Football.

Opunake Times, Volume XXI, Issue 751, 27 June 1905, Page 2

Football.

DESFORGES CUP COMPETITION. Fixtures : Jane 28—Opunake v Ake Ake, at Rahota Referee—J. Young June 28—Te Kiri v Pihatna, at Te Kiri Referee—D. Rosa. The second round reversed, and commences on July 6th. The Opunake team, with sou-west smiles and buttoned overhauls, accompanied by Captain Edwin's heavy rain storm travelled to Hawera on Saturday. It was an exceptionally wet day. There was one continual shower the whole time. It is a goodthing that the Opunake seniors are used to amphibious habits, otherwise it would have been impossible to fulfil the fixture. The Opunake team were short of the services of Smith, O’Dea, and Hill. The game between Opunake and Patea resulted in a win for Patea by nine points to three. Patea’a scores were made by a goal from the field, and a goal from a try registered all in the first spell. In the second spell,* Opunake with 14 men had the best of the game, but only scored one try. The Opunake team had one player put off the field, which, under the circumstances, was unfortunate, seeing that it was outside of the province of the referee’s powers, as alleged by the players directly interested. It appears that a high return was taken by an Opunake back and kicked again in a similar manner. The ball was taken by a Patea back and marked, the referee immediately blew the whistle, which had the immediate effect of pulling up the Opunake forwards. The Patea back, simultaneously with the blowing of the whistle took the kick and landed a goal. The kicker can claim the goal when the position of the play is within the legal limits. The Opunake players contend that the particular play was illegal: first, the blowing of the whistle breaks the play, thus necessitating that the players must be on side before the playing again resumes, which was not the case, as the Patea forwards were offside when the goal was registered, and the blowing of the whistle pre vented the Opunake forwards from immediately interfering with the kicker; secondly, the kicker did not kick over his mark. Of course by an appeal a loop-hole is left for way out of the difficulty both for the referee (whose position in this instance is sole!} determined by law) and for the appellants who consider the law was unjustly hard on them.

Eltham defeated Hawera on Saturday. This is the first defeat the Hawera seniors have had this season. Opunake II forfeited to Patea. The Taranaki representatives in the N.Z. team for England have received farewells and gifts from their respective clubs. A division of the N.Z. team will leave to play representative games in New South Wales shortly. The Opunake II team to play Okaiawa 11, at Opunake ; Pipi, Asher, Eustace, Stevenson, Malcolm, King, Searle, Moffitt, Billings, Malcolm, Macfie. McLeod, Dickson, J. Hickey, Eustace. Heke Martin, who has played a very consistent full-back game right through should be classed among the probables for the southern team. Slow passing has been one of the defects in the back play of the Opunake seniors. There seemed to be a tired feeling about the motion. Sharp and crisp passing is the beauty of the whole back game.