OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume XXVII, Issue 35, 18 May 1907, Page 10

OUT DOOR SPORTS

By Harrier.

SATURDAY turned out rather a bleak day for our footballers, and the attendance at Alexandra Park was on the small side. More interest seemed to be taken in the Ponsonby-North Shore game, played on the latter club's ground, the attendance there being very large. The three senior games resulted as follows : — City beat Parnell by 28 points to nil : Newton ran up 18 points to Graf ton's 6 ; and Ponsonby registered 24 points to North Shore's nil.

City's win against Parnell goes to show that they will take a lot of beating this year. The red and blacks played with a strong wind in their favour in the first spell, but Parnell made a very stubborn fight of it. and only 12 points were registered against them. In the second half City played with better combination and towards the finish were fairly running over the Parnellites. ' The result was that another 16 points went up for the red and blacks.

S. Magee again filled the position of full-back for City with credit. So far, though, he has not been called upon seriously.

The three-quarter line were kenf busy enough. Gladding started patchily, failing to take some but he settled down afterwards and niarie several fine dashes. V. Little did a lot of creditable work also.

George Smith nroveH the most troublesome bac to the Parr ell men. To mv mind, he was inclined to fro a bH, too much on hi* own at times. That try of his in the second half was the result of a brilliant swervine run. R. Magee was a bit erratic in his transferring in the early part of the r»aitn>. but afterwards there was hardly a blemish in his play.

Ladner is an excellent substitute for Von n or. nlayine a heady game all through the piece.

The red and black t>ack is a powerful one. Mackerell made his first apnearance, and promises to strike (rood form. It would be rather a difficult matter to sort out. the best of this set of forwards. _ Harris was given a chance on the wing, and w»s conspicuous in the or>en work. He scored the first two tries. The Parnell team stuck to their task in the gamest manner, but in the finer points of the game they were outclassed. The backs were mainly on the defence from start to finish. Cleave did his work satisfactorily as full-back. He tackled in Treat style on several occasions.

The wing three-quarters were only passable, but Twinamedid a lar^e amount of good defensive work.

Stuckey also did a lot of " snoiline" work, and it is doubtful if Todd ever played a better defensive game. So far. he has had very little opportunity on the attack. Fox's play could not be cavilled *at, and he is a sturdy naif.

The Parnell rmck were, liehter than their opponents, and they hung to their work well. On the line they were frequently beaten. Muir, Kinder, Walsh and Meers were a noticeable quartette, whilst Armstrong is improving rapidly as a winger.

Grafton had a weak team in againßt Newton, and another defeat went againßt the black and whites.,

The football was of a more or less scraggy nature, particularly on the Grarton side.

The Graf ton backs were frequently out of their places, and their collaring was very weak. Marchall was the best of a poor set. Poanaga was erratic, and Blake and Stewart did not play up to junior form. Burrotighs was doing his best as half, and got off some creditable work.

The forwards played a fairly sound game, their open rushes being conspicuous. McCormick was always in the van, and he was the means of opening up the play from which Graf ton scored. He gave a pass to Comes, and the latter sailed for all he was worth over the line. Eaton, Dean and Bell were generally prominent.

The Newton team went considerably better than on the previous Saturday, and the backs brought off some serviceable combined work.

" Tommy " Roberts filled the fullback position, and made very few mistakes.

Woolfgramm played with a lot of dash, and his try was the result of a splendid run. Rowe did the bulk of the work, beine equally good on the attack and defence. Purdie shaped very well, and it is pity that an accident to his arm will force him to retire for some weeks.

Gray's play showed much improvement, and Freeman and Farrant made some useful openings.

In the forwards, Trevarthen slaved up to his best form, and Hooper, Winters and Sutherland were responsible for solid toil.

With the prospect of an interesting game, most of the football public were lured across the water to the Ponsonby-North Shore game. But the game did not come up to expectations, as far as North Shore were concerned. It was a very fair exhibition of football, and the fast open rushes of the Ponsonby team kept the spectators at. boiling point. Although North Shore were never in the hunt, they showed very sound defence. Ponsonby eventually won by eight tries — 24 points ■ — and the North Shore barrackers forgot to cheer. Blakey, as full for Ponsonby. was very sound in sto~^i n gr. His kicking could have been better.

Murray's kicking was the feature of the game. He also got in some smart dashes, and has lost a lot of that selfishness which used to be noticeable in his play. Wilson has played better games. He lacked the dash at the finish of his runs.

Dillamore had very little to do in the first spell but showed up well in the second. He is a dangerous man near the line. Bater and Flynn were in and out. Bater showed to best advantage, his attack being very nippy. _ Fl-nn looks for too much intercepting, instead of taking his man. Cox seemed to be playing to instructions. He made a very fair showing, getting in a lot of work both on attack and defence.

Gillett was a host in himself, being everywhere at the right time. Without doubt his generalship went a long way towards winning this game.

The forwards were a good solid lot. every man doinc his bit. Hall and McDonald were if anything the pick. If Hall keeps up this form he will have to be reckoned with when our rep. team is picked. He is a fine stamp of a forward, and has the pace as well as the dash. With a little more knowledge of the finer points he should make one of the best. McDonald is going stron and should about get a trip South this year.

The North Shore backs were kept busy all through the game defending their goal line and did not disgrace themselves.

Miller at full showed some very fine kicking, and his taking was perfect.

W. Wynyard was getting in a terrible lot of work prior to his accident, and was a big loss to his team when he had to retire.

O. Miller and Woodward were very safe in their taking, and got in some fine line lack*.

R. Wynyard did a lot of stopping, but does riot relish being on the defence all through. He appeared to lose a lot of his dash after his brother went off.

Jackson was simply over-run and had very little chance of doing: anything but stop the ball or the boot.

Peter Gerrard took Wynyard's place in the centre, but was very much out of form, the game being too fast for him.

The North Shore forwards are a young and willing lot and made a very good stand. But one or two of them would find it much more to their advantage and the interests of of the team if they learned to play the ball instead of the man. Todd put in some good work in the T>ack and in the open. Mays wants to use his head more, and Griffin is inclined to be too willing.

Marshall was over anxious on the wing, and would have done much better to watch the ball more.

"Where are all the Ponsonbv nlacekicfcers ? Eight tries and not one converted — some of them being easy at that.

The veteran "Bob" Handcock filled White's in the Parnell team on Saturday, on account of the latter being hurt, and did tolerably well considering he had had no practice.

The Cardiff and Swansea rugby match in March set ur> a record in South Wales club football. The gate has been officially estimated at about £700. and the number of spectators at over 30,000. Cardiff won by a try to nil.

The senior fixtures for Saturday are Ponsonby v. City. Newton v. North S"hore. and Parnpll v. Graf ton. The meeting "between City and Ponsonhv is can sin? a lot of interest, and the attendance promises to be very large.

A Southerner on a visit to Wpllinctton last wepk expressed +he opinion to a "Wellir itrton scribe tVint it was only a nnestinn of time when Soccer would drive Rnqbv clean out of all the nrimarv schools and colleeiate institutions in Otago.

It has been decided by the New Zealand Ruprbv "Union that tbe North Island v. South Island match will be nlayed at Christohurch on June 3rd. The selectors for the two teams are : North Island, Messrs D. Gallaher. A. Humphries and H. Kelly ; South Island, . Messrs F. T. Evans, H. Harris and R. Galbraith. This match will give the selectors of the New Zealand team to visit Australia a line to go on. The selectors for the New Zealand team are Messrs F. T. Evans, D. Gallaher and H. Harris, and their choice will be made known after the inter-island match.

The Auckland nominations for the North Island team are to appear this week.

Graf to i were without the services Kiernan, Sutherland, Mclntosh, Davis and McGuire on Saturday. These defections made a big difference to Graf ton.

It would be just as well if the Management Committee of the A.R.TJ. made' an example of some of the barrackers at the fourth grade matches, played on the outer ground of Alexandra Park. There were some choice epithets indulged in at some of Saturday's games.

Referring to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union, a Soiithern writer says : " The meeting, as usual, was a very long one, and, with an incompetent chairman, would easily have lasted a week. After several years' experience attending these annual meetings, I am more convinced than ever that a large proportion of the delegates address the meeting for the sole purpose of hearing themselves speak."

Peter Harvey's reaDPearance in the Christchurch ranks on Saturday, after a rest for two seasons, occasioned (say a Christchurch writer) a good deal of interest. The New Zealand half-back showed that he has notrusted in the interval. He played in a difficult position at fiveeighths, getting a great deal of work to do. and he put a lot of his old cunning into it. His kick has lost a little of its strength and he wants practice in handling the ball, but he ran well and his tackling was firstclass. He seemed just as keen as ever and as quick at sizing iro the play, and he should be worth a lot to the Christchurch team.