SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, 24 August 1923, Page 6

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

football notes. (By “Scrum.”) I sliuld have liked to see Thames win the Coromandel match last Saturday not so much by a bigger score as hy better play. It was clean enough and willing enough. No fault can be found with it m that respect. But beyond a few welcome flashes of passing, it was very laro-'ily every man for himself. There was no leadership. The Haywards were very much missed. And while the win was never much in doubt, really tip-top. play was sometimes hard to discover. And yet the individual play of some of the team was well worth seeing. Elliott and •Harrison and Pollock and Hook and Buchan were very much awake. I am afraid Paul was a disappointment in the rear rank. Even though tacking the ball was none too easy, other men managed it. But on two og three conspicuous occasions he lost what ought to have been a score. The Coromandel ' men were a very decent lot. One or two of them easily proved that they had to be reckoned with. But their fine-looking Maori three-quarter was not a great deal of use to them. He surprised most of us by being a bit slow. But he was good to look at. And

that is something. One man from each side had to leave the field on account of being disabled. The Coromandel man I don’t know. But all the same we were very sorry that he and Buchan met with hceidents. It is doubtful if {filbert will play again this season. All the same he’s smiling. It is good to watch the easy way in which Harrison plays. I don’t mean that he “takes it easy.” He does a lot of work in a very attractive way. I think I have found out why he’s called “Snowy.” But what I want to get at just here is the subject of attractive play. And I sum it up as graceful efficiency. How let me take two illustrations of what I mean. There’s “Darky” Smith —a real grafter. I wouldn’t like to bump up against him. Nor would I much enjoy being down in a scrum with him on top of me. And when he’s on business —football I mean —he looks as if he wants you to keep out of his way, please. I’ve put that “please” in it so that this won’t be too hard on him. I should like to see him smile a bit more, and look as if he wanted to help me. My other illustration is the C.O:B. full-back, Goodwin. I don’t want this to make him blush, but in my opinion ' he plays a. bonny game. The spectators enjoy watching him. He generally looks pleasant and he has more than once got his side out of a tight corner. Attractive play —that is one of the things we sometimes pay to see. And whenever we see it we come away so much the more satisfied.

Many will go to Auckland by the Wakatere on Saturday, and many more will stay behind to look after the old town; but most of us will think a lot about the match in Auckland. Will it be a repetition of the Auckland-Wanganui event? I wonder. Auckland football has reached a high mark this season. And I fancy they will not let us down. When I heard that the Auckland team complimented Referee Buchan for his work in the fixture that was played here, and also expressed a wish to hear his whistle on their own .ground, I thought it was a nice thing for them to say. T hear, now, that they have followed it up in a practical way, and our man is to control th» return match. We are all verj- glad. For Auckland is showing something more than, sportsmanship. It is the high water mark of confidence and appreciation. They will have no reason to regret it. For the game will be skilfully controlled and without fear or favour. Before the team goes, let me say just one thing — “play together.”

So New South Wales has come over the water again to try conclusions with New Zealand in the popular game. So far they have not done too well. Wellington gave them a fairly substantial beating. Wait, however, until they have found their land legs. It’s rather soon to crow. If, say, South Canterbury proves too tough a proposition for them I shall begin to think that it is not in them to manage the best side we can put in the field. But, wait, these inter-colonial contests are more than interesting. They are valuable as indicating the progress of the game in other lands. And what is perhaps more, they are a sure sign that through our ga-mes we are establishing a connection of the right sort with our kinsmen from over the Tasman. Which is the best way to arrange the ball for place-kick? I noticed two positions last Saturday. If readers of these notes care to send me their ideas I shall be interested. It null be just as well if any whom I may see in towp will give me their opinions. I have one of my own.