NOTES BY FORWARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 33

NOTES BY FORWARD.

• . • The following table, showing at a glance the records for the past season of the various unions in the colony that have hid foreign fixtures, will probably be of interest to many readers of this page :—: —

•.' A writer in the An ch. laud Observer profesfes to believe shat Wellington and Taranaki would both be equal to tho ta^k of lowering Otngo's colou'S, and the Naw Zealand Mail expresses ft similar opinion. If fuch a belief affords to these two unions any consolation for the rtver-es they sustained, no one at this end of the colony would seek to deny them the comfort to be derived from it. • . • The <Jrueii Island team, the winners of tho 0 R F.U. Junior Fli»g, had in all 14- eng^emeuta in thy -competition for the trophy. Th"y wtre not defeated on any occasion, bub had two drawn matches. in the other 12 matches they gained victories — in two cafea, however, winning by d< fault. They scored altogether 20 goals and 29 tries, representing 181 point?, and the total score against them was one goal ore try (7 poiuba), the whole of which was registered against them in the first match of tho season. The following shows the club's record for tbe year :—: — May 11, v. Caveroham Second— Won ; one goal two trie* (11 po'nts) to one goal one try (7 points). May 18. v. High Mchool— Won; three goals six tri< s 133 points) to nil. May 2>, v. Port Chalmers— Won ; one goal (5 points) to nil. Juno 1, v. Warehousemen— Drawn ; no score. June 8, v. Pacilic --Won ; two goals (9 points) to nil. June 22, v. Alhwibra Second— Wou ; ono goal aix tries (23 point*) to nil. June 29, v. Melrose— Won ; one try (3 points) to nil. . July 13, v. Otakia— Won ; five goals five tries (3) point*) to nil. July 20, v. Union Sec Mid— Won by default. July 27, v. K.iikorai Second -Won; four goals five tried (35 points) to nil. Augmt 3, v Taieri— Drawn ; no score. August 10, v. Zine*ri-ltichmond Second— Won ; two goate four tries (20 points) to nil. August 31 (semi-final), v. Pirates Second— Won by default. September 14 (final), v. Warehousemen— Won ; one goal (3 points?) to nil. •. ■ I). Tor'ance. by playing against the Southland last wr-ek, broke an Otago football record, for the game in which he then took part was the nineteenth wherein he has represented the province. He has thns dieplaced from the proud position of Otago's most frequent representative R. D. Isaacs, who had 18 matches to his credit. A. W. Morris comes nexb in order with 17 matches. Torrauce, moreover, is not done with jet. He hopes to gain his place again in the representative team next year. • . • They seem to have an effective way in Yorkshire of c >mpelling clubs to observe their engagements. In the Athletic Hows I read : •' There are a number of football clubs in Yorkshire ngainsb whom the Yorkshire Unioa Committee have made orders for the payment of damages for breach of engagements. These club 3 should know that if (he claims are nob paid they st*ud in danger of being ' committed'—to me a legal phrase. In other words, default may find them refused membership of the Yorkshire Union for next season." •.•Flushed with the success they have achieved this season, the Otago representatives returning from Inverc wgill on Thursday of last week to'Jk advantage of the presence of three members of the O.R.F.U. Committee in the railway carriage with them to unanimously adopt a suggestiou that they should ba sent north to play Taranaki. It w»s pointed out to them, however, that they hid virtually beaten Taranaki, for Taranaki had drawn with Auckland and Otago had beaten Auckland, and Taranaki had drawn with Wellington, Canterbury had beaten Wellington, and Otago had beaten Canterbury. j • . ' A crisis has occurred in the affairs ef the Yorkshire Rugby Union, with the result that the clubs which have been eDgaged in the senior competition -have withdrawn from the union. The real matter in dispute between the senior competition clubs and the union was as to the right of aecond-class club 3to promotion into the senior competition, the union proposing that there should be a test match to determine whether the lowest club in the senior list should not drop out in favour of the highest clab in the second-class list, and this proposal being rejected by the senior clubs, which now intend to keep their fixtures to themselves and work together as if the competition still existed. The clnbs in question, while withdrawing from the Yorkshire Union, continue thsir membership with the English Union. • , • The Otago team had an enjoyable trip

last week to Invercargill, where they were thoroughly well entertained by the Southland Union. The match was not of the bent, although the weafcher was favourable to a good exhibition, the play being too ragged The Southland forwards displayed their ununl da s h, but the Blues' Front diriaion were alno on their be*t behaviour and did nit let the homo pack have all their own wny. Ou the contrary, tho Blues' forwards, beeidei getting the ball fairly often, fittuug a number of scrums, and it w.is this fact, I understand, which gave rise to tho impression thit some of them were pitying off side. Duucßi), behind the scrum, was in fine form, and after him the bnsb back was Sttspbensou, who " paralysed " the Southlanders. Mackenzie sprained his kfb wrist towards the end of the second spoil. On the Southlaud side B iiu was the pick of th", br.cks, his 1 >ng kicking into touch gaining groat stretches of ground for the Maroonc. The game, I need scarcely add, was centered in the besbof spirit. • . • It is matter for regret that beltiug on the game is so manifestly on tho increase in Christ church, where thtre seems to be an inore»sing number of persons who make all aorts of pastimes the subject of wagers. Th«; 3 perBOBH are not sportsmen, and ie is important, if possible, that oar national gam&s should be kept free from their influence Th«reUioy are, however, in Christchurch, and when the team upon which they have pl&uked their money is unfortunate enough to meet a team of superior meritet, m hideous wail is raided by them. They will, of course, never admit tnat the team they btck is fairly bea'en. In cricket they may perhaps blame an umpire, or they may ignoratitly charge an opposing player with adopting unsportstrauliko method*. Any excuse, apparently, will aerve. In football thtro in an official — the referee— who is conveniently mide the butb of thn'r reckless charges. It does not mr.ttar to them if they do not see the game. Let them but call tho referee •' incorapeteufe,'' "mcapAblo," "inconsistent," and apply these adjectivea frequently enough to him, and some of the mud which they fling is, they reckon, »uro to stick. They are cjnteraptible tactics to adopt, and I draw attention to then only b;cMise thc-ir adoption indicates how com plot ely the trail of the " new football " lies over Chrittchurch. It uFeil not to be bo in Canterbury. Tho time has been that when a Canterbury footbitll team received a " licking " it was acknowledged thai the team had been fairly beaten by a better team, and I do not believe tbat even now the Cantetbury representatives would try to meanly excuse away the fair and square beatiug they received in Dunedin the o^her day. Tho " barrackets " — the supporters who have their " little bit" on the match— these are the gentry who create all the noise and who are behind the insulting and unwarrantable remarks which are allowed to appear in respectable papers. • . • A correspondent from Clyde asks : — A member of a team secured a mark and immediately ttok his kick. The referee blow his whistle jnsfc as the ball \ia§ kicked. The roferee called the ball b.\ck and gave tho same player who marked ai other kick. Was the referee justified in giving another kick after one kick hod been taken, or should % scrum have been given ? — Without knowing more about Ihe circunvtances, it is impcs^ible to fl*y whet hoc the player who marked the ball should or should not have been allowed a second kick. Having marked the ball he was entitled to the benefit; of his kick. Tbe referee may have blown his whißtle for an infringement on the part of the opposing aide, in which case it would be optional with him to give tho marker a second kick. • . • Tho Bny View Football Club Second journeyed to Waikouaiti on Saturday, and were defeated by 17 points to nothing. The local team won the toss and played with the wind, and E Su.ith, Orbell, aud Black crossed the visitors' live — the first try being converted by F. Smith. When play was again resumed the wind bad died away, and Doff secured » try for Waikouaiti. Mr W. Gibaon, who nccompatiitd the town team, made an efficient refereo. • . ■ A D<iily Times te*m visited Mosg'u-1 on Saturday and tried conclusions with the representatives of the local woollen, factory. 'Lhe game was a very enjoyable one, and resultecHn a victory for the visitors by 3 point* to nothing. For the Times, Saoeafcon's piny at centre threequarter was particularly goed, runuing awd psssing in tha most approved style ; whileHarris, Stauefield, Ballwntyne. and Hanson were j also of great service to their side. Among tU» Taiori players, O. Flynn, Murdoch, Miller, Stoddart, and Bringaas were the most noticeable, the latter especially playing a fine forward game. Mr M'Comiochie controlled the game to fche satisfaction of all, and was awiated by Messrs R. Sountss and F. Smith as touchjudges. • . • A match bofcween teams representing the firms of Bing, Harris, and Co. and S»rgood, Son, and Kwen, played at the Caledonian ground, resulted in a win for the bitter by 6 points to 5. Tries were secured for the winning side by Munro and HanjJeb, neither of which were converted. Beat ecored a try for Bing, Harrip, and Co , and Kinvig, with a capital kick, registered a goal. • . • Unife*d Second played and defeated Bay View by 20 to nothing, thus finishing a Bucce»aful reason with the following record ;—; — Matches played 7, won 6, drawn 1 ; points for 100, against 20. ■ . • The Britannia defeated the Emerald by 4points to nothing. • . ' The annual football match under Association rules between teams representing the Daily Times and Telegraph Offices was won by the latter by 3 goals to nothing. For the victors Veitch, Faulks, Peeblss, Mulloy, and Crawshaw played besb ; the most prominent on the Times' side being Ritchie, Dodds, and Ru6sell.

a o i i a a ft t g '3 mi ~~~ —^— — — ■»— . Jtago ||Vest Coast 3*i.terliury L'aianaki iucklau'i vS r elliiißton MauHwatu Wairarajia Hawk--'s B>iy South Canterbury ... xiuihland iVauganui Poverty Bay 4 2 6 4 a 7 2 3 5 3 3 3 2 4 2 5 2 5 4 1 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 4 2 1 c o to 38 IS 61 55 61 52 lti 8 28 5 8 11 3 i 7 23 1 26 3 39 27 22 12 64 21 24 51 28 27 1 1 3 3 2 3 -