FOOTBALL. NOTES BY FORWARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1812, 13 August 1886, Page 26

FOOTBALL. NOTES BY FORWARD.

I haVe much pleasure in announcing that the proprietors of the Otago Witness inteud offer, ing trophies of the value of £15 to be distributed among the players who have distinguished themfeelves most during ' the present season. This handsome offer should stimulate our footballers to renewed exertions, and generally do a great deal for football in Otago. A scheme of distribution of these prizes will be published in our next issue.

The steady downpouring rain on Saturday made it impossible to play the trial matches arranged by the Rugby Union with the view of selecting a team to play against Canterbury. A mixed team — a very mixed team, however, journeyed to Balclutha and had a game with a representative country fifteen, the latter whining by 10 points to 2. The play taken all round was of a rather mild and unscientific description, and calls for no special comment. The town team, inclnding only two or three first-class players, had little or no combination, and among the forwards nearly everyone seemed to have a great lifting for playing on the wing. The country forwards were a pretty heavy lot, but they trusted mainly to their strength and did not shine very much in the loose play. Among the backs, however, there were some men of promise, notably, Roscoe of Lawrence a strong runner, who, with a ilttle good practice, would make a very good player. His principal fault is that he plays too much to himself. Taldng their play all round, the country team were not to be despised, but an ordinary first fifteen from any of the principal city clubs should have no difficulty in beating them. None of the players were up to Interprovincial form.

There was a great tendency to offside play among the country team and they were evidently not so conversant with the rules as might have been expected. The self-constituted captain of the team was himself a transgressor in this respect, and his continual remarks to the umpires and players duripg the progress of the game were ludicrous in the extreme. The following report of the match is taken, the " Daily Times": —

A team picked from various town clubs went to Balclutha on Saturday to try conclusions with a team chosen from the Balclutha, Lawrence, and Gore clubs. Two of the town team — O'Gorman and Menzies — failed to put in an appearance.andtwosubstitutes had to be gotat Balclutha. As is often the case the weather, though so bad in Dunedin as to put a stop to all outdoor games, at Balclutha was all that could be desired for football. A good number of the youth and beauty, the sportive and sedate of Balclutha turned out to witness the game, and became at times quite enthusiastic over the doings of their champions. Strong captained the Town (colours) and Cork the Country (reds), and the latter kicked off. Watson returned the ball into the reds ( twenty-five, and the colours' forwards by good loose play, compelled their opponents to force down. After the kick-out Mackerras sprained his ankle and had to retire. Play was confined for some time to the reds' twenty-five, and they were again forced down ; but the superior weight of their forwards gradually began to tell,and the ball was shifted to the colours' quarters, Bett at last obtaining a doubtful try. Roscoe took the kick, but did not add to the score. The colours warmed up ; Strong, M'Farlane, and Shepard {forward), and Hunter and lJl'lntyre (back) doing fine work, and by a series of looSe scrummages again got on to the reds' lines ; but half-time was called without any alteration/ in the score, although the reds were twice or thrice forced down. After the kick off, Hunter was the first to shine, and fendiug the reds' backs, drew first, and as it turned out only blood for the colours. Watson, who took the try, made a good attempt, but not quite good enough. The ball was soon in play again, and hardly five minutes had elapsed ere the reds, by throwing out smartly to Strack, enabled that player to score *a second try for them. Kick at goal another failure. The reds, however, were hard pressed for some time after this, but Cork at last relieved his side by a very fine run, certainly the run of the day. Fitzgerald took the leather back by a capital dribble, and then Roscoe, who was particularly active all day, got fairly away, and passing all the colours' backs, touched down between the posts. The reds' captain, by' infringing the laws in bringing out the ball, lost the try at goal— rather hard lines certainly, but a lesson that won't be forgotten — and the colours kicked out. Strack soon afterwards got a mark, from which he succeeded in placing a splendid goal, thus bringing the Country score up to 10 points, at which it remained when time was called. As a team, the Country was much superior in weight (forward) and in running power (back) to their opponents. In Roscoe, Porter, Straok,and Cork the Country possessed a quartette of sprinters which it would be hard to beat, and these four gave the opposing backs a lot of trouble. Hindmarsh, Wallis, Bain, Hart, and Bett were about the best of the Country forwards, who— bar an unusual tendency to off-side — played a good hard game. Matthews deserves a word of praise for the way in which he stopped the rushes of the colours' forwards. Hunter, M'lntyre, and Watson did good work behind the scrummage for the Town, the former especially excelling hinir self. In the loose scrummages the Town forwards showed a marked superiority over the other side; Strong, M'Farlane, Shepard, and Hindle being particularly good. After the match both teams had an excellent lunch at the local Coffee Palace, when success to the O.R.F.U. was drunk in bumpers of the cup that cheers but nofc inebriates.

The Interprovincial match this year will be played on the Carisbrook ground on the 28th inst. In a previous issue I expressed regret at the action of the committee in this respect. Since then, however, I have learned that the Caledonian Society have gone behind the backs of the Union Committee and endeavoured to make arrangements on their own account with the Sydney team. They offered the Sydney team % certain proportion of the gate money if they would play on their ground, and the Rugby Union had to warn the Sydney men that they would have nothing to do with them if they accepted the Caledonian Society's proposal. The action of the society I think in ignoring the Rugby Union quite justified the latter in accepting the better terms offered by the Carisbrook Ground Company, and perhaps it will be as well to settle once and for all the vexed question as to whether the public will go to see a football match on the Carisbrook ground. The Secretary of the Union informs me that arrangements are being made by his committee and the recently formed Ex-High School Boys' Club for the renting of reading rooms and a general committee room in a central part of the town. The idea is, I think, a very good one.

If it proves a success arrangements will probably be made next year for a Rugby Union gymnasium.

Lindsay, I am glad to hear, is once more in the field and playing well, so the_ injury to his leg could not have been a very serious one. He gained two tries playing in a recent match at Auckland. Booth of Invercargill formerly a member of the Dunedin Pirates Club is about to be transferred to Ohristchurch.

Endeavours are being made by the Rugby Union to get the best players from Oamaru and Invercargill \o take part in the trial matches. A well-known luvercargill footballer writing of the merits of the local players, says :— " Taking the I.F.C. first there are three good men who are worthy of mention, viz: — Booth, Cox, and lies. The former you all know in Dunedin, but I might just add that he has lost none of his old form. He does his share of the work dribbles well and saves his backs a lot of work in collaring. Cox for hard work and lasting powers would be hard to beat, but is not what you would term a showy forward, as most of his work is done in the centre of the scrum. His weight is about 12 stone. lies you will remember as having played half-back for Canterbury two years ago. He is playing in rare form this season, but I hardly think he is up to your standard or idea of a half-back, as he very seldom attempts to kick. You could hardly get a better man for a defensive game for his collaring is good, he stops rushes in fine style, and makes good headway through the forwards. These three are the only players from this club who have any pretentious to interprovincial honours. The Pirates have four forwards it would be hard to match anywhere — Cockrof t, Ekensteen, Mentiplay, and Galbraith, The first-named plays about as genuine a game as you could wish for. He is not brilliant as compared to Jim Allan, but is a player who works from start to finish. Weight when stripped, 13 stone. Ekensteen, you know, and when I say that he is hardly as good as the other three you will be able to form an estimate of their powers. Mentiplay strips about 12 stone, and is a rare man on the line out and in loose scrims. He also tackles well. Galbraith, the younger, is the heaviest of the crowd and is very fast. He has most of the qualities that go make up a good forward. The Gordon club at Sydney beat Wallaroo. The Town and Country journal says of the match; — O'Donnell and Webb showed great judgment with their dribbling in a crowd. Two or three of the players last Saturday were guilty of playing too much off-side. M' Arthur, of the Wallaroo, made far and away the best run of the day which was worthy of more success, Cheesman just spoiling his chance a few yards from the touch line by tackling him in fine style, securing the ball in the tussle, and sending it far from home with one of his grand kicks. Walker, as usual, showed some sterling play, and the quar-ter-backs of either side worked like Trojans. A win to the Gordon by 9 points against a team like the Wallaroo is a grand performance, and entitles them to be designated with truth the invincible Gordon.

Some temperance people ascribe the general success that has attended the efforts of the Geelong team this year to the fact that of their first 20, 14 members are total abstainers. Strange how opinions differ. I heard an old veterai. declaring the other day that the reason the D F.C. lost so many matches this year was because* there were more teetotalers than usual among their ranks !

The Sydney Mail says that whatever feeling may have been entertained by the members of the Southern Rugby Football Union at the annual meeting with regard to the aspirations of the newly-formed Gordon club, the members of the Gordon organisation have the laugh on their side. The old saying, " Let those laugh who win," can be used in regard to tho club which has carried all before it ; but how will the cachinatory effort be appreciated by those clubs who sneered at the ambition of the Gordon men ? Their defeat of the Wallaroo last Saturday was complete, and the result — nine points to nil— speaks for itself. Two heavy teams met, but the greater skill and better organisation of the Gordons asserted itself. The Wallaroo men at times played up wonderfully well, but their efforts were fitful and unsustained. The Gordons have now overcome the University, the fastest team in Sydney, and have routed the marsupials. That is a good record. They now wish to afford the 'Varsity a chance of another game, and no doubt the challenge will be accepted. Both the Gordon and Wallaroo fought most determinedly. Wallaroo were forced down four times.