FOOTBALL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15824, 24 July 1913, Page 10

FOOTBALL.

By Full Back.

RUGBY.

OTAGO REPRESENTATIVE FIXTURES. The following are the Otago representative fixtures for the season: — August 16— v. Canterbury. August 23—v. South Canterbury September 6—v. Wairarapa. September 13—Now Zealand v. Australia. September 17—v. Wellington. September 27—v. Southland. AUSTRALIAN RUGBY TEAM'S TOUR IN NEW ZEALAND. Wednesday, August 27—Versus Auckland, at Auckland. Saturday, August 30—Versus Taranaki, at

New Plymouth. Wednesday, September 3—Versus Wail'

gar.ui, at Wanganui. Saturday, September 6—Versus New Zoaland, at Wellington. Wednesday, September 10—Versus Southland, at Invercargill. Saturday, September 13—Versus New Zealand, at Dunedin. Wednesday, September 17—Versus South Canterbury, at Timaru. Saturday, September 20—Versus, New Zealand, at Christchurch. Wednesday, September 24-Versus Marlborough, at Blenheim:

Several members of the Otago Rugby Union propose journeying to Christchurch to witness the North and South Island match on Saturday. They leave by Friday's steamer, and return on Sunday. The Maori team play a match against South Canterbury at Timaru on Thursday, and arrangements are being made to play Wellington 011 Saturday. This will end the tour so far ae the Maoris are concerned. Among the spectators who. witnessed the match Maoris v.. Otago at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday was Mr 11. Galbraith, the well-known ex-player and football legislator. Mr Galbraith has lefi Invcreorgill, where ho has resided practically all his life, and has now taken up his residence in Ashburton. The New Zealand team for America, which is to be selected after tho North and South Island match at Christchurch on Saturday, is exulting considerable inter est, and the personnel of -the side is certain to be keenly discussed. The task of the selectors is by no means easy, and even when tho team has been selected, tho players will probably experience difficulty in getting away for the three months' tour. I cannot help thinking that the Now Zealand Union were over-hast.v in accepting tho invitation of the Californian Union for a New Zealand team to visit California this season. Next season would have been much more suitable by reason of the fact that there is every possibility of the English Union extending an invitation to a New Zealand team. At the end of next season, then, a New Zealand team could have returned the visit of the coming Australian team, proceeded to California and played two or three matches there, and then gone on to Emrland. Now, what happens if England extends an 'invitation to New Zealand at tho end of next season? A New Zealand team will have to be sent to Australia, but it is unlikely that, following 011 the tour to California this season, another New Zealand team will bo got together to tour England next year.

\Thc New Zealand team for California leaves Wellington by the Willochra on September 12, going via the Cook Islands and Papeete. The return trip will probably be made in the Niagara from' Vancouver, via Honolulu, and Fiji, reaching Auckland on December If}.

Speaking at the annual meeting of tho English Rugby Union the other day, Mr A. Hartley, the ncwly-elccted president, said lie was pleased to take office at a time when the committee was on friendly terms with tile colonies. The latter had helped them, especially with finance. In due course they hoped to welcome a colonial team; but it was not practical for these tours to take plucfi every year, or even in alternate years, My esteemed correspondent with tile New Zealand University team in Sydney, -.writing after the second match of the tour, which New Zealand won by 21 points to 19, says: " As you will know, we won our second gamo against Sydney University by 21 to 19. It was a very exciting gamo, and one of the fastest I have ever played in. Tho papers here are going mad about our play, and everyone who sees us congratulates us. Sydney, too, are playing far above form, and give us very close goes. On Wednesday we were down by 13 points to 3 at halftime, and soon _ after the start Sydney scared again, making it 16—3; and wc had only half an hour left. Uowever, wo did it. Tim forwards were simply magnificent— Fisher and Kick], as usual, in the vanguard. Their loose rushes were irresistible. Tho backs were good too; but the feature of the game was Child's place-kicking. I have never seen anything like it at any time. Ho had seven dints, tile majority of them difficult angles and out past the twenty-live. And yet lie kicked live beautiful goals, and the other two fell short, It \va.s grand. Cutliill still delighted the crowd with hie play, and they are picking him as an "All Black" easily. To-day we arc playing tho Metropolitan team, which is picked from the Sydncv clubs and contains nine Now South Wales reps., so we are not feeling too confident to-day. Next Wednesday wo are playing the University again, and that ought to he a real good go." [New Zealand won both these matches, completing an unbeaten record as follows:~ Defeatcd Sydney University (three times), 14—11, 21—19, 30-15, and Metropolitan team, 27—10.]

The team gave (wo stirring Maori warerics, find Mr Braddon, when lio linrl to respond to the toast of ):is health, said he remembered vlieii Tniaroa, ;t graduate from New Zealand, was in Newcastle, lie was asked to snenk in Maori. He accordingly reeitfd the Lord's Prayer in Maori, and the chairman thanked liim for all the kind things lie had said of the footballers of NriwnMln.

Dear "Full Hack."—After the poor _display of the Otajjo team last Saturday it is evident, (hat a big alteration is needed in the personnel of the team Do you not

think the following' team would he f. much stronger one—viz.Fi;!! back, \Vs.t«n ; three-quarters—-liaii'd, Cnthill, and Harris; live-eighths—Curran nnd Williams; half back, Dryilen; forwards—Casey, Wi.liiinis, Kyinonds, Fisher. M'Donald, M'ltolUr, Patterson, mid SkiiiKcr: Patterson ami M'K'.ilar were in the New Zealand team tlwt visited Australia in 1910, and Skinner was m the Wellington team, 1 believe, last your, and yet these players arc left out of an Otago team.—l am etc., DiSArroiSTM)™ [Tho form displayed on Saturday by the Otago team was too bad to be the truo form of the team. With Cut,'till as centre wo may expect a big, improvement in tho backs, while tho forwards are certain to go better in tho :ic.\s engagement. "Full Back,"—Once again Jack Stalker, proved his mettlo when by scoring the only try registered against Hawke's Hay on Saturday and converting same lie won tho match for the local representatives. The gamo in the sceond spoil was full of incidents, and reminded one of olden days, when football was football.—X am, etc., Kx-Duxedinite, Palmerston North, July

16 ' . • The Auckland Referees' Association sub. mittcd tho following points to the New Zealand Referees' Association last week, and asked for a ruling:—(l) From a kick from a mark in' goal by the defending side, the l>all strikes the goal-post and rebounds back into tho hands of an attacking player who is standing at the mark. Ho promptly puts the ball down on the ground. Can. he claim a try?— Answer: Yes a try should be awarded. (2) At the kick-off the ball is kicked less than 10 yards ami is immediately played again by one of tho kicker's side. Is this allowable?— Provided no appeal is made by the opposing 6idc, play should be allowed to proceed. The following questions were submitted by the Wellington Rugby Referees' Association (1) \Yliat is the correct way to restart the game under sub-section B of law 3?—ln all cases where a player is ordered off, the game will be restarted by a freekick .only whore tho laws provide for a free-kick being given for tho ollonco for which the player is ordered off. In all other coses by a scrum, unless tho offence occurred in touch in which case tho ball should be thrown out, of touch.

What some critics regard as a sign of weakness has been d'splayod by the English Rugby Union. For tho first time since 1895, that body has seriously altered its attitude in regard to tho laws touching professionalism. In future individual transgressions are to be dealt with on their merits. There W'ill be degrees of offensive ness in what i 3 done, and punishment will be meted out accordingly. Tho General Committee has adopted a law under whtch players may be reinstated. As illustrating the progress of amateur Ilugby in England, the following figures are interesting :—ln 1909 the profit from the Australian match at Blackheath was £325; under tho new financial scheme the profit from tho Sol'.lll African tour last year was £3313; the French match at Leicester in 1909 yielded £226 profit, Inst season it returned £761; the Scottish match at Richmond in 1909 left a profit of £936, last year the same match produced a surplus of £3126. Again, in 1909 the union , had' an overdraft, and the debenture issue stood at £5600. The sum of £15,991 was at that time expended on the Twickenham ground. Now that property is valued at £24,065, and instead of an overdraft the union has a credit balance of £3661. All of which facts ero to illustrate the increasing popularity of the game. Cnthill and Withers, tho Otago University players, have been making h:story in Sydney. Withers's try for tho Maordandera in tho second game against Sydney University must find a placo in my records of tho game as " one of the beat ' (writes " Arawa" in the Daily Telegraph). ■ I have seen somo great individual scores jn my time, some on tho wings, won eitner by pace or strength, some gained by phenomenal dash and trickincss over a space of a few yards, but this affair of Withers's eclipsed (hem all for prolonged merit. He began in the midd'o of the field, and i really ran through the whole side. He did not make for tho open, but flashed, whisked, treaded, and snaked his way at a ripping rate through " forwards, half-backs, threequarters, and all," and then, perhaps, to his own profound astonishment, so electrifying was it nil he found no one but the full back in front of him, and victory for his side. He seemed to realise that it was really time to hurry up, and ho raced diagonally past the full back, and ended a most astonishing effort. Standing, behind one goal, and watching Withers streak his way through the higgledy-piggledy until, panting and putfed, lie grounded tho ball under the other,.was like watching a man trying to trace the irregular tracks of eccentric lightning. Both friend and foe wildly chcered this part eel, part will o' til' wisp, effort of tho slick Now Zoalander.

"Much of the 6pectacularity of tho game on tho Black siao was provided by the light-haired Cuthill, who came .to us " unhonoured and unsung," but lie will not leave us so. This sturdy young gentleman from Otago is in promise one of the best centre three-quarters New Zealand Union ■Rugby, so prolific in "firet-claes A 1 at Lloyd's" backs, has sent us since the days of the dumpy Macgregor, who insisted on appearing in a slouch hat, to assist in bewildering crowds at tho Cricket Ground in the pa.'my days,of tho famous 1903 team. Since then wo have seen no centre threequarter the equal of this unassuming University captain in black. He has got beautiful "hands," he takes the ball like an lined, and lw kicks quickly, strongly, and irritatingly far. lie is a powerful _ chap, much more'eo than lie looks; runs with his knees well up and his leg's in a 6wervy fashion, which' makes it puzzling for the enemy to decide how they are going to get him, and, above _ al: —in these days of machine-like running and passing to the side—lie goes straight ahead, kecpe the fun going merrily, and to the unbounded admiration of his own 6ido and tho envy of tho others, gets his wings into delightful scoring positions. The crowd on Wednesday were so delighted with this dashing Now Zoalander that they yelled, 'Give it to •Snowy,' and Ihoro were many Sydney men who cheerily honoured the enemy's captain. We shall hear of Cuthill again."

The once famous Otago and New Zealand footballer, 11. Braddon, v.'ho was a member of the first New Zea'nnd team to visit New South Wales, in 1881, and of whom many good stories are told in connection with the tackling of Whiteside, the Aucklander, in a memorable match in Dunedin many years ago, is in Sydney. Fittingly enough Braddon prosided over a complimentary luncheon to the New Zealand University team the other day. Braddon gave the toast, "Our Visitors," and praised those who kept tho amateur flag of Rugby Union football flying in preference to the professional game, lie said he was one of the members of tho Now Zealand team which came to Sydney in icßl. He complimented the visitors and their opponents upon their sterling and sportsmanlike play. He remembered tho hrst intrusion of the desire for money reward for football in New Zealand. It waa when Bob Whiteside, a clever player, who could do hi 6 100 in 10] etc, was asked to go to Sydney v.'ith tho New Zealand fifteen. Whiteside said he would _go it he were given £25 to compensate him for his loss of businoss while away. Needless to say, the proviso was turned down, and there were no more communications with the player respecting representing his country in amateur sport. Recently a Leaguo team, wh.;h purported to be a Jic-w Zealand one, was in Sydney. Well, if it represented the best footballers tho Dominion could produce he had no hesitation in saying that tho 1684 team'could have "ea-ten them." Ho was glad to hear that tho League waa not •progressing in Now Zealand, and that it had failed to get a footing at all in Dunedin. Tho amateur game produced a reputation for eportemanunip which would stand a man in good stead throughout his Fife. He constantly met in his businoss career friends who Had been hie respected opponents on the field.