THE O.R.F.U. REPRESENTATIVES TOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2429, 3 October 1900, Page 50

THE O.R.F.U. REPRESENTATIVES TO UR.

SOME NOTE 3 BY THE WAY. 11.

A fine night and a smooth run f.rom New rijiuoi'th brou^'it the Rotoiii to Onehunga b&tiinco on the morning of tho 29th August. The p^sr>ciiQ[eri wee at their breakfast, aud doins; ample insiice lo it, ab the slep.mcr j ero&sod t'"c Iwr, on which thtre was hardly any peroiyvibla (.well. ThofeG who had not pre 1 . iovoly boon r-o i'ar noith could hardly have visaed to steam up Manukau Harbour ui-dei more agiceablc conditions. Tt was a perfect morning, — warm and cabx — aad as the* 1111 11" 1 Rotoiti glided thiough the glassy water, in which the outlines of tho hills \\ era reflected w itli mirror-like fidelity, the most favourable impressions were formed of Auckland's western outlet. A prominent figure on the wharf a3 the vessel approached ifc waa "Doctor"

Murray, tho wed known Auckland repie.seiiLative oi former jenrs, and long before the mooring linei had been cast ashore greetings had Lean exchanged between him and Duncan, Stephenson, and others. The Auckland Rugb}'' Union liad two brakes awaiting the arrival of tho team, and the Otago representatives were soon on their way to the Coiinth of the South, where they took up their quarters at the Criterion Hotel (Mr Morrison, proprietor). The two following days were as hne a? that on ■which they arrived, and they ■« ere most pleasintly spent. The only trouble the visitors had was,, m .seeking to elude the photographers who were on their tiack. They Lad to grant three distinct .sittings to three distinct artists. On each morning a practice was held at Potter's paddock, at which good fcrm waf shown in various respects, and for each afternoon an attractive drive was arranged by the Auckland Union. The first of these was to Lake Takapuna, tho team crossing the harbour in one ot the numerous lciry boats to tho North Shore, and thence being driven in diogs lo the Like. The stopping place was the Lake Hotel, from the roof pi ■wl-i^ni-i \ , jrifiQiiifippnt pKnoKiiiiii *-F J.h-3 .J-i&v.raki Gulf and of Auckfand city Itself is ottaiuabie. The island of Rangitoto lies in the harbour right opposite- Lake Takapuna, and in the distance Tiri, the Little .Barrier, and, very famtly, the Great Earrior — the &ceuc of the lamentable wreck of the Wahaiapa— were to be seen, while the eye was also able to iollow the Coroiiiandel peninsula tor miles down towards the Thames. Alter the men trom Olsgo had been le.isted with the impressive splendour of thi^ extensive -view aud had exeicised the tourists' privilege of inscribing their names on the v. alls ot the hotel tower, they descended to enjoy a little comedy provided by one of their hospitable entcrLair.ei!.) who sought to obtain a ride on a cow in an adjoining paddock, bvt had no sooner got straddlc-iegs across the animal than he was uncerenioniouily thrown off. On the following- day the drive was to the Wellington Park estate — Jic stud esta.blish.ment of _Ur T. S. Morrin — and this was not less enjoyable than the previous day'f= excursion, is'or were the evening, wanting in attractions. The members ot the team were free to visit either Fuller's bijou enter lammont — :he yme liberty was extended to them at each oi the large centres they visited — or Dixs Gaiety performance. They were also presented with complimentary tickets for the Auckland Kennel Club's annual show. And they were made honorary members of the Auckland Sports Club, a useful institution open to members of athletic bodies m the noirhem capitil, and .supported partly by members' .subscriptions, but mainly by receipts lrcui billiards, two tables being m use. By the way, the club would not prosper if its members were not better billiard players than the dago team could boast. Only four of the representatives professed pny ability at all with the cue, and it took them nearly a whole morning to complete a foui -handed game cf 100 points. Jt will be seen that, time could not have fallen heavily on the hands of the Otago players on the days the}' had at ihsir disposal in Aucklraid. The officials of the Auckland Union loft nothing undone that could contribute towaids the enjoyment of their visitors. Mr G. B". Dixon (f2crc,tary of the Union) and Mr 0. Wells (chairman of the Man? gemem Committee, and captain of the Auckland team which came south in 1889) were especially attentive, and their efforts were ably seconded by their colleagues.

The beautiful weather of the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday unfortunately changed about midnight on tho last-mentioned day, and when Saturday brcke the rain was teeminj down. There was very little break either during the morning, and in the alternoon the rain resumed as heavily us ever. It wa= very unfortunate for the Auckland Union that it should have experienced this bad weather on two successive Saturdays, for it had been as bad on the previous Satuuliy when the Auck-land-Wellington match was played. Manifestly it made a considerable difference in the gate takings at the match. Nevertheless, the receipts amounted to nearly £300— what would have been a, record ?,at" for an ir'terui'ovineial match anywhere elso in the colony. The wonder is that so muny thousands ventured out in such weather to see the match, xor the rords were churned up into a condition ot liquid mud. The Anderson Bay road to the Caledonian ground gets into a wretchedly bad state after rain, but at its worot it is hardly a circumstance to the state in which the roads in Newmarket and in the vicinity of Potter' p paddock were on that Saturday. Potter's paddock itself is a splendid ground rjn which several complete football fields are marked out. The one on which the big match ivfj played, flanked by two grand stands, one of them, which is unrocfed, beir.c; a temporary structure, looked to the eye in capital condition, but as a matter of f.-ct it was heavy and holding. What cfl'^ct, if any, the state* of the ground had upon the result of the match is a mooi point, but the play which was witnessed v.'ao capable o£ being described in a very few sentences. The Auckland forwards played soleudidly. They got away repeatedly with the ball ot their toes, and they got away in a body. Tho.speetiole is frequently seen of a man dribbling the bail unsupported by his comrades This was not the woy v.ith the Auckland forwards. They came ay/ay. a eorcpac"- raasf, in headlong rushes down ihe field until some one or other of the OU'?o backs checked their caresr. Then jhe bpll would reach Wallace or 'Vfacko.iaie. and a lent-, punt down the field inti touch would nullify the whole effect of the home forwoido' hiiUiant effor'. The Ot^o backs, by their 4'callv judicious use o!: the line, aaved the game fci- 'their side. There is nothing v,hioh takes tho heat o\>t ot forwards more than to see tbe'r -. ork go for nauaht in tlwt manner. And in time the Aunklar.d vai-guard visibly tired, and then Olago's. charcc ctmc. A& ib 'known the match onc'-ccl m a diaw, e.\ch fide f.coving a tiy.. It was a fine tuaslo between tl.e Atickland forwards (rtho were, ns in 1599, ths bast &ci- whom Ota£>o had lo meet) ar_d tho \isiih.g brck^, and p. draw was a very fair conclusion to the gam a. This seems an appropriate place in which to offer Mine observations upon comments ap-pc-aring in Auckland prpcri upon the play of tho Otac-o team. One critic complained ihot the visitors " iudulgc:! in a lot of doubtful play— play tint is not por.intied by Anck'-nd retbrce 1 -!, and is coaimoi:l/_know]i in football parlance as ' ooiiiling.' Holding men who had not possession of "the ball and offside phiy were seenjjiime afte^ time, and would^ have beon penalised by local referee-*. ' Well^ the oxamules oi '" pointing ' which pro here ?hen nro not v.-lmt 1 slioolcl ho lrcbiiod to t'escr-be by such a term. '• Poiacing " has been described more apilv. 1 think, nz xlc commiibion of an act übich dorj not vioJits the i-tuci letter of the rule., but is oppo.sd to their spim. The ac tf complained of ars. howc\or. direct iniriiiscacats of the law. But if they were committed by Olago players they wore also comn-.ilt >d by Auckland player-. Indeed, the local repress >itati\-es were, I am inclined to think, the more ireqv.ent offender-.. And as Otago received, I should say, the greater number, of free kinks... thai; was pre-

uuma,bly tiie opinion also ot tiie leferse (Mr G. cyme, ot Taxa-irfki). Tiiat there wa^ sojne

"■ poniiing " by Otago players I do not deny, but there was none so tar as 1 could see tor which tne referee did not exact a penalty. Anil there is no c a^s ot play that is more apt to induce "pointing ti.an the wing foiward play encouiaged by the Auckland Onion in common witxi other northern unions. The same critic declared that " Duncan played as much oft-oicle football as any man on the ground, v. hen in difficulties threw tho ball lorwartl when there was no one to take it, and im iuuably threw the ball in crookedly from the line-out." in the iii,->D oi the.ne statements an mjuaticb is done to Duncan. It irequenlly happened during t:ie ditemoon that the ciowa uiaod cric= that the Otago captain wa^ offside v/hen he was clearly onside, and the critic may iiave been unconsciously mi&led by hearing tli'e^e cries. A crowd which la anxious to .=te itj own =ide win is not always unprejudiced, and the speed with which Duncan gclj oft the murk, as it wcro, and £ inong hib oppcu-nts, piobably crused an crroneoxis_ impression m tiic minds of the tyecihlui*-. J3nl csrtrtiuly on scm. j i<u occasions when tliey \7erc accasiiig him of being oft-aide 1 was positive lroin my o%m o'o&tji\alion that they v, ere wrong, it is true that Dui.can once or twice tare.*' the bail intentioiirilly loi n-ard, but on each oceanou he waa properly pciaiiaed. it is albo true that he iroquently zla^w th« ball m trookc.ily from Lne ime. Tne suggestion which ii in.iita agtunst mm is tiiat Jit dtiiberalely thisv/ it m crookedly. \Vhal li-'Ci he to gain by j=o doing.' A scitumnagc would ha\e oecn ox no benenc to him, ior the Auckland loi'waida were beating Oiago in tftc- L'cramrn.iges. iMoreo\er, the reiei'n, — .;pp-.irei)t»y because he be Ue\ed sometimes that the taU \\aj deiibeiately turown in crooivedlj — viiiteu tne 'uience ivun a pena.ty winch l had never IC-ioic been imposed, and wnicli, in my-, judynient, is unaiiuiuri&eil by t'.c rulco : ina»ea(.t oi orti(,ring a siciummage he gave the rhiow-m to the opposing team. Oicaviy, iheieiore, no cidvd.iiiagc could accrue to yjiago lima uirowmg the bail — wlucii, it is to oe remembered, was gre.isj — jri crouko lly, and v Utiiican tsid .so tmow it deliberatfcii , and persi^.ed in it, i can otter no explanation ot the prticcite : il would be quite unuceounlaDie. Tau coinp.amt was inaue m tiie AuckJand presb, too, that the reieieo allowed many minor breaches to pass unneeded, the object apparently oemg to allow a, taoter game saici not b.uw tl.o whistle unless niar.cea ailv.uitagQ is <i ,..iii(,a by the oil ending side, tiurelv that -nould not bo n.ade a ouojcci ot complaint.' itaihczis tiie rererea to dc cumineimed ior giving a liberal interpretation to th.i laws and preventing the game trow becoming leuiovs. Ji.yeciLilly is hub so on a wet day when many twihug breaches occur quite m-cicientally. then it was rather amusing m ono Auckland papLr to imcl the Otago tuarn accused oi p.ayin^roughly. I am not aware that tnere was tho sliguiosi, iomidiilit'ii lor t::e charge 1 , but il the visitor^ aid not play with tiie lady-like gentleness that has mamed tha play <j£ the Oiago teams m the pa->t tilt ciplanation of the changed stjde is simple: uortlisrn teams j^lay ditfeiiimly, and Otago ha> learnt by bitter Gxpsriancu that m iiiatches m the north & more M^orotu game is required. in the evening, after the match, the competing learns raid the officials of the Auckiand "union and ot the game dined together m the Criterion iiotel, ivir V.'ells presiding. The best ot good fellowship prevailed, and a few toasts were cordially honoured. Then the players went out into the wet. The Otago lepresentatives were, as was their habit on the trip, all in early, aud the majority of them werd snugly afl^ep betore midnight. 'i\,o cf their numoei — lUunro and Hurl — sustained injuries in the match, and tliey wore subsequently treated by on old Otago boy, Dr btuart Keid, a member of the woli-kno.\n Eideislie family. On the Sunday, the \isitois were treated to a highly enjoyable harbour outing. On the following morning they w"cre ontortoinad at a fish dejeuner by a Duneclin commercial traveller who is better known on the bowling green than on the football field — a Scotsman to the backbone, an acknowledged nidge of Glenllvet, and an excellent raccnteur, whoat story of the " whustle " has been told at many a ■.moke night and continues to be in constant request. On the samo afternoon the Otago team's s(..ay in Auckland, which all tho players would have wished to have prolonged, carnc to an end, pud they took their departure irom Unohunaa in the Takapuna. Mr !\ A. Twiname, who in t'ne past had gained the representative caps of both the AuekXid and the Otaoo Unions, was among those at the steamer's side who saw them oft, and -so also was Mr H. L. Brett, who was ior fcvdal months m Dunedin a couple cf yeaia ago. Another old Ott-go repicseiitativo i:i Uie.nerson of Dr Cran locked the team up ni Auckland, but wp= urable to be present at tl.e match. lie is at present engaged at Avondale Asylum, but intends shoitly to go into private practioe at llokianga. Had there bee a any University men in J ,he O'.ago team they would have been <-lad to l-o ve renewed acquaintance slso T?ilh D: Bett md I-J. Übich. Mr F. D. Clayton, better knov n in Dunedin as a cricketc than -,s a fcotbnliei— but a rattling -good leferae as t'-iofia who hp.ie played under him fnov,— wr» -very busy in his ofE.no at the B?nk of iS r ew Zcalnncl, where he occupies a respon••ible position, but lib interest in the visit of the Otaoo team was shown by the fact that the onctogi'jph of the lepivssenlafivea wn:c l appeared in the Witness had bean irountcd by him and occupied a /prominent place on his mantelpiece.