FOOTBALL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18382, 28 September 1929, Page 15

FOOTBALL

The Geraldine sevevn-a-side on Saturday last was an outstanding success. The standard of football was high, and the tournament was well conducted. To-day’s tournament at Pleasant Point should be equally successful.

North Island v. South Island at Wei lington to-day.

South Canterbury has two representatives in the South Island team this year, R. T. Stewart and W. A. Strang. Both should worthily uphold the prestige of the district this afternoon.

The manager of the Canterbury team attributed their poor showing on the northern tour to having to play too many matches. Shades of “Mother” Elliott! Is the race becoming decadent? says the “Dominion.” The New Zealand Native team, which toured Great Britain in 1888-89, played 74 matches from October 3 to March 27, or 74 matches in 175 days, occasionally playing on consecutive days.

After a lengthy eulogy of the success of the Wellington representative team this season, a Wellington writer states: “All that the Wellington fifteen requires to do now is to beat Wanganui, this afternoon, and then go on to Napier on Saturday and avenge the stinging defeat inflicted upon Wellington by Hawke’s Bay in 1926.” Hawke’s Bay won by 31 points to 12.

Commenting on the annual interisland Rugby match, which is to be played in Wellington to-day, a Wellington writer says:—“Judging by what one has seen this year, the South Island football is inferior in class to that of the North Island. Of course rash prophecies have a nasty knack of rebounding, but one has come to the conclusion that the Southerners will need to have more than a modicum of luck to beat the North this season.

The victory of Wellington over Auckland recently marked the first occasion for nine years since Auckland was defeated by that team on its own ground. There was a good deal of obstruction in Saturday’s match and Porter was the sufferer several times. However, Mr F. E. Sutherland kept a very firm hold on the game and gave a splendid exhibition with the whistle. The unusual number of penalties awarded against the forwards for offside plays calls attention to the fact that there is far too much tendency on the part of many forwards to look for the open play. Auckland is not the only province at fault in this respect, as it seems to be a general tendency throughout New Zealand at the present time.

Julian must be regarded as one of the cleverest halfbacks in the Dominion to-day, said a Wellington writer, in commenting on the match between Canterbury and Wellington. If a try is going begging, Julian will snap it up. It was a great piece of work he performed when he broke away and shortpunted over the Canterbury fullback’s head, to follow up, boot the leather over the line, and race after it for a try, with the Canterbury men thundering on his heels. Such praise could not be given the Wellington halfback on his showing against Auckland at Eden Park recently. In the first spell particularly Julian was lamentably weak and did not appear to havye much idea of stopping the Auckland forwards. He certainly came more into evidence in the closing stages of the game, but on his all-round display he does not rank favourably with two or three halfbacks —Mullan and Corner for instance—seen at Eden Park this season.

There are lessons to be learned from the defeats in Australia and South Africa. One is that the selectors "who have specialised in the limelight forwards should be bidden a last fond farewell and a call made for a new 'deal. The other is that every effort should be made to send only really representative teams on tour. If half of ! our best players are not available, then, 1 called off, the truth should be told that if the tour cannot be honourably be we are sending a second or a third fifteen.

There was a flutter of excitement in New South Wales Rugby Union circles when it was discovered that the international three-quarter, Cyril Towers, had been playing League football with the State Government Savings Bank team in a private competition. The question was raised v/hether this was not an act of professionalism. The South Wales Rugby authorities have declared it was not, since the matches are private affairs with no gate money taken, while the various clubs taking part are not affiliated with the Rugby League. That m. y be but the Rugby Union law on the subject makes no allowance for these excuses (comments the Sydney Bulletine). According to sub-section G (b) of rule 2, to play in any match where it is previously agreed that less than 15 players shall take part is an act of professionalism. The rule either stands or does not. The union cannot take its cake and eat it.

The late Mr Ambrose Potts, who died last week in a private hospital in Auckland, was a member of the wellknown Canterbury Rugby family of half a century ago. He was educated at Christ’s College, where he learnt his football. He was one of three brothers who represented Canterbury against Auckland, Wellington and Nelson in 1876, three years before the formation of the Canterbury Rugby Union. Mr Potts left Canterbury over 40 years ago and resided for a considerable period in Hawke’s Bay where he was engaged in farming pursuits. Being an old member of the Christchurch Football Club, Mr Potts received an invitation to attend the club’s jubilee celebrations last year, but failing health prevented his acceptance. Of a genial disposition, Mr Potts hed a fund of good stories to tell of the early days of New Zealand Rugby.

More than ordinary importance will attach to the North-South Island match at Wellington a week to-day, and it is fairly safe to assert that the sides will be more representative than those which did battle in the trials before the New Zealand team went to Australia. On the form shown in the forthcoming inter-island match some indication of the players likely to wear the silver fern against the British team next season may be gleaned, and it will be interesting to see how many of this year’s New Zealand side find a place in the inter-island game. This will be the twenty-sixth match between the two islands, the first game being played in 1897 at Wellington, when the North Island won by 16 points to 3. Two games were played in the 1914 season, one between B teams on the Wednesday and the other between the A teams on the Saturday. Thirteen games have been won by the North Island, ten by the South, and two have been drawn. South has been victorious during the last two years, but in 1926 the North won by 41 to 9.

It is understood that, after his display in Christchurch last Saturday, R. King was the object of a good deal of attention from "big men” in Christchurch Rugby circles. King is at present teaching at the South School, and intends furthering his studies at Canterbury College next year. In answer to a question, King stated that he intended to devote a good deal of time to study next year, but that he “would play football one Saturday, and forget it until the next.”

At Monday night's meeting of the Management Committee of the S.C. Rugby Union, Mr D. Hertnon, who managed the S.C. rep. team to Chch on Saturday last, gave an interesting report on the doings of the team in that city. Mr Hertnon prefaced his remarks by referring to the splendid manner in which the team had been entertained. On Friday night the team had been the guests’ of the Canterbury Rugby Union at the vaudeville, which had proved thoroughly enjoyable. The game on Saturday had, he said, from the visitors’ view point, been disappointing. Whereas Canterbury’ were playing with mechanical precision, South Canterbury could not get into their stride at all. The South Canterbury pack had held their opponents, but the weakness was in the back division, who did not w T ork at all well together. Time after time tvi. visitors’ backs were given possession, but faulty or dropped passes were very frequent. Mr Hertnon made a special reference to the display of R. King, who played a great game at wingforward, being one of the best forwards on the ground. On the day’s play, said Mr Hertnon, King outplayed All Black G. Scrimshaw, who has been chosen to fill the wingforward position in the South Island team. Describing King’s try, Mr Hertnon said it was a wonderful effort. He picked the ball from the merest gap in a bunch of forwards, and literally flung himself over the line, n the back division, Mr Hertnon made a reference to the fine display of the Canterbury five-eights, Innes and Lilburne, who played wonderful Rugby. A comparativve stranger to big football, Mr Hertnon said that Innes, in proper hands, has a promising football career in front of him. Mr Hertnon also made note of the display of Leo Connolly, who, he said, was better of the day s play than Harris, who has been chosen for the position in the South Island team. At times, said Mr Hertnon, Conolly’s tackling had brought the crowd to its feet. On Saturday night, after the

match, continued Mr Hertnon, the usual dinner was held, and on Sunday afternoon the team had been taken for a motor drive, afternoon tea being partaken of at the residence of Mr W. J. Tomkins, the well-known horse trainer. Throughout the team thoroughly enjoyed the visit. Rugby centres, like nations, have their periods of effulgence and decadence. They rise and fall like dynasties. The armies which to-day are planting their standards over every rampart may in a few short years be subject vassals, says the “Dominion.” These ruminations are inspired by the fine return to front-rank form which has been made by the Wellington representative fifteen this season. Three seasons back Hawke’s Bay was cock-o’-the-walk on the Rugby fields of the Dominion. When Wellington made its bid for the Ranfurly Shield at Napier in 1926 the representatives of the Empire City were scattered and strewn by the powerful Hawke’s Bay machine, which crumbled up the Wellington fifteen and piled up the sensational score of 58 points to 8. Since that debacle Wellington, profiting by the salutary lesson, has been gradually putting its house in order and sorting out men of mettle who would be likely to stand up to the shock tactics from the heaviest battalions. Much credit for Wellington’s return to a foremost place in the Rugby lists of the Dominion must be given to the sole selector, Mr J. N. Millard. This experienced official has made it plain that only men who train thoroughly and conscientiously and, moreover, only those who work hard when they are on the field, will receive recognition at his hands. The players know that the selector will select his sides solely upon merit, and the result has been a general stimulating of interest. It is long since there has been such keenness or a finer spirit of esprit de corps in local ranks than has been displayed this season. Thus a writer in the Christchurch “Sun” on the South Island team:— “Evidently W. A. Strang gets into the team because he was an All Black last year. He has not shown All Black form this year. G. D. Innes has been more consistently good than Strang in representative matches this season, and his inclusion would have made for combination in the centre. The middle-row of the pack is the one on which discussion may wax lively among enthusiasts. C. Sonntag certainly should be among the forwards, but not as lock. Although Sonntag was in the Otago team which played against Canterbury he did not lock the pack. That place in the South Island team should have gone to S. Galt, of Southland. The present writer would have left out Stewart and Hazlett—not because of any lack of faith in their ability, for they are very good, but because of doubt whether or not they are in hard enough football condition for a strenuous match against big and solid forwards. Neither of them has played for some weeks. But—they are All Blacks!” In his reference to Strang, the Christchurch critic is correct for Archie has not been on his best behaviour this season, but it remains to be seen whether he will justify the confidence the selectors

have placed in him. The writer’s remarks in regard to Stewart, however, call for some comment, for they are entirely contary to fact. The northern critic has not seen Stewart In action this season, and he may be likened to the man who criticised a recent wellknown book by a German author, when he had not even read a line of it. Up till a fortnight ago, when Stewart went south on annual leave, he had not missed a Saturday’s football, and during the season he figured in no fewer than six representative games, three of which were played within a week. The S.C. forwards have proved their worth in almost every game, and against Southland in particular, they more than held their own. The S.C. pack is composed chiefly of country forwards, of the rugged type, and in three representative games against sub-unions, these forwards opposed Stewart, so that he had no easy time. In every match he has proved himself the outstanding forward on the field; he is as fit as ever he was—probably the writer is not aware that Stewart lives a hard out-door life—and to say that he is not in “hard enough football condition for a strenuous match against big and solid forwards” is to say the least ridiculous. However, S.C. enthusiasts w T ill take the critic’s opinion for what it is worth; after all it is only an opinion. GLASS FURNITURE. The vogue for glass furniture and fittings increases daily, and decorators are exploring the new possibilities of glass for all interior purposes, states a writer in a London newspaper. The Duchess of Penaranda has asked Mr Denham Maclaren, who Is an expert on glass, to design five tables for her new villa in the Canary Islands. These will be black plate glass, nearly an inch thick, some as much as 4ft. In diameter, They will have glass legs, held together by curved metal tubes.

At the moment Mr Maclaren is contemplating designing an armchair with sides of thick glass, supported at the back with metal tubes. This will seem in the distance to be a padded seat and back suspended in mid-air. All-glass dressing tables are very popular because they are so simple. I was shown one consisting of a glass mirror and light attached to two glass shelves. A calfskin stool was provided for madame to sit upon.

Boy scouts in America have received £60.000 under the will of a man to whom they once showed courtesy.

For one penny a day paid into milk clubs, school-children in Eastbourne receive each one-third of a pint of pasteurised milk a day; it is served in bottles.