POLO.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11953, 3 April 1894, Page 2

POLO.

9 THE PLAT FOB THE SAVILLK CUP. (Chrißtohurch Pre3B). (By an Eye-Witnesß). No gaino was over yet wortli a rap For a rational man to piny Into which no accident, no mishap, Could possibly find its way. Poor old Gordon! I cculdn.t help thinking of him when looking on at the wild rush that was going on when Bangitikei played Warrengato'a first team, How he would have enjoyed it. Alas ! he he will never have tho chance. But go on, boys, if none of you can write like Gordon and none of you sing of polo, at any rate you can ride and play the game, and that ought to be enough for most men. The Polo Tonrnainent again requires more than passing mention, so I jot down a few notes of the game. It ran thus — M»rS tO i n ]^-vat«l ) \m sassr }»«*wwn } M — M| Manawtttull jCbristclmrch | g Bangitikeil i-nim-jHVniT ' Emigitikel I M Warrougatel ; Enllg ' tlkoll j / Taking the teams in their order, the winners, Kangitlkei first, played two new men. Bill and Blundell, Kiddiford and Wilson representing them last year in Auckland. Bill played No. 1, and on his little creamy pony played an excellent game, not quite perhaps a No. 1 game, but doing a great deal of service for his aide ; some of his runs on the aforesaid pony were very pretty. She is a lovely little boast ; looks as if she loved the game, and moved like a machine, never making a mistake. Mr Bill m&y well be proud of her. Kiddiford showed grand form, hitting in a marvellous way sometimes, and never letting a chance go. Tarn was again his favourite, but he rode a very useful grey maro, who showed a Rood bit of pace. I am glad to say he lost that wildness which some complained of in Auckland last year, and plays now as hard and hits batter and straighter than ever. Wilson at Nj. 3 played a very usuful game for his side, watching the game well and helping his back whenever occasion required. I liked his chesnut ponj best, she seemed very strong, and showed a bit of pace. Blundell at full back is a very safe back hitter, and when he did go up (when the game was very much in favour of his side) lie showed he could attack as well as defend. His brown pony was decidedly his beat. She showed a lot of pluck. But it was a dangerous experiment his playing a little roan mare which was not good enough for such an important place, and had hi 3 side not been able to have helped him it might have been disastrous However they were, as Mr Hhodes said in asking Mrs TCarle to present the cup, a very good t9ain, and deserved to win for their consistent play. Mr Rhodes said they were the beßt team he had Been competing for the Cup. Whether this was merely a facon de parlor I do not know, but they are the best team I have seen compete yet for it. Let them not rest on their laurels, however. They played well together, but they must remember they were playing a winning game all through, and it was an easy matter when not collared to play a combined game. They have yet to meet the best team Christchurch can put forward.and they may expect that when they again meet Manawatu and Warreugate they will have considerably improved, so if they wish to retain the Cup they must play a still better game than this year, and have their ponies in first rate order— with a spare one or two for emergencies. To take the next team I am almost inclined to speak of Warrengate I. They were put out by the winners in the Bret round, but I doubt if any other tean» could have beaten them. However, Manawatu is the runner-up this year, and until beaten by Warrengate deserve that position. I hear, too, they beat Warrengate when they met them earlier in the season. This is the first time I have seen them play, and for a yonng town they are remarkably good, playing with a lot of dash. Williams played No. 1 and deserves credit for the way he rode off tbe back of the oppoaing side, for it requires a lot of self-denial to pass the ball when a run and a cheer might be the result of forgetting his side, Ue was not particularly well mounted— indeed, the last da) he was very much handicapped by his ponies. No. 2, Baker, came with a reputation of rough play, but no one could complain in any degree of this. Indeed, he seemed to exercise great selfcontrol, and showed great form, especially in the match against Eangitikei II. ; some of his cutting hits to drive the ball from the side towards the goal when going at top we*e admirable strokes, and he played a rattling all-round game for his side, never tiring. He did not show up so well in the game against Eangitikei first, but his side were over-matched both in ponies and play in that game. His ponies do not call for special msntion. Watty Lloyd, as his confrcrts call him, is a coming player. He doesn't work very hard, taking it too easy till he gets a run, but he showed that with practice he might make one of the best players m New Zealand; his hitting the ball when meeting it was wonderful, if dangerous, but several time 3 was of great service to his side in completely turning a run against them ta an attack. His black pony was a very good mover and played the pame as well as anything on the ground although not up to any weight and not in extra condition. His grey was also a very fair player and showed pace. Snow at full back saved his goal several times cleverly, but did not show the command of his ponies necessary to a first rate back, They played a good plucky game against odds, and although they were beaten in tho end by 8 to 3 yet they never relaxod their efforts. The Warrengate first toam wereunlucy in the draw. The only match they plajed was against Kangitikei I in the first round. And didn't they ride ! Had they thought more, howpver, and ridden losb it might have been a closer game. The game was a wild gallop trom beginning to end on their side, interpersed with some excellent hitting, and one fine run by young Jim Cameron who played No 1 ( Here, again, the youngest member of the team, showed great promise, and the above run, from a ball hit out by Chapman from the line, was perhaps the best of the tournament. The Kangitikies, although they did not iide so hard, perhaps, kept their placsa better, and wore out their opponents: Chapman aeain played and hit and rode wonderfully, but not so effectively as in Anckland— he was more watched, and had in consequence to hit round more than he otherwise would have done. lie worked and gallnpod hard from beginning to end, as he had to hit out so often from the line. A fault in their play wa3 forcing down so often when pressed. It gave their opponents time. McDonald played well too, but not so much in his placo as he should have been ; several times, instead of relying on their men, two of the Blfcck and Wbitoa would rush for the ball together, giving a chance to the other side. Jack Cameron was not particularly well mounted, but he worked pluckily for hi 3 side. The only pony of not 9in thbir team wag one ridden by Jim Cameron, a big brown, fit to carry any man, and very fast. McDonald's little bay wife also a useful little beast. Bangitikei Second were perhaps the next best team, and they showed that the Rangitisei Club have good men coming on. Gorton played hard, especially on a cocky little brown mare, which was very handy. The Koillers were well mounted. B, keiller, at No. 1, playing two good bays, one of which, Blundoll, plajed the best game of the Tournament. She is a fast useful pony, and up to weight. Sanderson, at No. 3, put in a good deal of useful work, and the goal he scored at the east end was a clever piece of backing up. A. Keiller f .vns best on a dark creamy pony, but he gave the Manawatus a chance in thoir game by toeing the ball across his own gcul. He played a good game, howover, on the whole, and showed by his play that ho watched the game closely. Many wore inclined to think Auckland stronger than this team when they played them, as the play seemed to centre more round the Rmgibikeis* end, but although 3ome of the Aucklanders were better, the team was not so even. Of the Ghristehuroh men two had taken part in tournaments before (the Messrs Rhodes), whilst G Bnckloy was new to it, and I l '. Lance had not played for a :onsiderablo time. There seems to have wen nwcli difficulty in getting any toam ;o come at all. But at tho last moment me was sont. It must have been a great

handicap to your men to play on such a roagh ground after the beautiful ground th^y are accustomed to. The tournamint ivould have been robbed of half its glory had Christchurch not been represented, and it speaks well for the sportsmanlike feeling existing amongst the team that, they did come, expect in c defeat: for to come several hundred miles merely on the off-chance of winning ib a plucky venture. Arthur ithodes again captained the team, and played No. 1. He rode as hard as ever bui^jv hitting was not so sure, owing no (Wft to the ronghneßS of the ground, they played their first match the grssSi was y very much cut up and the ball constantly in holes, so it is little wonder that he hit several times over the ball. He managed bis team well, however, and saved a good doil of off side by his constant watchfulness. His pomes were in fait condition, rather on the big side, and his roan mare a little above herself, but Bamboo was a picture, and was decidedly the pick of thfi ponies on the ground, playing well and showing a lot of pace. Buckley at No. 2 worked bard, and made several fine drives, and, notwithstanding his weight, will make a good player. His piebald came in for a lot of admiration— a perfect model of a weight carrier, Heaton Rhodes certainly played the best game for his side, and his hitting was both clean and Hard, but he rides a little too long to get the most out of his ponies. One very fine run he made should have ended in a goal, bnt the bnll went just outside the goal post. Blazes and Jack o' Lantern were pictures, and it was a treat to watch them, whilst the little bay mare showed considerable pace, but was a little too fiesh. Lance, at full back, kept away from the game too much, hut as he had only two ponies, and neither of them very fast, perhaps it was the safest game. He saved his goal neatly several timeß, and rode like a horseman. The Auckland team was, as I have said, uneven, bnt, O'Horke played a fine .- free game, making all the goals for his aide; one goal was especially well hit at a considsrable angle. His ponies were in beautiful condition, and, ccla va sans dire, hn managed tbera very well ; one of them, aMg brown, pulling a bit, but it didn't seem to matter to him Dr Furchas is very keen and evidently loved the game, but is a little inclined to off.side play. His ponies carried him well and showed great cleverness. Bloomfiold is not an old player, but still he worked well, and Colegroye, although a little nervous about himself at first, was a veiy fair back. A grey he rode was a very useful pony. Only two teams are left, Manawatu ' Second and Warrengato 11. In the former Spires as back showed considerable promise, his hitting backhanders to save hia goal being very good. The other men were Sewell, G. Lloyd, and fckerman. They all worked well, but were overmatched in their match against Christchurcb. The Warrengate 11. showed considerable promi3e. Cameron hit very prettily backhand, and *&£Ke, a young player and left-handed, sH!#y miesed a ball, and showed a great promise. A left-handed player is always, I should think, at a disadvantage. Harrison worked hard, bnt his ponie3 were not as good as they might have been. McDonald rode well but was not V very well mounted. It is a pleasure to see the decendants of such fine old sportsmen as Mr Shafto Harrison and Mr John Cameron coming out in polo and showing that blood will tell, and playing in that spirit that those fine old English gentlemen would have loved sc well had they been there to see. The whole of the games were, however, played in sportsmanlike style and not a hitch occurred, not an unpleasant word spoken. In the trying hour of defeat it is not always easy to control the temper, but one and all seemed determined to do so. Has polo improved ? Undoubtedly co, The games were better all through than before and the general hitting and pace has decidedly improved. One of the prettiest piaces of play during the tournament waa when the Manawatu played TVarrengate 11., the Warrengates hit it out and the teams went two and two down the field riding off and hitting till at last Warrengate scored by the back hitting it through. There was a ball on Friday night in a beautiful building, the Drillshed, given by the hospitable Jockey Club, and very prettily decorated, which everyone enjoyed. The sports were also a great success, and the afternoon tea in the pavi. lion under the trees, behind the small lake, was a picture, and deserves special mention, the tables being decorated by the ladies of Wanganui .vith the colours of the competing clubs. So ended the tournament of 1894, bnt on Sunday the Wairere took the visitors up the river, which was much appreciated and tho thanks of all the vißitora are due to their hospitable entertainers.