FOOTBALL NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXV, Issue 11786, 24 September 1913, Page 3

FOOTBALL NOTES.

(By "Blue and Gold.")

"The game for the game's sake and the game all the time," is the Bugby motto of St. Patrick's College, according to the Eev. Father Eccleton. Dγ A. K. Newman, M.P., has been president of the Poneko Club for 30 years. It has been decided to bring the 1913 i Rugby season in Auckland, to, a close j with a match between the Australian Rugby team (now touring tho Domini ion) and Mr Parata's team that recont;ly visited the Commonwealth. Tho ganle is sot down for Saturday, Septem- . ber 27th, and as Mr Parata has a splen- ' did side to pick from, a really good ', finish for the season may be anticipated. The proceeds of this game will be devoted as a. benefit to Piki, the clever Canterbury half, who was unfortunate enough to break a leg during the recent tour of Mr Parata's team in Australia. The itinerary of the New Zealand team in California is as follows: — Saturday, October 4. —Olympia Club. Wednesday, October 8. —California. Saturday, October 11.— Barbarians (Test). Wednesday, October 15. —Stanford. Sautrday, October 18.—Stanford. Wednesday, October 22.— Santa Clara. .. Saturday, October 25. — California (Test). Wednesday, November 5. — Santa Clara. Wednesday, November 12.—U.S.C. Saturday, November 15. — All Stars. It is quite possible that the list will bo extended, and the team may play three matches in British Columbia. in all probability tho team will return to New Zealand early in December. In the course of a lengthy, but interesting, letter to the" N.Z. Herald (Auckland) of September liJ, on the selection of the Maoriland teams, a Mr L. G. Kingston remarks as follows: — "In my travels I have managed to squeeze in time to see most of New Zealand's best provincial teams in recent years, and, thank heaven, I have been able to study the game and the players without the short-sighte-dness Jof parochial feelings. So the selection made for the second test match, New Zealand v. Australia, has filled me with 'surprise. -There arc at least three men in the team selected for the Duncdin test match who should have been amongst the first men chosen for the Califoruian tour —they are Taylor (Taranaki), Wilson (Wellington), and McNeece (Southland) —■ but there are also at least six men in it who are not worthy of Dominion honours —there may be more, but I" am writing only from personal knowledge. I am told that some of these men have been splendid players in the past, but I have not seen them play good football in big matches this season. Let us get rid of the humbug of past form, and take only present form into consideration, arul then let the selectors tell us why Burns should be preferred to Brown (Taranaki) as half back; why Geddes finds a place when the Auckland representative team has done better without him; why O'Leary (again, I say, ti.ink not of past form) is "preferred to Hill (Taranaki); what Mac-ky has (lone this season to justify his inclusion in a Dominion team in preference to J. O'Brien; why they can't get a better front-row man than Ilasseli, ami a better lock than Gillespie! Again, Barrett is a fine player, but McKenzie (Wairarapa) is a better, and worthy of the team for California. T could adduce othu , instances of haphazard and faulty selections, but this letter has stretched far enough. Let me say this: that teams will not be chosen satisfactorily in New Zealand until it is recognised that selection of [ football teams is an art, in which me- I thod is absolutely necessary. Indeed, not team selection, but team building is the thing required. It must also be j recognised that a man may be a great ! authority on football, and yet a very poor builder or selector —which you will —of teams. He might be worll famous as a player, and yet not be able to select a team properly. Why? Because he must have both analytical and constructive powers, and must be clearsighted. These faculties are more important than experience or authority. "

The match to be played at Masterton next Saturday, between Wairarapa and Wellington, promises to provide a fms exposition of football. It is now ■some years since the Empire City team has played at Masterton, and additional interest will be added to the game by the fact that both teams have defeated Taranalci, the New Zealand champions. WairaTapa and have now, played against each other for so many years, and as the football of the two unions is so closely associated —Wellington in the old days drawing so largely for her players from Wairarapa— more interest is taken in this fixture than in any other in Wairarapa. It has been the fortune of Mastertonians that the finest exhibitions of football between the two unions have taken place at Masterton —the most sensational game in the history of the teams hnvin.sr been played on the Park Oval some twelve years ago. The fixture on Saturday promises to be in keeping with past games, and, providing the weather is line, there should be a treat in store for local enthusiasts.