FOOTBALL NOTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 7326, 27 May 1913, Page 4

FOOTBALL NOTES.

By ‘‘Onlooker.” Tonmka seniors played t hoir game of the season on Thursday, and yet liad the pleasure of returning home I tie defeated team. The defeats wiih do 1 eiuuka no harm, and they are not yet by any means nut of the running for the championship. The teams this season are so well balanced that the, champions, whoever they might bo, are not likely to get through the season wilhoul a defeat or (wo, if not, more. Temnka seniors still lack finish and combination, but practice will remedy this. Alcfsaaes has not earned his place, and he shoiTd find a place for a while in the juniors. Temnka were unfortunate in being without the services of Kyne and Barcombe. The absence of those two players involve:! the inclusion of two untrained men, who nevertheless did well. (.'linnard shone a good deal, though, as was only to lie expected, his individual efforts lack the finishing touch (hat comes of being well trained, and having plenly of wind to touch oil with (he final brilliancy. Tom ('llll- - might well ba tried another Thursday or two in the seniors, though (he all-round excellence of Tcmuka's forwards will make it a dillicult ma't.rr to find places for now men. Backs and forwards alike played a fine game. The lack was in combination and finish. The points do not indicate the merits of the game, since the final six points were notched by Celtic just before the call of lime. On the whole, unprejudiced spectators’ opinions inclined to the belief that oil the day’s play, tire slightly bet for foam won— oro condition and combination. Toniiuka juniors achieved a good win over Star. ' Temuka’s backs were superior to those of the visitors, whoso forwards did not receive the necessary assistance from) their backsWavers on both sides showed inhich ignorance of the rules of the game. Star’s skipper was astonished when the referee ruled a forcedown for a ball that first hit the spectator over (he goal line. Players generally seemed to imagine that a scrum live yards out was the rule. As a matter of fact, the rule reads : “In the case of a hall rolling over the goal lino and (or.ching a spectator before a player on either side bus had time to toiwh it down, the referee shall award a ‘touch-down’ if he considers the ball would have gone dead or that a defending player would have touched it first : or a try if ho thinks but for the interference a try would have beent scored.”

In the case in question, the' ball was kicked from half-way, and ivdbody, save another ' 'Temnka player, was within twenty . yards of Tcmrka’s full’■ack as he took the rebounding leather from the boy it struck, and touched it down. Another Jamcntablc case of ignorance caused a try against Star. The ball was shot over the lino and in the ensuing race for it, a Star play"r, who had ample' opportunity to tall on it, reached out his hand and bounced the ball down from his standing Position. Tcinukn, following up, scored. The Star player was' indignant, his fellows also holding that bouncing the ball down had been held legitimate by other referees this season. The rule on the subject reads, both hi reference to a ,force-down and try: “ V touch-down is when a player ‘ouches down.” This rule is to bo ■■ead as part of the definition 'so as to press the hall on the ground.’ If ‘he ball is bounced, and not ‘pressed lowi.'.’ it is still in play.” Another bad feature about many irivors is that after appealing for a broach, they slop to await the result, and become annoyed if their appeal is not allowed, or the referee does not whistle for a breach immediately. A referee will not blow his wh'stle if, from a breach, say, by Temnka, Star should reap the. benefit. Often players appeal for breaches by members of their own side in order to slop an embarnssing piece of play and reap benefit from their own mistakes. Several players on Thuvsdav adopted the old trick, when tackled, of falling down, sitting on the ball, placing it between their legs, or other wise impeding further passage for the. leather. Some such players were surprised at being penalised. The rule, however, provides that a referee shall blow his whistle for a breach (aj When the tackled player docs not at once fairly put the ball down ; (bj Whoi.' such player is on the ball and he does not at once fairly part with the ball, and cither get up or roll away from the bull ; (c) If such player, while on (ho ground, interferes with the ball.

A further Point A player cannot take a mark from a ball kicked along the ground and rising a few inches. Such ball is off the ground and not off an opponent. Some players do not understand that a rebound is not a knock-oip and no fair catch can be made therefrom or a penalty giver.'. There must be some 'movement of the hand or iii'in, forcing I lie ball in the direction of the opponents in-goal to constitute a knock-on or throw forward. lemuka fourths had a draw on Th ursrday. 'they are promising pretty well this season.

J lie individuals who procured ]h|iior lor feme of the fourih-jrrade footballers, on (heir way home to Tenmka, cm Thursday, will shortly be uiveii an opportunity of explain" ny heir stupidity to the Alaaistrato. All t!ii' youths who partook of the beer,

lu'.iy; under aye, will doubtless receive 'o ,n ' plain words from the Alayisrate, and some plainer words from '.heir parents. the Club’s selectors ad! also doubtless drop the boys who took a hadiny paid in the scennny and (h> c nsamption of the ]i ( |Uor. Happily, the royret (able incident in I'U'Sliun is a rare one in (he history o! Ihe respectable Tcntuka Club. Mr i). Callaliei', eaplain of the famous .All Blacks, has been re-elected selector tor the A'ueklanil Ruyby Union. .Mr Neil C.ilbnjilh, of the New /.calami K’uyby Union, who recently underwent an operation for appendicitis, is row proLpvssiny towards recovery.

lorn ( mss. the e\-()tayo player, and Mcllini.'ton and New Zealand re”rcsenlative of a few years ayo, has insl recovered troni a serious attacd; ol Ifphoid lever.

hranl; Mitchinson has made his ap"carance in l he Ton,die ivarynanl in ilm Vielliiiyi ( ,n JiiiM-by Union’s eoinpelilion. and with a few yames the '■hwer All Black anticipates e-etlimi-back to I,ls old f0r,,,. MV Camenm, of California, ceivntlv " ;ulnl 011 Ik" manayement eonimitlee 'd the Ncu Zealand Knybv (msion to dr-euws the matter of ;l u , im , beiny

sent to California. He said that a£ti;r seeing the All Blacks on and oil the field, the 'University authorities had said : “Jf the game produces such line men, it is good enough for us.” They then declared in favour of the Rugbv Union game. The Boys’ High School objected for a virile, but subsequently fell in with the idea. Mheu the Australian loam visited America the clubs contributed towards tho line aces, anil a union was formed.