FOOTBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2360, 18 May 1899, Page 42

FOOTBALL.

XOTES BY FORWARD.

A special general meeting of the Otago Br.gby Union has been convened for the 27th inst , the main business being the coneidera,tion land amendment of the rules governing' 'the flag matches in Dunedin. These rules do imot apparently give satisfaction to some of ,'.the clubs: The points in them to which exception is principally taken are the imposition '■of entrance ,f ees and the provision for a semi--final' and final round being played. Tlie forkner of these is a small matter and not .worth 'while discussing. What the .precise objection fto closing the .matches with a semi-final and fthen a final round may be I can only conjecture-. It will probably be argued that the Effect oi this may be that the club which {has gained. most flag points in the preliminary around may be defeated and put out of the 'contest by the club which, at the close of the preliminary round, is only fourth in order of merit and has only succeeded in scraping into -the semi-final. That may happen, certainly, but it is such an unlikely contingency that the delegates will sorely hesitate before they erect n, solid objection to the xules upon at. On the other hind I may point out one way in which the flag rules, as framed, have the effect of equalising the chances of the clubs. The University Club was compelled through stress of circumstances to place a Scratch team in the field on the first day of the inatehes. Some of its most prominent players (bad not returned from their holidays. Its Jteam had never had a practice. The consequence was that it was beaten by an inferior ieam on that Saturday. Now, if it be 'Supposed that the University Club's best fifteen were equal to the Kaikorai — this is merely a •hypothetical case — and that was the UniverEity's only defeat in the season, whereas the 'Kaikorai, having got its chosen team thoroughly prepared before the, opening snatch, escaped any defeat at all, the University Club's thanes of winning the senior flag [would have" been extinguished by the mere fact of that early defeat. The provision for semi-final matches puts the University Club Son the same 'terms with theKaikorai. More|6yer, the rules seem to be framed with the wiew of securing that ihe interest in . the anatches be sustained right up to the end. JUnder the system proposed by the malconffcents, by which the clubs will carry out {their fixtures until trial matches come in the fway and .then their order. will be determined jon the result of thoee matches, the flag competition.may be virtually over before the season is half through. Even those who are dissatisfied with the present rules will, I think, not contend that that is desirable. They are, ihowever, ' determined to leave no stone un[turned in their endeavours to get the rules amended. The fact that the competition has [already commenced under the rules does not^ ,ihave any weight with them. They have ac-' jtually gone the length of circularising the country clubs, and suggesting to them that ithe question of the flag rules is no business of theirs and that their delegates should be instructed not to vote on «.he matter. Is it, {however, no business of the country clubs? )If the proposals of -the dissatisfied clubs are looked fairly in the face, what do they mean? /They aim at upsetting the entire principle ,upon which the O.R.F.U. Committee have framed the flag rules. The delegates entrusted "their committee of management with the task of framing these rujes, and for them to say now that in that task the committee have fclundered implies a vets of censure on that committee. That is a matter which interests i«he country clubs. To that extent the main to come before the special meeting is certainly their business. The O.R.F.U. Committee cannot be complimented on their backbone when they, decided on^Monday lasb to abolish the entrance fee for flag matches. It is a small thing in itself, but it was decidedly weak on the part of the committee to have yielded to clamour and, after steps had been taken to bring the 'question of the flag rules before a general meting of delegates, to have surrendered on one of the points on which the rules were attacked. There was no new departure in requiring an entrance fee for the flag contests. iA. fee was charged in 1895 when there was a flag competition before, and no objection was (taken to it .then. Why this fuss and this Strong opposition to it in 1899? And why Ihis sudden change of front on the part of the .O.R.F.U. Committee after a decision only a, fortnight ago to adhere to the flag rules? If the flag xules are liable to be amended In one respect after th* matches have been commenced, where is finality to be found? The D.R.F.U. Committee by their weak action in this matter need not bft surprised to find^

that they have put in pickle a rod for their own backs. Severe weather necessitated the postponement of the championship matches last Saturday both at Christchurch and Wellington. The secretary of the New Zealand Union ' has received a letter from the lion, secretary of the English Union stating, in regard to the North Otago v. South Canterbury appeal, ; that his. committee approved of the ruling of j the New Zealand Union— that the referee's ] ruling was given on a point of fact, and must i therefore be upheld. * N i The Otago Rugby Union succeeded at last j year's annual meeting of fhe New Zealand Union in replacing the old senseless arrangement under which members of the Appeal . Committee were scattered throughout the ■ colony, and had to conduct their deliberations by correspondence, by a reasonable rule fixing i the location of the committee in one centre^. , This year Dunedin is the seat of the commit^; tee, and Messrs Campbell, Strong, .M'Laren, 'i Harris, and Hutchison form the committee, j Mr W. C. Marter, secretary of the Wei- j lington Rugby Union, who is^ on a visit to ■ Sydney, made inquiries relative to the possi- ' bility of the (English team visiting New Zea- j land. In an interview, he stated that the exclusion of New Zealand was a strong argu- t ment in favour of the formation of an Aus- • tralasian Union, which would control international fixtures, affiliated colonies participating equally. . The feeling locally was that the Australian matches would be worthless as a test of colonial football without New Zealanders, and there was a strong opinion that New South Wales might reasonably ask New Zealand to reconsider the matter. He denied that New Zealand was actuated by a dog-in-the-manger policy in declining to lie represented. As a result of- the interview, the secretary of the New South Wales Union says there is still .a slight hope that the Englishmen will pay New Zealand a brief visit. Mr Molineawx states that he may be able to extend the trip one week, in which case New South Wales would probably forgo two country and one test match, to enable the Englishmen to play matches at Auckland and Wellington, provided a guarantee of £250 is ( given, New Zealand also paying all expenses, i There can be no definite settlement till the arrival of the Englishmen. --. , "Association football," says Captain Philip . Trevor in an article in the April number of the Badminton Magazine, "in England is no ( longer a pastime. It has become an industry.' ,■ Commenting on this a writer, in an English weekly says : " That sums up the matter in , a nutshell, and it could hardly be better ' staled. But to put a finger on the weak ' spot is fairly ea»y; it is the remedy that is -bard to discover. And I believe myself that : no better thing for the highest interest of the • game could happen — at the point we have now j reached — than the thorough and persistent i working out -of this deplorable pecuniary craze i to its last extremity. When it has gone a little farther there must ctftae the natural reaction ; ] for I refuse to believe that England contains J enough large crowds to encourage Football I Companies to pay dividends much longer, or I that i^jhere" are manufacturers so long suffer- ■ ing as to put _up"for many more yejirs with j the contiflul dislocation of their business, or t that players will for ever consent to be moved about the country like commercial travellers ■at the bidding of their firms, or, finally, that < English newspapers will, always ..take up the', cause of a team that .has been fairly beaten, merely became it produces a technical quibble | after the game is over. And - theEe things have ; only -to cease in order to sound the deathknell of the present unhealthy craze." On March 18, the international " soeker " ' match, Scotland v. Wales, was played .at I LWrexham, and the Welshmen, who experi- j »;eed very bad hick, were beaten by six goals j to none. Of 24' matches Scotland has now | rgiiined 21, the remaining three having been 1 drawn. Two days later the twenty-first match beI tween England and Wales under Association t rules was played at Brißtol. The issue was ' never in doubt, the Englishmen, though they j did not greatly exert themselves after the first goal, winning by four goals to none. The Welshmen were handicapped in having to provide substitutes for five of their team, who had been injured in the match against Scotland. On tho 25th March the Association match, Scotland v.~ Ireland, was played at Glasgow. Whereas Scotland placed a very strong eleven in the field no fewer than six of the originally J selected Irish team cried off, and, indeed, i it was with great difficulty that a full complement was got together. A victory for Scot- J land was consequently regarded 'as a fore- | gone conclusion, and it was obtained by nine goals to none. The day was- one of the worst of the season. At sunrise snow commenced to fall heavily, and continued until 1 o'clock, by which time the ground was covered to a i depth of several inches. Rain then supervened, and by its aid and the employment of a gang of labourers, the snow was removed before the hour of starting. Ireland has never beaten Scotland at the socker game. One match has been drawn, and Scotland has won the other 15. j The aecretary of the Wellington Rugby Union is at present in New South Wales, where we are told he, is to confer with the officials of the New South Wales Union relative to the formation of an Australasian Union, and the secretary of the Canterbury Rugby Union, it is said, will shortly visit New South Wales to confer with referees from the New South Wales and Queensland Referees' Associations and discus? the laws of the game with a view to arriving at a uniform reading throughout the three colonies in which the Rugby code is that mostly in favour. While it is pleasant to know that these two gentlemen have the leisure and the means to enjoy holiday trips to Australia, it is as well that it should be known that on these trips they represent nobody but themselves. It is purely a piece of gratuitousness on their part to seek to represent New Zealand on their respective missions. Nobody has asked them to go. Possibly it anyone was wanted to go on errands such as those for which Messrs Marter and Garrard have appointed themselves, the choice might not fall upon these particular gentlemen. Certainly the experience which Otago people have had of Mr Garrard as a referee does not suggest that he is qualified to represent New Zealand referees in any intercolonial conference.,- As to Mr Marter's mission, all I can say is that an Australasian Union is not desired by New Zealand. Dr Almond, headmaster of Lozetto, a famous nursery for Rugby football, has written to the Field, protesting against what he calls " the modern game " which " has only become possible by a daring and far too long tolerated defiance of the first , principles of Rugby football. For every time that a. referee omits to blow his whistle, when he sees off-side play in a scrummage, he is allowing the existing law to be violated. It is, however, toe much to expect that a custom so long tacitly sanctioned can be broken. It has, unfortunately, become stronger than the law. England will, therefore, continue to play under a tremendous, disadvantage un-

less she does one of three things : First, encourage genuine forward play, even though by doing so she will still play under a considerable handicap from an ideal point of view; but she will thus excite more enthusiasm for the game, and thereby get keener representatives, for nearly every forward who goes south telle me that the game has lost j most of its interest ±o him ; he is degraded ! into a feeder of the backs. Secondly, subsdj disc, directly or indirectly, a lower class of ! players who will skillfully % take every mean j advantage when they think the referee canj not see what they are doing, and abuse or inj timidate him if jie goes against them. This I policy will still further degrade football, but lit may win matches. Or, thirdly, admit a , mistake, and unite with Scotland, who (I have very strong grounds for saying this) will ali most certainly be only too glad tc do so, and , with Ireland, about whom it is reasonable to ; infer the same (though here I speak without | knowledge), in repealing the rule which prej vents the backs from standing where they j like when the ball is in possession of the other . side, as they are entitled to do by the funda- ' mental principles of the game. ... I, ! know that I am far from alone in feeling that any rupture were preferable to our allowing the game of ecrape and dodge to supplant the ! best training which we have in our power to give at school." The weekly meeting of the Committee of the Otago Rugby Football Union, held on Monday, was attended by Messrs Gallaway (president), Wilson, Hunter, Campbell, Duncan, Harris, M'Laren, Payne, Strong, Young, and Hutchison. On the report of the Flag Committee, it was agreed that, while it was recognised that the Southern Club had . done its best to put its ground in the best con : dition, it was necessary still to erect a barricade. It was also resolved to point out to the Dunedin Amateur Ground Company that the Carisbrook ground was in a very unsatisfactory condition, and that some steps should be taken to improve that ground. Messrs Morris, Duncan, Harris/M'Laren, Strong, and Young were appointed a Ground Committee. The report of the referee (Mr A. Spence) in , the Union v. Southern match on the 6th inst. , i that he had ordered H. Allen (Southern) and H. -Bennett (Union) off the field for, as he , alleged, having exchanged blows, was taken i into consideration. The Committee, having heard statements by the referee, both players, , and by other witnesses,- resolved that the ,■ referee having accepted Bennett's explanation of- the charge against him no action be , taken in respect to him. The charge against Allen was, however, proved and lie was , sev erely reprimanded and cautioned. It was resolved by a majority — " That this committee i agree tc abolish the entrance fee for senior j and- second-grade Flag matches." j A Wellington telegram states that in the j annual report of the New Zealand Football ' Association mention is made that an English I team is to tour Australasia under Rugby rules ; this year, and it behoves the New Zealand i Football Association to take such steps as j are possible to pave the way for a visiting socker team.- Some decision should be came ! to early this year as to the position Mr Bain, I the representative in London of the New Zea- • land Football Association, should be asked to , adopt. It is regretted that owing to the apathetic attitude of associations on the other ' side, no progress has.ljeen made this last year - in the direction of "an Australasian 'Association Football Federation. ,The counc.il will probably be asked tc consider .during 'th_e ■ coming season whether it is not jidvisapleu to urge the Auckland and Otago Associations to organise their young playens-on similar lines to those which have proved so successful in the 1 Wellington district. ! The Otago Rugby Football Annual L; just !to hand. It is this year curtailed in 'size I owing to the losses which have been made on the publication in the past, the loss amounting iv ten years to £200. As the amount which each club should pay is this year in- , corporated in the subscription to the union ' the Annual should pay, and the editor hopes j that this may encourage the union to add new features next year. But, after all, this year's edition contains all the information essential to local footballers if they would only study its pages a little more. Owing no doubt to the fact that both cluba had performed creditably in tiieia. previous matches, considerable interest was taken in the contest between the Alhambra -md Southern teams, and a large number of ..persons attended at Fraser's paddock. The | Southern Club had made efforts during ihe week to improve their ground by laying I drains and filling up the hollows with turf, | and certainly it was better than on the previous Saturday, but there were still a number of pools of water about. , As a consequence the ball soon became heavy and greas>. ai cl the backs on either side were greatly handiI capped when anything in the shape of passing was attempted. Indeed, at times the efforts of the players to pick up the leather border; d on the ludicrous. Some of the backs, finding the ball slipping through their fingers so often, went in for speculative kicking pure and simple, and undoubtedly carried this style of play to an extreme. The game on the whole was an interesting one, and at times, exciting. Alhambra, with the assistance of a good bieeze, certainly had much the better of the first epell, but in the second half play was oftener in their twenty-five than in. their opponents'. Some capital dribbling rushes wero witnessed in the course of the game, and in this respect the Southern forwards Rhone, but some good rushes were also made by the j Alhambra vanguard. The winners' forwards were much heavier than those of their opponents, and made use of their weight to such effect that the ball was heeled out to their backs with frequency. M'Donald, late of the Port Chalmers Club, was decidedly n acquisition to the Alhambra. Bond also played well, and Hobson and Given were conspicuous throughout. No forward on the Southern side was more prominent than Neil. On many occasions he came away with the ball at his toe and gained ground for his side. Olson and Allen were very noticeable in the loose, and Cavanagh and Spenoe figured to advantage. Among the backs the best exhibition was given by the Alhambra halves. King got the ball away from the scrum smartly, and Elder and Johnston handled it well. Elder, | indeed, played about the best back game on 1 the ground, kicking, passing, and running in fine style. The play of the three-quarters was rather disappointing, though Bennet shaped well in the second spell. M'Laren at fullback was very safe, and generally found the touch line.- The feature of the Southern backs' play was their collaring. In this re- ! spect Lawry was seen to great advantage, and ' what with kicking and stopping rushes, did a very large amount of work during the afternoon. Duncan played exceedingly well, and was exceptionally clever in seizing any oppor- ! tunities that presented themselves. Chambers speculated in his kicking too much, and Burgess was too slow at getting the ball away from the scrum. Mr F. H. Campbell was referee, and promptly checked any attempt at i rough play. Owing to the Southern having j taken steps to prevent it, the spectators did not encroach on the field of play to anvthiac

like the extent they did on the previous Saturday. The match between the Pirates and Union was fast, interesting, and very even, there being hardly a dull moment throughout the game. The Maroons undoubtedly owe their victory to the superior combination among their backs, and the try obtained by Walker, which won the match, was the outcome of a very pretty-piece of passing. The Pirates' forwards outshone their opponents in the loose, though the latter played their best game this season in that respect. In the scrums honours were nearly even, the home forwards having, perhaps, slightly the best of it. The Blacks seemed to rely almost entirely on their forwards, for when they did secure the. leather in the scrums they seldom let it out to then backs. In this they acted judiciously. If they are going to win any more matches it must be with their forwards that they do it, for their backs are very weak in the attack. The line play of the Pirates overshadowed that 'of the Maroons, and Thomson and M'Leod wero particularly noticeable in this department. Burt also was very serviceable. Of the backs, Bragg played an excellent all-round game, and is a very promising player, while Thomson did a good deal of effective kicking. Among the Union forwards, Harris, Munro, and Stewart were the best, the first-named playing a capitA game. Adams, the full-back, was exceedingly clever, and kicked with unerring accuracy into touch. Walker, at centre, was at his best, and made excellent openings. Duthie ehowed improved form, and put in good work in the passing rushes. Armstrong sustained his reputation as a reliable .and „ smart scrum halfback. " ; The Caledonian ground, on which the Dunedhv and Zingari-Riclimond Chibs- met, i was in good order, and the game was at times very fast and open. The Dunedin backs showed a better knowledge of the passing game ' than their opponents, and famed a lot of ground with their rushes, lackenzie especially played splendidly, his running and kicking being of immense service to his side. Mackay, at centre, kicked well, and Stephenson, on the wing, showed that he is a hard man to stop. His short kicks also saved his side repeatedly. M'Donald was the best of the half backs. The Dunedin. forwards held their own very well in scrum work, but were no match for their oppenents in the loose play. Williams, Dunne, and M'Kewen were about the best. The Zin- . gari full back (Fordyce) t ' displayed splendid form, never making a mistake all day. Of the other backs, A. Smith was distinctly the best, and he was well backed up by Austin and Fish. In the forward ranks Smith, Stewart, and Macfarlane were seen to the best . advantage. Mr H. Lawrence controlled the \ game. j In the Kaikorai-University match some fine fast play 'ffras witnessed. The Kaikorai were ! too good for their lighter opponents in the scrum, enabling their backs to "have- repeated possession of the ball. Mason, Sinclair, Wood, Duncan, and Armit took part in many- passing rushes, which were iisually spoilt by the smart and decisive tackling of the opposing backs, especially M'Ara, Armstrong, and Hunter. Jackson, as full back, did not handle the ball too clWnly. Wood, at centre, was another offender, passing wildly, but made amends by excellent kicking. Armit ran well, but was watched too closely to score. Duncan was safe and .sure throughout, and brilliant at times. Mason and Sinclair did good work near the scrum. All the 'forwards played, a hard game, Cross Ronald worked consistently. On the 'Varsity side, the backs were a good match for the . Kaikorai combination. Their passing w<is ' clean and neat, but they had few opporluni- ' ties owing to their weak forward division. | Oibell, at wing, showed fair speed; whilst Wi Repa, on the other wing, showed strong defence and attack. Hunter, at centre, shone iin every department of the game. . M'Ara 1 and Armstrong showed strong defence and passed well. Maedonald used \\\% kicking powers with good effect. The forwards were , too light in the scrum, but showed up better jin the loose. Gregg, Allen, and Fisher did Lhe best work amongst them. i