FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12603, 5 March 1903, Page 2

FOOTBALL

'[ I Br "Full Back."

PRINCIPAL MATCHES OF THE ENGLISH s FOOTBALL SEASON. Rugby. . March 7.—Kerth of England v. South of Engg land. March 14.—Wales v. Ireland. j ' March 21.—England v. Scotland. Association 1 . March 9.—Scotland v. Wales. March 81.—Scotland v. Ireland. March 28.—Wales v. Ireland. April { -England v. Scotland. s Guy's Hospital, captained by New Zea--1 lander Arthur O'Brien, and including several i other Maorilanders, defeated Catford Bridge t in the Rugby match played on -January 10 by one try to nil. 5 In tho Rugby Union county championJ ship match lleicestcr v. Gloucester, decided 2' on January 10 in the presence of 8000 spec--1 j tutors, former won by two tries to one try. 2 In the Rugby match London Welsh v. 2 ; London Irish, played on January 10, latter 2 1 won after a good game by. two goals and 2 , two tries to one goal and one try. 2 Blackheath and Harlequins played a drawn - Rugby game on January 10. Neither sida L scored. The gamo was played on a ground J- partly under water. J Rosslyn Park defeated St. Bartholomew's 1 Hospital in the Rugby match played oh r Saturday, January 10, by three goals and r five fries to one goal. Feature of tho giimo . was tho dashing foriyard play of the. Park. . Tho New Zealar.der and cx-Otago Univors'iy 2 student Divo played in tho threo-quarfcer j line for St. Bart's. { Apropos of the recent international Rugby [ match Wales v. England, reported in Inst j week's notes as having been won by Wales [ by threo goals and two tries to one goal, ! the whole secret of the success of Wales was L tho play of the Welsh forwards, who comL pletoly overpowered tho English division, i The Welshmen screwed tho serums cleverly I and came away with the ball at their feet, i making tho play very fast in the open. ' Wales wero without the services of Gwyn I Nicholls and R. T. Shrimski, looked upon as being two of the finest three-quarters playing football at- the present day. What ■ would have been tho scoro had these two 1 moil been playing is hard to conjecture, but | with the English combination broken up, [ it must have reached record _ for international. A record was put up in this match in that a fonvard who was transferred to the I three-quarter line soored three tries, I Quito a sensation was caused by tho oflij oia! announcement that 0. B. Fry had severed his connection with Southampton I (says London Sportsman), for whom he has played for three or four seasons, and intended to throw in his lot with Portsmouth. Tho inclusion of Mr Fry will strengthen Portsmouth's weakest department. Ho has ; signed Southern and Western League forma. as an amateur, and will bo eligible for tho ISnstlish Cup tie. The touring team of Canadian Rugby footballers were beaten by Llanelly on January 15 by one goal and two tries to three tries. .T.' Hargreave, an international (Association) footballer of. years ago', and a mem--1 bcr of the brilliant Blackburn Rovers in their amateur days, died on January 13. ' There is one evil at the present day (say 9 an English writer) which is fast becoming ' a perfect nuisance to players, referee, and ' spectators alike, and that is the growing ' tcndoncy for half backs to get offside when 1 the ball is in the scrum. If a half back 1 sees that his opponents have got tho ball j [ in the scrum, he "in most cases (I am aware I ' tliat there are notable exceptions) dashes 1 round the. side of tho scrum following just 1 behind.the ball, so that unlessthe heeling- ' is very smart the half who receives tho ball ' is completely bottled up by his vis-a-vis tho : ! moment ho receives it, and thus a. chance of opening up the game is spoilt. Also, j ' though many conscientiously try to keep al--1 ways on-side, yet it is very hard to do so j sometimes, especially if the ball hangs in the ' serum before going out. We might well : take a leaf out of the Northern Union book 1 in this matter. The Northern Union rule is that tho half-back must keen behind the last man in the pack, and a very good rule 1 it is. For it obliges tho .halves to keep on- ' side and also makes the game far more open 1 and interesting. This would also put an end 1 to those annoying cries of_"lCeep on-side," 1 "Play the game," etc., whioh are so preva- ■ lent with some crowds.