FOOTBALL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14284, 27 August 1910, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

/■ touchline topics. By. C. E. H. Of ago 7. South Canter bury to-day. South Canterbury discharged a long itunding debt ou Wednesday, when •they returned a visit which had been owing to Southland lor thirteen years. J.he last previous- meeting of the teams took place on thy Caledonian Grounds at Timaru ou a ram-soaked turf, and the match is now such ancient history that lew ol the present players have tiny recollection of it. -Burns, the Canterbury skipper, on this performance last Saturday was tlio best back on his side, aud practically Won the game for his team. There is very good ground for saying that if a, New Zealand team had to be picked to-morrow "Paddy" would be the first threecjuarter chosen. It seems peculiar that a man who has had bis way to the 'highest football honours at half blocked tor so long G. Roberts, should by mere accident lind a place which enables him to show to even greater advantage than behind the scrum.

Jones, the South Canterbury captain, has thrown off tho influenza which prevented hiin playing at Ash burton and seriously impaired his efficiency at Christehurch, and it is expected that big fellow will show his best form against Otago to-day. Tho final scores in the Canterbury match last Saturday were all against the South Canterbury men, but on tho play there was little difference between tho fifteens. At three-quarter time the totals were the same, and if any advantage rested with either side tho visitors would have been entitled to claim it, and Coles and Fitzgerald might each haw scored with the least bit of luck. The last quarter was turned to splendid account by Canterbury, and allowing for tho fact that their last score was gained principally on account of the Lted men first realising tlnit the line Hag was not up, the winners richly deserved their victory, if only as a reward to tho fine play of Burns at centre. South Canterbury improved very greatly ou their wretched display at Ashburton, and experienced men in Chi'istehurch who have Keen every South team which has playat Lancaster I'ark, expressed their conviction that last week reached the high water mark of South Canterbury llugby as Christchurch people know it. If this is true tho defeat the other day is in the long run likely to do more good than the win la.st year. In 1909 South Canterbury won through tlta backs playing the safety game and allowing the forwards to do tho work. This year Canterbury were played at their own game, and tho four spells provided last open play which aroused the spectators to enthusiasm. All round the Red backs wero faster and nippier than the Greens, and naturally the more experienced men displayed greater skill! and confidence, but* it can be safely said that it is many yoars since a South Canterbury rearguard appeared to better advantage Against' an important province. In tho second spell at Ashburton the pack were decisively beaten in the scrum, and had nothing to pride themselves ■upon in other respects. An hour or i"straight talk and practice ou I f rid ay morning worked wonders in the way. of scrum building, and induced

tho hookers to drop their lone hand tactics and work ■ in unision, and against Canterbury t|io scrum was goud and the hooking superior to the home team, and in almost every department of forward work the Greens wero superior to the bulky but not too lively Canterbury men, but in the matter of last following fell below the standard of previous iSouth Canterbury packs. This gave the homo backs too much time to get into their stride, and probably a forward or two of the \Y. Scott type would have turned the tide of victory in South Canterbury's lavour. One or two of the lied backs gave tile impression that a little more bustling "would havo troubled them sorely. This lack of a fast bustler is South Canterbury's weakness just now. .DoelJ, the Canterbury full, played a tine game and improved his chances of t a South Island jersey considerably. ißums was the star back, and unlike Fuller has improved considerably as a result of his Australian trip. Guiney made an auspicous beginning, and Cleary also made his place reasonably' secure. I.Lutehings was not too sound, and Taylor is not yet a Burns. Of the • South Canterbury backs, Haze and J. Coles showed the greatest improvement. The wing played a good game, and the half got into his work with returning confidence. All the others played good football, though the reputation of opposition apparently prevented them from "having a go" os often as they might have done." Dalton, Carlton, Fitzgerald and Niall were the most prominent forwards, Carlton's addition to the team having stiffened it up wonderfully. Taking the game as a guide, it appears that South's weakest points just now is want of pace both back and forward, principally forward.

Mr Duncan, who controlled the Canterbury match, is something of a law unto himself, and does not hug the rule book too closely. He makes a. fast game, however, by ignoring many iuI ringements of a minor character, but is rough on offside, and in only one instance did a player appear to beat him when he scored Canterbury's last try. Tho rather unexpected victory of sioillh Canterbury men against. Southland will go some way towards atoning lor their extremely poor display at Ashburton. Considering that Southland had defeated the Maoris, and that the South Canterbury fifteen, was a pecu-liarly-placed, and as far as the. backs were concerned, a weak one, it was generally expected that- the Southerners on their own ground would prove too much lor their visitors. Southland had to replace two or three of their men who were unable to play, but their team was the more representative of the two, and the forwards had a good reputation. This reputation was shattered on Wednesday, as the Green pack played all over and all round them, and after the first quarter of an hour the result was beyond all reasonable doubt: '.I he strong point of the winning vanguard was combination, and though G. Fitzgerald and Niall were the stars, Carlton, Dalton, and M. JTorgan were always at their heels, and tile deficiency in pace was not so noticeable as in previous games, principally because the fault of hard kiclving was overcome. G. Fitzgerald so impressed one of the selectors that lie has only to make good at IJuiicdin to-day to mako his chance of tin "all white ' jersey extremely rosy. Audi played the game of his life, and M. Morgan was in greatly improved lorm. Carlton's solidity proved of immense value, and • Dalton, though a trifle at sea at the " wing " game displayed fine form in tho loose. Campbell was another scrunimer who was more prominent than in the two previous matches; Scott was at his top at full, and Maze maintained his Chi j.stcljnrcJi standard, albeit rather too eager for work. Wall put in some js'iy play at centre, and Roddick, in addition to some fine smothering work "k five-eights fanded some good goals. Coles was in most of tho fun. "and Darroch, though slow from the scrum, got in some clever work in the unaccustomed position of half. The Southfund l orwards may have had a, dav off, but they v ere not to bo compared with their onoonents, exeop|. that one or two excelled in following. AleNoooo am! .McLennan wvrc much .superior to their fellow-hacks, tho full I'arragh, though cool and a good kick,' being a weak tackier. Tho one flaw in tho South Canterbury yamc was tho disr.-oj'd occasionally apparent in Ih<passing rushes, but this was only what might have been expected, and in view ot their meritorious win it is not worth while speculating what might have'happened had the best, back le:m, been present to back up the brilliant forward work. Tt is regrettable, however, that a stronger rearguard «ill not be available to-day Provided the pack could reproduce their form of Wednesdnv i rearguard with ffarlev. Wall aud barrock nl their usual places, and. either Coles or Darey behind the serum, would give Otago something to do this afternoon.

South Canterbury liavo not so fur covered themselves with glory in th» way. of winning games, but they are earning golden opinions regarding their play ill another direction. At the usual after-the-play dinners at Christchurch and I n vorcargill, the referees and homo officials have gone out of their ua.v to congratulate; the, men on their fairness and freedom from foul luetics or roughJiess. Tilts Ashburton jsinc was what is tunned ".solid/' hut the oilier games havo been models of clean football, and men who havo gone close to the border lino in South Canterbury club games arts comporting th» rm.se I res irreproachable fashion mi tiio tour. Dr. Crnwlord, who referred on Wednesday at In vereargill, is of course, an old Timaruviun, and though no'w a, Soufclilunder by virtue of residence, and a strict disciplinarian on the iield of play, ho derived a considerable amount of pleasuro from thy South Canterbury victory, and from the opportunity of [®r e^ h9 lU'B witfe filtj

The follow nare next 'l'liriisDAVs i-'i.\rri?F.s. ! <inl" 11 ( 111 •-I'tii. T- I! v. Waiumio • Slll > -1" i 1111 ii. Atlil-I ir ,\ ri. I . ;i i o.|.y ' l '!isll- Atlili'itr v. XnHMii. Athleiie \n. 1. TlurH Grade —Star v. rv.rir UUM'.e No 2. at 2.10. High School v.'lcmiiba. Athletic Xo 2. at 3 1-3, • Fourth fJroflc-.—Star *. Olt'c, !?#»••- Utt. :<i A. roi'y lnjerestiuy football lualch will take |»1 :n-i> on the Athletic. (Grounds at 2 n.ni. to-day. The. is to by between the senior fifteens of the Tiniiiru Main School and AYaimate. The winners of this game will hold the championship banner of the season.