WELLINGTON.

NZ Truth, Issue 472, 4 July 1914, Page 11

WELLINGTON.

,'VAthjetlc 15, Wellington 10. Melrose 0 '*■"-■'■ . ■ ' s PoheldS22 l , St. James 5 11,' Univeraity 0, ■Ui~r.;\^ ■■.■;. •-, •■■■ '■;"-•; . ■'■■■.-.■ .■• A ';WEIAiINGTON v. ATHLETIC* ■* : '. Quite a large crowd pushed their jTOLyinjfo the Park on Saturday last to jsritness the. •", crossing! : of swords between the above unbeaten teams, and as a result of .such, the .exchequer of '^Sw;.R.U. swelled: to some purpose.,, f "^he^ game proved to' be one of the nmost '"exciting exhibitions -„ of Rugby 'seen cluV, football this, season, stfenuousiy. contested and full of mci,- , 'depfc*'? -■■■':■ ; •'•'■■."■■' '; ■'■; : '. : ' • ' "'"' •'.; ' , Last year's champions had the upper ihan& right through the second half, •^nd^were* continually knocking at the en^mVs door, indeed, it was only m

fringements brought about by dyer-

..eagerness on their part that gave re-^ jiitf I ,to i the opposition through , the ■agency of free kicks and prevented the 'Before, from being heavier; r .

it; £bTe" ' week previous to the itoatch, public opinion was a good deal divided as to the respective teams' jnerits, ■ and though past perf dnnances stamped" Athletic as having the T>etter .'chance, there . were; not ' wanting competent critics to avow their- belief that i£he? yellow vanguard would upset all

cstlbulatiohs; Aiid such was the > case 16'^ certain 'eyteiit, biit^ taking the ■ througti the Blue and BljCcKs- are unquestionably the- bette? comDinatidh, chiefly owing to "thebr comp t leto^cohesion and-.untmiTntty' beJtipjgejci backs v and-. y f jprwarda. Had. the J^ljUngion pack,. been supported by bj^cVs equal m speed and resource to tjibse ofg.their pppjonents, the result .might have been . different; but ptt the ■dayis Plsiy * they were,.. ,m the seijond sßpeil eppeqiaily, but-pJayed. , ;, ' . WeUtogton forwards-, wero slightly ■sußeriorw hQwever/'in loose forward tP}a» -'\ Time after. -time they came out »f:3tb^:ruoljEsvith:ball at. to© m splendid style, jt|stifled th? reputation they

ha-vfe-buttt up since the conHnxsnceineat season. Bui, the -Athletic de-fendß-^aahaxd^to penetrate, and more tiften/'than. not:- their' efforts ~-vftax>rpwarded' with a , disheartennig gttmpee bf th&fbali as it was returned back linewards. rfSVhen an; opportunity was preeentedf?to the Wellington' backs, ; after otfet of? those wild wbolly . rnshes^io get

irf- sdnie" good r kicks and save their. n&td-Wo^e^' forwards, they, usually * feia'de^flft, 7 storry - meisS;.' of things, either mailing- b«KQy,^or ;kjickinEr m the.feeblestfiinainnert possible. " ' : E 'Roberta /played •, a rattlmg fgame,

quite up to his *est form. He always BOti his backs) going well aad xepeatedly got"in? some splendid saves. . .j . . .:" Settn Wilson ,ga# his beat display so"*«r this season. >He played a; beady, e^ebtaculai* gjtoei ' while h|s potted goal WuSAa'pretfc pieceiof workv- „. ■-? ? -' Rdbln'so"n/ 'AdamSjcHeley and Maddfa conibined wellj 'though "Adams threw awaV*- a- certain try by selfish play, "at f uiy-back^ played very soimiftiy ahfl iticked to advantage. •

1 /4 Ranji" Wilson and Paton/ among fbrwardsi^ •: conspicuous ihrW^tibut- and kept the defence busy. Bell aha /tito; rest also did good solid MM& 'i--\ / ■ '■ - ; - ; •■■. ■ <?:*'&^difficult, to] individualise .the Wellington' pock, ■■■'but it must be said 1 XVttl •\V6bntd\iia 'somfe' great stuff, and ■ th'eir Jifati&fe mo &<ifo&; ' ' ' : "--:iftf'Mfller; the forwards possess, a sterling flayer; 'What he wasn't 1 m ■ Ofi^athrday -isn't -worth mentioning. wing-forward, kicked wefl j and played a useful: game! >■ '.''TqthlU''was the best of the flveei^fitns, and proved himself to be as gkin'ej'as' a Vebble- when it came to gQt^is down'to* the hot stuff. ' ;i Brkce} :< ii > centreV^did- a. lot- of- good ■feorii, but marred It; all "by poor kicking and patcby defence. ' wab Solld, ; if hot brilliant. He iiiaM^no^^mjiirtikW fibodt tie try he Be&rtiti! it -mk tho* only time Wellington Invaded' Athletic territory m the second speHi t v >«pc-the-reat little can be- said, „ v > Bridge,; at full, gave an Indifferent display>, and ;■ his . kicks lacked power and, direction. . . I .'-Decidedly on • the day. the yellow ■backrjßhowed ' up- badiy. Probably It was an oft day ; Jet as hop« so- anyway. * 1; piklENTAIi ' v. 'UNIVERSITY. Contrary -to ecspe^ations ''Orles^won ! but the gamo was a very even. one. Little's leg went back on him- ' Hjs "^lilace was taken, by Cawle who proved an ..olicipnti substitute. . The "Orles" backa ;,werit" well Uni the second, spell PwleAr being prominent. The fbr"warasjwere an oven tot.' -. - ■■''^Qr-^a/eal^, Prussinjr. lost several chances by hanging on. This is not .usually a fault of bis and ho should drop it. „:. ,r .;: , • O ndloy mado a - first - appearance In 'Wellington. This player is an'exOtaaro^tJnlvcrstty player, and his game

is of the solid order. • .. University forwards are a solid, weighty lot.

PONEKB v- ST. JAMES. ', Jimmies accepted. another wallop m their game last Saturday. They are very game, however^ and will-yet win a game or two. ' „' j First spell was : pretty evei£ but m the second, Jimmies faded away and were severely trod upon by the reds. Poneke were without Algar, who will be ■ confined^.to his bed.' for some time. Pleurisy is the trouble. It is very hard luck for the lad. MELROSE V. PETONE. The blues, climbed all over , the stripes, who are but the shadow of the' one-time "mighty Melrose." Time was when a team which- crossed, the Mel- : robe line twice m a game considered that It had achieved something. But the old reputation is sadly shaken now.' The material is m the club, however. Coaches are available, and it is up<to Melrose to get busy. ' • '- Gilchrist; injured his arm m the game and bis retirement, was a- serious 4oss to the blues. , • ■..>■'■ i THE VAGARIES OF SELECTORS; In the team to meet New Zealand, R Roberts appears as five-eight and Tilyard has been crammed into the centre position.' Why not play Paddy Murphy half, and make the team " a proper "Scots mixture?" Cotter, late North Island "A" rep. appears as emergency. Why Parker has been putin the team m his present position is hard to explain. He is 1 ceirtainly no hooker. ,' One of the junior selectors was seen at Miramar oh Saturday. He coached his club team from the line, but did not even wink an optic any other game. ■■ ■ ....■.■ ■■'•' ' ' ' , ■•■■■■.■ .WELLINGTON v. TARANAKI. Wellington's rep: team, i with a lot, of new 'blood m it, m the, person of Capper, Twomey, Robinson, Nunn, Cotter, Dower, 1 Dent; McFarlane, Kyne and Parker, made the journey to Hawera to engage' the butter • province champions In the annual dash. The game proved to be a hard fought one, victory finally resting with: the amber and blacks by 14 to 10. ; Taranakl showed their superiority mainly m the forward division, and were not slow m getting on to the Wellington backs. '

Taylor opened, the scoring account for, the winners by, dashing m under the posts at the termination of a brilliant run by Roberts right,, through the opppsmg forwards, and. conspicuous play on,.the ; part ofi'Cameron and Young wWcn.gfiye the wing man >the opportunity tg finish the business... -.

W^mjton responded by putting on a try and kicking a . goal, McTaggart and McFarlane being the responsible parties,- . ' =;<:•■- ■>■ . '■; ■. ■■ ■,-. ■ ■ '

..Tarasakl went for the ■ lead again, and as the result of , a fine; opening made by Cain, which play to Wellington's Upe,- Brown obtained possession and transferred' to Smith who crossed over. ■ £p inak?/ their, position still Btrqnger > ;iJ6veridge ir put m a great ifiin. and* touched down, giving George an'oppprtunlty tp- add the necessary points. , Their tally was .further added to by Taylor, who once more "showed his" ability' to do the rigftt thing,, but the shot at the upright^ failed. This Closed Taranaki's score, but Wellington got under way again, and a passing bout between N*unn, Robinson and Beard finished 'up by the last-named grounding over the line after a brilliant run. McParlane was . equal io adding the extra points. Wellington continued to press but failed to reduce the margin. '