FOOTBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3615, 26 June 1923, Page 49

FOOTBALL.

RUGBY. MATCHES AT DUNEDIN. Maoris v. Otago—July 14. Southland v. Otago —August 11. V\ a i rant pa y. Otago —September 1. Manawatu v. Otago—September 5. South' Canterbury v. Otago—September 15. Hirst test match, New Zealand v. NewSouth Wales —August 25. OTHER MATCHES. Otago v. Canterbury, August 25; v. Taranaki, August- 29”; v. Auckland, September 1; v. Wanganui, September 5; v. Wellington, September 8. Payne trophy match, between premier teams of Otago and Canterbury (at Christch urcli) —September 15. South v North Island (Wellington)— August 4. by Full Back Owing to the heavy rain through the week, renewed on Saturday, the bulk of the grounds were unfit for play on Saturday, unci Rugby rod Association matches of all grades here were postponed. In the second round for the Vincent County flag, Alexandra 8 beat Clyde 0, and Cromwell 21 beat Lowborn 0. The only match played in South Otago Junior Grade (on account of the weather) was between Milton and Milburn. Mil lon winning 12 to 0. I understand that the Otago Union will take steps before the next season to more clearly define the status of a University student. It is stated that there are nlayers in the University teams who are not students as the term is usually applied. During the course of an address to the Canterbury Referees’ Association Mr AY. G. Garrard (who refereed in the famous Wellington-Otago match in 1597) said he had not the slightest hesitation in asserting that the control of the game, throughout the dominion was much better than in the older times. Anyone they could get to act got the games then. The improvement was due principally to the formation of referees’ associations. He thought players should realise that referees endeavoured to be as efficient in their control of the game as they tried to be efficient in playing, fle would like to see more of the wider spiritintroduced and less heed paid to the technicalities. He advised his hearers to paymore attention to the vital points and control their game more on the principle of equity. With the end of the first round in sight there has been a development in the Wellington Senior Championship which is not unusual, and somewhat similar to that-which occurred just prior to the completion of the first round last season (says the Post). Athletic, Marist, and Bor hamper e started out very well this season, and their peiformances, together with the improved showings by Wellington and Old Bovs, sug gested that the competition would be very open, and that Poneke and Petone would not have the finish to themselves. Events, however, now incline towards “the same old thing”—Petone and Poneke. If these two teams can retain their position, or. better still, if Poneke can draw level with Petone, there will he “the same old thing.” which attracted 16,000 spectators to the Park last season. In referring to the match between Marists and Wellington the r'ost says: —“The best back on the Marist side was M'Cleary, who was instrumental in opening up most of the passing movements.” Oamaru Old Boys (24 points) boat Celtic (nil), and Maheno (6 points) beat Excelsior (3 points) on the 16th. Position of senior teams :—Old Boys—-Matches played 6, won 4, lost 2. points for S 3, points against 24, flag points 8; Maheno —6, 4. 2, 48, 35, 8; Athletic—s, 3,2. 24. 56, 6 ; Excelsior—s. 3, 2, 38, 29, 6: Celtic—6. 0. 6. 8. 67, 0. On the 16th Cromwell B (29) beat Galloway B (3). Alexandra B journeyed to Bannockburn, and, after a close game, tile visitors won by 10 points to 6. It is said that one South Otago player took off his boots in a match on Saturday, and played the last 20 minutes in his socks. South Otago.—Results on the 16th: Clinton 6. Crescent I 3; Toko I 15. Ciutha I 5 ; Toko II 15, Clut'na IT 3; Romahapa 3, Crescent II 3. Crescent and Owaka are leading in the First Grade Competition with 6 flag points each, and Toko (8 points) is leading Crescent (7 points) in the Second Grade. At the Timaru Athletic Grounds there was a large attendance on the 16th, and the gate receipts must have been well in advance of £SO. The play in the “big” game was, however, not up to expectations, and although Celtic managed to weather the first ha if without falling into arrears, the second spell was dominated by the Yellow forwards, and the result was never in doubt. On No. 2 ground Old Boys and Star provided a more open game than that on No. 1. but the issue was always a foregone conclusion. At half time Old Boys were only 5 points in front, but they added 11 points in the first three minutes of the second half, and eventually they ran out winners by 30 to 6. At Temuka Park AVaihi defeated the home team by 8 to nil. Old Boys and Zingari are leading in the Senior Competition with 12 points eac-h. THE INTERNATIONALS. England won the Rugby Championship this season for the fifth time in the last nine years, winning all four matches and scoring 50 points against 17 in the. aggregate. France, at the bottom of the list, defeated Ireland by 14 points to 8. The final positions were as follow:

DUNBACK DEFEATS AYAIKOUAITI. In the Eastern District flag match, played at Dunback last Saturday between Dimba-ck raid AVaikouaiii, the former team won by 30 points to nil. Mr Rennick controlled, the game. SECONDARY SCHOOLS CONTEST PALMERSTON N„ June 19. The annual Rugby fixture, Scots’ College v. Palmerston North High School, was played here to-day, and resulted in a win for the latter by U points to nil. M‘Arthur (Scots’ full back) was rendered unconscious by a blow on the chin. He recovered late in the evening, and apparently is not seriously hurt.

NEW ZEALAND AND ENGLISH ! UNIONS. AVELLINGTON, June 18. ! Mr Dean (chairman of the New Zealand • Rugby Union), commenting on the reports j by London correspondents that the relation' ! between the English and New Zealand j Rugby Unions are threatened, says that j there is not the slightest justification for j such a statement, “ They see,” said Mr Dean, “the time has arrived for a general conference to give | full consideration to amendments and to j preserve uniformity of the rules, but that j is all. The game .is now of international importance, and things are different to tile time when the English Union found tiro game was not played elsewhere.” INTER-COLLEGE GAMES. AA T ANGANUI, June 21. The inter-college match between War,gaum and Te Aute, played at AYanganui yesterday, was won by the latter by 13 points to ! In a junior game Te Aute defeated Wanganui by 22 points to 3. MATCHES IN OTHER CENTRES. AUCKLAND, June 23. To-day’s matches resulted as follow : North Shore 6 beat Newton 0; University 5 beat- .Marist 0; Grafton 8 drew with College Rifles 8, Grammar 12 beat Suburi* 0; Eden defaulted to Ponsonby. TAUMARUNUI, June 23. Taumarunui 11 beat Mailipoto 0. AYANGANUI, June 23. Wanganui Junior Representatives 16 beat Eangitikc-i C. 'WELLINGTON, June 23. To-day’s matches resulted as follows: Petone 19 beat Berhnmpore 9; Marists 6 beat Selwyn 3; Oriental 13 beat University 0; Athletic 27 beat Old Boys 9; Poneke 24 beat Karori 0. Morewhenua 22 beat Manawatu 8. CHRISTCHURCH, June 23. To-div’s matches resulted as follows: Marists 11 beat Old Boys 3; Christchurch 25 beat University 6; Merivale 17 beat North Canterbury 0; Svdenhain-Lvttelton 5 boat Albion 0. TIMARU, June 24. Old Boys 12 beat Temuka 5; Zingari 6 beat Star a; Celtic 14 beat AYaihi 6. RUGBY OUSTS LEAGUE GAME. NAPIER, June 23. League football has been suspended here for the season, Rugby's hold, strengthened by the possession of the Ranfurly Shield, being Loo strong for the League. MAORIS IN SYDNEY. THE VISITORS DEFEATED. SYDNEY, June 24. (Received June 24, at 5.5 p.m.) In the presence of 10,000 people NewSouth Wales decisively defeated the Maori Rugby team. The home team forced the game from the kick-off, the bull being mostly in the visitors’ territory. Play up to half time was very patchy, the home team all the time having command. The scores at the interval were: New South Wales, 13; Maoris, 5. The Maoris livened up after the resumption, and good work by the forwards enabled them to equalise the score, but the combination team-work by the home team proved too good, and enabled them to win by 21 to 16. The scorers for New South Wales were Raymond, Sheehan, and Crossman, one try each, Bowlers two tries. Stanley converted three tries. For the Maoris Gemmell scored two tries, and AA'alker and Peina one each. Tu-reia converted two. SCHOOL FOOTBALL. OBJECTION TO PUBLIC DISPLAYS. (Fiioai Oub Own Cobbespondent.) CHRISTCHURCH. June 22. The approach of the annual football match between Christ’s College and Boys’ High School—regarded by many followers of the game as the best match of the season—gives interest to a letter which the Rev. Air Crosse (head master of Christ’s College) has just written to Mr Lancaster (head of the High School), in which the whole question of school matches being- played m public is raised. The following are the important passages of the communication : "1 quite admit the desirabili i y of providing accommodation at these matches for those who are closely associated with either of the two schools, but 1 do not adm.t the desirability of sc-hooi-but I do not admit the desirability of schoolboys being used as gladiators for the amusement of the outside public. Aly opposition is based by no means simply on the encouragement which these puolic matches afford to players to play to the gallery. I think the whole tendency in this country is for the football of the first fifteens of the greater schools to assume far too prominent a place in the life of the schools as a whole. No one who knows me can justifiably accuse me of being in any way opposed to football, as any Christ’s College boy could tell you that I have laboured my hardest to improve the football of the school—not simply the football of the first fifteen, bur of every boy who plays the game, which at Christ’s College means every body except those who are physically unfit. The concentration of public interest on the spectacular performances of the first X'v seems to me not merely to eneourgge the first XV m the utterly false idea that football is the most important thing of the school, but it creates an underlying impression in the minds of those boys who do not happen to be gifted with great ability in this direction that they are in general of very little use. I despair of eradicating this false impression in the boys’ minds if these big football matches before vast crowds are to become part of the normal routine of school life. The excitement which they engender is too intense to give a boy a fair chance, this is the main basis of my opposition to continuing to play the College v. High School match on Lancaster Park.” Mr Crosse refers also to two other secondary reasons, the first being his objection to the betting that, goes on in town on the result of this match. “I think,” he says, "vv e are under an obligation to the boys to protect them from this. Secondly, though it has been the case in the past that the College v. Jirigli School match has until now provided the best exhibition of schoolboy football in the neighbourhood, this is no longer necessarily the case. This year St. Bede’s have already beaten both ” the College and High School, and unless either of us can reverse this result in the second round of the competition neither will be able to claim the honour of being the leading team in the competition.” When asked to express an opinion on the above, Mr Lancaster said: “We are not

committed to Lancaster Park at a!!. >Ve merely wish to give the c Id bo vs and friends of both schools the best i’ossibto opportunity f? s:n o iho match.” He preferred not to discuss the Matter fir (her. RUGBY UNION EXECUTIVE. The weekly meeting Of the Otago Rugby , 1110,1 Executive was 1 * hi in the secreta’-v’s ooard room on the 13th, Mr AY. J. AYikou occimying the chair. It was decided, on the motion of Air Harris, that scats te reserved for the Maori matca at 3s ed for admission to both the ground and the stand, Ihe North Otago Sub-union wrote roqurstmg that an Otago B team visit Oamaru this season to play a North Otago representative ream,—The Vincent Sub-union wrote asiring that “Country Week’’ be revived, as it tended very considerably to create a greater interest in country footbali. Arrangements had been made for two country matches away from home, one with Alaniototo and one. with Tuapeka, and as this involved considerable expense the Vincent Sub-union had decided to approach the Otago Union with a view to receiving some financial assistance. - —lt was resolved that these matters he considered when Country Week is being discussed.—’] he Finance Committee, with the addition cf .Mr Cavanagh, was instructed to draw up a report. THE LEAGUE GAME. AUCKLAND, June 23. To-day's matches resulted as follows:—. City 7 beat Athletics 0; Ponsonby .14 beat Richmond 12; Marist 18 beat Devonport 14. AVERT,LAYTON, June 23. To-day’s matches resulted as -follows: Dutt 23 beat City 0; Newtown 3 beat Central 0. CHRISTCHURCH. June 23. Ilornby 10 drew with Addington 10; Sydenham 15 beat AA’oolston 11. QUEENSLAND v. NEAV SOUTH WALES. SYDNEY, June 24. Queensland beat New South Wales bv 23 to 14 ASSOCIATION. The local Association matches were postponed on Saturday on account of the- ram. The Australian papers containing the full account of the first test played at Brisbane and won by the Australians arc not to hand at time of writing, but I gather from earlier issues that only four of the team that loured New Zealand last year—Cartwright, Gibb, Maunder, and Thompson—were included in the team to oppose the New Zealanders. The reports further state that there are many enthusiasts who believe the locals to be a much superior combination to that which lost the “ashes.” Alick Gibb (Q.), whose selection as centre half has caused .adverse criticism in Queensland, will lead the Australians, and Campbell the “ All Blacks.” Those who were disappointed at the result of the first test against Australia were no doubt gratified when the news was received that the New Zealanders had achieved victory in the second test played at Sydney last Saturday. The cable gives few details of the play, apart from the fact that George Campbell scored all three goals. Campbell first played here with the Northern Club, prior to removing to AA ellington, and, knowing th-e genial George for a hardheaded Scotchman, I can easily imagine the determination and doggedness that would be consistent with the scoring of the goals. As leader of the team he would leave no stone unturned to bring about the desirable victory. The result cf the tliird test to be played on June 30 at Newcastle will be eagerly looked forward to by all Soccerites. Jock Simpson, well-known as an active player of the game a few years back, who recently returned from Southland, left on Monday last for Middlemaroh, where he has become “mine host ” cf the Strath Tateri Hotel. Jock has always been a keen sport, and has taken a live interest in the game. In years gone by he represented Otago on several occasions in the forward line, and as a player who knows all the points in the game, and lias the happy knack of imparting it to his fellows, his advice to younger players has always been willingly given. In an official capacity he has represented Kaitangata on the executive of the 0.F.A., and his departure will be a distinct loss to Soccer. 1 am sure Jock will always have a warm welcome for his Dunedin friends. NEAV ZEALAND TEAM IN AUSTRALIA. (Fkom Ope Own Cobbespondent.) SYDNEY. June 13. The visit of the sturdy New Zealand team is causing quite a boom in Soccer in Australia. It was not a very convincing defeat that the All Blacks suffered in their first test at Brisbane last Saturday. It was won by Australia in the last minute of the game. Eight thousand enthusiasts witnessed the match. The game was extremely fast, and showed the fine condition of both teams. Craxton was judged the best New Zealand player on the day and was given a special gold medal. The New Zealand halves were very good. Kissock doing a lot of work. It was mainly owing to liis efforts that the Australian score wasnot larger. The Australian forwards gave a great display. Thompson, on the left, and Mitchell, oil the right, both beat their men repeatedly. Leonard, at inside right, played unselfishly, feeding' Mitchell with beauti-fully-placed passes. Burton played hard football, his back-lieeling to Leonard, who scored the first goal, being a pretty piece of play, but lie was hardly fast enough for the speedy men alongside him. Maunder (centre-forward) was fast and dangerous, and gave Kissock a lot of trouble. His goal in the last minute of the game was a beauty. The game was one all until the last minute. Thompson drove twice at goal. Braithwaite saving on each occasion. Maunder then secured, and driving hard at Craxton, gave him no hope, and scored amidst a hurricane of cheers. The Soccer game is gripping the sporting public here, and while such expositions as these are staged, the game must continue to extend. Keen interest is centred in the meeting of Australia and New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground next Saturday. METROPOLIS DEFEATS NEW ZEALAND. SYDNEY, June 20. Metropolis defeated the New Zealand Soccer team by 4 goals to 3 after a scraggy game, in which the visitors gave a more scientific display than tb* local side. The New Zealanders regarded the gam© in the nature of a picnic match, a number of players changing positions. Metropolis kept the ball m the air throughout, Sherringham’s individualism being a feature. This player

was especially alert in the proximity of the goal-mouth and netted on no fewer than four occasions. Campbell, Balk, and Thomas goalee for New Zealand. The game war. ployed at ila.dv, which is the hot-bed cf Rugby Unionism' but apart •tom the dribbling rushes of the New Zealanders the game was not edifying from a j propaganda standpoint. NEAV ZEALAND DEI EATS GRANATLLK. . SYDNEY, June 24. The New Zealand Association team defeated Granville by 3 goals to 1 after a . lively game, showing the visitors in an aggressive mood. In the fust spoil the J New Zealanders, with the ball at their toe, : repeatedly invaded the Magpies’ goal are>’ I but excellent defensive work* by Leadbeater I and Doherty kept tho net intact. Thomas m an endeavour to clear his own goal lnoutn netted the hall, mailing Granville i to nil at half time. Balk, Campbell, and Caere combined effectively in the second haif for the visitors. Camnbell equalised tne score, and Dacre dashed through and found the net with a splendid shot. Campb°b shortly afterward- added another. AV hen Granville previously beat New Zealand by 3 to 1 the visitors had just stepped from the boat, and thev showed considerably improved form on this occasion. -A. und N.Z. Cable. MATCHES IN OTHER CENTRES. „ , AUCKLAND. June 23 Nortbcote 6 boat Brotherhood 2: Philomel 4 beat Harbour Board 1; Ponsonby 2 beat Y.M.C.A. 1; lliistlo 5 beat North Shore 0. AVKLLINGTON, June 23. To-day s Association matches resulted a 3 follows: Senior A.—AAatersiders 2 beat Gas Company 0; Diamonds 3 beat Marist 0; Thistle 3 beat Y.M.C.A. 0; Karori 3 beat Hospital Senior B.—Scots Wanderers 3 beat South Wellington 1 ; Institute 2 beat Y.M.C.A. li 0; Swifts 5 beat Island Bav 2. CHRIST CHURCH, June 23. In to-day’s Association matches. Rangers 2 drew with Lyttelton 2; Nomads 5 beat St. Albans 1. T IMARU, June 23. South Canterbury put out two representative teams and opposed Waimate and Oamaru. The B team 2 drew with AA’aimate 2, and the A team 3 beat Oamaru 0 after a hard, fast game.

Point s Ch. Flared. Won. Lost. for. pis. England ... 4 4 0 50 17 8 Scotland ... 4 3 1 4fi 22 6 Wales ... 4 1 3 31 31 2 Ireland ... 4 1 3 21 40 2 France ... 4 1 3 28 52 2