Door Sports

Observer, Volume XXI, Issue 1179, 3 August 1901, Page 11

Out Door Sports

By ' Harrier.'

Auckland Rugb* Union Fixtures. August 3. m Seniors —North Shore v. Parnell ; Newton v. City ; Grafton v. Bnbnrba. Local footballers are having a bad time of it In the matter of weather for their matches. Saturday turned oat to be another disagreeable day, and if we don't have any fine weather before the rep matches, we onght to get a brilliant wetweather team. The games last Saturday were not maoh betttr than scrambles. City beat North Bhore by eight points to nil, Graftoo did likewise to Ponsonby by nine to nil, while Suburbs and Newton had a draw. Snbnrbs made an interesting game of it with Newton, and on the day's play the former were unlucky in not scoring a win. The all blacks showed maoh improved play, and it is a great pity that they have struck form so late in the season, otherwise they would have to be reckoned with. Ponsonby did not have their etrongeat term in against Grafton, yet they made a big fight of it against the Cap leaders. Qrafton did not play op to their beet form, and some of the playerß were inclined to take matters easy. The City-North Shore match was stubbornly fought oat, and the marine suburb boys tried their hardest to down the red and blacks. The City backs were too fleet, though, and palled victory over to their side. Cunningham's position in the N.Z. rep team is practically established.

3tok,eß, the Ponsonby full, was too slow, but yet he did not disgraoe himself. I understand City 11. protested against Oration 11. playing Hedly "last Saturday. Afiber is much below himself at present, and hia injured leg greatly interferes with his play. Marshall, the Orafton full, is none too reliable, and strikes me as being too light for the position. I hear splendid reports of W. Harrison's torm at Aratapn, and he is said to be playing in better form than ever. The Newton F.C. concert last Friday was a thumping success, and the club should benefit to the extent of over £30. The two full backs at the Shore were especially good on Saturday, and their defensive work was greatly applauded. The Grafton wings, Thompson and Campbell, were not called on to do a great deal, the play Beeming to keep oat of their way. Gray, the Suburbs half, is a splendid littlfl player, and did good work for his team. Dempsey struck me aa being a bit in and out. Doran was in great heart on Saturday, and hia open play was a treat to witness. Blomficld, with no one to mark, put in some good footwork. Upton and Stephenson were the pick of the Ponsonby backs, and the former's rnn in the second spell was deserving of better fate. The North Shore vanguard had a hard time to keep np to tbeir [opponents, and Bakewell, Sullivan, Wynyard and Wells showed fine form. Absolum was always in the thick of it. He missed several chances of scor-, ing through the greasy ball, bat all round his play was above the average. McPike again donned the jersey, and although palpably - short of work,' he Bhowcd streaks of his old cleverness. A. Gray, the other Suburbs wing, is a good club man. The PoDHonby line - umpire on Saturday had a very vague idea of his position, and in future the referee should see and get competent men for, this position.

McKenzie and Hay shared the honours amongst the Grafton backs. Both players put in a great amount of defence and attaching play. Hay's try was a very heady piece of work. What little attack the Shore backs had to do was always well done, and their defence was <rery sound. Gerard is settling down, and waa the mainstay of his team. W. Wynyard shows great promise. The best of the Newton backs were Rowe and Robinson, the wing threequarters. The former made a couple of brilliant rnna In the second spell, while Robinson again pot in some neat kicking. Four players, according to a Wellington writer on the Wellington-Waira-rapa match, who should be picked for the N.Z. team are— Wallace and H. Kelly (Wellington) and E McKenzie and Udy (Wairarapa.) ' Taylor, the Grafton five-eighths, did not bustle maeh, and ' tired ' before the finish. Kiernan had hia work cot ont to watch the Ponaonby wings, and between the times he was appealing got through good work. s By defeating City 11. on Saturday, Grafon 11, Suburbs II and the firatnamed are all level again. The coarse to play will have to be decided at once, as the trial matches for the rep junior team will nave to Btart very soon. The Ponsonby pack were a willing lot.bnt aome of them could have saved their wind and talked leas. Franoia took the ball well on the line, bat wanta to pnt Li 0 S n A^ raßh "J"**- Ooeaar.Dnnlop a»d Saddler were the plok of the eorummagera.

Heath, the Newton half, revelled lE. ,£ ud ,' bnt Wooda does not show anything like last year's form. To single out the best of the City forwards on Batarday la a difficult job. as every one of them was on his mettle. Nicholson keeps np his form. New Sooth Wales lost the servioes Whi£ 6 w *S eI l b t 8 , t th "e-qn«ters in a*** o •J >roke hla co'larbone in the second N.B.W..Qaeenal»nd match None of the Suburbs forwards showed oat as well as Todd. Small in stature, and of a noggety build, ha was always at the head of the rashes, and never seemed to tire. Austin was also in good form. The long, sweeping rushes of the Newton forwards were .again a prominent feature on Saturday, bat in scrimmaging they met their match. Lewis was prominent for a ti mo bat lacked condition, and the two Wilsons and Hill were about the best. Although the ground at the Shore was against good football, the City backs put in some fine attacking play. Smith was very dangerous, and his try was the outcome of a tine ran. Thomas and Magee were always thereabouts in the play. Sutherland, Suburb's full, made his re-appearance, and his play wafl o f the highest order. His line kicking always caine off, and he stopped some dangerous rushes. Such games as he played on Saturday willeaeily determine his selection for the reps. The Grafton forwards bad all their wotk cat oat to cope with the PoneoDbv vanguard. They did not play wi h their neaal dash, and are evidently fall up of maddy grounds. Cuckeey, C. Brady and Stirling were the hardest worker.. J Brady made things w*rm on the wing, and was fnll of bustle. Great was the growliog of a lot of the footballers on Saturday at Alexandra Park, when, beepUtered and thick with mud, they went lor a shower bath, only to find the tanks empty and no water available. A shower after Saturday's game was very necessary, and this matter should be looked into by tbe Union. 'In championship matches this season,' says • Touehline,' in the Lance, Wallace scored 38 points for the Poneke Olub, viz., 2 tries, 11 converted goals, 2 penalty goals, and a goal from a mark. A converted try in the Nehon match, and the 11 points against Wairarapa, bring hia Jkally up to over 50 points.' 8 • n5f r , W ' McKenz ie (better known as football referees, says, 'it ia the greatest m atake for a referee to allow players to Iltu°t hT - ea if , h ° i8 K«»sly incompetent, bnt enjoins silence, then nis mana holds good throughout the game But let at e e i e m am n/ tMt "l™*-*h become like fil >k . y ? nDR L hOraeß witn the bits between their teeth. Control is lost ' This was like the game between Pon sonby and Grafton on Saturday, though inn 17* dld not loBe control ° f *'• He allowed far too much talking, and his decisions at time, were very questionable. o B n °^js«™were to blame, and I noticed one we I - known Ponsonby player, who ibnnM L QCeBB l ntl y the whole P game He should know better By the way, Auck- ;» n f ia v "y u b »dly off for competent referees. We have several good men, but Se k d^ri 0 r y>aDdthere9tarea^ Otto Cribb's recent death was greatly regretted in sporting circles throughout New Zealand. P T he decS there Z2£ n !T m CaDte 'bnry, and left there about three years ago for Sydney He . « oon made his way to the top as a 11 ",' bn '.u hia tri P t0 Ban Francisco several months Bgo did not do him any good. Cribb, whose real name is All. hlTnrl o^ P /7* ed . foo . tball ln Chriatcharch before he left for Anstralia, and was a member of the crack Meerivaiell. team. If yon wish to push your business on the goldfields, advertiae in the Waihi Daily lelegragh, an up-to-date paper circulating every evening in Waihi Waikino, Paeroa, Karangahake, Maokeytown Waitekauri, and Golden Cross. There is a population of 18,000 people in the diß ' tnota covered by the lelegraph. Tbe only daily newspaper with a general oiroulation throughout the goldfield B die triots. / No donbt were Dickens still alive He'd yet write many a tale, Though he is dead his works survive Their reading ne'er grows stale Bo manv try to imitate, But they remain obscure, m I? 11^ 8 Bnd ooldß d °n'» hesitate Take Woodß' Great Peppermint Cure.