FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue V, 1 August 1903, Page 308

FOOTBALL.

AUCKLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. WINS FOR NKWTON. GRAFTON, AND NORTH SHORE. In spite of the glorious weathtr on Saturday only a few people visit,si Alexandra Park to "see the championship- matches, this being mainly due to the fact that neither of the senior matches created any great amount of interest. On No. 1 ground Newton and Ponsonby fought out an uninteresting game. Newton gaining tile victory by 6 polns to nil. Grafton defeated Suburbs by 2*.* points to 3:-and at Itevonport North Shore defeated Parnell by 3 points to cIL COUNTRY FOOTBALL. THAMES V. V AERO A. THAMES WIN BY THREE I HINTS TO NIL There was a large attendance at Parawal on Saturday, when the inter-union match Thames v. Paeroa was played. 1 Be Thames team was weakened considerably by the absence of Mullins, Autridge (forwards), and

Johnston (wins forward!, while C. McLean, the Thames centre three-quarter. retired during the early part of the fi-Lir. haring received injuries to his should ?r and colla rI •one. Ilia place was taken by J. it. Dotty. V. Mort in took Johnston’s plr.ca ns wing forward, while Mullins’ and Autrldge's places were filled by Twnhlll aril Don lop. ifickit was an absentee from the team srlectcd to play for I’aeroa. Thames won the toss and played with the suu t their backs the first spell. During this spell play was even, and no score was registered. In the second si*ell Faeroa were penalised owing to a member of the team lying on the hall. Dufty took the shot, which was in front of the goal, and was successful with his kick. This was the only score of the game. and Thames left the field victors by 3 points to nil. waihi. WAHH. Saturday. The local cup matches wore continued this afternoon on the Recreation Reserve. Wcihl. City was defeated by Suburbs l»y 3 to nil. Power scoring a try. The match ».a: very evenly contested. In the junior division Suburbs again proved victorious, defeating City by 13 to nil. J. Foster scored two tries and S. Gardner one, I’cwer convening two tries. SOUTHERN MATCHES. WELI.I.X’GTON FOOTBALL. WELLINGTON, Saturday. In to-day’s football matches Poneke (f»i beat old Boys (nil): Oriental (*5) beat Melr»sc (5»: Perone (S> beat Athletics (3). CHRISTCHURCH FOOTBALL. CIIRI STU II U KCH. Saturday. Though bursts of rain swept over the •iiy intermittently l»efore one o’clock tolay. the Rugby Union Committee decided ?o go on with the game. At Lancaster Park before 3 o’clock rain and hail began So fall, and the referees appointed to suia-r- -'. ise operations on two of the grounds (Sydenham v. Albion and Merivale v. Canterbury College) agreed that the conditions above and below were sufficient obstacles to justify postponement of the games under their control. The east ground was considered by the referee to be in good enough order to justify the playing of the ChrLstchurch-Old Boys match. A sliding, skating game resulted in a win for Christchurch by 11 points to nil. There was a meagre attendance. THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. MATCH AT BATHURST. A RUNAWAY VICTORY. BATHURST, July 22. There w£S glorious weather for the match Western Districts v. New Zealand, and there was a good attendance of the public. Green, White, and McCiymont, of the local team, were replaced by Hives. McFadden, and Musgrove, while on the New Zealand side' Humphries played half instead of Kiernan. Shortly after the game began the visitors started a hue run, and from flu opening made by XX ood. D. McGregor scored a try, which Wallace converted. The New Zealanders soon had the local men again in difficulties. Humphries passed out to Duncan, who handed it on to R. McGregcr, onlv to receive it Lack again, and then the leather went on to Humphries, who scored. The kick was an easy one, but Wallace failed to Increase the score, the ball striking the §oalpost. New Zealand S, Bathurst 0. In the scrums the New Zealanders screwed and beat the opposition every time. From a free kick awarded New Zealand, there should have been a further score, but Wallace’s effort went very wide nf the mark. In a sultsequent tussle R. McGregor was hurt, and retired from the field, his place being taken by Stalker (Otago). Another penaky kick was given the visitors, and this

lime Wallace the lead 11 points. Ou resuming. Wood got i»oss*'s*ku of the hall iu the centre of the field. u.«l a fine run through the local back* ended iu his scoring. Wallace converted, making the score 16 to nil. The local men then becam * tggressive, and a good passing rush, headed by White, who passed the hall to Sproule, ended iu the latter scoring, but Gardiner f-»i’< <1 to convert. New Zealand 16. Western !»istricts X This suecesa livened up the i< eal team, and, following up their advantage, they again Invaded the visitors’ territory, where a mark was secured right in front of the coal. Hives put the oral over the l>ar. and the score read: New Zea land i'k Western Districts 7. Shortly after the kirk-off Gnoii got the ball and passed it to Wood, nao passed to Stalker, aud the latter scored. Wallace kicking a hue goal. Nev,- Zealand 21, Western Districts 7. The game had hardly resumed when Asher, with a dashing run from the New Zealand 25, beat the local hacks aud scored. Wallace converting. New Zealand 26. Western Districts 7. On resuming, the Bathurst non again became aggressive, but only for a time, and the New Zealaiulers rallying. Duncan passed to Stalker, the latter passing to Wood, who scored, but Wallaee failed to augment tte score. New 7‘a bind 29. Western Districts 7. The game was next taken dangerously near the local line, hut Moir splendidly saved the position, aud removed the play to the centre, where Given got liie ball and hptided it to Humphries, whn passed it on to Wood, the latter registering his third try, which Wailace converted, a»»d the totals stood at 34 to 7. A free kick to the visitors gave Wallace another goal. New Zealand 37. Western Districts 7. A splendid run by Wallace placed the local line once more in danger, but McKivat and Moir got their side out of difficulty. From a scrum Duncan snapped up the bail and handed it to Given, who scored Wallace converting. New Zealand 42, Western Districts 7. The local mon. struggling hopelessly. were beaten nt all points. Ix»ng. with a fine dodgy run. ran right up the gronrd and got behind. Wallace converted, and the game ended: New Zealand 47 points (nine tries, seven of which Wallace converted, aud two penalty goals). Western Districts 7 points (goal from mark and one try). The local team played a plucky game from start to finish. and occasionally put in some excellent passing. RETURN MATCH AGAINST NEW SOUTH WALES. NEW ZEALANDERS WIN BY THREE POINTS TO NIL. SYDNEY, July 25. The return football match between the New South Wales and New Zealand Rugby representatives was played under most unfavourable circumstances as far as the weather was concerned. The heavy rain which began overnight continued to pour down until the match started, when it took off somewhat, but remained showery. The elements militated against the attendance, and it is estimated that not more than 9000 were present, among the number being the Governor of New South Wales. The condition of the ground was all against a fine display of Rugby, the centre of the field being a sheet of water. 0 ? Donnell was chosen captain of the local team, and Wood, in place of Duncan (injured), acted in a similar capacity for the visitors. The ground was very heavy, and anything like fast play was out of the question. The teams lined out as under: New Zealand: Full-back, Wallace; three-quarters, Asher, Stalker and McGregor; five-eighths, Stead and Wood (captain; half, Kiernan; forwards, For-

tcous (wing), Tyler, Gallaher, Fanning, Cooke. Long, McMinn and Given. New South Wales: Fullback, Maund; three-quarters. White, Kiley, Maenamara. and Oxenham; halves. Manning and Johnston: forwards, O'Donnell (captain). Larkin, Burden, Davis, Moir, K. Harris. Judd and Hirschberg. The first spell ended without a score on either side. In the second spell Wallace landed a goal from a free kick, and this being the only score the game ended: New Zealand, 3; New South Wales, nil. In the scrums there was little to ehoose between the teams, and the slippery nature of the ground prevented the backs showing their quality, play being chiefly a scramble in the mud. Mr. Pauling was again referee. SYDNEY, July 26. The New Zealand residents of Sydney entertained the New Zealand footballers at an “at home" last evening. Owing to the indisposition of uis wife, Sir John See, the Premier of the State, was unable to be present. THE FIRST MATCH OF THE TOUR. PRESS CRITICISMS. Sydney papers to hand contain lengthy reports of the opening match of the tour, when New Zealand beat New South Wales by 12 to nil. The “Daily Telegraph,” commenting on the match, says:—“lt may be said at once that New South Wales were outplayed, and this was the case both back and forward. But, for all that, the visitors’ backs—■ of which Wood was the best on the day —did not impress one greatly, though they showed well in comparison with the New South Wales men behind the scrummage. Of course, as this was only their second match as a combination, it is early to criticise, but on Saturday their system of attack seemed to be more than a trifle mechanical. In a word, it lacked versatility. Their defence, however, such as they were called upon for, was resourceful and clever, and their high punting, with the following up, was very effective. Their play altogether was much superior to that of the home backs, of whom Johnston and Maund alone did themselves anything like justice. White was intermittently, brilliant, and from time -to time there was good work done by Manning and Anzelark, but Futter and Carew did not rise to the occasion. It is a long time since a set of New South Wales backs has shown to sueh poor advantage. As with the backs, so with the forwards—the visitors were the better lot. But here the difference was not so conspicuous. Playing a wing forward, the New Zealanders had a man the less in the paek, and yet they almost invariably got the ball. They were fast, too, and their kicking was almost always heady. All of this was fully appreciated by the spectators, but what the spectators did not appreciate was the roughness—not to use too severe a term—of several of the New Zealand forwards. It is recognised that, just as you cannot have an omelette without breaking eggs, so you cannot play football without giving and receiving knocks; and a hard game is fair enough. But some of the visitors on Saturday played a game

that was something more than hard, and finally the referee, who was very long-suffering, was forced to send one of them off the field. Another he reprimanded in the privacy of the pavilion during the half-time interval, and both of these players, it is understood, are to be reported. It is evident that, if the tour is to be the success which everybody hopes, it will be necessary for an alteration in methods. Of late years the New South Wales public has grown accustomed to see the game played in a good spirit, and naturally it has come to expect it. It is a healthy demand, and not unreasonable. On behalf of the New Zealanders, it is stated that they received provocation in the first plaec, but this was not apparent from the vicinity of the touch-line.’’

In the same paper “Arawa,” writing from a New Zealander’s point of view, says:—“The New Zealanders still play an attractive game, and the reports as to the deterioration in their style of play were not verified. Sufficient was seen on Saturday to show that this team when it reaches form, and acquires the combination that can only come with experience of each other's play, will prove a very powerful one, and in its displays of the showy side of Rugby it will equal either of the last two combinations at all events. Comparison with the unconquered team of 1884 would not be fair, because the forward play lias altered so much. In some respects the backs of this team should surpass all that have gone before, when they have had the same amount of practice together. For instance, the way they took the ball compelled admiration. It did not matter how it came to them, high or low, they handled it with ease and accuracy, and there was no such word as fumble in their vocabulary. Then, top, their line kicking was delightful. What a lesson for New South Wales backs. A prominent official of the local union was so moved to enthusiasm over the skilful play of the Afaorilanders in these departments of the game that he gave voice to the opinion that on the form they displayed, backed up by such a strong set of forwards, they would have beaten the Englishmen. This, however, can only be a matter of opinion. This ac-euraey in taking the ball, and clever and quick kicking, was not confined to one or two, but all of them, from the catlike Kiernan behind the pack to She vigilant Wallace at full back, displayed the same skill. There was not a weak point in the armour there, and whatever may be the faults of the defence, it is not in sure and well-judg-ed kicking. The passing of the backs, too. was pretty and much swifter and more accurate than that of their opponents.”

“Arawa” docs not agree with other critics on the question of rough play. He says:—“A good deal has been said about rough play on the part of the New Zealanders, but with the exception of two isolated instances, in which the offenders plead provocation, there was no real justification for the general charge. The New Zealanders are used to playing a hard, dashing forward game, of the style that made the Irish International so famous, without giving them a discreditable reputation, but there was nothing in their play on Saturday, so far as one accustomed to this vigorous style of play could see, to justify a charge of roughness.”

The “Sydney Morning Herald,” commenting on the game, says: —“The exhibition of Rugby football as vhown by the visitors was of a very high standar. Whatever result the remaining matches may have, the New Zealanders were on the day far and away the better side. They shone in every department of the game. Their forwards, with ball at toe, went down the ground in irresistible fashion; their passing was a treat to witness, and was accompanied with an accuracy which is sometimes witnessed when a strong and fast club team meet a poor one. Their marking left nothing to be desired, and their all-round pace was much faster than that of the home team. In scrum work New South Wales fairly well succeeded, but the tackling of the visitors was too good to admit of any advantage therefrom accruing. While admitting all this, it is, however, a matter for regret that a good deal of unnecessary roughness was introduced to the game.”