tiie absence of one or two good scoring men that prevented the ' .greens from scoring. ' Their earlier efforts told on the younger team m tiie second spell, Merivale grad.ually assumed tiie upper hand, and then piled up points, till the final chalking .reached 19 to 0. The reshlt helps to prove, that where a team has two good wing forwards, the ••■ • policy is to play 'em both, although one five-eight only leaves an opposing back ; unmarked. Why not play a nan less m the scrum? Shanks and Sbadbbit, the r wing forwards, did nearly all the scoring for the Merivale. They annexed twoeach and Shadbolf converted one. 'Tricky Cade was $he other try-getter. Canterbury College has been weakening of late, and Christchurch has been im- - proving. Wherefore, tiie scores, Christchurch 33, College 0, on Saturday didn't make anybody drop down dead with astonishment. Christchurch <backs had a 'picnic, and crossed the line whenever tbe , spirit moved them. For the junior flag, Linwood is unbeaten so far, having won each of nine : matches played. The team's superiority . may be gauged from the fact that it has -scored 139 points and has had only 18 points registered against it. Merivale . .comes next with seven wins and a draw.