FOOTBALL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18840, 11 August 1923, Page 6

FOOTBALL

TO-DAY’S RUGBY BEPKESENTATIVE AND OTHER .MATCHES. * GENERAL JOTTINGS. NOTES AND COMMENTS. The touring Wanganui team opens its series of engagements this afternoon at Rotorua with a match against Bay of Plenty. A fair amount of interest is being evinced in the representative match to be payed on the Rec. this afternoon between the Oroua fifteen and Wanganui B. Although rather an unknown quantity, Orona arc reported to have a team which they are confident of

beating Wanganui.

Southland's disastrous tour concludes at Dunedin to-day with the match against Otago. The feeling between the two I nions is so keen that the public will roll up to set the game, despite the fact that on form it should be one-sided.

The first challenge match for thMoascar Cup is set down for to-day at Auckland; that is unless this at rangement has recently undergonan alteration. New Plymouth High School are the challengers, and the': form will give a line to the chance: of other schools-

Palmerston North High Schoo! have also a challenge in for the Moascar Cup. and in order to pre pare thoroughly for the event th. School has withdrawn from tin Manawatu Junior competition and i concentrating on its preparation From which it may be taken for granted that they are in deadly earu-

Both New Plymouth ard Palmerston High Schools have wins to the 1 : credit over our Collegiate School, but the students of the local institu tion have made great strides, and should return matches be played one would be justified in expecting the result to be reversed in each case having in view Collegiate's fine win over King's College. What good coaching can do was made evident on Wednesday last. Last season Collegiate School could only field a very ordinary first fifteen, yet who would recognise practically the same team which defeated King’s? Finer concerted forward play has not been seen here for years. There are still one or two blemishes in the rearguaru. chiefly through a tendency to hang on tc the ball.

Despite their good win over the Maori team last month. Canterbury should not be able to take the Kanfurly Shield off Hawke’s Bay when they meet on Wednesday next a’ Hastings. The Canterbury team will be staying in Wanganui nex" Thursday night on their way to New Plymouth, where they play Taranaki on Saturday.

One does not like to comment at this stage upon the actions of Rangitikei Sub-Union and the Rata club but this much is evident: next year there is going to be some drastic alteration made in the relations of sub-unions with the Wanganu. Union. The latest development appears to have the same effect as the last straw had on the camel s back.

Should the Rata-Bulls match be Played to-day it will not be an official match and the championship will not be at stake. Furthermore, under the New Zealand I nion rules all those particiating in the match, referee and linesmen not excepted, leave themselves open to further disqualification. The inquiry to beheld on Tuesday night promises to be interesting.

Those iu a position to know declare. that. M anganui can get a firstclass representative team without drawing on the sub-unions. This could perhaps be done, for it would mean that the team could be got together for several days prior to a march and therefore be enabled to cultivate some team work. At present the country players do not arrive :u town until the ni-jlit before big matches.

To achieve this end, should it come to pass, it will be necessary, a vital necessity, to have more local club football, and therefore to cut out sevcial of the minor engagements with other I nions. For Wanganui clubs to play only nine club matches in the senior championship is a great weakness an the Union will have to remedy this state of affairs next season.

Mr. L. Fromont will referee in the junior rep. trial match to-day and Sir. W. E. Eade will officiate in the third class game