FOOTBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 58

FOOTBALL.

;; _ NOTES BY FULL BACK. \- ■ .--Mr/Keir Hardie s states, that, "what with /- . Jhe loss .of wages ,to those who rush" to -' ~- iporte,- and other' expense^ every big foot-/-bali match in Scotland- costs ab"out £25,000." ■;' " -Londoners will be pleased , to /learn that .•/■/they will shortly have 'the opportunity ""of 7^-' seeing the J professional T All --Blacks team --in - the metropolis/- _As "Lloyd's radicated =S>eome/ weeks since, the NewZeaandJrs'N.TJ.. :-- tour\ would/ probably -include .. three' test '^"matches with-£nglahd.- .Lloyd's is now -able £r-to' .state ~ that thie been/ arranged) - and ;-. Jbla&t^pne ~of^ these", .matches /will belpayed. Chelsea -ground- at Stamford Bridge pSfon-Satur'day, Jfebruary^ 8/r-thejOhelsea- Club" sj-|ia"ying/-given . jiheir" assent. ' "The-. England '^^toef&iSOllzpiXikiVLrsel^ibß "selected "entirely clubs'.r^A't.est match Saturday, England j^jwinirmg-' by. '-thMe^gbals'.7.and^ lour' tries to*>7jtwo goals'and fdiw-trjes^— Foil-Back.]- - •. *' y^.'Jit^K reported by- cable that "Reggie ,Gibbs,\ "st^/-Thomas,-and 'J; C. W3lia*nts,'.of Car-;,-Ig/difJC-have -joined the "JßfitiaK iootball teamv/bfor,^N«w - Zealand. It 'is interesting to . i^Srio^- that "^lliams r " whor ia a. forward,. £% played -for " Wales . in the r " famous -'match the amateur All Blaclgj • "Gibbs is aback of Cardiff, "arid "played-for Gla-K-anorgan : against- the- All Black*;, while is-, a forward^.w&-" played for Gla-" Zeal^iders.- -- . \:^ , The i financial 'euccese of the. New Zealandj -?- JJllßlaoks' tour against the Nprthejrn tTnion-i % eeems' now assured . (s^fa " an -En'glish/| f;*xciange/of-NoTember~lB),:for- up: to date J '-4|;BeTjl2~ games : have I been'/- witnessed by \ g-Vsrbwds-who hive paid -"£6165." The.-jcolonaalsV i= phare.of this amount is :£4310., r j.Tlie "Northern r* r nion* 'onif guaranteed ~ite visitor* r>\ ¥£ "-."'.. h« whole tour. - r . - '.-''"-■ ri :-j , the spectators at the match be- : - "vn^aii the - New , Zealand profess.ional foot-?..i»allera.and:the-Hull;Club on Saturday -were ! .;eever»lHull "veterajtis; j '" who =:: "the 'match" between the Maori? team and theJ 19: yejj-rs'-'ago. i~Sfi{: Simpson; -who;.'captained_ the.Hull team ; i g»gaijttBt the ; 'Maoris^ *hd TDmayclve^bn, whp' "A^w^eid -half back lof "Hifll'.pn'.Jbhaf occasion, ;^_^^ ;w ih<B';ground' on -Saturdaj-,: atid at 'the ■ Simpson -told how I : -fighting> ItßiirI tBiir battles ~overj: p/ikgAtn. One of the most vivid remmiscences g£^f^fie : . -Maori' 'niatoh/was.r-a.- story; of how., (Ihimaira), rjvho, -was "playink half p-TJwejfc for;tne^Maoriß, -pipted up Mat-'Tuke,-^ :*?it*lwart/ Yorkshire r player, "and"' literally:" J Jkrew him at'Tonyllveson. u _ln thafr matoh !?■ EulL •proved , victorious; but ' the -New Zeac^Wnderß won black their -laurels on. Saturday. s_zfc*Ehe~ defeat sustainedlby -the "New.. Zea^ ?>lind}Northent Unipn^nla^ers. will" do! a deal J #«^good^ "says^the" Athletic TSows" after the" J? Jbrstr' loss.- ~;There_ has -/been -: a - tendenoy " in - f fcertain .quarters H to; attribute^ greatness to ; : - |h»:MaorilandeiB which, -we 'fell certain, -the. "i; Mayers themselves do notjprofese.to possess, "folk. hadl. tired of. what bad .become jiqthing more or less .than fulsome plati- ' ;fud«s of praise.- The men are .'making the of rules which co far they naturally -found rather irksome, _ but. ptheyvare- doing- their .best with"- the -strange, ; Itonditions, and are satisfied^ with." "results. S- ITii* -;two} chief weaknesses About . the_ team — .pnd^ they are- great defieienpes-4-lie-in for- : jplay and in defence. -The-rreduction t immbers- haß hampered "tl^e- scrummagere r Considerably,"' and. -they will/ encounter ' ~ greater; trouble /because, of_-_weaTaiesses in ~thi«- department ere \the~^ tour is- much Jfrorther advanced. : .Then, again, tie. backs Kipo not eeem great in -the 'saving grace, and--If -opposing "sides, insteaH^of trying- to jicrajjcout the ball, whenever "-&e"y. get posBession, would keep/it" and" dribble "it untile — *hey •_ get - near the- Ne"w_- Zeal&iiders'- line ,-jthey would" profit.-. Give them an. open passing game and the* colonials will shine, but. i Het them a- "Yorkshire rush" .to study, and.i —jthey- dp. not appreciate! the problem. - "Tbe ." people"-Tesponsible_ for professional I >v»ugby football in /Sydney," .. writee the -.ISydney agent of^the. Tourist -Department to.*! Jtne~ Wellington office, ,-"aTe. trying, to com- ] "tolete arrangements for a visit "next- season" -Jpl>'teain of "Maori iootballers, who- will "jifeo^ive displays of,> Maori hafes." 'This; 'fextraot from a .recent NewrZealahd papier* r.<Bays.~A«l Sydney ; Daily TelegraphJ^will be ? interesting, reading for-lfolldwers .of Rugby /lootball in this State. "It is doubtful, hpw r . j-jpT«ri~- whether the promoters."of-the soheme JwilLsfoe^able to -get^ a Native team of "any I Kreater _^strength - than those -_ which: jlayed match^ -against -the Britfeli' _r^eam" and % the*~Ausiralian Traitors "at Roto-" tua. -It .has^to be" remembered -that of the - tew/firetrclass -Native players, the belong to Te Aute College Club; and there - Btt^ very little _ chance of inducing* them- to' .-Way professional football. There" is, however, no doubt that, little" difficulty Twill te ""Experienced 'in securing -~a -band of coloured - tentlemen to" play for "te ioot"^-which,' * - t may-be" explained } means-money."* If -the secure i Native - earn. ".with, a/ few players "~6f ' the- type of ne_Taia'roas,' the-Warbricks.-the Wynyards, I Hlispn, .Wi Hape,- Hiroa", ; Gage, tTru,;Asher,: ;>r ._ vie .wonderful- "James, - they would irovide an. exceptional treat Ifor the Sydney lugby public " B^itllf ative players "of- the [u'ality;of those" mentioned- belong to" a -' line that- has "seemingly gone ( for ever" in few Zealand, / The -Maori Kas failed in the sontest with/ the sturdier and .in' ithletios, as' in other, "things, ' he is" dying" »ut. There'was .* time "when a'-team from - 'c Aute" could beat the best clubs in New Zealand. Now it fe- hard to "find ti Maori >layer of. note anywhere" in "the JDdminiori, - ,lthoUgh 'there are. still a number "chasing bev"putepufa" (football) about the fields of -, [awke's Bay. But- when- it comes to hakas, de- Maori is. still all "there, "and while he jnay.not set the town ablaze with hisfoot-:jhall,-he should completely ill the -bill in * «ac /wild, weird,- rhythmical orgie of the -,_^»k».- ."__ ; ; - "* "--"-:,-