Football Notes.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5283, 14 June 1895, Page 4

Football Notes.

[BY QUIDNUNC IN " CAKTBBBUBY TIMES."

As I anticipated last week, Christohurch gave Linwood, the present champions, an excellent game on Saturday. So much so, indeed, that I am quite in doubt whether or not the Beds would not have been hailed the winners but for their bad lnck in losing Humphreya's valuable services practically throughout the whole game, and being forced to finish off the latter part of the second spell with S^alet an enforced absentee. I: am quite sure that -Linwood met an 'unexpectedly hot lot, and I know that several members of the younger team were very much surprised at the severe nature of the struggle. The onlookers, of whom there was an unusually large number, were unanimous in conferring on the match the distinction of being the best seen here this season. Not that it was distinguished by many of the attractive open passing runs amongst the backß: now and then, one would appear, but aa a rule the tackling and following up were too sharp, smart and decisive to allow much of that style of play. In that line, particularly forward, lay the excellence of the play, and I must again congratulate the forwards upon Twinging out of obscurity their ability to play the fast, dabbing straight ahead game, and to eliminate to a great extent thoße namby-pamby heel-out tactics that have done so much to injure our football. Lmwood's forwards appeared stronger in the pack, carried most of the scrums, and appeared able to get possession of the ball at will, but Cbristchurch beat them all through at following up, loose work, dribbling rushes and unfailing tackling. The backs on both sides were safe if hot brilliant. As I have said above the tackling was too good all round to allow of much brilliancy, and safe handling and good kicking were more the order of the day. One piece of splendid individual play, though, that deserves especial mention, occurred when O'Brien scored his Becond try, and it is doubtful in my mind whether a cleverer try has yet been scored at Lancaster Park. There was a good deal too much talking going on, and as this undesirable adjunct to all our matches seems on the increase, I hope the Referees' Association will legislate in the direction of minimising the evil. There is always quite enough " barracking " amongst the onlookers without players wasting their breath all through in a Bimilar manner.

Turning to individual players I find myself constrained to Bay very little. Very even individual . work was noticeable throughout. Orchard played another fine game as full-back for Lin wood, and for once he was not in possession of a sinecure. O'Brien made the most of every opportunity be had and I will not soon forget his second try. Stringer was safer than ÜBual and used his pace with great advantage. Hobbs, in the centre, again occasionally fumbled a pass, but did a lot of right good honest work. 1 liked Price better than Gordon as half-back, the latter seeming to be uncommonly uncertain. All the forwards did good sound work, Eerr, as usual being ahead. Craig, full-back for Christchurcb, . got through a busy time very creditably j the Harley brothera were surprisingly accurate, took a number of passes without a fumble, made .several serviceable runs, and were excellent in defence. Cowlishaw was in ! great form both attacking and defending, and is at present well up in point of merit with any of our wing three-quarters. Glendining played a fine half-back game, and is a long way ahead of Middleton in his knowledge of the finer points of the game, although the latter executed some good work, particularly in tackling and kicking. The forwards, as may be imagined, played grandly and evenly, Frost being, in my opinion, the best of a lot that deserve infinite credit for a fine uphill performance. The first meeting for the senior championship between the Kaiapoi and North Canterbury teams took place at Kaiapoi, in the presence of several hundred people, a preat many of whom had come some ten or twelve mileß to see the game, which was interesting from start to finish. Kaiapoi won in the end by eighteen points to seven after a hard tußale, and on the whole had the beat of the play. The forwards played splendidly together, and gave a' much better exhibition of all-round play than the northerners. The backs were very evenly matched. At halfback Kaiapoi were decidedly the beßt, especially in the second spell, when Gray started some capital passing rushes. The three-quarter play on both sides was better than übusl, the running and passing being a decided improvement on recent exhibitions.

On the Kaiapoi side Featherston again played safely at full-back. His kicking was perhapß not bo good as usual, but he tackled well. There were two alterations in the !;bree-qnarterß. M'Gregor filled Purchase's place in the centre, abd Bobilliard played on the wing in place of W. J. Moir, who leaves the district at an early date. Despite these changes the play along the line was good, and the passing, on the whole, the best the three-quarters have Bbown for some time past. Tdib wbb owing solely to the eplendid play of Gray, at half-baok. This player, who.liag hitherto been a member of the ■ *»»n& fifteen, proved himself to be the best half-back the club has had. Oa Saturday h e waa

very quick in getting the ball away from the sorummage, and generally succeeded in dodging his way through the opposing halves before transferring the ball to his three-quarters. In the second spell the North Canterbury captain put out an extra man to watch Gray. The other half-back, Templeton, kicked well, but passing is still his weak point, Orani and J. Moir, the two wing forwards, were always on the ball, and stopped to a great extent the passing of the northern halfbacks. Lynßkey, Simpson and Forrest bore the brunt of the work in the scrummage?, and Scott, Hanna and Bate were all there ia the dribbling rushes. Allison played fullback for North Canterbury, and, considering that he had not filled the position before, he pot through his work very well. The two wing threequarters, Duncan and Miller, made some capital runß and good tackling alone kept them from scoring. Wilson, in the centre, kicked as well 88 ever, and is evidently the mainstay of the northerners' back division. Eoeback and Anderson were the halfbacks, but neither of them seemed to be in good form. The forwards played up manfully against their formidable opponents, and stuck gamely to their work from first to last. They packed very smartly, and frequently got the beßt of the scrummages. Some of them, though, showed a tendency to over-run the ball in the loose work, and by getting off-side had a number of penalty kicks awarded against them. Thome, the Wilmot,j brothers, and Fitzgerald were j always to the front in the dribbling rushes j | Maynard .was especially good on the lineout, and Duke, Henry, and Dv Moulin worked hard in the scrummages. The Merivale team when playing againsi East Christchurch fell into the same erroi that Eaiapoi did in their game againti Chriitchurcb, viz : forwards heeling oat tc their backs who were not clever enough tc score, and were also met by excellent defence. The first spell was fairly even, although I think Merivale could claim s slight advantage, end their try was gainec by a capital piece of foot-work by Gerard Daring the second spell they kept theii opponents nearly the whole time defending and yet were unable to score. The Easi Christchurch seemed satisfied to allow the Merivale team to get the ball and contented them selve 8 with' stopping the attack, ant Tight well did they do their work. Occasion ally they adopted opposite tactics, ant proved better than their opponents asfarai results went, for their try was the ontcomi of some excellent passing, and was wel deserved. Seeing that Merivale wen stronger forward, it seemed strange to mi that they persistently stuck to their ol( system of heeling-out to the backs. I must be remembered that the old com bination and power of scoring have gone and the team now requires a dea more work from the forwards thai has been extracted from them fo: the past three or four Beasonß. Wh; forwards, who are capable of workini the ball right up to their opponents' line prefer to heel out when they gee there in stead of endeavouring to score on thei own acconnt, after their backß have bee] given plenty of opportunities and havi failed to profit by them* is altogethe beyond me. But it seems bad form now a-daysif a try is gained otherwise thai through heeling out to the backs. Team should follow my advice and "mix" thei play more than most of them do. Pavitt shaped fairly well at fall-bac for East Christchurch. Burns is a fin stamp of a three-quarter. He played capital game, and had bad luck in loein a try through no fault of hia own. Gull] too, handled the ball well, and could h be always certain of taking the ball woul be a dangerous man when near the line, a he runs very strongly. Spring an Lorrimer did some pretty passing in th first spell, but were kept defending for th most part of the second, and did thei work well. Mahar will be a useful hall back with more practice. He seems t grasp the position, and does not pas incessantly. The inclusion of the Lyttel ton contingent has materially improve' the forwards. They stuck to their worl all through, but are still a littl green at the game. This, howevei will not be so apparent when the teat gets into good working order. Rtaoh an< Rich put in a lot of work in the open an< tackled well, and. so did Izett, whil Hammond, Fenton and Ebert were promi nent workers in the pack. Pearce, th Merivale goal-keeper, is still too fond c bis running, and success at the early pai of the game no doubt urged him to b continually at it, when kicking woul have gained more ground for his side. C Menzies has a lot to learn yet to-be ; successful back, and Lawrence was no kept too bnsy, but Mason shows improve ment, but should do a lot. more wort A three-quarter now-a-days must mak openings for himself, and were Mason t use his pace more he would do better. I is a curious fact, but nevertheless true that White seldom plays hiß best whei opposite Spring. The latter player seem to understand how to deal with the cleve Merivale skipper's tactics. AH the earn the little man did a lot of useful work, am Cook as usual was all there. Soffe am Gerard stood out conspicuous forward, th latter being in splendid form. Johnston* too, was about in all the open play. Meri vale has a far better forward team thai last year, and but for their mistakes ii relaxing their efforts when near their op ponents' line, would be hard to beat., '. liked the way Haldane shaped both in am out of the pack, but particularly in thi open play. He is also a fine tackier. The Sydenham— Canterbury Collegi fixture did not appear to excite mucl interest, being overshadowed by thi superior attractions of the Lin wood— Christchurch match. The College, wh< were without the services of Bell and Wes (forwards), and Boyce (three-quarter) suffered another defeat, and their cbanoei of winning many matches this season a present appear very remote. The tean was unlucky in losing H. Craddock earl] in the season, and in addition to this, has from various causes, been unable to pu the same .fifteen in the field for tw< Saturdays in succession. Although i contains several players who are quite able to hold their own in first-class company some of the team are very much on thi light Bide, and hardly experienced enougl for senior cup form. On Saturday th< game wsb fairly even, although very littli exciting play was witnessed. The Syden ham forwards worked hard throughout and the College backs made a number oi good dasheß which several times came verj near scoring. The second spell was fai more uninteresting than the first. The f asl following up of the Sydenham forwarde crippled the passing of Banks and Atkin< son, the College halves, and a monotonoui series of scrummages and free kicks was the result. Sydenham evidently relied ox their forwards, who kept the play in College quarters for the greater part of the second spell. The Sydenham backs maintained their reputation for in-and-out play, those most deserving of mention being Young at full-back and Reeae at three-quarter, The former kicked and collared well, and the latter made several very clever dodgy run 8, one of which produced a try. Joll, Meikleham and Hall appeared to be the most prominent of the forwards. For the College, Marshall at full-back made very few mistakes, while of the three-quarters Flower in the centre showed himself an excellent kick, and mads several strong runs; Buchanan played fairly on the whole. Banks at half was scarcely up to hia usual high standard, though he did some very good work. Atkinson kicked and collared well, Bnd was always about. He threw a surprising amount of energy into his play, and set hiß Bide an excellent example of how to play a losing game. Of the forwards Walker, Sale and Hallamore were perhapß the best.