FOOTBALL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10536, 10 August 1912, Page 6

FOOTBALL NOTES.

ON THE FIELD AND OFF

CANTERBURY MATCHES. August 21—West Coast, at Christckuroh. August 31—Oiago, at Christchurch. September 7—Wellington, «t Wellington. September 12—Taranaki, at Hawcrti. September 14—Wanganui, at Wangaimi. (By MUDDIED OAF.) Canterbury and Southland meet today. The provinces have played 19 games, and Canterbury has won 16 games, lost 2 and the game in 189G was drawn. Nine games have been played at Invercargill, and the same number in Christxjhureh, whilst the first match in IS9O was played at Dunedin. On Monday next the annual fixture between Christ's College and Otago High School will bo played. I hear the southern School has a strong side this year, and as the College team is a good one, especially forward, it should be a capital contest.. The game will be played on the .College ground. I hear that "Pat" Cleary, the popular club captain of the Merivale Club and fine player, is at present in the ■hospital, suffering from some eye trouble. Considerable surprise has been expressed that he failed to gain a place in the Canterbury representative team this season. I fan sure all wish him a speedy recovery. Canterbury College play Victoria College at Wellington on August 24. Langford, who scored one of tho tries for South Canterbury last Saturday, is the ex-Merivale junior player. He has improved wonderfully in his plav since going to reside at Temuka. Provided tho weather and grounds are favourable, the finals for the President's Cup and Fourth Class will be played at Lancaster Park to-day. The centre three-quarter of. the South Canterbury team—Hanley—is an exOtago representative, and played in the southern Union's team against Canterbury in 1909. He is a very neat and clever back, and had the ground been at all favourable he would have been seen to advantage. A. Macdonald, tho Christchurch wing three-quarter, went South on holiday leave last week, and therefore did not play against South Canterbury, his place being taken by Cade, who was seen to greater advantage than when playing at centre three-quarter. Tlhe seven-a-side tournament, which is to be held next week, promises to be very successful. There are large entries for all the grades,_ and these popular games should provide a fine afternoon's sport. As the gate is for the Eui-pose of erecting a training hall at Park it is to be hoped that the weather Avill be fine, and there will be a large attendance. The same team will play for Canterbury to-day against Southland as represented the province against South Canterbury. It must be conceded that more than one player did not show up too favourably, but the weather and ground was so bad that it is hardly fair to discard players for loss of form on such a day. The Canterbury junior representative team will play Ashburton County at Ashburton on August 29 and Otago juniors at Dunedin on August 81. I learned from tho secretary of the South Canterbury Rugby Union that matches have been arranged to be played at Timaru with Southland, Otago and West Coast Unions.

Owing to bad weather, it is almost certain that the tours of the minor Unions of the North and South Island will result in a substantial loss to the New Zealand Rugby Union. I have seen a great many games of football, but until last Saturday I never saw one played in a snowstorm.- I understand that an inspection of the grounds in the morning found none, except Christ's College, in a fit etate to play on, and by the courtesy of Mr A. E. Flower, the acting headmaster, tho officials were granted the use of the ground.. It commenced to rain steadily just before mid-day and shortly before the game was started a heavy snowstorm came on and it was very difficult to see players, ball or referee. Luckily the snow melted as soon as it reached the ground, but it made the playing ground very slushy and slippery. Canterbury won by a solid margin, the local backs being better than the opposition, although there were a lot of defects noticeable. Taylor did not show much improvement, but he tackled well, and, as usual, worked very hard, but pomehow his brilliancy of last season is lacking. I know him to bo such a good player that he is bound to recover his form before long. Gray was just the same as usual, ever watchful, missing no chances and doing his work in his characteristic stylo. He scored a try through a clever piece of anticipation. Why ho failed to score another one when, after taking the ball from a long throw-out from touch, is best known to himself. He appeared so terribly anxious to make the score easy for ,' someone else who muffed tho pass. Burns's apnearance in the team made the defence solid and . far better. The wet ground and ' ball did not seem to trouble him in any way, and he mad© several dashy, dodgy runs, but he was so quiok and dodgy that he quite lost Howißon, and thereby the three-quarter line was cut off by his brillianoy. Admitting Howison played badly, it must be, allowed that Bums is a difficult player to follow. Playing for so long behind the pack has made the Albion crajck so quick and keen that when playing further baok from the scrimmage he dashes off. probably anticipating all tho forwards are after him as usuaL If he is played again where he was last week, he will keep his three-quarter-line thinking all the timo he has the ball. Payne played far better than in Ms first representative game, and so did Cade, who was more successful at wing-three-quarter than in the centre. Doell has played much bettor, but it was a trying day for tihn backs. Parsons showed improvement on his first game, and did a lot of good work, but he will have to do better in some of the harder games. No serious complaints can be made about the work of the forwards in the pack. They got possession and wheeled tho pack effectively, but in tho open the South Canterbury were superior. There does not seem to be any life or vigour in the forwards after the pack breaks up, as, with the exception of Maxwell, who played a splendid game, the forwards appear too slow and sluggish. Another bad feature of their work is the very slow manner in which they go to the assistance of their backs when in trouble. Sergison and Morgan did tho best work, after Maxwell, and the Christchnrch player is in fine form Just now. The pack wants to wake up in the open play, and give some examples of fast forward work, such as was shown by the North Island Country team and South Canterbury. Soott was easily the best of the visitors' backs. "Ho was in his best mood, and throughout the game gave a splendid display, especially when the snow was blowing right at him. His fielding was capital, and ho kicked with fine judgment. I saw hint play on the previous Thursday, against Ashburton. on a dry ground, and his work was not neaxly so impressive. The throe-quarter line, in fact, the rest of the backs, gave a poor showing. After seeing Hurley's fine effort at Ashburton I was expecting something good from him. but evidently tho weather put him off his game, and Houlihan and Mooro want more experience. Spillane. who a few Reasons back was in the Albion Senior team, and Davroch, were no match for Burns and Gray, and Da rev, the halfback, is not up to representative form. The forwards, who appeared somewhat lighter than former packs, did line work. Their best efforts were in the optfti play. Not too clever at securing possession, nor heavy enough to j>u?h the opposition, they concentrated all their efforts in getting the ball away from the pack, and oneo successful they raced away in fine style. I can quite imagine them being very troublesome on a dry ground, which would enable thorn, to gather more pace. They were against two champion "stoppers" in

Bums and Gray, and yet they proved dangerous, and took a power of stopping". Nor was their work confined to c;no or two of them. First one and then the other led tho attack, and with smart, clever backs to finish off tho forwards' good work there would be plenty doing for tho opposition. Niall played a fine gamo both in and out of the pack, and so did Dal ton and Langford. Hie game was contested in a fin© sporting spirit, and was capitally controlled by that skilful official. Mr W. J. Wilson, "of Dunedin, who one is always glad to welcome on Canterbury football fields.

The two representative games played up to the present have been on grounds totally unfit in many ways for a fast, clover game, and yet the games have been fast and exciting, and make one wonder what they would have been like had the grounds and ball be&n favourable. It is to be hoped that the rest of the games will be fought out on dry grounds, mid that they will be even better displays.