FOOTBALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11805, 16 September 1916, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

WELLINGTON. [Fno.n Our C'oiiKESfONPKNT.] September S. Ah old axiom has it, "You can never tell what i<* going to happen at the. lUigby game " It, took the Oriental team-a stronuoiw timo to rai?c fifteen players to take the field against Pet one last Saturday, and it looked at one time tin if they would have, had to play simihanded. A returned soldier ottered his services at wing three-quarter, a Fifth Olaas player was put on the other wing, and tho vacancies tvere eventually filled u?>.

Petone, on the other hftnd, had their ful> Midfe, Tancrcd and JJolton standing down. Minn, tho representative halfback, was playing, however, and Price wiv. leading the forwards. ' There is a little tale to tell in this connection. Hi"* Hugbv Union had—rightly, in my opinion—~aecided that no player could tako part in the games who' had not fulfilled his military obligations. Rumour had it that Nunn had not done h.s duty, but rumour was wrong, for tLc doctors had declared him unlit. It was reported that at the Rugby Union's meeting last week a statement was made to tho effect that tiie retone team would decline to take the field if Nunn were debarred from playing. Tho member who was alleged to have made the statement, however, assures tne that ho said nothing that could be interpreted to mean anything like what th.- report alleged, and that tho Petone Club would abide by any decision that) the Rugby Union might come to as far ai they were concerned. Nvnin, however, to make assurance doubly sure, handed in his natno to the military authorities, and it remains to be seen whether the medical men who have the passing of our recruits will agree with the doctors who declared with respect to Ntinn'fij physical condition. All this by the way, and in explanation of a matter that caused a lot of talk last weekends. Nobody—not even the most ardent supporter of the Oriental team —anticipated that they would make a decent light of it with Petone. But they got to business right away, and never looked back during tho first half, which finished with them 16 points in the lead. For a long while in the second half they kept Petone at hay. but the suburbanites came with a rattle at, the finish, l>eing but four points down when the final wiiistle blew. It was a real surprise, as Petono bad the championship well won when the match started, ana Oriental were somo way down the list.

We hare soma fellows who keep up their Icre for their old clubs long after their playing days are done. There aro many who could bo mentioned in this connection, but the one I have in my mind more particularly as I write is A. Bunekenburg, the old-time Oriental wing-forward. The wearers of the black and white jerseys were shorthanded on Saturday, and " Buncky " got into a uniform to fill a vacancy. Ho did not play, however, although willing; to oo so. one of the younger brigade coming along in time to relieve him of the responsibility Writing about Johnny Baumber last week reminded me of a consistent performance put up by hint in 1893 uts a Wellington representative. In the whole of the four matches played that year he potted a goal from the field, as follows: Angvst 10—v. Manawatu, at Palmer, ston JVcitb. September 2 —v. Hawke's Bay, at Pet one. September 7 —v. Marlborough, at Blenheim. September 9—v. Nelson, at Nelson. "Buff" Carndus, one of the wod' old-hue half-backs, who has played jftugbv in Auckand, Napier, Wellington and Dunsdin, left wPh one of Hie recent reinforcements for the front. 1 just casually heard this the other day, and rnalu> no excuse for mentioning the t'ner, even if it is a bit belated. Tom Price, Petone's c?iptaih this season, has. been exempted from military service by request of tiw manager of the Petone "Woollen Mills. Jlc is engaged on special work in connection with the making of khaki for our soldiers. A remark 1 beard from a Petone player Inst Saturday did not sound too .veil. Olio of his mates had collared an Oriental lad and was trying hard to haul him down, when I hr>ard a roll cf " Strangle him ; ' The occasion didn't wai rant. it. .By ilu> way. there was too much pla v in* tho man instead' oi" the be! I nl- on;> -vace of this name, and the referee could have administered one or two omltions with advantage.

OUNEDIN, [From Orn i oiiKKsfovmn t.j September S. •Some time ago I !eferr«.«i io the hiet that .1 oo Aii'i'Ks. :ui vn;iis<> represent irtivo oi note .dm ;i clover Ijjmi-ijuck in vhe Zuie.iii ind l : r';on Vmor tyams, was seriously wounued in aofion, stiot in Uie bucn and logs, anu tnac LUs tootbali career, wruen was only just beginning wiieri the war broke out, appeared life ii' it was oj)ded. Unfori'Uuateiy this turns out to be only too true. A cable received this week that yhiriss lias bad to unoer.t;o an opwatioa to t<ave bis lite, one of his tegi having to be amputated above the knee. !• ootbjiioi'n yoaeiaiiy and admirers of tae pluolcy little hnlf'hat'k ivtil n'tfrct that his iouibiii! days, ave cvir. <«r;of the '.-.idesr- p).i\-in.v; nieini>er» of .••h>- S< \ hi:' :i tca-iii, ii' not lit,'

oldest player in that team to-day, (dmrlie Williams, to wit, bar been passed medically fit and leaves with tho next reinforcementd 1 . Williams is an Otago representative forward and vvj'-. a iiiembyr <A Parata's New Zealand Native team. v.hie.'j toured Australia in 1!t 10. tJc will be recognised under his native name, Tipone. tor his last appc;iranees prior to donning khaki Williams played a fine game for Horn hern against I niver.'-ity on Saturday. ihe final matches in the Senior competition were played or. Saturday, when University defeated Southern by 15 points, to nil; Union beat Alhambra by 16 points to 8 points, and University (J triumphed ever Port Chalmers by 11 points to nil. Toe of the competition place? Union at the top, winners of the premiership fur (he season 1916, and honour ~he old Maroons have not won for nearly 1 •.verity years. Ah it war"; decided to ribol'.-Ji the ting during llic period of the war, th« Union will ha\e nothing to show lor their victory. The play throughout the .eaf>oii was not oi ;i high r-tandard. The constant change" in the teams thr-nigh plovers leaving to join the reinforcements prevented anything approaching uniformity, and learns played r,p well an mny he." The jcu-son brought to light several good Junior players, who were rapidly promoted to Senior rankfc, and these will lie heard of in the future when football returns to its normal state. For tho most part tho games were played in fine spirit, but in the closing matches some referees were inclined to slacken their control, with tho result that one or two players got out. of hand. A case in point was the UnionAlharahrn match a fortnight ago, which was the subject of i<n inquiry by the Rugby Union, when it carne out in evidence that one of the players was tinder the influence of liquor, that the matcl» Mas a farce, a?id that a deal of "frightful" language was used. The inquiry was not concluded at last meeting, and it was decided to ask the referee a"d tho captains of the, Alhambra and Union Clubs to appear before the committee at next meeting. DIJNEDTN. September 10. The football match Otago v. D Compnny. Eighteenth Reinforcements, was won by tho former bv 44 points to 3.