FOOTBALL. NOTES BY FORWARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1805, 25 June 1886, Page 22

FOOTBALL. NOTES BY FORWARD.

Last Saturday the weather was lovely — too lovely almost for footballers, but just the thing for the spectators, of whom there where a good many out. On the Caledonian Ground the Dunedin Club met a strong team from the Taieri Club, and defeated them by one point. The Taieri forwards were a strong heavy lot of fellows, and gave the dark blues some very hard work to do. At the commencement of the game play centred for a while about the middle flag; but slowly and surely the Taieri forwards, headed by Allan, Steele, and Gibson, took the ball to the Dunediu lines. Martin, Mills, Mill, and Smith, working like Trojans, took it back, and the game became fast and furious, the Taieri men making desperate efforts to score, and the Blues playing just as desperately to stop them. The Taieri men had their reward afc last, for the ball being well passed to Scott, that player potted a neat goal. No further scoring took place timing the first spell, although the Taieri men had the best of the game.

Mills kicked off in the second spell, and the game became more even, the Blue forwards, to a man, playing hard and fast on the ball. Home good punting by R. Austin, Cook, and Fulton, and the ball apppared in the Taieri quarters. Mill here obtained possession, and by a grand dash obtained a try. Harper took the kick, and placed a splendid goal. Time was called shortly afterwards. For the Taieri, Pram, Smith, Allan, Oliver, Steele, and the Gibsons played well ; while for the Blues, Fulton, Austin, Cook, Martin, Mills, Mill, Smith, and Turfcon were about the best. Austin as fullback again played grandly, his collaring and kicking being Al. The match between the Union and Moutecillo Clubs was another surprise, the former club winning by five points to nothing. This was hardly to be expected after the Montecillo Club having beateu the Dunedin men so decisively on the previous Saturday. The following account of the play appeared in the Daily Times of Monday last : — For about twenty minutes of the first spell the play was chiefly confined to Union territory. The Monteciho fowards made desperate efforts to score, Isaacs, Twiname, Shepard, and O'Gorman being well to the fore. Noel was fed assiduously, but his attempts at getting away were generally nipped in the bud. Several attempts at " pots " were made by Watson, Cooper, and Bannatyne, but were unsuccessful. The Union forwards, especially Henderson, the two M'Farlanes, Wyinks, and Gordon, were playing a brilliant game, and backed up by the smart kicking of Hunter. Bee and Hope gradually shifted the leather to Montecillo quarters. Here the play waxed very warm, and Bee, making a fine run up to the touch line, got into touch, where, for no apparent reason, aMontecillo player threw him viciously, for which he was most deservedly hooted from all parts of the field. From the " throw out " a grand rus-h by the Union forwards, in which Henderson and Hunter were conspicuous, resulted in Forsyth securing a try, from which Bee placed a neat goal. After the " kick-out " Noel made a very fine run and looked extremely like scoring, but Fraser was about and successfully negotiated him. This run was replied to not long afterwards by an equally brilliant one by Fitzgerald, and half-time was called. During the early part of the second spell the Montecillo team di .1 their level be;>t to equalise matters, and on more than one occasion the ball was forced into the Union 25. However, a brilliant dribble by Torrance shifted th« sceue of action, awl the loose pi iy of the Union forwards .soon gave the opposing tram enough to do in defending their goal. At this stage Bannatyne repeatedly saved his bide, and with Isaacs, Twiname, and Shepard (forwards) offered a sturdy defence. Bee and Hope made frequent shots at goal, which only resulted in Montecillo being forced down. Hunter got over the Montecillo line with the ball at his feet, but was forced out of play, and just before time was called, he again ran iv ; but the try was disallowed, fch»

MonteoiUo umpire giving it as a try, the Union umpire and referee beiug of a contrary opinion. The match thus resulted in a win for the Union team by five points to nil.

The Zingari Club are still pursuing the even tenor of their way, and defeat after defeat has to be chronicled against them. Iv this year's Rugby Annual the result of last season's matches played by tho Zingari Club is given follows : — First Fifteen : Matches played, eight, lost eight ; St'cond Fifteen •• Matches played, ten, lost ten. The result this season may be a little more encouraging, but so far no wins have been scored. Last Saturday two more defeats were added to the already lengthy list. They were inflicted by the first and second fifteens of the Pirates Club, who scored 17 aud 18 points to nil in the rebpective matches.

Writing of the Zingari Club reminds me of the short though wel^ written report in this year's Annual regarding their doings of last season. The final paragraph of this is worth quoting: — As regards the deeds of the Second Fifteen, says the writers has not " Forward " immortalised them iv the pages of the Witness. Without a fixed captain, with their be-st men drafted into the First, and their places filled with new players, whateould be expected ? They lacked the dash and skill of the old Ziugari Second, and yet they were no whit behind in pluck and coolness, and when at the close of the season discipline and training had begun to tell, they gave their gallant adversaries the Union Second all they couldjdo to hold their own against them. There was skill and muscle and esprit de corps in that desperate little band, the Zingari Second of 1885. For them, too, let the past be the past, and ho we rise to meet the future " cool and siccar" as ever Scot at Bannockbuin.

The match Pacific v. Kaikorai was pkyel on the former's ground in the presence of a large crowd of spectators, great§intm)st being taken iv the match on account of both dubs being unbeaten as juniors last year. The game during the first spell was very even, neither side having any advantage. Shortly after the commencement of the second spell the Pacific forwards took the ball over their opponents' line, and M'Cutcheon (who played a fine forward game) secured a try. Daring the remainder of the .spell the Kaikorai looked like scoring several times, but were prevented by the stubborn play of the Pacific half-backs (Farrell and Austin). There being no further score the game resulted in a victory for the Pacific by two points to nil. Miller and M'lntyre, of the Kaikorai backs, showed up most prominently, the former gaining a lot ground by his punting into touch ; aud Douglas and Sonntag were about the best of their forwards. For the Pacific, Scott (2), Hurrell, and Foster, of the forwards, and Smith and Irvine, backs, did a lot of useful work.

The Union Club are making radical changes in their teams this year, M'lntyre, the Interprovincial half-back of last year, has been relegated to the second fifteen, as has also Simmers, who used to play a good fowrard game. Hunter, who formerly played forward, has been distinguishing himself as a half-back, and James Fitzgerald, who was promoted from the second fifteen, played a rattling game on Saturday. The English style of umpiring, recommended by the Home Rugby Union, was tried on Saturday in the Pirates-Zingari match, but did not prove a success. Our own style of umpiring, in which the umpires, and not; the referee, have power to stop the pla^-, is much to be preferred to the style prevailing at Home.

Cardiff, after an almost phenomenal run of victories, were defeated in their last match of the season by Moseley, though they had nil the best of the game, but were unlucky in not scoring on several occasions. During the past season they played altogether 27 matches, and were successful in every one with the exception of the match recorded above. Their scoring, too, has been exceptionally heavy, the total of 70 goals and 61 tries to three goals and one try against forming a best on record, and beating the famous Blackheath record score. Douglas heads the list amongst the backs with 23 tries, and Arthur follows close with 22 ; then in succession come Hancock, 18 ; Stewart, 14 ; Jarman, 10 ; and Stadden, 0 ; whilst forward D. H. Lewis is at the head with 10 tries.

Footballers will regret to hear of the death of young Thompson, of Woodhaugh, which took place on Sunday last. He was one of the High School players, a bright young boy, liked by everybody. It seems he caught a chill after a match, and died of inflammation of the bowels. Footballers cannot be too careful in avoiding a chill after a hard match, but there can be no real danger if ordinary care is taken.

Kaitaugata Black Diamonds v. Balclutha. — The return matrh between the above clubs was played on the Balclutha ground on Saturday afternoon. Considerable interest was manifested in this match, as the Black Diamonds had beaten Balclutha in the first match, played at Kaifcangala, by 11 points io nil. Play was confined to the centre of the field for some time, but the steady play of the Clutha forwards brought the ball into the visitors' twenty-five. Here the ball was smartly passed from a line out by Lattimore to Lynch, who made a dashing run and secured the first try, which Garforth converted into a goal. Ju*t before half-time Fleming took the ball over the visitors' goal line and secured a try, which, however, was disputed, and the umpires disagreeing, the Olutha captain gave Kaitangata the benefit of the doubt. During the end spell Cork secured a second try. Garforth's attempt at the goal was a failure owing to the wind. A few minutes before time J. Lattimore got a third try, which was converted into a goal by Bishop, Balelutha thus winning by 12 points to nil. A great deal of unnecessary squabbling took place, and the Kaitangata umpire retired during the first spell. A suitable substitute was, however, soon found, and matters went a little more smoothly. For Kaitangata, M'Laren, at three-quarters, played a splendid game. Reid, in the forwards, did a lot of hard work for his side, as also did Burns, who gave some splendid kicks, gaining a lot of ground for his side. The Clutha forwards played a splendid game throughout, and were always on the ball. Bishop, as fullback, had little to do, but did that little in a manner that justified the confidence placed in him.

The Otago Acclimatisation Society has now 12,000 young salmon from the 20,000 ova, part of the Government shipment by the Coptic. A large number of ova is being obtained from the American brook trout in the Opoho ponds, and (3000 Loch Leven trout ova- are in the hatching boxes at Waiwera and Opoho. It may be mentioned that the Otago society is the only society of the kind in the Southern Hemisphere that has introduced thu last mentioned vaiiety of trout.

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