OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume XXVII, Issue 38, 8 June 1907, Page 10

OUT DOOR SPORTS

By Haekier,

SATURDAY -was an ideal day for football. The bright sunshine and clear air contrasted strongly with the miserable wet weather of the week before. Nevertheless, the attendance at Alexandra Park was small, as many of the usual patrons could not resist the temptation of a trip to Ellerslio race course on such a glorious day.

Apart from this, many had expected that "the contests would proved one-sided. And so they turned out to be, Parnell beating Newton by 24 points to nil, and Ponsonby having a runaway victory over Grafton to the tune of 56 points to nil. Across at North Shore, City defeated the home team by 19 points to nil.

Most of the interest was centred in the Parnell-Newton match, but the smartness and dash of the Parnell backs very soon proved too much for the opposing team, as , they made the game an open one * from the jump. \ The passing of the Parnell backs , was a feature of the day's relay. < Time after time the ball would be . skilfully handled by four or five men, and this when going at top ' speed. These backs are rapidly working up a splendid combination. Cleave made no mistakes as full for Parnell. He was alw— there when wanted, and generally found the line. Todd fairly excelled himself at five-eighths. He initiated several passing runs which resulted in scores, and his kicking was sound. On this game it appeared that it will require a very good man indeed to beat Todd for his position in the rep. team when it comes to be selected. jjogan played a rare game for Patnell. This ex- junior takes the ball in good style and kicks _ accurately and with force. At times hisiplay was brilliant, and he seemed to be everywhere, like the versatile Todd. Twiname did a heap of savinsrwith §hprt line-kicks, and in the second Spell was not to be denied. He had a hand in everything and finally ■ scored. The Parnell pack did a lot of screwing the serum and did it to advantage, this being the source of a score or two. Fox was always on hand to cut in and nip over the line if possible. Kinder was one of the best forwards on the field. Rhodes was in good form, but "Walsh needs to play a cleaner and less excitable game. No doubt trie Newton team was hampered by the erlaring sun in the first spell. Parnell punted high, followed up fast and secured the ball from the dazzled and fumbling Newtonians. At one time Rowe looked like scoring. He got right away "on his own " as far as the Parnell fullback, but he had no support, and what seemed a certain score was thrown away. His kicking was very serviceable to Newton. "Woolfgram's T»lay was rather disappointing. Twice he failed badly to take his man, and was thus directly responsible for two tries, " Tommy " Roberts did as well aB could be expected as full back. In the second spell he went into the

three-quarter line, to replace Crawford, who had given rather a disappointing display. In the forwards none worked harder than Trevarthen, who is always consistent. Hooper backed him up well. What a splendid football maxim it is to "follow up." Once Parnell boosted hard over the the Newton line. Crawford leisurely trotted along to force, but Todd, who had sprinted up from nowhere, beat him for the touch, and this registered the fourth try. The fifth try was a beauty, Todd beating six men and wriggling in under the goal-posts.

"With Grafton two men short, Ponsonby had a walk-over, and finally wound an with the big score of 56 points to nil. The Ponsonby backs slung the ball about wholesale, and nearly all the backs scored. Gillet was the mainspring of the team, and made some clever openings. The forwards made the pace -retty fast, and got off some great work. The Grafton backs, -.nostly juniors, were a sorry lot, but the forwards held up their end fairly well. What has come over the Ponsonby goal-kickers ? Out of fourteen tries scored, only four were converted. Francis appears to have gone right off. A couple of seasons back, "Wilson was showing great form in this department, but -where is he now ?

City did not put their strongest team into the field against North Shore, yet they downed the green and whites rather easily. Towards the finish of the game. Shore came with a bit of a rattle, but failed to cross City's line. ' ' The City men made the game an open one, and repeatedly the ball went through numerous pairs of hands. " Bob " Magee was fairly on the job, and the three-quarters did passable work. In the forwards several men stood out for splendid open play. G. Tyler and Mackerell got 'away with fine dribling rushes. Seeling was always prominent. The game suited W. Tyler and he initiated a lot of open play. The Shore backs were in-and-out. The most consistent was D. Miller, who did some splendid saving. "Peter" Gerrard donned the jersey, and played up to expectations.. Woodward was fair, and Jackson played a plucky game. The forwards were no match for the City men, although they stuck to their guns all through. Todd was back in the pack, and did some solid graft. Joyce shaped well, but is wanting in form. Marshall was conspicuous for some useful work.

" Mona " Thompson, the "All Black " three-quarter, has finally retired from the game. In an article on the professional football trouble, the " Canterbury Times " scribe refers to the action of I). McGregor in not signing the N.Z. Rugby Union's declaration as follows : — "The position admits of no argument. It is the business of the governing body to discover as far as it can the status of the players, and to do so it must ask the players themselves. If any of them are contemplating inclusion in the ■orofessional team, they are already liable to disqualification, and amateur football wants them no more. It has been argued that men of wealth and position, possibly, who choose to play football would be insulted by being asked to sign the declaration. If so, they can well be spared. The Union must treat footballers in the mass, and every player must be repared when he puts on his jersey, to sink his individuality and combine with others for the good of a game whose cosmopolitanism is its chief merit and its greatest factor of success."

Second round of Cup matches start on Saturday. The North v. South Is'and match resulted in a ,vri iui the Northerners by 11 points to nil. The game was a fairly attractive cne, but the winners had pretty well the best of the deal. " Bernie " Fanning, the burly Canterbury and New Zealand lock, made his reappearance in Cu]:> matches at Christchurch on Saturday week. One of the local writers says that after another game, Fanning would be quite in his best form. Saturday was a day for big scores. In the school matches, Onehunga put up 50 against the Normal School, and the Pqnsonby boys secured a runaway win over Grafton by 47 points. The school matches on No. 1 ground have been most exciting to watch, and football patrons would indeed be lost without these excellent curtain-raisers. Apropos of these schoolboys' matches, Auckland is the only province where the public school matches are systematically arranged and the boys are given so much coaching by their teachers. The seed is sown early ami the harvest is football enthusiasts in plenty.