Door Sports

Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 921, 5 September 1896, Page 5

Door Sports

By 'Habrier.'

COMING EVENTS,

BOWING. Sept. 6— On the Thames, Stanbury v. Gaudaur, Championship of the World and £1,000 a side. FOOTBALL FIXTUKES. Sept. S — Otago v. Auckland, at Auckland.

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENTS. Abatapu.— Both won their caps in 1887.— A. Braund in the Taranaki match on 21st June, and W. Elliott in the Canterbury match on August 18th.

It is reported from Wellington that the Otago team are much dissatisfied with a decision of the referee (Mr Evans, of Christchurch,) in their recent match with Canterbury. It is a somewhat remarkable coincidence that last year, when the Canterbury team visited Dunedin and were defeated, a similar dissatisfaction existed amongst them regarding the decision of the referee (an Otago man) who had charge of the game. Now, it may well be argued that the grievance in each instance was, to a great extent, imaginary, but the fact remains that in each case the visiting team departed with the feeling that they had been unfairly dealt with by the referee provided by the local union. The whole thing, to my mind, affords a very strong argument in favour of the universal adoption of the system of appointing outside referees for all representative matches. This practice has been followed by the Auckland Union for many years past, and is now recognised as the correct thing by all "North Island unions, but, for some reason or other, the Otago and Canterbury authorities have always been opposed to it. It cannot, of course, be claimed that an imported referee would of necessity be more competent or more impartial in his decisions than a local man ; but the mere fact of his being an outsider, and therefore disinterested, entirely removes the possibility of any friction arising between the competing teams on account of his decisions.

.Auckland's two tries against "Wairoa were secured by C. Freemaa and McPike respectively. Smith played a sterling game at three-quarter, and appears to be improving each game he plays. Wynyard at centre tbree-quarter again displayed sounder defensive ability than' he has usually been credited with possessing. Absolura was in line nick and displayed excellent form throughout. The clever manner in which he got away on several occasions from his big vis-a-vis, H. Good, waß.& treat to witness. Last Saturday, Thames defeated Ohinemuri by 3 points (a try secnred by Paul) to nil. This is the second match played between these two unions this season ; Thames being victorious on both occasions. A match between an Auckland second team and the representatives of the Northern Wairoa Rugby Union was played at Te Kopuru on Saturday last,and resulted, after an exceedingly close and interesting game, in a victory for the town players by 6 points to 3. Clayton's game at full-back was an undoubted improvement upon the performance of either of his predecessors j in rep. matches this season. His kicking throughout was excellent, as was also his work in other respects, bar the one occasion in the first spell, when he allowed laranaki to gain what appeared to me rather a soft try.: Surman at five-eighths was not by any means the Surman who has been playing so successfully in that position throughout the season. Had he played even nearly so well as usual, the game would certainly have been more interesting, bat from the very first he displayed a lack of go and dash absolutely inexplicable in view of all previous form..

fl. Good made a number of dashing runs, .but was only successful in crossing the line on one occasion. The Taranaki team are undoubtedly a very strong fifteen, combining in a remarkable degree weight, strength, pace and knowledge of the game. The London Chronicle, referring to the Australian cricketers, considers that their sturdy and even play proves them to be superior to the English eleven. Alf Bayly played a sound, clever game at five-eighths, but seems to me to nave lo3t somewhat of the pace and dash which characterised his play of old. There is, I think, very little doubt that the referee made a mistake in not allowing juaing a try upon the occasion when he crossed close to the corner flag. C. Hay received very little shelter from his wings, but, nevertheless, was frequently successful in getting the ball away from scrum, and, moreover, he tackled in 1 great form. The team chosen to represent the j Auckland Football Association at the forthcoming tournament in Dunedin, leave for that city today (Thursday). Their first match will be against Otago on 9th September. The Queensland footballers played the laat match of their tour against Southland on Saturday, and were defeated by 23 points to 3. They have played six matches in New Zealand, and lost them all. The members of the Auckland team which visited Northern Wairoa returned home on Monday, highly pleased with their trip and with the kindly hospitality shown them during their short stay on ' the river.' The match "Wellington v. Hawke's Bay, ■which was to have eventuated on Saturday last, at Napier, had to be abandoned owing to the late arrival of the steamer which conveyed the Wellington team from Auckland. At the meeting of the New Zealand Football Association the draw for the tournament, which takes place at Dunedin, is as follows -.—Auckland and Otago, Sept. 9, and Wellington plays Canterbury on Sept. 12, the winners playing off the linal. The Taranaki scrum forwards were a much heavier lot than the local contingent, and were consequently able to obtain possession of the ball in the majority of instances. Their heeling out, however, was not by any means cleanly accomplished. The Auckland forwards, to atnan, worked hard and well and held their own remarkably well considering the disparity of weights between them and their opponents. A lthongh inferior in scrummaging power and perhaps in line work, the local men proved much superior in the open, both as regards dribbling and handling the ball. Saturday was an off-day so far as local football was concerned. A practice match was announced to be held at Potter's, but only three members of the team which played against Taranaki put in an appearance, the others being evidently of opinion, and I think wisely, that the hard games of the previous Wednesday and Saturday were enough for on« week. There was, however, a fairly strong muster of Parnell and Newton Senior players, and a useful practice game was played between sides composed chiefly of members of these two clubs. A great race under somewhat novel conditions has been arranged between Martin and McDoneU, the two American cracks now in^Australia. The race is for 25 miles, unpaced, for £50 a-side, and is to take place at Sydney on September 19th. The novelty of the race will be found in the fact tLat, although the men start together from the same mark, they will race in opposite directions — to prevent loafing on each other. They will alternate the inside running when pasaiug one another. The race takes place on the Hampden track, and the winner receives the whole of the gate money less 10 per cent. I English papers contain particulars of a fatal affair that happened in a race in Paris, between two men named Morris and Davies. The former was leading and had nearly reached the winning point, when he looked back to see how far behind his adversary was. While he was doing this, i the handle-bar swerved, the machine j dashed against the kerb, and its rider was thrown with terrific force and broke his thigh in two places. Davieu, who was only a short way behind, came full tilt on the top of Morris, and, falling on his head, remained in an insensible condition Meanwhile, Morris, with grim pluck, mounted his cycle, notwithstanding his broken leg, which hung limp, and with the other leg won the race. Davies was carried home, where he recovered consciousness ia the afternoon, only to die shortly afterwards.

A. Good showed better form at three-quarter than on any previous occasion in Auckland. His taking, however, waß not of the beat, particularly when playing against the sun. The Rules sub -committee appointed by the Northern Bugby Union (itingland) has been unable to solve the ' line out ' problem, and the affiliated clubs are to be asked for recommendations. Humphries was just as clever as ever in making openings and getting the ball out to his five- eighths. He, however frequently picked the ball out of the scrum witn his hands, and was fortunate to escape being penalised_thereior. As an exhibition of football, the Taranaki match was, I consider, the best of the series of representative matches played at Potter's this season, from first to last the game was fast and interesting, and of a mach more even nature than the score of 16 to nil would appear to indicate. The one respect in which the Taranaki team is vastly superior to any other .New Zealand province, is the great weight and pace of their back division. Men like Bayly, H. Good or Allen will often acore by the exercise of sheer strength, where a lighter though equally clever man would not have a possible chance to get through.