FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143550, 15 July 1911, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

(By “Harpastum.”)

THE SEASON'S REP. FIXTURES. July'29.—North Island team v. Auckland, at Auckland. August 3. —Taranaki v. North Island team, at New Plymouth. August 10.—Taranaki v. Maori team, at Stratford. - ■ 1 August 12.—Otago v. South’ Island Country Team, at Dunedin. August 16.—Wellington r. Maori Team, at Wellington. August 19.—Otago .v. Wanganui, at Dunedin. , August 23.—Taranaki v, Manawatu, at Palmerston; Southland v. Wanganui, at Invercargill. August 26.—Taranaki v. Wellington, at Wellington; Wanganui v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. August 30,—Taranaki v. Southland, at .. Invercargill. . September. 2.—Taranaki v. Otago, at Dunedin; Auckland v. Wellington, at Wellington. September 6.—Taranaki v. West Coast, at Greymouth; Auckland v. Southland, at Invercargill (pencilled). September 9—Auckland v. Otago, at Otago (pencilled); Taranaki v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. September 14.—Auckland v. Taranaki, at New Plymouth; Canterbury v. South Canterbury, at Timaru. September 16,—Canterbury v. Otago, . at Dunedin; Auckland v. Wellington, at Wellington (pencilled). September 20,—Canterbury v. Southland, at Invercargill. September 23.—Wellington v. Canterbury, at Christchurch; Southland v. Otago, at Dunedin; September 27.—Wellington v. Southland. at Invercargill. September 30—Wellington v, Otago, at Dunedin. October 7.—North v. South Island ■ match, at Wellington. The Maori team’s match, against Auckland has been cancelled, at the request of Mr. Parata. ■ The Clifton first juniors, who are leading the--northern - division junior championship by four points from Stratford, have so tar won all of the eight games they have played, and scored 105 points to 18. R. H. Quilliam,' of New Plymouth, who played wing-forward for the New Zealand Universities team which recently visited Sydney, is on a short visit to New Plymouth. Quilliam,tells mo that although very large crowds still watch the Northern Union matches in Sydney, they are already finding the League game monotonous. The northern division senior championship now depends on the TukapaStratfnrd .match. If Stratford win they will be level with Clifton, and a "play-off” will be necessary, but if Tukapa win the championship will go to Chiton, who.will then have to meet Star, to decide who is to contest the temporary ownership of the M'Masters Cnp, with Okaiawa. If Clifton do manage to pull off the northern division premiership, it will be tor the first time since the formation of the division, although they have been runners-up in two or three, seasons. . ,

The Cliftou-Tukapa match on Thursday was not one to enthuse over, yet it was a keen, determined struggle. There was too much close forward work ip it to provide a pressman with much “copy.”’ But it ,was very, interesting throughout, and the many spectators got full value for their money. On the inateh tho resting-place of the northern division championship depended to a great/extent, and so it was but natural that both teams should be more than usually keen and prepared for battle. ’And they did battle. They started quietly, 'as if trying for’ each other’s measure, hut once they were warmed up both teams threw themselves into tho struggle with much zest and grim cloggodness. Indeed, there was a little too much grim dogged ness about it. However, referee Hopkins had a good grip of the game, and haying once issued a warning he did not find cause tn repeat it or to proceed to more extreme measures, although he missed several instances of rough play. On tho whole, the teams were fairly evenly matched in playing capabilities. In the packs, Clifton’k superior weight and strength and their hooking of the

ball were counterbalanced to a certain extent by the Tukapa vanguard’s better knowledge of the game and their sightly greater speed. The tackling of the bine forwards was. weak, on the whole. The home team’s wing forwards were stronger, but Tukapa had the better backs, on the whole, until Iho fullbacks cuine to be 'considered. There Clifton hud iho advantage, for Honeyfield, the blues' usual , full-back, was absent, Oh account of a family bereavement. and a junior three-quarter, Fatterson. had to be pressed into service. But Fattcr.-son lacked confidence in himself, and generally he seemed unable • to make up his. mind as to what he should do with tin* ball when he got it. Occasionally lie got in a well-judged kick, and sometimes ho got out cl trou-. blc through sheer luck. He was luckier still in that Clifton did not “try.himout” as much as they should have done. Tlie score—three to nil—just about represents the difference between the teams. To my mind, the difference was just this, that the Clifton men had more confidence than their opponents. At the beginning of the season. “paper” calculations showed that Clifton would in all probability have the strongest team in the northern division. And, although expectations wore not quite realised, the wearers of the green and vgljow proved to be a solid allrrund combination. They have only been beaten or.ee, when luck was against them (Column, was injured ami Cain was ordered off), Tukapa then defeating them by a try to nil. Stratford managed to draw with them at their second meeting, • scoring a penalty goal to a try obtained by Clifton. Otherwise fcJvrr career lias not been checked. So Chiton were confident that they could win*the division championship. More than that, they arc confident thaiTthe winners of the southern division championship will have by no means an easy task .when the play-off for the premiership of the province comes round. On ti’.c other L*nnd, Tukapa were by no mean:, mentally assured that they could beat Clifton again. Furthermore, they were less confident that they could bring the M‘Masters Cup to the northern division. So Clifton took the field on Thursday with the confidence which is necessary for success. Tukapa did not, although they wore determined to make a good fight. Therein lay the difference between the teams. . As I have alrcadv indicated, the game was not of the kind that furnishes much material for description, hard and fast as it was. The bines wanted to make the game open ; Clifton intended to keep it tight, and they did so. They used their backs chiefly for line-kicking, and , relied on their forwards to win the match, a trust to which the forwards proved equal. In fact, the yellow backs were rather too fond of the touchlinc. If thqy bad kicked high to Patterson, and sent their forwards sweeping down on Tukapa’s emergency full-back, the p'inners might have scored more. Now and again the Clifton backs did try a passing rush, but even tlmn they usurdly preferred to finish up with a kick into touch.. The forwards again proved themselves a solid, hard-working lot." Tukapa beat them in footwork, but what the Clifton pack lacked in finesse and knowledge they made up for in weight, strength and vigour. Ono or two of them were a bit too vigorous. Hicks, for instance, would do well to remember that the ball, and not, the man. should be played dr kicked. Cain, Ricks and Jones were a trifle the best of the pack. , Fairley did a lot of work, but was ton often trying to hook the ball out of Tukapa’s side of the “loose" scrums. Thomas also did some very good work, but waited too often for opportunities, instead of putting his weight into the heavy work all the time. ! Kyle played a very useful game at wing-forward, and so did Crowley, who, however, is too prone to use other methods than are strictly correct. Of the backs, Goodwin played a fine game, lie should be well in the running when the next rep. team is picked. A very dangerous man in attack, and solid in defence, he would bo amongst the first backs to be selected for the. provincial fifteen if he would only drop his,“gallery” tactics altogether.' He has, improved in this resect, but there ■ is si ill a little room for'improvement. S. George was a very safe and sure fullback. On the Tukapa side, "Ward was the best of the forwards. The others were a very even, hprd-working lot. F. Loveridge and Whitaker, the wingforwards, found themselves up against taller and heavier men, and they were nob able to protect their half-back enough. Brown played very solidly at half. In the first spoil Mynott was below his usual form. He missed the ball several times, and his tackling was not ■as sure as usual. He improved in the second spell. Both lie and Stohr, who was very safe, as usual, were well marked, and had few opportunities to attack. On ono occasion, however, Stohr missed a try through missing, the ball, with, no one in front of him. G. Loveridge got .through his work in Ids usual excellent style, but the play did not go his way to any gycat extent. He had hard luck early in the game, when he was grassed just a foot off Clifton’s line. C. Webster shaped very creditably. The Star-Rovers,match on Saturday last was not very bright, neither team playing up to its best form. The most outstanding feature of the game was ‘Mam’s performance at five-eighth for Star, Main seemed to revel in work, and he played finely throughout. Apart from Ins play, the game calls for no comment.

Whatever was the New Zealand Rugby Union thinking of when it set down the North v. South match for October'7. Is it setting itself iip in opposition to the Wellington Cricket Association, or is it blossoming out into a patron oj summer sport? Frankly, .nutting the game so late ns this date is positively , ridiculous, and. while not going so far ns to say the match would be a pure farce, I am quite sure that it will be robbed of a considerable amount of interest from both players and spectators (writes “Quidnunc," of the Canterbury Times). 'There is a long list of representative fixtures to get through this year, in the south, at any rate, 1 and by tlie time they have all been decided the season will have been strung out quite long enough, and it is not likely that the players .will relish the idea of a gruelling match, in all probability on a .sweltering day, to finish up with. . The N.Z.R.U. would be doing a good thing, for itself and football if it reconsidered its decision. ,

The conduct of a team of fifth grade players at Auckland on July I was such that the referee reported the whole side for had language, and also stated that during the currency of the game he ordered a player of each side off for fighting. Several complaints have been made lately regarding the conduct of junior players. The team reported. City fifth grade, played Newton C. At last week’s meeting of the union the chairman (Mr. Dixon) said this sort of behaviour must be dealt with in a firm manner, and it was decided, after brief discussion, to suspend the City tram ami the Newton player during the pleasure of the union, to call on the secretary of the City Club to supply the names of players, and also the member of the team ordered off for fighting, and to call on the secretary of the Newton Club to supply the ,name'of the player

of his club ordered off for fighting. It was also decided that these two leavers and another member of the City learn he asked to attend the next committee meeting.

There is a feature about the play in Wellington this season that wants ,puttingldown with a heavy hand. I refer to the indiscriminate charging into the player waiting to recpivti the ball from :v high hick (writes the Wellington correspondent of the Canterbury Times). I have watched the matches pretty closely, and I can honestly say that on not one solitary occasion have 1 seen the charging forward watch the flight of tin* ball. He invariably makes straight for his opponent at the top of his speed, and crashes into him. Gen-, daily the back secures his mark, blit he always goes down or receives a severe buffeting as the result of the charge. I say deliberately that this is one of the most illegal and unfair practices in the Rugby game, and the referees should see to it that the waiting back is protected from unnecessary charges. It is not my desire to -curb the fastfollowing ■ forward. but I do certainly think that the ball should be his objective every time, and not the man opposite him. There must be a remedy, and the referees should order a few of these players off the. field, -and probably the hack players will get the protection they'deserve from the man with the whistle.