NOTES BY FORWARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1895, 16 March 1888, Page 27

NOTES BY FORWARD.

Most of our football clubs have already held their annual meetings, and are settling down to business in right good earnest. The season promises to be a very busy oae. First of all we are

to have Warbrick's Maori team, and then the

Englishmen. In addition to ■matches agaiust these two combinations, there will be the usual contests between Otago and Canterbury and Ofcago and Southland. There is, besides, some

talk of a Nelson team coming South.

Club matches will of course have to be sacrificed to a certain extent, but I dare is&y most of the important fixtures will be got off. It is rather early yet to predict anything regarding the different teams. Several good players will be missed this season^ and I am inclined to think we will be ratfeer weak in backs, but no doubt Borne good men will step forward from the ranks, and after all I dare say Otago will not be very fac out of it at the finish.

The annual meeting of the Rugby Union will be held on Saturday. There is a good deal of business to be done, and I expettt to see a large attendance of delegates.

A London telegram states that the Rugby Umon have decided that one.member of the proposed football team for the colonies is a professional player, and others are suspected of being ineligible for the same reason. The Dublin Freeman's Journal of January 23 lias the following :— " A full meeting of the delegates from the four provinces attended at the Tavistock Hotel on Saturday to pick the Fifteen to represent Ireland against Scotland and Wales, England being now excluded owing to an attempted dictation by a formidable minority of her representatives. These delegates were : Ulster— Messrs James Chambers, 8.L., president; H. Johnston, H. Neill, R. Gorman, and another. Lemper — T. R. Lyle, L. Moyers, J. E. Blood, R. G. Warren, and E. M'Alister. Munster— W. L. Stokes, W. Beaumont, P. Hayes, R. Hayes, and R. Thompson. Connaught (limited to three)— Rev. R. Baile, Dr Jordan, and J. J. M'Carthy. After a very crucial debate, in which the merits and demerits of each candidate were discussed, the following were elected : — Full back— R. Walkington, North of Ireland and Dublin University. Half backs — Tillie, Derry, and University; "Ray," University, and Rambaut University, Monkstown. Quarters— Warren, Lawnsdowne ; and M'Laughlin, Derry. Forwards— LeFanu, Cambridge University and Lansdowne ; Walsh, Lansdowne ; James Moffat, Belfast, Albion ; Neil, North of Ireland ; Rutherford, Tipperary and Lansdowue ; Shanahau, Waterford and Lansdowne ; F. O. Stoker, Wanderers ; Ekin, Queen's College, Belfast ; and M. Moore, University. Substitutes : Full back— O'Sullivan, Limerick ; Holmes, Lisburn. Half backs — Montgomery, Queen's College, Belfast ; Carpendale, Monkstown ; M. Bulger, Lansdowne and Kilrush ; Wallis, Wanderers. Centre — Walpole, Pedlow, Hayes, and Ross. Quarter backs — Stevenson, Lisburn ; Johns, North of Ireland and Wanderers ; M'Gee, North of Ireland ; Gillespie, Wanderers ; Luke, Bective Rangers. Forwards— De Courcy, Limerick ;E. Stoker, Wanderers ; Mayne, North of Ireland ; Morton, University ; Prendergast, Limerick ; Gallagher, Derry ; M'Kay, Galway ; Taggart, Ballinasloe ; M. Walsh, Galway; Dalton, Monkstown. Mr H. Neill was elected captain unanimously. But for their indifferent display on Saturday both O'Sullivan and Montgomery would have been on, and although it is not the best team that could be chosen it is a very good one."

Last year it will be remembered the Irish team succeeded for the first time on record in beating the English Fifteen. On that occasion Neill lost the captaincy by only one vote. He has now been elected unanimously. Mr Neill is the second son of Mr H. J. Neill, and nephew of Messrs Robert, P. C. Neill, and W. G. Neill, of this city.

A good deal of interest was taken by the Irish sporting public in the match between Ulster and Munster, which was played on the wellknown convincing ground at Lansdowne road towards the end of the season. Rutherford kicked off to Pedlow, who made a fair reply, and for a long time scrummages of the most passive and uninteresting description exhausted the proceedings. This state of affairs was diversified by a smart run from W. Moffat, who got very near the goal, and then Montgomery was splendidly collared by Bulger. Johns then put on a smart spurt, and a beautiful dribble by Mayne, who passed to Ljttle, caused Munster to touch down, After drop out Johns made a good run, and Wolfe showed up prominently until a loose kick sent the ball softly between O'Sullivan's legs, and Stevenson pounced on it thus scoring first try for Ulster. This Pedlow easily converted into a goal. Neill opened the second half by placing off to the junior Hayes, whose brother now retired slightly hurt. Thompson went half back instead of him, and soon afterwards Johns rau rightjthrough the whole team, being very badly missed en route. On the line he passed to Montgomery who got in, but a plea for dead ball proved fatal. It made little difference, however, as Stevenson soon slipped in for a second try, which Pedlow had no difficulty in converting into a goal. Neill was wonderfully conspicuous with sound work sad dribbling from this to the end of the game. Pedlow dropped afc the bar but failed. Holmes made one mistake with a bad free kick from which Thompson should have had a goal. Just before call of no side Stevenson made a third successful dart for a try and Pedlow kicked a goal off it.

The Home papers have been wonderfully reticent about the English team which is to visit the colonies. At last, however, I have managed to drop on a paragraph regarding the team. The Athletic News says :— " The Rugby Union Committee wish it to be known that, in response to a request from the promoters to give their support and approval to the projected football tour to Australia, they declined to do so. They do not consider it within their province to forbid their players joining the undertaking, but they feel it their duty to let gentlemen who may be thinking of going know that they must be careful in any arrangements made that they do not transgress their laws for the prevention of professionalism. The committee will look with a jealous eye upon any infringement of such laws, and they desire specially to call attention to the fact that players musfc not be compensated for loss of time. Paul (Swinton), Eagles, and Williams (Salford) 'have all definitely arranged to join Shaw and Shrewsbury's football team."

Towards the end of the season the Halifax flub inaugurated a series of matches by the aid of electricity. The ground was fitted up with 10 powerful arc lights, and the experiment proved highly successful. A gentleman was imbibing liquid nourishment from a gill pot on the Halliwell ground during the progress of a Lancashire football match, when the ball sailed up and knocked the measure from his hand. The remarks which he made on the occasion arß not chronicled in the local press. The Blackburn Rovers and Wanderers showed themselves true sportsmen by playing a match

for the benefit of the burnt-out sufferers by the Bolfcon Theatre Royal fire. Thus a writer in the Athletic News: — "A correspondent in Warrington has sent me a most enthusiastic and glowing description of a recent match there, when Wakefield Trinity-, Yorkshire pot-holders, were decisively defeated. Jolley, who dropped the goal which gaVe his side the victory, was made a small god of by the multitude* who carried him shoulder high to the dressing-room, and there's not been so ttrach peace and goodwill to all men in Warrington since the Star of Bethlehem shone. Don't breathe anything about the West Lancashire Cup now in Warrington. If you do, there'll be a funeral from your late home tomorrow."