Sports.

Observer, Volume XV, Issue 814, 4 August 1894, Page 5

Sports.

By ' Hakrirr.'

COMING EVENTS. FOOTBALL. . RUGBY. Aug. 4— South Canterbury v. Auckland. Aug. 11 — Thames v. Auckland. Auk. 11 — Waikato v. Auckland. Aug. 18— Hawke's Bay v. Auckland. Aug. 25— New South Wales v. Auckland. Aag. 29 — New South Wales v. North Island. Sep. I—Wellington1 — Wellington v. Auckland. Splendid turn out of football patrons on Saturda3\ The Association football matches were suspended but will continue on Saturday. The spin of the coin was- an important item and like everything else, smiled from its copper face on Taranaki. Too much praise cannot be given to the all-round excellence of Taranaki's reps. Hubie Dacre is playing with the Wellington B team and may score a place in the reps. ' Pie ' and Tab Wynyard captained the A and B teams in a practice match at Wellington on Saturday. To Taranaki's back team belongs the lion's share of the praise, for the creditable result of Saturday's match. Hughes is a grafter, and helped to "keep the forwards well up to the mark. His line play was clever, and he took part in some good dribbling rushes. Anderson, of the Parnell vanguard, came out as a new rep. man, and worked really hard. He was clever on the line and quick to enter the scrums. Taranaki's forwards were heavier than Auckland's, but were a very smart lot, forming scrums very quickly each time and screwing very effectively. Joe Warbrick, after a spell of eight years, again represented the Auckland province, but failed to renew the reputation he had in days gone by. Few can understand how it was Joe was so wooden, and the less said about his play the more merciful. Kissling, the bantam three-quarter, scored places in four previous rep. teams and on Saturday was certainly the best of the three-quarters in his team. He collared Hempton with an unusually brilliant sprint in the first spell, kicked with judgment, but did not pass at all well. William Elliott, familiarly known as ' Mother,' came up smiling for the eighth year to represent his province. He received a nasty bump early in the game which deprived the spectators of the sound of his voice all the game, and his side of the usual dash and brilliancy of our pet half ; he was off, but will come again. F. Peace, a third-year rep., played a game quite equal to his club displays, but was in the first place a doubtful selection, and certainly was not inrep. form. His quick kicks are very nice, and get him out of many difficulties. He collared well at times notably when he stopped Lusk's progress when a score looked certain, but was not class enough on Sarurday. to cope with Bailey and Co. 'Buck' Edmonds, at centre-half for the second rep. year, captained the team, and though playing well up to form was run over to an alarming degree. What passes he gave were true and he never faltered. The quickness of the opposing players was marvellous. . He was hampered at times by the different reading of the rules to that he was used to, and appeared to cause a lot of trouble on this score. Harold Speight, who speedily won his cap, was not thought much of in Wellington, and his true worth was not appreciated till he played in the Probable team. He was Saturday's surprise, and although bis claim to a cap was not so strong as one or twewho were left out, he certainly shone out prominently, and left more than one dribbling attack. His line work was fair. He has been left out of the team for Saturday, and this will probably soothe some of the sore ones.

McGillj will again don the blue and white on Saturday, t Auckland will play two halves against South Canterbury. Auckland footballers are trying hard to forget there was a match on Saturday. Cullen is the lightest of the forwards and shone in the .open. He passes back very nicely from the line. . Ronayne was sufficiently unlucky as to get a sprained ankle, and cannot play against South Conterbury. One of the blue and white remarked during the spell that ' they don't say much, but they do Knock you about.' Mr King, as referee, had considerable trouble, but came through without any serious signs of dissatisfaction being shown. Watson, in the Vanguard, was prominent in every rush, and put in some very pretty line play. He packs very smartly. Wells is a splendid line man, and scrummages well. He heels out judiciously and takes part in the dribbling rushes to some tune. He scored with a quick bit of play that fairly took poor old Joe's breath away. Allen, at full was very safe and though at times he did not take the ball cleanly, it was the effect of having a strong sun blazing in his eyes; his returns were well judged, and his tackling good. Sangster, was very severe on the men he collared, not being satisfied till they were quite down. He worked hard and was in every dribbling rush, his line work was quick, and he packed in smartly. Is a probable North Island rep. Oliphant, who assumed his Auckland cap for the first time, had an intercolonial reputation to keep up, and did it too. He is' one of our few hopes for a place in the North Island team. He was in every rush and collared well at times. Humphries, the lightest of the Visitors, is a very smart half, and would soon become the public pet if he played . through a season in Auckland. He made no mistakes, and passed out smartly. His play equalled Alby's best— an Aucklander cannot say more. T. Hempton, whose name suggests pace, was probably the slowest of Taranaki three-quarters. His kicking was quick and judicious, and his running strong. He was a bit behind Bayly, but was ahead of our best. It was in the three-quarters that our team was so palpably outclassed. The City's only rep., Hallamore, was at the head of almost every rush and worked particularly well in the pack. He was at one time in a very dangerous scoring position, but unluckily put his foot out of bounds, real hard luck, as his run was a good one. Reggie Masefield, of Ponsonby, took his place in the reps, for the sixth time and was the best of our backs behind the halves. He would have been more useful at threequarter than at full. He was sure and quick with his returns, with plenty to do ; he saved beveral scores excellently. Mills, the popular Ike of Newton, in representing the province for the fourth time, shone out prominently. His was a shining position, and he was all there. He took the ball from the toes of the opposing forwards time after time, and came away, only to have the advantage nullified by the superb play of Taranaki's backs. Donald has worked consistently for some seasons and made his appearance for the first time as an interprovincial representative, and earned the praises of all by his good all-round play. He ' was probably the best of our forwards and made no mistakes ; he was quick into the scrums and good in the open. A. Bayly, was probably the most prominent man in the whole match, his determined runs winning him endless applause, and advancing the claims of his team very forcibly. His kicking was powerful, and his collaring very sure. He had the confidence of his men, and worked them admirably. It is a team of which he may justly be very proud. McMillan was the best-known of the forwards, and came through the ordeal splendidly. He followed up and performed on the line far ahead of anything he ever showed for Grafton. He was slways prominent when a heavy push was wanted, and put in his pound. His somersaults, when Taranaki scored, were immense, and reminded one of the days gone by. ' Buster ' Ronayne, who made his dchut in an interprovincial match, was the most prominent of our half-backs, and must have an outside chance for the North Island team. He was unfortunate in getting a severe knock in the first spell which interfered at times with his play, but he ran well, tackled well, took his passes well and passed at the right time. It was not Buster's fault if his team got defeated.

I was sorry to see Masefield deliberately trip Bayley during the first spell: Brady has been given a chance to establish himself," and a good choice it is. Rhodes has been reinstated, and this will be hailed with satisfaction by the majority of Rugby supporters. He would have been of great service against a team like Saturday's Hugh Poland, an old rep- of six years' standing, again came to help our reps. He grafted hard and roughly, just what was wanted against Taranaki's rough set. His line play was good. , W- Bayly and A. Good both played dashing and cunning games. They know some things. Bayly appeared to know just when it was safe to be off-side and when to be on, or else he was raiehty lucky. J. Lambie was the most brilliant of the forwards, and must come under notice. For the North Island team he came through the scrum almost every time, but was occasionally unnecessarily rough, particularly on poor Masey. Clarkin for the second time donned the blue and white jersey but evidently did not do himself justice. His playing was altogether too slow, and he •would have been well replaced with a fast man of Rhodes' description. He appeared heart-broken after the first quarter. Bob Lusk, who played half-back for the amber and black, executed some good dodgy runs, and generally did an immense amount of work. His try was Icapai, and was the result of quick handling of the ball. He scored first blood for Taranaki — a goal from a free kick. H. Good put in some splendid work, and fairly ran over our boys' who could not hold him. He was a bit rough at times, but his enthusiastic dashes may account for this ; he kicked most powerfully and fave his forwards every opportunity of eing under the ball before it came down.