Door Sports

Observer, Volume XXI, Issue 1177, 20 July 1901, Page 11

Door Sports

By • Harrier.'

Auckland Rugbx Union Fixture b. July 20. Sbniobs— North Shore v. Ponsonby ; Newton v. QraftOQ ; Saborba v. Parnell. Junioes.— North Shore v. Ponsonby ; Newton v. Grafton ; Sabarbs v. Parnell.

Thj weather on Saturday was protabl the worst local footballers had to contend with this season. It was raining heavily all the afternoon, and the attendance of spectators was a very meagre one Taken right through this season, the Union hady very poor gates, and the profits must be very small. Grafton added another victory to their credit by defeating North Sboie by 14 pointß to three. The game opened np very well, and the black and whites, playing against wind and rain, attacked very determinedly. The backs handled the greasy ball in great style,' bat as the game proceeded, it was impossible to show any good play. It resolved itself into a case of kick, kick, kick. The Qraiton were undoubtedly the snperior team, bat at times their line w,as in great jeopardy. Bnbnrbß mastered np a team— such as it was— to meet City, and, although beaten, was not dlsgraoed. The red and blacks had the beat of the game, and came off the field victor* by 13 points to nil. In the hollow Parnell and Pooeonby tried conclusions to see who could occupy the best place in the Senior Gap Cham pionehip, and, after a fair sort of a go, the blue and blacks got the npper baud by 13 points to nil. New South Wales beat Queensland last Saturday by 17 points to lv Graf to a tried Marshall, a junior, as fall-back. on Saturday, and with one exceptioa his play wa* good. He is much on the light aide, and I wonldjprefer Freeborn in that position. Asher is still down with his bad leg, and will have to give it a good spell. By the way, Campbell, the Grafton wiogthreeqaarter, has also got a nasty leg, and there are doubts about hiß being fit to play next Saturday.

Grafton line crossed. City 111. have again won the Second Junior Championship. The Grafton forwards screwed their Bornma very effectively on Saturday. Mays, behind the scram for Shore, bad little chance to shine, and was mostly on defensive work. The New South Wales Rugby football team will leave Sydney for Sew Zealand on August 10. There is nothing to chronicle about the Parnell forward*, ezoept that Hancock was again the, pick of them. Robb was not too sure in taking the ball on Saturday, and Walsh, on the wing, never shirked his doty. ' Scobie ' McKenzie and Hay put in a great amount of woik, and the latter's fending powera were very noticeable. Sutherland was playing right op to form when he got injured and had to retire. His accident will necessitate a short spell. The senior championship is practically decided in Wellington, and the Wellington F.G. are the champions for this season. B. Stephenson threw away a try through hiß old fault of trying to beat too many men against P*rnell, otherwise his play was sound. Eiernan fonnd it difficult to handle the bail, yet he got through an immense amount of work. Taylor was always in oloqe proximity to the bull. The first of the home and home matches between Wairarapa and Wellington will be played in the Athletic Park, Wellington, next S tturday, the 20:h. South Sydney are leading for the ohampiopship in Sydney, and yet they did not get a single rep. in in the New booth Wales team that played Queensland on Saturday. North Shore put ia as strong a team as they h%ve had this season against Grafton, and had the weather been fine, they would have made a very creditable stand against Gr*fion. Ponsonby forwards played well together, and it would be hard to pick out any that were better than others; Saddler and Francis showed np well on the line oat. McGregor stood out at the bead of the Grafton forwards. His tries were the result of consistent following up C Brady, Cucksey and Neville were the best of (be scrnmrtagera. Thompson stood out as the best of (irafton'e backs. Hia running was splendid, and if he keeps on improving an he has done these list two Saturdays he wilt set Mr Murray thinking. Suburbs had several substitutes in on Saturday, and the team were not very dangerous in attack. Absolam does not ■how his great attaoking powers, as he very seldom gets any chances. The handsome D.C.L. Cup presented through L. D. Nathan and Co., will, become the property of the City FC , should they win this year's Championship, it having to be won two years' running, or three at intervals. The handling of the ball by the City backs on Saturday was very good, but it did not make mnoh difference to Smith, who seemed to revel under the adverse oiroumstanoes. Magee was very prominent, and Young got the ball away remarkably well. Great was the applause of the few spectators on the stand on Saturday when Shore crossed the Grafton line— the first time this season. It was a faulty pieoe of play of the Grafton full-back that let Shore get over, but, nevertheless, for a team to play eight matches, win them all, and only have three points scored against them is a good record. In reviewing a suggested Auckland rep. team I published* couple of weeks back, 'Touchline,' of the Wellington Lance, wants to know if the MoGregor in the forwards is 'Jock' of that name The writer will probably remember the player I referred to aa battling for Auckland against Wellington. It is 'Bod' McGregor, ■> younger brother of 'Jock,' the latter being still in South Africa, fighting for his King and country, >. i At last week's meeting of the Wellington Bugoy Union, the evidence of the referee (Mr Katterns) and of players concerned was heard aa to the rough, play which resulted In John and Walter Bpenoer (Melrose) and M'Anally. (Poneke) being ordered off the field at Petone. The charge agalnat M' Anally, who appeareS flraCwn alamiaiwd... Jl.,Bpsnoer,r who-adt.-mitted striking M'Anally, but pleaded ,ptp*«atteh,;f»«4itcgiMified until the end of (he Miaou. Walter Spsnoer was oautloned.

Poran played his usual dashing game on Saturday, and had bard luck in not scoring. Thomas does not get a great many chances, and the play always Beams to go from hla side. " . The play of the Parnell backs ou Saturday was very disappointing,' and they seemed to be all sizes and sevens. George and Corner were about the piok of the Shore backs, the former's kioking being very effective. Poulson, Upton and Lendrum were the pick of the backs, and handled the wet ball really well. The latter was in good eooring humour. Of the Graf ton wing forwards J . Brady was the beat, and Starling proved a better man than Hedley when bronght out. The latter' wants to use hiß head more in hia play. North Shore played an extra back oat on Saturday in Harp, bnt I think it wonld have been much more advisable to have had the extra weight in the scrum Wynyard waa very noticeable on the wing' Should Graf ton beat Newton on Saturday, they will have the Senior Cap at their mercy. They will be 1$ points ahead, and only City and Ponsonby to meet, and they can only be beaten by City, but this would still leave them half » point to the good. The open forward rushes of the North Bhore forwards were a constant annoyance to the Grafton- backs, and it took the latter all their time to keep their linea clear. Bike well was well rewarded for hia following up, and Sullivan and Warbrick were at the head of the toilers. The match- between Grafton and Newton next Satureay should be a vety interesting go. It will be remembered that Graf ton only won the first m%tch by a potted goal, bat as the black and whites have shown such improved form, I look to them to win again. The City 11. Suburbs II match was a very close thins; on Saturday, aDd tae former won by five points to threr. Towards the end of the game, Suburbs all bnt scored, but City practically played tbe second spell with fourteen men, aB B. Donovan had to retire ii j ired. The positions for the Senior Cup now stand :—

In leaviDg Harrison oat of my enggest< d rep team. ' Toaohline ' wants to know ' What haß Huriiion done — has hu knocked off playing, or are tbe others coo good ? Wellington players and spectators have a great rt-spect for tbe boy from tho Northern Wairoa, and, looking at the coming match between Auckland and Wellington from a Wellington point of view, it is to be hoped Mr M array (the selector) will be found of the E&me opinion as my confrere.' In the last senior Cap match Kaierau and P.ratea at Wanganai, the ending came very abraptly. It appears that towards the end of the game the refereo ordered one Kaieran and two Pirate players off the field, and then the Pirate .team left the field, whereupon, the referee awarded the match to Kaierau. The case came before the Rugby Union, and they dealt pretty neverely with the offenders. The Kaieran player was suspended for the rest of the season, and tbe aoting-oaptaiu of the Pirates, for calling off his team, waa dealt with by a similar sentence. One of the Pirates' oases was indefinitely postponed, while the other pUyer waa suspended for twelve months. The Committee also resolved that the members of the Pirate team ahall be suspended for playing until a written apology, signed by all members of the team, be received by the Union. A Yorkshire professional who scores 50 runs in an innings is paid HI talent money ; if he makes 75 he getß 30 , and £2 forlJOruns. . The gate for the Jacquelin- Taylor first match was £1800 The Utter won two beats onfc of the three. Taylor tamed I the tables on the Frenohman in the second I match. If you wish to posh yoar business on tbe goldfields, advertise in the Wd/iki Daily lelegragh, an up-to-date paper circulating every evening in Waihi, Waikino, Paeroa, Karangahafce, tf aokeytowa, Waitekauri, and Golden Cross. There to a population of 18,000 people in the districts oovefed by the lelegraph. The only daily newspaper with a general oirtinlation 1 throughout the goldfields districts.

Points. P. W. L. D. For. Agst. Graf ton . . 8 8 0 0 85 3 City 8 6 11 157 4 Newton ... 7 4 2 1 46 3) Suburbs ... 7 3 4 0 14 53 North Bhore 8 3 5 0 33 ss Ponsonby ..8260 20 & r i Parnell ... 8 0 8 0 8 lit;