FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144131, 28 June 1913, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

(By “Goal Post.”)

To-day Wanganui and Taranaki are playing tho return match at Hawera. The result will bo telegraphed and immediately posted in tho Herald window.' Tho Thursday fixtures will be continued next week, when tho senior match i d ho Tukapa y. Stratford at New Plymouth. The topic of the week is, of course, the rep. game at Hawera last Wednesday, when Wellington beat Taranaki by 13 points to 9. Everything was favourable to a first-class match resulting, and everyone who was present will agree that tho encounter was of the highest order. Both teams played clean, open football, and tho groat pace set up early never slackened for a moment. The difference in tho points just about represents the superiority of the visitors, who fully' deserved their win. Individually, taking player for player, there was little if any advantage to Wellington, but their combination won the game for the blacks. If one man broke away ho did not need to look round for support, for half the team at least would be following liim.i Time and again when tho backs’ attacking powers had been exhausted by tho defence, tho forwards would take a hand, showing how both sots worked hand-in-hand; but not so with Taranaki. Of course, the excuse is that tho southern players can bo got together as often as necessary, and have a gymnasium in which to practice, and both of those advantages are denied to our men, some of whom only saw each other for the first time on Wednesday, There seems to be quite a lot of discussion about that last try of Tilyard's which gave Wellington tho_ match. It was getting dusk, and this, together with tho fact that there was a general melee, at the lime, and both sides were freely mixed, made it difficult to see exactly what happened from tho press tables. Not one of the reporters or the Wellington men who wore .sitting close by could say at the time even who had scored. There arc not a low who were in good positions for seeing tho play who claim that tho try .should not have been allowed; that Tilyard “rabbited” along the ground for quite a distance and should have been penalised instead of being awarded a try. One ex-repre-sentative player, whose name stands high in Rugby annals throughout the Dominion, gives tho above as a true account of exactly wbat happened, and lie viewed the incident from a particularly favourable point of vantage. However. ho was firmly of the opinion that tho southerners deserved their win, and ho would have been sorry to have seen them lose. Tho matter is not revives! with any idea of detracting from Wellington's victory, but at the same time it would be interesting to bear wbat some of their players say about the match. Both teams were entertained at dinner by the Taranaki Rugby Union in the evening at the Egmont. Hotel, Host Gormley put on, an excellent spread, which was the themo of ranch favourable comment. The toast list was quite short—“ Tho King,” proposed by tho chairman; “The Wellington Team,” proposed by Mr. J. M'Leod and responded to by Messrs. Little (manager) and Wilson (captain); “The Taranaki Team and the Rugby Union,” proposed liv Mr. Little and responded to by Messrs. M'Leod and A. Lees, and "Our blast” (Mr. T. C. Gormley). There was also a short musical programme. With a view to eliminating as far ns possible, unfair tactics and rough play, it was decided at tho last meeting of the Western District Subumion that in future members of tho sub-union present at matches should officiate as line umpires, and he empowered to report cases of rough play, etc., which might escape the notice of the referee.

Commenting on tho Wanganui-To Auto inter-collegiate game, which was played at Palmerston last week, a writer in Tho Dominion describes the Wanganui three-quarters as magnificent. Tho man who appeared to bo the pick of tho trio is Lala, the hefty Fijian, lie got few chances and did not paddle in the limelight quite so much ns Cowper, the other wing, bub one could not resist the impression that Lala is even a better man than Cowper. Lala is fast, a strong runner whoso 13st. odd makes Idm exceptionally hard to stop, and ho uses his head more than the, other hacks. Lala has quite a host of friends in New Plymouth, whore ho has spent many a nappy term holidays. At the present time it is not quite certain whether tho New Zealand tonring team will leave 'Wellington for San Francisco in September or in October. If it is finally decided that tho team should catch tho September steamer, it will provide bigger opportunity for New Zealand footballers to gain high representative honours. The Australian Rugbv team will bo in the Dominion in September, and the first test-match is set down for decision at Wellington on ■September 6. Tho team for America will probably ho pitted against Australia on that occasion, but it would then leave for San Francisco, and the second test at Dunedin on September 13, and the final test at Christchurch on September 20, would see an entirely different Now Zealand team doing battle against the visitors. By the way, that Now Zealand team will require a coach, and if there is one man whoso qualifications fit him for tho position it is Mynott, the ex-All Black, who still follows the game very closely.