FOOTBALL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13638, 4 July 1908, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

ITNIVERSITY TEAM IN SYDNEY. Press Aseociation-By Teleqraph-Copyright SYDNEY, July 3Sir Norman MacLaurin, Chancellor of the University, welcamed and entained the New Zealand University football team. Per. "Press Association. NAPIER, July 3The following team, has been selected to represent Britain against Poverty Bay ut Gtsborne to-morrow : Full-back, Dyke; three-quarters, Chapman, McEvedy, Tuan Jones and Griffiths; halves, Lajcon and Davey; rover, Jackett; fonvards, Harding, E. Morgan, Down, Oldham, Hind, J. F. Williams and Archer. - With reference that lie of the tour, s;ty» tiliat the remarks "were only intended to apply to the risifc to Gisborne, but he had since learned that t.h--j arrangements wtie the best possible.

A meeting of the management committee nf the Rugby Union was held yesterday, Mr F. C. Watson presiding. A letter was received from the Eliesmere sub-union regretting their inability to arrange a fixtare with South Canterbury. A spectator at a recent match forwarded an explanation of an incident in which he was alleged to have used bad language to an official. — His name is to be placed on the " caution list." In the evening the monthy meeting of delegates was held, Mr Watson again presiding. Mr Husband having resigned his position as a selector Mr A. Shirtcliffe was appointed in his place. It was decided to play tbe match with Wairarapa at Temnka. Soma proposals brought for- ' ward by Mr Drake were discussed and committe&i appointed to go into two of them. TOUCHLINE TOPICS. (By C.E.H.) The Britiii team play Poverty Bay this afternoon, at Gisborne, and have an ■engagement at - miners ton North on Wednesdav, when a combined ManawatuIlorowhenua fifteen will oppose them. '1 he remaining. tuc"v:ca for the tour are Wanganui,'T.ext Saturday ; Taranaki, _ on.-W-eocejGa.v, 15th; Auckland, on Saturday, third test at 'Auckland, on Satm■Tjay, 25th. A gaaw may be played at ■ [{otorua against a te;im, between ■ U'j two Auckland matches. The Taraand second tevt matches have asimportance m the public view siuce the second test. C. I nomas, playing for Cromwell jiga : nst- Clyde, scored a try and was described as the pick of the forwards. '1 hj Teniuka-Pirates match was about tho quietest and the cleanest I have seen lor the last two seasons. May oilier matches be like it! ■ If some of our wing forwards practised throwing the ball in " over-arm ' insteau of "round-arm" about tuo-thrds of the icroms now ordered for " not straight would be unnecessary. . ■ The points gained by the clubs, in the senior competition now stand :—-x'irates 10, Temuka 9, Timaru 5, Star 4. Temuka's win oii Thursday will lend interest to any further games tnat may be played. ■'l'he fast-following team nearly always prevails ou a wet ground, and tlie Knowing ones predicted that the pace of the Temuka forwards would pull them through against Pirates. The Blacks did most attacking, but. pace b--a 6 tiitni. lb has been stated more man once lately that tripping is the worst offence. Known in Rugby, and a local player .was given a season's holiday for upsetting an opponent in this manner. Different, ideas selem to prevail in Wellington, where a player reported for tripping - was ordered to stand down for one week. ' As usual when a New Zealand team does not have ni'atters all its own way, numbers of people are to be found ready to proclaim last Saturday's terf- match what is known in racing parlance- as a "schlinter." If they paused to think a moment, they would recognise that the half-dozen players who gained a footing in the colonial team wouid ba more concerned in keeping their places than in manoeuvring for big gates. . By their defeat on Thursday Siar were beaten into last place for the seniorehip. I was- not altogether surprised at the lesiilt of this game, especially in view of Star's weak side, as I do not think Timaru were given sufficient credit for their -stand against Pirates the previous week. Certainly were fortunate to get a draw on that occasion, but it struck me that Pirates played as well as I have ever seen tiieni do. and that indicated that Timaru were doing something good to hold them. The non-acceptance by Canterbury of the date suggested by "the local Lnior. for the annual match between the northern and! southern portions of the province means a" curtailment by three days of the South Canterbury tour, and incidentally a reduction in the cost' of the trip. As the local Union i--: not likely to send a. team north after the return of ttfe touring team, -the game wi'l be abandoned. And next year somebody on the northeqn .Union .will tay -we' owe theyi two visits! Otago was the first centre to move in the direction of having test matches substituted for island games against the

British twm, and in response to-the objections of the management commute* ot the New Zealand Union that plaveia would not ba able lo obtain the lieccusaiy • leave, the Otago delegates guaranteed U>e attendance of their men at aIL three u:stv. A shnilar assurance from Duuedin ik dolikelv to carry much weight in future, as next to Southland the ucago men were the first to withdraw from the test games.. The result of the second test match came as a surprise to most people,- a comfortable ..victory for the New Zealanders baing expected even by those wiio held that the infusion of new blood had weakened the Dominion team. All kinds of surmises were made as to the reason for the startling reversal of form, but when the weather conditions under which the game took placw became known, it was apparent that any arusmpt to decide which was the better team would be iaie. The colonial usually postpones his clubfootball under such circumstances, whikt the Britisher ai quite accustomed t> muddy Rugby, so last Saturday's match does "not give any indication as to how the game would have gone had. the ground, and ball been dry. The ex-ra. weight of the British forwards would prove a; valuable asset in the slush, and the cleverness of the colonial rearguard would be at a discount.' 'the game was expected to throw some light on the niuch-discuss-wd question: Ale the All Black.s ueerioruting? Even this sai-slati'ion has not vouchsafed us, but the p>ay in-the .North v. South match leaves tli-o Old. Brigade wiih the big end .of the stick so lar. From time to time I have bten fa- ; voured with communications,"* anonymous' and otherwise, requesting that certaJn referees should be " dealt wii li " lor alleged unfairness and incompetence. The statements made as to lack of ability are in eome cases justified, but in about twenty games at which I have looked on this season I have been able to detect only one case in which anyiii.ug approaching bias could be imputed. Peculiar inteT- j pretations and questionable decisions uhere have been, but press criticism of individuals is not likely to Temedv these or to inspire the players with confidence in referees. Either it is calculated' to prevent suitable men from taking charge of the whistle—l cannot remember a case where it has caused an unsuitable person to retire. The proper place to lodge complainta against referees is with the Referees' Association, which will probably pay more, attention -to a . formal protest from a club than to an expression of opinion in a newspaper, and a-s I have not felt it my duty to slate lionoraiy .oiucials .rhere ' I have seen indifferent work, I must decline to father the grievances of Others. ' One thing I am certain of, is that referees are more impartial than line umpires as a rule, and I saw the Timaru seniors badly treated by a flag-wagger a nces or two buck.

'lhe expectation of a good Gght between the ieadiug teams in the competition led nit: to choose the Caledonian Grounds ou 'iiiursday, but hop«j of a last game fell to - zero • ou arrival at tlie convincing ground. i'oo.s of wa.er aud a outurated lurf did not promise any&hmg better than waier polo, and very likely many of jne ipectators wished they had wended tneii way to-the Athletic* iNo. 1.- Better th ngs were in store than seemed probable, however, and considering the conditions'a very good game requited;. In the opening* ten minutes, before the oval had become altogether lead-iike, Temuka made an attempt at- back play, but though they handled well they were too slow iu execution, and the country team settled down to their well-known ''' kick and follow." These tactics won them the match, two tries being scored by W. Scott within 25 minutes of the stall, both, the result of fast folowing and inability of the opposing backs to pick up the ball. Up to this. stage the Temuka backs wjere more certain in their fielding, and their centra kicks were jud'eiousiy placed. Aft*r the second score. Pirates began lo assert themselves,: and played slightly the better till the interval. . On, the game being resumed Pirates aiisumed tlie aggressive, and foe 20 minutes keptTemuka. inside the half-way line, most of the . play taking place iu the Colours' 25. Hard kicking lost several good chances of scoring, and at tliis period the game appeared to be in anybody's keeping. Then. Temuka managed to clear their line, and for the rest of the time the play went up and down the field with the advantage to the country men. On such a ground the honouis were naturally wi-u the forwards, aud on each side some tine work was done. With the exception of one man on Temuka'a side, jio forward could be said to have played a bad game. W. "Scott was at his best, and Melvin was little behind. Smith and Hooper kept in the thick of the fray, and the former shares with Robertson (of Timaru) tho distinction of being the mostimproved scrumnwr in the senior grade. Arthur Scott showed a lot/ of dash, but hi;; throwing-in is poor, though the . wet. ball was all against, him on Thursday. The Pirate pack, ■ slower than Temuka's, countered the farf, following of the opposition with good dribbling, aind' though this did not prove as effective' a -scoring weapon, it left them with a- balance of the play in their favour. O'Brien, Carlton, aJid . Fitzgerald were responsible - for eome mors than creditable footwork", the former appearing to • advantage iu the mud. Rodgers also did not appear tio be unduly hampered by the treacherous foothold. The Black hookers were rather more successful in securing possession in the scrum, and in justice to O'Brien and

Turner it should be 'mentioned tli'srt the substitution of "hooking'' lor tacking in lass week's nous .ireilitetf Aver vidi good ivork winch they did against lijnaru. It -would, not. be fan; to sweiely el ii.ici:-« the work of whe backb, as itii a, .--.jdckn ball that could not bounce liiey new at-a great disadvantage; and tneir play suffered accordingly. 1). Scott made mistakes, a-s was omy to be expec-ed, but; always retrieved bid position, and L. Urant fielded well and kicked with judgment. E. Horgan played as well as the elements would allow, doing some useful ueiensive work. A surpri.vJ was provided in the peiison of -the Temuka naif—none other than "Stump" Opie, of the old Wailii Clubhand ior a-player who bas been oif the fccene for so long be did not shape badly. • The Pivato rearguard opened rather:weakly, and Kane never seemed' at home; lie 13 evidently a fine day player. Kirby was another adversely affected by the heavy going, •though he improved greatly towarc.s the finish. His regard for a dry skin apparently gave iScott bis second try, l>u> it should be said that be saved a certain score on another occasion. Bradley was several times called upon in defence, and his line-kicking was really good. Wall shaped creditably; Coles did a lot 01 work of the wing forward variety, alia in the second half Williams was veiv prominent. He made one -pretty mil ntar the finish, but failed to transfer when Bradley was "spoiling" for a store. Darcy was as energeuic as usual, and started a couple of bits of passing among Jbiu backs that would have done uea.t a>. a dry-day. • v Tiie a\erage spectator who visits our football grounds lias had' it, dinned' iuto his eais with so much persistem e that all the finer points of >llO game ale part and parcel of back play, that be is in., some danger of accepting it as true. The greater number of those who bold this belief, however, .have a. very supenicial knowledge of Rugby, and are • usually attracted more by the "galleiy" player ihan by the less showy but more honest, grafter. A passing bout is moie spectacular than a dribbling iush, and though a daeli by a three-quarter often raises tbe crowd, to. enthusiasm, a skilful b.t' .of footw'brk by a « rummer who gains as much ground and incidentally, beats half : a-do>:en. opponents may pa.ss alm<«t unnoticed. . Cer; taiuly the back.; game in New Zeidand' has made great- slides' of ; late- years, but it should not .be overlooked that tlie greater part of the .improvement has been ma.de possible by tlw ex-ra skill- of tbe forward divisions*. 'J lie. scrum, formation of to-day gives the .half .three times _ the chances of setting his men ■ going, that, were enjoyed by the . pivot of. twelve or thirteen years ago, and the frequent-, openings, now. made from the , line. and the'; lboctt were , few and far betwecn.a little over a decade back. • Perhaps the day will come when spectators will 'be educated up to the point of being • able, to remember that the tricky-run of a> back who may be idle fonr-tifths of..a. jjaJiie is only rendered possible by tbe woik ol say the untiring' "donkeyman" iii the lock or the. booker who finds uie"ball, or to disccrnthat ' the fast .back who streaks up and gets the last AIl-k ;in & forward rush is not necessarily the one who conducted the 'v'oal through' the opposition■ just as " the bsst lor ward' on the ground" Is not always the "breakaway" who may put little' weight into tlie .scrum and sli'i away before the ball has fairly lelt tbe foot of the opposing hooker. Let ■us _ have back play by ajl mfiani —and .1 look to the approaching tour to work wonders in this connection —but foo-balt is likely to become much more popular in districts like Mouth Canterbury when more people can realise that; a game is noiiyalways an -•\unint««tton'g' f -'scr«»in|)le''• because it is not confined to the rear-' gua'rds, and that " fast and open" play idpes not always take place when the backs are exchanging numerous kicks which leave the pack-mefi standing watch'ng .the aerial display,... or when passing is attempted which loses more ground ?han it gains. The • Auckland' match last-year was liufficient proof that a game between two goods - sets', of -forwards can 'ba; made attractive,, .and the lii-Mt spell of tlk> British match the o-lier. day furnished some rushes which called for n.ore stamina than all the back play in the game. The senior game at- the Caledonian Ground on - Thursday-.. would have been; u farce Jnid 'tlie forwards,, not risen • superior to the disadvantages of the ground and ■ ball. The development of "combination" behind our ecrunis is devoutly to lie wished, bub it! is unjust to tl'e, lino forwards in tbe district to infer tliar ; skill: is not an attribute of their part of Rugbv. ' ' RiiSULTSOF BRITISH. TOUR.

W a ira ra pa-Bush Won 17 to 3 WeUirigion . ... ... Lost 19. to 13 Otngo ■ ...: ... ' 9 'O 6 Houililand ... Won 14 to 8 New Zealand ... Lost / 52 to .5 ■South Canterbury ' ... Won .12 to 6 Canterbury: .. Lostl 13 to 3 West Coast ... Won • 22 to 3 A 7 olson. ... ... Won 12 to 0 Not Zealand ... ... Drawn .3 to 3 •HaWke's Bay ... Won 25 to .3