FOOTBALL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13892, 1 May 1909, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY UNION. "X meeting of the committee of the Sooth Canterbury Union Was held yesterday, Messrs Sliirtcliffe, Collins; Rev. F. Kerley, Maslin, Maben, Drake, and Fraser (secretary) being present. Tho Pleasant Point Caledonian Society's request for a grant of £5, as footballers xtsed its grounds, was referred back to the society with a request that it confer with the football club as the Union recognised no liability in the- matter. The South Canterbury Caledonian Society wrote, stating that its. grounds would be let for football at a rental of #25 and the offer was accepted. It was decided that in view of the increasd rental the Caledonian Society should be anproached by a committee consisting of Messrs Shirtcliffe, Father Kerlev and Drake, with a view to petting a seven vears lease of the qronnds at,an annual Cental of £25. Th* Southland Union wrote stating that th«*v had withdrawn •their motion re the dujnualified Northern Fnion-playfiTS, which- they,intended to bring up at the annual conference. TOUCHLIXE TOPICS. (By C.E.H.) • The fourtli-gijade competition commences on Thursday week. j The half-holiday question is evidently not » burning one at-Taihape, where all football matches this season are to he played on Sundays. Celtic seniors should never go short of front row men with four hookers like Keating. Fitzgerald, Niall and O'Brien in the team. ■ • ' Unless , the Pirates third-grade team oan muster more than seven men in future, it had better be _ withdrawn from the competition. It is unfair to ask" a referee to waste his time on games such as that of Thursday. - For the first time for many a day a team here lost a free kick on Thursday for " deliberately wasting time." The time "wasted" in this .instance was extremely short, but the incident shonld not be without effect iu checking a common abuse. , The withdrawal of Athletics from the first-grade competition is to bo regretted, as it will entail one team standing down each week. However, if the club puts a junior and a third fifteen in-the field it will have a good effect in providing sport for Temuka's numerous young players. Lynch was played full hack by Celtic I. on Thursday as a "substitute. If he oan reproduce his form in the Timaru game against a stronger, side, 1 think bis club might do worse than keep him in the senior grade. His use of the line and cool fielding were distinctly good [or a young player. The efforts of the Southland Union to secure .the reinstatement of its disqualified players were foredoomed to failure, and apparently recognising this the Northern Unionists in Invercargill are making another- attempt to popularise the new game. Developments .will be watched with interest. Pirates scored a comfortable win over Temnka, and it is a. long time, since a Temuka senior team received such a substantial beating. The victors reaped their due reward for consistent training, and maybe they will repeat their last year's performance of having the competition practically won before some of the other teams get fairly going. "The popularity which the game of football possesses is, for some reasons, not to be deprecated. The sport itself calls a variety of manly qualities into play. The successful footballer must be alert, resourceful, courageous, and unselfish. He must have a considerable fund of endurance at his command. And that he may preserve his condition without which lie can never hope to reach the first flight, lie must escliew various forms of self-indulgence and bo temperate in all things. The game is not less valuable for the discipline it imposes upon those who would gain proficiency in it than for the wholesome exercise it affords the player.'* The foregoing extract from a leaderette in the "Otago Daily Times." one of the most reserved of New Zealand newspapers, is commended to the people who can see no good in any form of sport. The junior game. Celtic v. Zingari, was marked more by hard work than brilliancy, and the lighter team won because their opponents did not make use of their superiority in weight and size. The losers had a shade the better of the run of the play, but Zingari's nippy little backs were always able to keep them out. except on two occasions, when Celtic n>issed scores through their own fault. The Celtic serum was good at the start, and their hookers secured the ball frequently, but little use was made of it by -tho backs. Shanahan's passing being very arratic, and the jrings were given little to do. Though

beaten in the scrum, Zingari's pack held up. their end well in the loose, their burden being lightened by the sound play of Hagerty, Bennetts and Darroch. Hagerty was about the best back in. the game, and made some smart solo runs. Mcllroy set 'his side a. good example in following up, but was too often off-side, in both respects being rivalled by the opposing winger, Doyle. . Maslin made an unexpected reappearance, but was not particularly prominent. Of the Celtic rearguard M. Houlihan and Lynch played soundly all through, and Shanahan put in some useful kicks. J. Kirbv made the most of liis few opportunities.' ;i Daltou, Wrenn siiid Fitzgerald were . a hardworking trio in the vanguard. Celtic's, display in the senior game was much ;better than their Easter performance promised, and on Thursday's play the difference of one point [ in the scores f'id not represent their superiority over Timaru. The first spell was fairly even ; the second half was greatly in the winners' favour, a result which might'have been expected on the score of condition. The play was decidedly keen, and was marked by too many infringements and a great deal too much' -appealing. Timaru managed, to put on a full team, but Celtic were compelled to play Lynch, Dalton and Kirby a second time during the afternoon. Strange to say, Dalton rind. Kirby were quite as prominent as in the junior game. and Lynch was very much better. Taken all round Celtic's backs were more reliable in fielding and kicking than Timaru's, though Bain, Priest and Hardy for the Blues were responsible for some fine line kicks. The weak spot in the winner's rearguard was in the five-eighths line, numerous openings made by the scrummers. being missed, though Darcy was sending the leather out smartly and cleanly. On the other hand, the Timaru backs-were given practically no chances to show their paces at the passing game, but were called upon to do a lot of hard defensive work. This fell chiefly on the shouldens of Priest, Hardy and Bain, none of the others' being very prominent till near the end, when O'Leary was doing his full' share of the work and receiving more than his share of the hard knocks. The Celtic forwards were a lot superior to their opponents, and it was no fault of theirs that more points were not notched by their back division. To my mind Keating, Niall and J. Fitzgerald were the pick; G. Fitzgerald was not unduly 'prominent until well into the eecond half, and Dalton was as good as any of the others. O'Brien played at wing forward, but was not a striking success in the position. The Timaru vanguard was a mixed one, and two or three men made no serious attempt to use their weight and pace to advantage, and they were not nearly so smart in packing as the other side were. For solid hard, graft, Brodrick was as good as any of his side, and was directly responsible for Timaru's try. Robertson was good at odd times, but is capable of improvement; Maben was noticeable occasionally only, and none other was better than moderate. Smith, at wing forward, worked, as hard as of yore, and followed splendidly, but he was much too prone to off-side play, and his side would have had him to blame if Timaru's try had been disallowed on this account. The better team on the day won the match, but a different result may be recorded if —if —-Timaru are as fit as their adversaries at their next meeting. The accident insurance proposals which are to be considered at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Union provide for the establishment of a' general fund to cover town, and country players alike throughout the Dominion. The committee suggest that each affiliated Union should insure at least 15 members of each club, and that all representative players should bo insured before taking part in provimijl games. The subscription proposed is 3s 6d per man per season, and :i-i annual subsidy of £'2oo is asked from the New Zealand Union. Players covered by insurance are to be compensated for injury received in any match played under the jurisdiction of the Union, at the weekly rate of £1 10s for the first 12 weeks . of incapacity, and of 10s for a further six weeks; thereafter as may be decided by the New Zealand Union. Should a player be totally disabled for life, lie is to receive in addition a sum of £IOO, or should he be killed (or die within six montiis as the direct outcome-of an accident) his executors are to receive £l2l. No payment is to be made for periods of incapacity shorter than seven days, and claims must be accompanied by a certificate front a doctor. Any man who plays football within eight days of receiving injury forfeits his right to compensation, provision also being made for non-payment in the case of a player who receives his customary wages during absence from employment. The framers of the proposals express the

opinion tliat their adoption •will cut the ground from under the l'eet of those who support. payment of players liecause amateurism does not provide for them when mishaps occur, and that it will overcome the objections of many young men who would willingly play, but in the absence of insurance are not prepared to take a. risk. The premium suggested is about one-fifth of that required by some accident insurance companies, and if the scheme is adopted every footballer should take advantage of its liberal provisions. FIXTURES FOR THURSDAY. Seniors—Timaru v. Temuka, Athletic No. 1, 3.15 p.m.; Star v. Pirates, Caledonian Ground, 3.15; Celtic a bye. Juniors.—Celtic v. Geraldine, Athletic No. 2, 3.15; Zingari v. Star, Caledonian Ground, 2 p.m.; Athletic v. Point, Temuka; Temuka v. Timaru, Rectory Ground, 3.15; Pirates a bye. President's. —Pirates v. Geraldine, Geraldine; Zingari v. Athletic, Temuka, 2.15; Celtic v. Timaru, Athletic No. 2, 2 p.m.; Temuka and High School byes. The football season opened in Waimatc on Thursday with a tournament — 15 men aside —two 15 minute spells—between the four local clubs. The results wereJSealandia beat Taniwlia ; Hiwiroa beat Morven. Zealandia then played a combined team of Hiwiroa and Taniwha and the game resulted in a draw. The play proved that a lob of training was yet needed, the final game finding the weak spots. The opening games of the cup matches are to take place next Thursday. In the junior matches played on Thursday, Athletic beat Geraldine by a goal from a try to nil, Gillespie securing the try and converting. Mr Kennedy was referee. Star 11. defeated Timaru 11. on the Caledonian grounds by 3 points, Thomson scoring a. try towards the close of the play. Mr W. Newton controlled this game. In the president's grade, Athletic 11. gained a victorv over High School by 8 points to 3. Sullivan and Wareing secured tries for Athletic, Spillane converting the second one, and O'Donoghue crossed the line for the School. Mr McMillan carried the whistle.