All-round Sport.

Opunake Times, Volume XXII, Issue 814, 28 November 1905, Page 2

All-round Sport.

' 4 N.Z. TEAM IN ENGLAND. There were over 12,000 people present at the N.Z. v. Ireland match. After the ball had been set rolling, Ireland pressed the visitors and the game became tremendously fast, th* New Zealanders being put on tbfi defensive. After some give and take play the N.Z. backs showed fine combination in which Smith (Auckland), Roberts (Wellington), Hunter (Taranaki) and Deans (Canterbury) were prominent. ,Tbis resulted in Deani getting the opportunity to score, which be did, after a 82-minutes’ hot contest. Wallace kicked a neat goal. > N.Z. 5 points, Ireland 0. The ball travelled up and down the field until half-time. The second spell opened with a ding-dong battle, the same N.Z. back quartette attacked the Irish lines and set them on the defensive ; the onslaught could not be stemmed, Deans again scored, and Wallace again converted—N.Z. 10 points. The Irishmen were roused to scoring point, and their winger (Wallace) dribbled the ball through the N.Z. defence, Mynott preventing a score in the nick of time. Later on the Irish again attacked strongly and /Thrift was timely upset close to the Maorilanders’ goal-posts. Gradually the N.Z. forwards got the best of the Irish and shifted the play out of danger. Smith cut round the scrum, through the Irish backs and over the line, but was thrown into the dead ball area. Continuing the attack McDonald (Otago) got the ball from a loose rush and scored. Wallace for the third time placed the ball between the posts. The result ended: New Zealand 15 points Ireland 0 points By Buffee. What has become of the Taranaki Athletic and Caledonian Association ? Last year they ended up a strong financial year. So far, nothing baa been heard this season of that association. Has it faded away or is it only withering. Work has commenced m getting the local track in order. Competitors can now commence training on the Domain. . ~ A , There is good indication that the Caledonian Society’s running and cycling events will fill well on nomination day, that is judging by the number of competitors outside the district, that have made inquiries as to the competitions. The grandstand is now well in hand and is beginning to show a shapely form. Some think it is bout before the times. A good fault—to be before than behind the times. Next Saturday nominations are due for the Opunake R.O. meeting, to be held on New Year’s Day. The French paper Figato implores the N.Z. football team to go to Pans “ to taste the bitter sweet of defeat,’ and further deplores the “ decadence of British skill in the field of- sports for which these people were once noted.” The gates at the test England-Aus-tralian cricket matches yielded over £II,OOO. The Australians received £5085 and over £IO,OOO was divisible among the counties as the result of the tour. . . .. The Daily Mail writing of the Gloucester match says Wallace by a single sprint became the hero of the day. The ball was sent out to the backs, and it passed through all their hands until it came to Wallace on the extreme right. Instead of running a few yards and returning to the centre, Wallace trusted to his speed and ran right round the opposing backs. It was a case of Pretty Polly «, versus a selling plater. For every yard the Gloucester men went Wallace went two, and he held about a ten yards lead when he at length grounded the ball right behind the posts. The Gloucester crowd cheered to a man the most brilliant effort of the day. McDonald and Glasgow are con- t sistent scorers in the forward division. The N.Z. forwards must be playing slashing games. The back* could not get the ball so frequent if this were not so. The Scottish and Irish international forwards are the best in Britain. The New Zealanderß won the match against Scotland, judging by the cabled accounts, principally bv the forwards. The tactics in the second spell must have been altered so as to allow the forwards to play the game as the backs were on the defence in the first half. A great deal is expected from Wales when the New Zealanders play ±he leek-eaters. The English papers E ay “ Wait until they meet Wales.” There will be record attendances at these matches and the Welsh Union are going to make a big effort to stop the victorious progress of the Maorilanders as they know it means more than feathers in their cap. The Welsh have had officials watching the New Zealanders’ of play for some time past with a view of improving their own team. To my way of thinking the Taffylanders will do no better than the other international teams. The English papers have already told us that the Maorilanders have given them a better display than the beat Welsh teams. If that is so, and taking into consideration that the Welshmen are famed for their back play, the more they throw the ball about the better will it suit the fast N.Z. backs. If Wales fail against N.Z. the failure will be all the more keenly felt —by the Welshmen. On Saturday the New Zealanders play England. Mr G. G. Stead suffered a severe loss through the death of his 8-year old colt Bunged, which, whilst exero.ising on the track, shied and fell over th e fence. The horse died an hour