FOOTBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1756, 18 July 1885, Page 21

FOOTBALL.

NOTES Br'FOttWAKD.

That the interest in the forthcoming match with Wellington is increasing was shown by the large crowd that gathered on the North ground on Saturday afternoon. The Fifteen (Blues) turned up to a man, but for some unexplained reason Bannatyne, O. Leith, S. Leith, and Skitch were absent from the ranks of the Colours, and some delay in starting play was caused by their places having to be filled at the last moment. Good substitutes, however, in the persons of Messrs Cook, Stohr, Smith, W. Henderson, and • Hunter, brought the Colours numbers \vp to 19, and a very good game resulted. The ground, owing to the recent rain, was terribly heavy, but notwithstanding this disadvantage, the play all round ■was a vast improvement on that of previous Saturdays, and those who have been predicting a " thorough thrashing " for Otago in the coming- contest must have been considerably astonished at the fine form shown by many of the players. Shortly after "kick off " Bowler, through some neat passing by Bee and Allan, got over the Colours' lines, but the try 'at goal, rather a difficult one, failed. Thereafter for a long time the Colours were kept entirely on the defensive, and were forced down several times, the Blues' backs especially, making things lively for their opponents. Just before half-time, Murray made a dashing run and scored another try for the Blues. Bee took the try, which resulted in a poster. In the second spell, the Colours defending the north goal made matters more even, and the play became exceedingly fast. Several times the Blues were within an ace of scoring, but Austin's gopd play as full-back saved the Colours continually. Stohr, who played well throughout, at last made a capital run, and drew first blood for the Colours. Bee took the try, which again resulted in a poster, and as no further score was made, the game thus ended in favour of the Fifteen by two tries to one. On the Colours' side J. Morris was especially conspicuous, his dribbling being really excellent. Hunteg, Rattray, Menelaus, Kroon, and Fulton (forwards), Austin, Marsh, Fraser, and Stohr (backs) also did capital work. The Blues one and all played a good dashing game, the passing between M'lntyre, Ross, Murray, Bee, Lindsay, and Allan being a noticeable feature of the game. The last of the trial matches will take place this Saturday. There will be some slight altetion in the Fifteen. Galbraith, who is coming up from Invereargill, will take Ross' place at three-quarter-back, and Fraser will take M'lntyre's place at half-back," while in the forwards Rattray and Morris will take the places occupied by Mills and Drabble in the Fifteen. The Match • Committee are evidently going to work in the right way, and notwithstanding the score of letters that have appeared in the daily papers, I make bold to prophesy an excellent selection as the result of their deliberations. There would be some fine haggling if the persons who write these letters to the papers had to make the selection of the team. It would be composed as follows : — Full-back, Russell ; three-quarter-backs, Murray, Ross, Bee, Galbraith, Bannatyne; half-backs, Boddiugton, Murdoch, Noel, Cook, Fraser; M'lntyre, Bowler ; forwards, Allan, Beck, Drabble, Buttenvorth, Henderson, Lindsay, Mills, Martin, Treseder, Nicol, Skitch, Trotter, Dallas, aud Leith. A very fine team certainly 1 Yes, I think we would beat Wellington if all these first-class players were selected ! But the joke of it all is that several of the 'letters have been written advocating the selection of players who could not take part in 'the trial matches, let alone the interprovincial match. But, of course, the writer knows more about these matters than the Selection Committtee, who, of canrst*, do not know who can take part in the trial matches, and are thoroughly incompetent to give an opinion as to who are the best backs and who the best forwards. ' In short, the Selection Committee, according to these self-impor-tant scribblers know nothing whatever about the game of football. However, after all, there is little harm done, and the Committee can* afford to laugh in their sleeves and be thankful for a little cheap advertising. The scribblers arc, after all, a very important factor towards the success of our annual interprovincial fixtures. Therefore, I say, I say, let them fling their mud at the Selection Committee, and their ink at the newspapers. " Ad Rem," however, whose letter appeared in the Times the other day, belongs'to a class of writers who deserve a snubbing. So long as he sticks to truth we will be quite content to let him have his little fling at our Rugby game, but when he descends to direct falsehood and asserts that Rugby football has been' the death of several promising Dunedin youths his letter should be contradicted. As a matter of fact not one death has resulted through football, though one young footballer, beloved by all, who met with an accident, died from other oauses before he had recovered from the effects of tho accident. Perhaps "Ad Rem " would be surprised to learn that iv first-class Rugby matches thet'e have been but few accidents, and those have been mainly attributable to the wretched grounds we have to play on in consequence of the conservative principles of our City Fathers ; while in interprovincial matches there has not so long as I can remember beau one single accident of a serious nature. "Ad Rem " proposes to introduce the Victorian game. Are there no accidents in the Victorian game ? The Pacific Club are in trouble again — this time with' the Alhambra Club ; but who is in the right it would be difficult to say, for one team claims the match as a win, and the other says it was a draw. The whole difference of opinion was a disputed try obtained by the Pacific during the second spell, which the , Pacific report says one umpire gave as a fair try and the other one said he did not see. The captain of the Alhambra refused to give the try or go on with the game although the whole team wished time played out. The Pacific then stayed on the ground till time was called. The football match at Newton on Saturday between the Poneke (Wellington) Club and the Prince Albert (Nelson) Club was won by the former by two goals and two tries to nil. The ground was very sloppy though the weather was fine. The attendance was poor. The football match, Prince Albert Club (Nelson) and Union Club (Wellington), played at Newton on Monday, was won by the visitors by one try to nil. The score was made within "a second or two of time being called. The football match between the Iron and Woodware Company and the Dunedin Fire Brigade was played on the Montecillo ground, and, contrary to expectations, terminated in the defeat of the Fire Brigade by four points to nil. Melton kicked a goal from a mark got by D. Larnach for the Iron and Woodware Company. In the first spell, despite the efforts of Skitch and Cooper, who worked hard for the Brigade, they were forced down three times. The following also played well for their respec- , tfve sides— Luscombe, Wells, Bethune, Kennard, Wd Q'aorman, TattawaJ, apKWuy, and Lind,

The second trial match held by the Canterbury Rugby Union came off on Saturday, on the Christchurch ground, and ended in favour of the Protmbies by one go.\l and three tries (tun points) to three tries (six points). Webb, J. Millfcou, and Lane were absent from the ranks of the Probables. In the fu\->t spell, the Improbable had thu best of the game, playing every bit ah well as tho selected fifteen. Fuller scored two tries, and Donnelly one. Bean was brought out of the ranks of the reds to take the kicks at goal, and although a trifle ofr in his kicking, his first attempt was a magnificent one, the ball, which was placed about a foot or so from tho touch-line, going over the post. Lawrence scored for the fifteen in this spell. For the last half of the second .spell, the Probables played thirteen, and the Improbables fourteen men, Bean, Horrell, and Fuller having to leave. 'Tho consequence was that the former completely beat their opponents in all departments of the game. Before he left, Bean had a shot at goal off a mark secured by Allardyce, and kicked a remarkable goal, the ball being placed badly and rolling just as he kicked. The spell was was remarkable far the fine play of the red forwards, and the back j>Jay of Francis and Allardyce, the latter securing a couple of tries. Fleming, the red full-back, was called upon to do a lot of work in the first spell, and performed his duties well, except just at the beginning, when he was so hardly pushed by the rushes of the forwards that he fumbled the ball once or twice. Allavdyce aud Francis played exceedingly well right through, but Mathias did not make the most of the long passes frequently given him. Mountfort, at quarter-back, was principally noticeable for his parsing to the half-backs. Moorhouse did not play a good game. Pie was not fed by the wing man, and had to make opportunities of his own. Fuller never showed to better advantage, and should he retain his form of Saturday last, the Rugby Union Selection Committee will have to give his claims to a place in the team more than a passing notice. Generally the forward play showed want of practice.

" An Old Footballer " who probably wished to see a few more of the Wairarapa men in the Wellington team writes : — " The Match Committee have finally picked the team to go South, and have made the nicest mess of it possible to conceive. I am sure every footballer in Wellington will be disgusted at the fifteen selected to go South to represent what was once, and should be still, the caampion city of the Colony." He goes onto saythi>' fchree Wairarapa forwards cent per cent better than Holmes, Berry, or Shaw, could be selected.

The Redf em Clnb, Sydney, added a cracl? to its already big list of good men, the now arrival being G. M'Oiea, who lately played with the famous Blackheath team in England. The Rugby Cup mathes in Sydney are creating a great deal of interest. The University, Redfern, and Balmain clubs will have a hard tussle for the supremacy.

'Twas always well to be a footballer, but to be a footballer and a soldier combined is the summit of all ambitions, says " Woggs " in the Town and Country Journal, especially since the contingent returned. Those of the contingent who w,ere footballers are receiving ovations from their fellow-players, and dinners and banquets are quite numerous. On Monday Mr Dick, of the East Sydney, was handsomely entertained by the members of that club. On Wednesday evening the Waverley Club entertained Lieutenant J. R. M'Donald at a complimentary dinner held in Gunsler's Cafe. Mr Hewlett, president of the club, occupied the chair, and Mr Simpson, Mayor of Waverley, the vice-chair. / Lieutenant M'Donald, in responding to the toast of his health, gave a graphic account of the contingent's doings in Egypt, and wound up by saying, " The ■ Australians drank more than any soldier — only water, though,",