FOOTBALL.

Southland Times, Issue 18927, 28 April 1923, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

(By

“Onlooker.”)

Opening pace fast. Pirates had close call. Budd is again playing well. “Semaphoring” is still popular. “Saeks-on-the-mill” too frequent. Bell can still open the game cleverly. R. Oughton’s cross run and feed were good. Star’s bustling tactics worked well against ’Kiwi. Much of Richardson’s work went unnoticed by football fans. Picking out of the scrum is becoming popular with half-backs locally. The Green forwards played well in the first spell but could not stand the pace in the second. Agnew must have obtained his kicking boots at half-time as he never missed an attempt at goal in the second spell. The Waikiwi selection committee will require to reconstruct the rear division of the surburban team if the club is going to do any good. Wilson, the Waikiwi wing-forward, who was injured on Saturday was a keen member of the club. He came in from Waianawa every training night and he and his brother had not missed a practice. The Waikiwi pack had the heart knocked out of it before the first spell was over by rulings that it could not understand. Every time the Red and Black forwards got under way the whistle brought them to a standstill until they were almost afraid to move. When Star opened the second spell its tactics were totally different and the whole team went in for short open rushes with snappy passing which quickly had the opposing backs demoralised. It was a good example of changed tactics and proved again that Star leave nothing to chance and work out their plans before they go on to the field. The only way to win matches.

As wing forward for Star, Bell gave another exhibition. He got away quickly from the scrum and often left his opponent wondering what had happened. He invariably made ground when he got an opening and in getting the ball out to the backs in the second spell he was very successful. He used a scoop feed with good results and when he could not use his hands he got the ball back with his feet. The Waikiwi pack put up a great fight and some of their rushes were particularly good. Richardson, although closely watched, did some good opening work which was

quickly taken advantage of by White, Clark and R. Acton. The four mentioned forwards were more in the limelight, but their comrades were little behind them and were always handy to give any assistance required. Before the season advances many teams will have good reasons to remember the W Iwi pack and it is well on the cards that the Red and Blacks will create some surprises before the season is over, providing that the club is successful in keeping the same team together for the remainder of the season. That is the same forward team.

The Star forwards were giving a lot of weight away, but this did not trouble them a great deal as they were well framed and were anxious to try conclusions with a heavier team. In the opening spell their opponents had the better of the play, but when Star let loose their revised game then the Star pack had its innings. Following the ball and leaving nothing to chance, they simply romped over their heavier opponents in the open. Once past the forward opposition the Waikiwi backs, with the exception of Bor am an, offered little resistance and the Star forwards had a great time bustling the inside backs to their own advantage. All the forwards played well and missed few opportunities to improve the position of their side. The least said about the Waikiwi backs, with the exception of Boraman, the better. They failed their forwards on almost every occasion and lost ground, won by hard forward work, in a few seconds. There was hardly a redeeming feature in their display, and if Waikiwi is going to achieve anything this season better backs are required. Wilson on the wing played a fair game for his first try out in that position. He had the makings of a good scoring man while his tackling on Saturday was sound. Boraman, at full back, was called upon to do a lot of work and did it well. He has a long kick but could use it to better advantage. No doubt this will come with experience and when he does learn the proper use of this long punt he will add greatly to his value as a full back. He place kicks well and his attempts at goal, although a trifle unlucky, were good efforts from difficult shots. Before the season is over he should be a useful nan in the team. The Star backs played well when they secured the ball in the second spell and '.heir passing was good for an opening match. Their team work is exceptionally .rood and they always know where to find a man when he is wanted. This accounts for much of their successes as a man is seldom left to go “on his own.” There is always someone handy to accept the ball when a player is blocked. J. Oughton got the ball away smartly and often fooled .he opposing side with his short side work. D. Murray at first five-eights was the same afc player as last season and though •icver brilliant he did his work cleanly. Shand at second five-eights played his :sual unorthodox game and was always in he scoring movements. Few players make as many mistakes as Shand during a game but the Star five-eighths never lets up and always covers any mistakes he makes by quick following and dribbling. It is this that makes him such a dangerous player. The Star threequarter line played well and were always handy when required for any serious business. It is to be regretted that some biased club supporters let their feeling run away with them on Saturday when they hooted Lilley in the closing stages of the Star v. Waikiwi match. The Star full back played a sterling game for his side and when a certain section of the spectators so far forgot themselves as to give vent to such feelings they were only makng themselvse look silly. During his football career Lilley has played good clean games and there was no call for such a demonstration as that of Saturday. Lilley’s action in taking a mark when he did was the correct thing to do, but those who passed their comment would no doubt have liked to have seen him bowled over and trampled underfoot. It says little for those followers of a club when they cannot take a beating without turning upon a player with such a good record as Lilley. In both games on the Park on Saturday “sacks-on-the-mill” were frequent and should have been stopped more promptly by the controlling referees. Bright football is required to attract the crowd and by allowing “sacks-on-the-mill” the referees are only slowing up the game. There is nothing edifying in these struggling heaps of humanity which are allowed to continue too long. Spectators nowadays like to see the ball together with the movements which lead up to any openings, but until these “sacks-on-the-mill’ are eliminated the spectators will have to sit and patiently await the discovery of the ball in the tangle of human bodies which form these unnecessary struggles. Prompter whistling will eliminate these from our local games and add considerably to the attractiveness of the game both from a players and a spectators viewpoint. (By “On-side Mac”). The games played at Rugby Park on Saturday were carried through at a stronger pace than was generally anticipated and the fittest side of the four engaged proved to be the Star first fifteen, who, however, were not thoroughly tried out, their opponents petering out long before the second half of their engagement drew to a close. It is hardly fair to be two critical in connection with the opening matches of the season, but some very serious faults were noticeable at the Park that should not exist on the opening day or any other occasion where it is claimed that modern Rugby is fairly well understood. For example, many of the backs in each of the teams, with the exception perhaps of Star, consistently attempted to catch the ball with hands alone, quite forgetting to lend bodily backing to .heir efforts as all good playeii. should. This cricketing fashion of ball handling should be severely condemned by club captains. Again, the passing efforts of many of the players were of an elementary description; in place of the direct, two-hand transfer, a little more than waist-high, the leather was sent on at all angles, high and low and as often as, not too soon. Here again club managers should insist that direct, two-handed passing be practiced and cultivated. Of other faults high tackling, knocking on, and failure to mark opponents man to man were always in evidence, but that was only to be expected on the initial day of a new season. To come to the refereeing, it might be truthfully stated that local whistle-holders do not pay sufficient attention to backs who have kicked the ball upfield putting their forwards “on side.” When players have followed up kicks several times to put their comrades in play again and find that they are overlooked they become slack and give up trying. In these days when it is illegal to find the line, except under certain circumstances, it is more necessary than ever that kickists should run upfield and endeavour to put their forwards and brother backs on side, particularly where forwards are concerned. For several seasons past this point has been neglected in Southland, but they do things better in many northern centres that could be enumerated. The respective forward divisions infused any amount of vigour and energy into their play, a distinctly pleasing feature in view of last year’s unwelcome prevalence of players of the type who scout, wait and watch for chances in the open while more deserving comrades are buried in the thick of the fray. There was, however, a noticeable absence of anything in the nature of concerted dribbling, a form of attack that has proved its worth to the province time without number, not forgetting the part it played in raising the Maroon banner to a position of pre-eminence some two or three seasons ago. The Invercargill-Marist encounter resolved itself into an endurance test between teams showing keenness and vigour, but considerably lacking in cohesion and organised effort. To some extent this was attributable to the fact that the ball was hardly in the best of condition for handling purposes as a result of contact with a moist turf, but this by no means wholly explains what was wrong. The respective three-quarter lines seldom saw the ball or when they did, it drifted through the line of inside backs so slowly and haphazardly that the last line of attack seldom had a chance, being jammed

on to the touchline and very often faced by forward opposition which had found time to cross over from scrum or ruck and lend a hand in repelling telegraphed attacks on the border. Greens got more ball in the first quarter of an hour than at any other part of the game, but did not do much with it. until they started to hoist the ball into the wind and send their forwards after it. These increased demands on the forwards brought good results, to wit six points, but so tired the young pack that when the Blue frontal division set to in the next half comparatively fresh they outstayed their opponents and won comfortably by 13 to 6. Fraser and Smith were the pick of the Blue forwards. Cameron came back to senior football after being some time out of the game, and showed good form. He wns an exceedingly useful all round player when he was with the now defunct Public Service Club in the days of the double halfholiday, and if he gets back to his old standard again, he should prove an acquisition. It is to be hoped that the backs will show a big improvement, particularly in passing. There are some new players and the team has been unfortunate in losing several good men since last season. Chyne was the only one to do anything out of the way; ho gathered in the ball pretty well and kicked soundly. If he does as well when he has to step himself ofot in other departments of the full back game he will keep his place in senior football, despite the fact that he has come straight up from third grade. O’Byrne looks as if he would be a good man in the forwards.

The Marist front-rankers, Shepherd and Sheehan, did some good tackling, and the first named and J. Ryan broke away with the ball in good style on several occasions. Stanton gave a promising display, and should keep an eye on the two Ryans to learn the dribbling game Another old Public Service player who come? back to senior football here (after an absence in the north) is Holz, who now plays back. He gave a promising display on Saturday, bis kicking being of specie! benefit to his side. He should look to his passing and endeavour to get the ball away so that it gives the next man in the line every chance. Coakley had few chances, but made some good openings. If he and Holz changed places, it would probably be of consider able mutual benefit. Kelly played pretty well.

The Bluff forwards command attention In a practice game they were instrument a’ in defeating Waikiwi, who are noted for their forwards, by 11 points to nil. Las* Saturday Pirates scraped home against them by the narrow margin of two points. The Bluff pack are not particularly heavy nor yet particularly fast but they bear the impression of careful coaching. In the line out and in the loose they are very effective although their scrum work is not so good, and what is more they play with a touch of dash and initiative which one misses in the Pirate pack. The decision of Referee Stott on one occasion calls for comment. The Bluff forwards had just broken through and taken the ball with them to within a yard or two of the Pirate line when a Pirate back dived on to the ball and wisely enough (from Pirates’ point of view) stayed there. The Bluff men then made strenuous efforts to pull him off. Finally, Referee Stott blew his whistle and awarded a penaltykick, but as the infringement took place nearly on the corner the kick never looked like going over. But for the Pirate man lying on the ball Bluff would have scored and most probably have won the game, for the incident took place towards the close of the match and quite a number of the Pirate players were beginning to look somewhat exhausted. It seems clear that a penalty try should have been awarded, but at a meeting of the Referees’ Association, Mr Stott, while admitting first that a try should have been scored and that he had intended to award a penalty try, explained that he had not done so because the Bluff men had interfered with the man who was lying on the ball. But the point, is that a breach of the nature committed by the Pirate man calls for instant punishment, and the referee is not entitled to wait, as under the advantage rule, for something else to happen. Allowing men to go down on the ball and stay down only leads to rough play, in any case. Mr Stott took a half-way course between two infringements, whereas he should have considered the first only. The incident is unfortunate from the Bluff point of view as they would have deserved a win, and a win early in the season would have done this club a great deal of good. St. George was the best of the Pirate backs on Saturday. He was kept hardpressed by the spoiling tactics at which the Bluff men were so proficient, but despite this he was frequently successful in getting his back line into action. Hazlett and Gilmour seldom made mistakes but the ball almost invariably went astray when it reached the centre, in which position both Swale and Stevenson were tried out, but both appeared more at home in the fullback position.

It is a pity the Bluff backs are not taken in hand by someone conversant with the game. There is quite good material there, especially in Te Au and Norris, but at present they make no pretence at working together. Their passing is deplorable and some of them have an unfortunate habit of getting mixed up with the forwards. Finnerty at full back put in some good defensive work and his kicking is powerful though erratic. Pirate forwards, particularly a lengthy pedestrain-footballer, developed a playful habit of knocking the ball forward in the line out, which was greatly apprecia ted by half-back Te Au, who seldom failed to score.

Out of the four half-backs at the Park on Saturday, only one passed out promptly and correctly. It was an awful display! Shepherd will be behind the Greens’ pack to-day and Roche is down to play in the forwards. Holz is not available and Kelly has gone up to second five-eighth. Pirates will have Cockroft and McQuarrie out to-day. There has also been a rearrangement of the backs, Prain playing centre and Ashley and McEwen on the wings, while Stevenson occupies the full back position. At a reunion of the New South Wales Rugby Union a week or two ago, A. Walker who captained the State Inst season, was presented with a gold membership medal in recognition of the fact that he was captain of the first New South Wales team to win the Ashes from New Zealand. And some very foolish people call for an All Black team to hasten off to the conquest of Great Britain!

McLean, the player whose farm is divided by the provincial boundary line, and who last year slept* in his cowshed on the Taranaki side of the boundary, so as to qualify to play for Patea, has evidently again taken up his quarters in the house, which is in Wanganui territory, as he is this year included in the Waverley team, reports a correspondent in N.Z. Truth. The two Potakas, who were in Australia last year, had a bad time at Wanganui last Saturday. Pat hurt his shoulder but kept on till he received another knock. It was then found that he had put his shoulder out and that the muscles had been torn from his arm. It is reported that it is doubtful if he will be able to play again this season. J. Potaka had the muscles of his side torn. The West Coast veteran, O'Callaghan, is attracting attention in Wellington club football. It is said that Ginger Nicholls. the All Black half back, may not be available this season, as the result of a football knee which has been giving trouble. On King’s Birthday there will be sevenaside tournaments in Wellington; Taranaki will make the annual trip to Wanganui; and Manawatu hopes to get a chance at the “old log” which Southland and Wellington held before Hawke’s Bay won it. Central District had a credit balance of £l6 19s 3d on last year’s operations. Mr R. McDonald is again president, and Mr D. Brown and W. Cameron are the vice-presi-dents. The selection committee consists of Messrs W. Young, D. Coakley and W. Cameron. The appointment of a secretary and treasurer was held over till the next 'meeting on April 30. The season commences on Saturday, May 12. The annual meeting of the Northern District Sub-union was held at Lumsden on April 10th. The balance-sheet showed a

credit of £2 2s Bd. The president (Mr Jas. Campbell) congratulated the Union on the very successful season experienced The election of officers for the incoming season resulted:—President, Jas. Campbell; vicepresidents, M. Rasmussen and D. Thomas; committee, all delegates to the Union; auditor, J. McMath; secretary and treasurer, C. Carmody; selectors, R. Churches, D. Thomas and W. Clark. It was decided that the head, quarters of the Union for 1923 be removed from Lumsden to Balfour. Saturdays are to be match days. Some of the decisions cf the recent conference of the New Zealand Referees’ Association in Christchurch must caure serious doubts in the minds of experienced followers of the game as to the capabilities of the gathering in question. Reference has already been made in this place to some of the rulings, and another that requires urgent attention from the powers that be is this amendment to the rules relating to offside play, which was passed— An off-side player within the 10 yards limit—i.e., within 10 yards in any direc tion of the player waiting to receive the ball—cannot be put into a position where he can legally play the ball by any act of his own side or by that of his op-

ponents. As Mr Lilburne pointed out to local referees on his return from the conference, this means that a player inside the ten yards limit cannot be put on-side. Now, when the Conference decided to put this halo round the player waiting for the ball, it would seem to have ignored a very important rule, namely, No. 8 (d) which states that: “An off-side player is placed on-side when one of his own side, having kicked the bail when behind him, has run in front of him.” Also the effect of the amended kicking-into-touch rule seems to have been forgotten. With the ball confined more o the paddeck, it is vitally necessary that ho kicker should be encouraged to follow up fast, otherwise the game is being slowed town, which was just the opposite of what was intended by the amended rule. Cases night be put showing the fallacy of the .Iclerecs’ ruling, and this aspect of the mat_cr was well illustrated by Messrs T. Baird uid R. Bell at recent meetings of the Southland Referees’ Association.

Fogarty, the ex-All Black, and Malone, acth of whom came south with the Taranaki team last year, have gone to Auckand to play for College Rifles. The Wellington Dominion says: “That .he example set by England and Wales, of electing young players for the international matches this season, might be followed with advantage by New Zealand.” In ao far as this statement applies to England, it is a good deal astray. When England played Wales in January, there were 13 old internationals in the English side, and throughout the international season, it was essentially a team of veterans. Lowe, Gilbert, Davies, Kershaw, Myers, Smallwood and Edwards are anything but young players. It was Scotland and Ireland that went in for young piayere, and they may be expected to reap the benefit in the next season or two, provided the newcomers to big football have been judiciously used and grounded in the game. That is the important point—it is no use picking young players out, unless you are going to coach them.

Wellington has 134 teams this year, an mcrease of 14 over last year’s total. In addition there are about 70 school and college team playing in competitions of their own. It will thus be seen that there are about 3000 players engaged in the Dominion capital every week. A tip for referees—the wing forward is not the only player who gets off-side when a scrum is taking place. On many occasions on Saturday, piayere could be seen getting into position to break up the passing attempts of their opponents near the scrum, particularly on the blind side. They are perfectly entitled to so, provided they keep on-side, but time without number they were not on-side and the refere in qustion was allowing them to get away with it. This is a matter that should be firmly dealt with, otherwise football is going to degenerate into a mere test of spoiling, and unless it receives attention early, there will be serious trouble ahead for the referees. A Wanganui enthusiast considers that a recent visit paid to Ratana, where ladies’ football is now an established fact, was well worth the trip. It is reported that the Native belles play the game with gusto, the delighted warriors the while following play up and down the line with shouts of encouragement and plenty of advice. One try registered by a female exponent was obtained as the result of a dive over the line in the approved “Moke” Bellis style. A has also been formed at Pipiriki, up the river, under the picturesque name 6i Ranui-Aoroa.

That it is a matter for the coach or skipper of the team to say what formation hi« men shall play in seems to be a hard matter to explain to these people who are demanding legislation to enable them to push their views on the wing forward question and the 3-2-3 scrum on to the football clubs, of this country. And a little word of advice may be tendered to them on another aspect of the same question—ca canny when bringing the Old Country into the argument. Reference has been already made here to the fact that England, which was supreme in international encounters this season, played wing forwards; and only a few weeks ago when Bath met Oxford for the first time in their history they dealt it out to the students to the tune of three tries to nothing. A sentence in the London Sportsman describing the match has significance. It says: “The visitors favoured the modernists’ formation of seven forwards and eight backs, and their extra back amply justified his roving commission.”

A man on the bank of the Seine, in France, seeing a round object resembling a human head floating down the river, hailed one of the passenger steamers and communicated to the captain his fears that a tragedy had occurred. The skipper lowered a boat, which started, amid the great excitement of the passengers, in pursuit of the object. It was found to be a football. “Few Rugby players in England realise to what extent the grand old game has spread over the world, says an Englishman resident in Japan. Yet the other day I emerged from behind the shelter of the paper window of my Japanese house and walked into the Kobe to watch as good a game as I ever saw; and the old Japanese gentleman who lives across the way did likewise. A team representing the West of Japan, and composed largely of undergraduates from the Kyoto and Sanko Universities, was playing against the ‘interporl’ of Kobe side—no mean aide let me say. “The game is strongly fostered in the universities. In view of the above, comments a Sydney critic, it might be worth while for the New South Walts and New Zealand Rugby Unions to consider the matter of inviting a Japanese team to make a tour. If the Japs are as expert in Rugby as the writer indicates, they have evidently imbibed the true spirit of the game, and mastered most of the intricacies. In that case, knowing them, as we do, to be quick-brained and quick-footed athletes, the Japanese would probably make a very good showing on a tour of this character. There is a different tale to tell, however, in connection with the other side of the Yellow Sea, and it is not without the hum orous element. “All li, me playee Lugby.” That is the answer L. A. Cubitt, captain of th” 1921-22 League Rugby Kangaroos, invariably got on a round of the Chinese colleges in Hong Kong and Shanghai in an endeavour to obtain recruits for the game, says an exchange. Cubitt had seen the Chinese at Association football (which they play well), and he conceived the idea of moulding a League Rugby side to tour in New South Wales. The New South Wales League was agreeable. But he got little else but bland promises from the Celestials. Hardly any of them would turn up for practice, and then not those of the type desired. It was intended to pick a side from these practices, but as the response was farcical, the idea was abandoned. Just fancy the Australian athletes neglecting the chanoe of an overseas tour? The game is flourishing in the far north of the S.R.F.U.’s big district which extend® to the Snow Country of the Southern Alps.

A fortnight ago a team blew into Gtenorehy from Paradise, a tourist and sawmilling resort at the foot of Mount Eearnslaw. The home side won, 16 to 6.

Captains of the fifteens: —Star—H. Brown ; Pirates—Johnson ; Blues Rice; Waikiwi —Cross; Marist.—Cosgrove; Bluff— Budd; Winton—Cleland. THE HALF HOLIDAY SITUATION The general topic of conversation amongst footballers yesterday was the result of the half-holiday poll, and it# effect on the Rugby Union's competitionf*. That the Wednesday people effected a surprise goes without saying, and as far as football is concerned it illustrates the danger of a rail-sitting policy on the part of those who might reasonably have been expected to have given a lead. The thorough organisation of the retailers stands out in marked contrast to the laradaisical attitude adopted by the sporting and Labour organisations of the town. The arguments advanced by the retailers were weak at many points. For instance, if the Saturday half holiday is such a dreadful thing from the farmer’s point of view, how is it that places like Hamilton, New Plymouth and W’anganui, the centres of big fanning districts, prefer Saturday, in addition to all the large towns of the dominion ? Then it is difficult to swallow the story that the Invercargill retailers are losing £9,000 per week by having to revert from Wednesday to Saturday. This, it will be noted, meant a loss of nearly half a million a year. However, the retailers undertook a big boosting campaign and were signally successful, and have every reason to feel pleased with their success. Unless some means can be found of averting the “half pie” holiday that will ensue on Wednesday and Saturday under the recent decision of the electors, football is going to suffer severely, and in view of th heavy commitments entered into by the Rugby Union last season, the situation is not a cheerful one. Whatever day one is in favour of, the writer thinks it will be generally agreed that the present position illustrates the need for uniformity on the part of all the business houses and departments, and the solution of this difficulty would appear to be for the whole country to deciare one way or the other and make the half-holiday universal. EASTERN DISTRICT SUB-UNION. The management committee of the Eastern District Sun-Union met on Thursday evening, there being present Messrs F. Wallace (President), G. W. Wittingham, I. W. Martin, F. M. Murray, T. L. Piller, M. Fitzgerald and R. S. Green (secretary). The secretary, S.R.F.U. wrote stating that his Union was granting footballs to schools at a cost of 12s 6d, and was prepared to extend the concession to the Eastern District.—The letter was referred to Mr Miller, who has been placed in charge of school football in the district. The Pioneer Club was granted permission to fiend a second grade team to Rivendale on Saturday, April 28, Mr D. Cronin being appointed manager. The Town Clerk, Mat aura, wrote stating that the Borough Council could not see its way clear to allow the sub-union six dayi’ control of the Mataura grounds, but if application were made to the Council for a day as occasion arose, it would be favour ably considered. It was decided to thank the Council for its offer. It was decided that in view of the unsatisfactory state of affairs at Mataura, and of the necessity for raising more funds for the benefit of football in the Eastern District, a committee consisting of the president, the secretary and Messrs Martin and Whittingham, be set up to go into the matter. The Wyndham F.C. applied for transfers for C. Richards (Marist, Invercargill) and T. Gardiner .Zingari-Richmond). The applications were held over pending reecipt of personal applications and clearances. G. Jardine was granted a transfer from Clutha to Mataura and J. P. Brown from Port Chalmers to Mataura. The application of R. A. Marshall for a transfer from Edendale to Mataura was left in the hands of the permit committee. The following fixtures were decided upon:— FIRST GRADE. —First Round — May 2.—Pioneer v Albion at Gore, No. 1, at 3 p.m.; Edendale v Malaura at Mataura at 3 p.m. May 9.—Mataura v Pioneer at Gore, No. 1, at 3 p.m. ; Albion v Edendale at Edendale at 3 p.m. May 16.—Albion v Mataura at Gore, No 1, at 3 p.m.; Pioneer v Edendale at Edendale at 3 p.m. —Second Round— May 23. —Albion v Edendale at Gore, No. 1, at 3 p.m.; Mataura v Pioneer at Mataura at 3 p.m. May 30.—Pioneer v Edendale at Gore, No. 1, at 3 p.m.; Mataura v Albion at Mataura at 3 p.m. June 6. —Albion v Pioneer at Gore, No. 1, at 3 p.m.; Mataura v Edendale at Edendale 3 p.m. SECOND GRADE. —First Round— May 2. —Pioneer v Albion at Gore, No. 2, 3 p.m.; Wyndham v Edendale at Edendale 3 p.m.; Seaward Downs v Pukerau at Puker.au at 1.45 p.m.; Mitaura a bye. May 9.—Edendale v Pioneer at Gore, No. 2, at 3 p.m.; Mataura v Pukerau at Mataura at 3 p.m.; Seaward Downs v Wyndham at Seaward Downs at 3 p.m.; Albion a bye. May 16.—Pioneer v Mataura at Gore, No. 2, at 3 p.m.; Albion v W’yndham at Wyndham at 3 p.m.; Edendale v Pukerau at Pukerau at 3 p.m.; Seaward Downs a bye. May 23.—Albion v Seaward Downs at Gore, No. 2, at 3 p.m.; Edendale v Mataura at Edendale at 3 p.m.; Pukerau v Wyndham at 3 p.m.; Pioneer a bye. May 30. Pioneer v W’yndham at Gore, No. 2. at 3 p.m.; Albion v Mataura at Mataura, No. 2, at 3 p.m.; Seaward Downs v Edendale at Seaward Downs at 3 p.m.; Pukerau a bye. June 6.—Wyndham v Mataura at Mataura at 3 p.m.; Pioneer v Seaward Downs at Seaward Downs at 3 p.m.; Albion v Pukerau at Pukerau at 3 p.m.; Edendale a bye. June 13. —Mataura v Seaward Downs at Mataura at 3 p.m.; Albion v Edendale at Edendale at 3 p.m.; Pioneer v Pukerau at Pukerau at 3 p.m.; W’yndham a bye. THIRD GRADE. —First Round— May 2.—Albion v Wyndham at Gore, No. 3, at 2 p.m.; Pioneer v Mat aura at Gore, No. 2, at 1.30 p.m.; High School v Edendale at Edendale at 1.30 p.m. May 9.—Albion v High School at Gore, No. 3, at 2 p.m. ; Mat aura v Edendale at Edendale at 1.30 p.m.; Pioneer v W’yndham at Wyndham at 3 p.m. May 16.—Mataura v Albion at Mataura at 3 p.m. ; Pioneer v Edendale at Gore, No. 3, at 2 p.m.; Wyndham and High School byes. May 23. —Wyndham v Edendale at Eden dale at 1.30 p.m.; Pioneer v Albion at Gore, No. 3, at 2 p.m.; Mataura and High School byes. May 30.- Mataura v W’yndham at W’yndham at 3 p.m.; High School v Pioneer at Gore, No. 2, at 1.30 p.m.; Albion v Edendale a’ Gore, No. 3,2 p.m.. June 6.—High School v Wyndham at Wyndham at 3 p.m.; High School v Mataura to bt played later.