SPORT and PASTIMES

Taranaki Daily News, 16 June 1923, Page 12

SPORT and PASTIMES

FIXTURES FOR TO-DAY.

northern division. Senior. Stratford v. Inglewood, at Stratford, Mr. Hooker. Ola Boys v. Okato, at Sportsground, 3 p.m., Mr. Roch. Clifton v. Star, at Waitara, 3 p.m,, Mr. Gilmour. ■ - Second Grade. * Tukapa v. Old Boys, at Western Park, at 3 p.m., Mr. E. Andrews. Star v. Urenul, at Racecourse No. 1. 3 nm Mr. F. Webb. N.P.H.S. v. Clifton, at Sportsground, 1.30 p.m., Mr. Hughes. Rahotu v. Lepperton, at Rahotu, Mr. A Page. Third Grade. Star v. Old Boys, at Racecourse No. 1, 1,30 p.m., Mr. L. Goodacre. High School v. Inglewood, at Inglewood, 3 P.m., Mr. W. Bridger. Tukapa ▼. Urenul, at Urenui, 3 p.m., Mr. L. Andrews. Lepperton v. Clifton, at Waitara No. 1, 1,30 p.m., Mr. W. Eggelton. Fourth Grade. Clifton v. School C, at Waitara No. 2, 1.30 P.m., Mr. E. Clare. Tukapa v. Technical A, at Western Park, 1.30 P.m., Mr. G. Lister. Star v. High School D, at Racecourse No. 2, • 1.30 p.m., Mr. G. Andrews. Old Boys v. Technical B, at Racecourse No. 2, 3 p.m., Mr. T. Crone. Primary Schools (at 10 a.m.). Central v. High School Prep., at Racecourse No. 1, Mr. V. Inch. Fitzroy v. Waitara, at Racecourse No. 2, Mr. G. Bertrand. SOUTHERN DIVISION. Senior. Patea v. Opunake, at Paiea, Mr. Kiley. Hawera v. Walmate, it Manala, Mr. Lynskey. Okaiawa v. Kaponga, at Kaponga, Mr. Gray. POSITION OF THE TEAMS. , NORTHERN DIVISION.

REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. Played to Date. v. Wanganui, lost 8 to 3. Arranged. July 4—y, Wellington, at Hawera. August I—v. Southland, at Hawera. August 11—-v. Auckland, at Auckland. August 18—v. Canterbury, at New Plymouth. August 23—v. Wanganui, at Stratford. August 29—v. Otago, at New Plymouth.

TO-DAY’S MATCHES. To-day marks the commencement of the second round of the senior cup competition. In the northern division Clifton will meet Star at Waitara. In the opening match of the competition Clifton prevailed on the call of time, after a Vjiy close and interesting match. Both teams have improved since then, and consequently this afternoon’s struggle should prove a very keen one, though Clifton bhould just about win. At Stratford the present runners-up will again meet Inglewood. last round 'Stratford just got home by 11 points to ten. Stratford have improved since then, but providing Inglewood can put their best fifteen in the field, they should keep the home team very busy. At New Plymouth Okato meet Old Boys. The town team should again prevail, though the coastal forwards can be relied upon to give them trouble. As a curtain-raiser to the senior match at the sportsground, High School will meet Clifton. The spectacular game played by the boys always appeals to the public. *They are pitted against a strong team in Clifton, and a good match should result. In the southern division interest will be centred in the meeting of Okaiawa and Kaponga, at Kaponga. Okaiawa, who have so far not been beaten, defeated Kaponga in the opening match by 14 points to 8. Kaponga are a hard team to defeat on their own ground, as they showed by defeating Hawera a week or two back, and another great contest should be witnessed here. Hawera meets at Manaia. The town team should win. but football is an uncertain ganje, and cannot be decided by rule of three. Opunake journeys to Patea, and on previous performances Patea should win, but the Opunake boys can always bo relied on to play the game out to the end. NUMBERING OF TEAMS. Spectators would be enabled to follow play more intelligently if the members of teams wore a number on the back of their jerseys. Apart from representative matches, this practice is not enforced in Taranaki, though there seems no reason wty it should not be extended to club matches, and is done in the cities and other centres. The. matter of expense can scarcely be a serious one. while numbering would certainly help Pressmen who, in the case of visiting teams, often have to consult the coach or some supporter as to the name of some player who comes into prominence through a brilliant piece of play.

THE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP,

THE FIRST HOUND FINISHED. Last Saturday witnessed* the close of the first, round of the senior competition. In the north end Clifton and Stratford each won their matches, and maintain their positions as first and second on the list. As the result of their defeat by Stratford last Saturday, Tukapa are now third on the list, four points below Clifton, and three points behind Stratford. Tukapa’s chance of repeating last year’s performance is therefore very remote. Star, by winning the last three matches have run into fourth placs, a point ahead of Inglewood. The other two teams have just managed to get on the list. In this division matters should prove very interesting during the second round. In the southern division Okaiawa, by going through the first round undefeated, hold pride of place, and will be hard to keep from winning the southern premiership. They are four points e’ear of Hawera, which is the only team ■that can seriously contest the claim of Okaiawa to the premiership, and to achieve this some other team must first defeat Okaiawa, and that team is just as likely to defeat Hawera also. With the exception of Opunake, which just gets on the list, the other teams below Hawera are very even, Patea having six points, with Kaponga, Eltham and Wai-ma-te five points each.

BEATEN BY BRAWN. V Pl ’ ----- OLD BOYIS’ PLUCKY FIGHT. Proof that they are capable of extending any team in the competition was given by Old Boys in their match against Clifton, at Pukekura Park, and although defeated by 16 points to 3, it r.'ust be remembered that the ex-col-legians, probably the lightest team in the senior grade, were up against a heavy pack of forwards and a solid set of backs. Bruce, who comes in from Tongaporutu every week to play for Clifton, proved well worth the trouble on Saturday, for, in the last quarter of an hour, he dropped a goal from the field and ran on two tries in quick succession, thus sounding the death-knell for O’d Boys’ chances. .He played the cleverest game on the. visiting side. Solid tackling by Old Boys kept the score down and prevented the Clifton backs from getting into action very frequently. Apart from Bruce, the most conspicuous members of the vanguard were G. Taylor, Martene and Longman.

•Some instances of questionable tactics were given by one or two of the Clifton forwards. from more than the ordinary amount of off-side play, the referee had to issue a warning on one occasion for the promiscuous use of a boot in the scrum. On another occasion an Old Boys’ forward was bumped while waiting to catch a falling ball. Clifton, having secured a comfortable lead, let the forwards have the game practically to themselves, and, by the time the final whistle sounded, both sets of forwards were played to a standstill.

The Old Boys’ forwards played a surprisingly good game against their heavy opponents, Drader especially doing splendid work. Time after time, particularly in the first spell, Clifton were driven back on to their goal line, but Old Boys still lack the all-neces-sary finishing touch. Probably if the forwards practised the art of dribbling, instead of kicking the ball into the hands of the opposing backs, better results would follow. Nevertheless, it the forwards can reproduce Saturday's form in the second round matches, the team should be able to climb a little higher up the competition ladder. Sykes is playing well up to form, and gave a good display at centre threequarters. His long kick served his side well on many occasions, while he had hard luck in not scoring in one instance when he made a great burst through only to lose the ball a yard from the line. . Lloyd, on one wing, gave an improved showing, both he and Wilson, the other v.inger, tackling well, though in attack both still leave something to be desired. Bayly and Taylor filled the five-eightns positions very well, while Valentine, at fullback, played his usual safe game.

NEWS AND NOTES. Prior to the commencement of the senior cup competition, Mr. J. Dunn, of the Central Hotel, Eltham, promised to present fifteen caps to the senior fifteen if they won four matches during t.'.e season. As they have already annexed five out" of the necessary eight points they look like securing the caps. lEI- - are to be congratulated .upon the fine stand made this season. McLean, the Eltham five-eighths, is shortly leaving the district. Court, the Star half, who was injured a few weeks back, donned the Jersey against Okato last Saturday, when he again injured his leg. This is hard luck for Star and Taranaki also, as on his play for the reps, last season Court looked like being an acquisition to the pl l7 l c»rey, the burly Okato forward, has decided to give up the game. This is hard luck for Okato. “Larry gave up the game prior to last Saturday, but filed a gap during the game against Star owing to a player being injured. Star quicklv felt the difference. One would have expected an Okato forward to have been included in the northern teams this week. With the exception of the Tukapa debacle, Okato have put up reasonably good performances against the other clubs. \\ itli Carey not available, the claims of Roebuck were worth consideration.

■VARSITIES—II ALL.

THRILLING RUGBY. N.Z. HAS THE GOODS. Sydney, May 23. Six thousand pedple cheered and cheered at the University Oval yesterday, and in the end were satisfied that they had had their money’s worth. It was the Rugby Union match between the New Zealand and Sydney Universities—the first of the series—that drew them there, writes J. M. Taylor, the interstate footballer and international cricketer, of the Sydney Sun. These people were treated to some ■first-class football. From the outset a tremendous pace was set, which was maintained till the final whistle, and the scoreboard showed the scores equal —11 all. ■New Zealand won the toss, and ran with the wind and the sun behind. Sydney thus was under a great disadvantage, but, in spite of it, was leading by 8 to 3 a minute before halftime. Murray, however, intercepting a pass from Sheehan, ran from his own twenty-five to the opposing fullback, and then passed to McDonald, who went over and scored between the posts. Diack converted, and the scores were '8 all. The forward play was magnificent, and there was very little difference either way. It was a fierce struggle for supremacy. The tackling was solid, and the way the forwards handled the ball was delightful. It seldom happens that two packs are so evenly matched. The play raced from one end of the field to the' other, the ball being thrown about with great freedom and accuracy. The backs of both sides did not appear to be as much at home as the forwards in their 'handling. The ball was coming well from the scrum, but the inside backs seemed to be over-running a great deal, and when they did take the ball they seemed to be going only at half pace. There was not enough snap in their play. But there was one exception —Murray—a centre threequarter for New Zealand. He is fast and clever, and quick to see an opening. New Zealand had the misfortune to lose Miller, the rake, early in the second half owing to an injury to the head but with the consent of the opposing captain Leitch was allowed to fill his place. In the line-out great work was done by Jackson for New Zealand, and Doyle for Sydney, who were the right men in the right places. Each in turn got the ball well back to their respective halves, who got their backs into action. Stuckey, who is a new man in the side, did his work well and thoroughly, and as a breakaway filled the position with credit. The loose breakaway has for some time held sway, and it was a pleasure to see them taking their part of the ruck work, as well as coining out into the open. The footwork of both packs was good, and it is difficult to discriminate; but mention should be made of Fowles, Erby and Windeyer, Munro, Millar, Jackson and Mcßae, who figured in the loose as well as in the rucks. Stanley’s try was the outcome of a fine piece of work. The ball came from the scrum to Sheehan, to Stanley., to Foote, to Nothling, who cut in and sent it again to Stanley, who had come round him. Stanley went over in the comer amid cheering. Foote’s try was the outcome, of a clever piece of individual play. The ball came from the scrum, and after Sheehan and Stanley had handled. Foote short punted, and, following on fast, regained possession, and beating the fullback, crossed near- the posts. Neither Stanley, Sheehan, nor Foote reproduced his fofm of the previous ■Saturday.

AFTER FIFTY YEARS. RUGBY IN OLD COUNTRY. “NEVER MORE POPULAR.” The return of Rugby to a high place of popularity on the .field of sport at Home is weil disclosed in an article which appeared in The Sportsman prior to the England-Scotland match. Only one topic interests Rugby foot-* bailers at the moment, states the writer, and it does not require much brain-work to guess what that is. Never, since England first played. Scotland over fifty years ago has the public exhibited such extraordinary keenness in the result of a match. A variety of reasons may be advanced for this widespread enthusiasm, and one of them is the fact that it is eleven long years since Scotland last won the Calcutta Cup. Another reason is that never in the history of the game has Rugby football been more popular, both with players and spectators, and attendance records have been going by the board in wholesale fashion this season. This matter of providing sufficient accommodation is one of the burning questions of the moment in all live countries. Twickenham, we know, ' not large enough to seat everyone who would like to buy a ticket; Swansea and Cardiff were both taxed to their utmost

capacity last month-; there has been a lot of “grousing” in Dublin about the limited stand accommodation; and Colombes is not only underseated, but the view from several parts of the stand hardly exists, since every Frenchman insists on rising to his feet when either side looks like scoring. But surely what we read the other day about queues lining up in Edinburgh outside a ticket office eighteen hours or more before it opened fairly beats everything! How pleased the secretary of our Rugby Union or Messrs Hays must be that no announcement is made when tickets for Internationals at Twickenham are available for the general pub,‘ic. A disappointed and therefore angry crowd who had camped out all night in Whiton Road, or Bond Street, would be a big problem to tackle, and no amount of tact would disperse them. When the Scottish Union build their projected ground at Murrayfield, we trust, for their own sakes, that if they err at all in the matter of seating room it will be on the right side. It is all very well to say that supposing an International Rugby match were played this year at Wembley Park or Hampden Park, not mere than 60,000 people would be present on a fine day. That may be true now, but what about, ten years hence? When Twickenham was opened thirteen years ago no one thought it would prove too small in such a. short space of time. Another point, if you do not provide for your crowds you will gradually kill their enthusiasm, and they will desert your game for another. And any club will tell you how they depend on crowds to make both ends meet.

To return to the coming match Scotland, I suppose, are more fancied to win ihan Enjlund, largolj. of the

splendid form they showed at Cardiff against Wales. It was certainly a gf-eat victory and a deserved one, more especi•<l!y as they stayed the course better, but a little reflection will show that they were within an ace of being beaten, and only a glorious and inspired effort on the part of their captain in the last minute turned \ hat looked like certain defeat into a brilliant win. Gracie’s try will rightly become historic, but it was touch and go for Scotland. And had that twenty-second bit of play not come off, England would no doubt have been the favorites for Inverleith. Still, speculation on what might have been is never very satisfactory, and it is perhaps better to regard things as they are. Hence we find both England and Scotland taking the field with unbeaten sides, and the International championship, the Calcutta Cup, and various records, chief of which is W r . J. A. Davies’s, at stake. A speaker at the cheery dinner of the London Scottish the other night summed up the feelings of most Scotsmen when he expressed the hope that Scotland would win, but at the same time he hoped th-.t Davies would not have his wonderful record broken. To have played nineteen limes against Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Fnnce, and never to have been on the losing side is a truly remarkable happening, and all Englishmen will hope his luck wiil hold out once more, so that he may wind up his splendid career in a blaze of glory. The match was played at Inverleith. A wonderful kick from the touch-line gave England a two points victory over Scotland, enabled them to retain possession of the Calcutta Cup, and gave W. J. A. Davies the opportunity of retiring from the It ternational field in that “blaze of glory” which is represented by the fact that in all the nineteen games he has played for England against the home countries he has never been on the losing side. Both England and Scotland scored two tries each, but whereas Scotland failed to convert either of her tries, a great kick by Luddington gave England a two points victory.

p. W. D. L. Points for. agat. Ch. pts. Clifton .., 6 5 1 59 24 11 Stratford « 5 — 1 65 33 10 Tukapa .. 6 3 1 80 40 7 Star 6 3 i • 3 40 57 6 Inglewood . 6 2 1 S 44 34 5 Old Boys . « 1 5 32 42 2 Ok&to « 1 o 20 100 1 SOUTHERN DIVISION. Okalawa . 6 G 59 24 12 Hawera .. 6 4 — 2 62 32 8 Patea . ..„ 6 2 2 2 29 31 6 Kaponga . 6 2 1 3 37 32 5 Eltham ... 6 2 1 3 24 31 5 Waimate < 6 2 1 3 21 33 5 Opunake > 6 — 1 5 21 70 1