FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 19, 6 May 1908, Page 13

FOOTBALL.

It is stated that a Maori football team will shortly make a professional tour of Australia, and that the agreement with the team will be signed on behalf of the promoters by ‘Victor Trumper. Mr. G. H. Harnett, the manager of the British team which the Rugby Union is Bending to tour in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, in addressing the London referees recently, pointed out the immense difficulties that had been surmounted in getting together the party. It was a side of great possibilities, and he felt sure that it would be found capable of fairly upholding the good name of English “Rugger.” The Rugby Football Union, as the pioneers of the game, was only meeting its responsibilities in sending out this side. The situation of amateurism in New Zealand and Australia made it imperative that a team should go to support the New Zealand authorities; and if the tour was -something of a failure in point of victories, the blame would not be on the shoulders of the English Rugby Union. Mr. Harnett paid a tribute to the patriotism of Wales in giving the Rugby Union its support. It was a sporting mission in the great fight for the preservation of amateur Rugby in the Colonies. The “Athletic News” is very crushing in its comments on the Anglo-Welsh team selected to tour New Zealand and Australia, as thus:— “Our opinions regarding the side essential to tackle New Zealand in the Dominion with any prospect of making a decent fight have often been declared, and it is thus hardly necessary to state at length the extreme disappointment we feel regarding the constitution of the party. It is not our wish to give offence in this matter. The task of Mr. Harnett has not been easy. Applications to join the party were invited, and. plenty of players announced their willingness to make the journey. The best of these have been chosen, but candidly, with few exceptions, the standard is far from high. Not one of the men would be chosen for a representative British team of to-day; some of the players could not find places in the second team of a first-class Welsh club; so how can the pick of the men be expected to fight successfully against New Zealand when performing in Maoriland? “Mr. Harnett is reported to have said that folk never can tell how a team

may fare. There may be doubt in some cases; but it is evident ere they set sail what will be the fate of the AngloWelsh party of 1908. That fate will be unhappy. A curious situation has arisen in connetion with the tour of the joint England and Wales team to New Zealand and Australia. Mr. George Harnett, who is in charge of the side, has been notified by Wilson, the Cumberland and Carlisle forward, who had been picked as one of the party, that he (Wilson) had been suspended by the Scotch Rugby Union. It is, of course, common knowledge that the Scotch and Irish Unions declined to join hands with Wales and England over the tour, the view being taken that Buch trifles were calculated to promote professionalism. The Scotch Union refused to give permission to any of their players to undertake the trip. It is quite a nice point whether Wilson is under the jurisdiction of the Scotch Union. Business has taken him to Scotland, and he has been playing for Clydesdale, but it" is understood that he resigned his membership of that club some weeks ago, when the Scotch Union asked him to sign a form, pledging him not to go to New Zealand with the British team if selected. Wilson refused to sign, and since then he has been playing for Cumberland. No grounds are given for the suspension, but presumably the reason is that Wilson has consented to go on a tour which is not approved of by the Scotch executive. Hitherto suspension by one union has been endorsed by the other Unions, but the English Rugby Union are not at all disposed to endorse tho suspension of Wilson unless a good reason for the Scotch Union’s action is forthcoming. Tho position, as tho “Daily Telegraph” justly remarks, is an intolerable one. It is sheer nonsense to

endeavour to ostracise a man who wishes to go on a sporting trip as an amateur. simply because one governing body has thrown cold water on the affair. It is imperative that the English and Welsh Unions should ask Scotland to disclose their reasons for Wilson’s suspension. Wilson is one of the best forwards in the team, and his exclusion would be a distinct loss to the side. The committee of the Scottish Rugby Union have even issued to their clubs copies of the correspondence with Thomas Wilson, the Glasgow and Carlisle player, who was included in the list of players for the New Zealand tour, and was suspended. The Scottish Union, who had forbidden Scotch players to undertake the trip, claim that Wilson is under their jurisdiction, and the final letter to Wilson states that the suspension has been confirmed by the full committee. The captain of the last British Rugby team that toured New Zealand, D. R. Bedell-Sivright, is not likely to be seen again in international football. He hurt the muscles of his leg last Saturday when playing for Edinburgh 'Varsity against the Academicals, and had to leave the field. The old Cantab, has had his day—he has been playing international football since 1900 —ami in view of his accident, and his general falling-, off in form, it is unlikely that he will be seen in the Scottish fifteen in the match against England this month. Colin Gilray, the New Zealand Rhodes scholar, played an important part recently in the final match of the Oxford University Rugby team's fixtures list, which resulted in the London Scottish team being brilliantly vanquished by 29 points to 9. Gilray played a very fine game at inside left threequarters, scoring a couple of tries (one of which was converted), and being mainly instrumental in putting in Milton and Steinthal with tries for ’Varsity. The New Zealander is certainly a better man than Tarr, who has usually filled the position assigned to Gilray, and on Saturday he played his game of the season, his pace and strategy both being splendid. All going well with him in the interval. Gilray is certain to be one of the first choices when the Oxford team comes to be made u-p next season. It is. by the way, rather curious that ■Gilray should come right out of his shell on an occasion that Oxford particularly desired her representatives to give of their very best, and against the actual team that gave the New 7 Zealander countenance when the ’Varsity “had no use for him.” Gilray has played a good deal for the London Scottish this season, and was, if memory is not playing tricks, in the ranks of the “Cockney Kilties” when the Scots defeated the Oxonians by 25 points at the opening of the ’Varsity season. Now he has materially assisted in the ample revenge taken by the Dark Blues for that thrashing. The New Zealand threequarter-back, G. W. Smith, made his appearance at 'Oldham last month in his new capacity as a member of the Oldham Northern Union professional team. Smith was in the threequarter line, and played a very sound game. On one occasion he secured the ball in his own quarter, and evading a host of opponents, gave his winger a clear run in. The referee ruled the New Zealander’s pass to be forward. but another breakaway on the part of the Oldham backs ended in Smith scoring a try. Leeds, the opposing team, were beaten by 24 points to 5. L B. Todd, the other New Zealander, who has joined the Northern Union, also took the field last month and helped Wigan to defeat Bradford. The receipts at the recent Ireland v. Scotland match at Dublin just fell short of four figures. The previous record for a Rugby match in Ireland was .C 967. The announcement of the death of Mr O. Wells, which occurred in the Wellington Hospital last week, will be reee ived with tho deepest regret by all athletes, but more so by footballers, especially those of the older brigade. Orlando, as he was familiarly called. was a conspicuous figure in tho football arena away back in the eighties, and first gained his spurs in IRR6, while ho also secured honours in IRRR, 1889, ami 1890. Tho burly figure of Orlando will well be remembered when playing for

the oh! Grafton Chib before the district scheme came into force, and the contests between the maroons and the Fonsonby Club used tu be of the keenest description, and there was no stronger partisan •than the deceased. By a strange irony of fate, when the district scheme came into force, Orlando was then residing in the Ponsonby district, and was called upon to don the blue ami black, the colours of his former antagonists. A little item like this, however, did not damp his ardour, and he took just as keen an interest in the game as formerly, andworked just as hard to defeat his former companions (though unsuccessfully) as he did to assist them to victory. In 188.8 Orlando was found as one of the forwards chosen to play against Stoddart’s English team, and at that time his weight was 14st., his companions in the pack being Messrs O'Connor. Twiname. McKenzie, Marshall, Hobson. Keefe, ami Lecky, ami what a great pack it was. Few who saw the game on May 24th, 1888, will forget the intense excitement that prevailed when the Auckland forwards headed by Wells, O’Connor, and Hobson, broke away from a line out near the English 25, and, with only Paul, the English full back, to pass, a try seemed certain, when Hobson, picking up, stood still (for what seemed an indefinite time, but which was really only a second), and coolly potted a goal. Auckland also scored a try, eventually winning by 4 points to nil. In connection with the potting of the goal, an incident worth repeating, and often told by the deceased, was that, going out in the break to the match. Hob»on jocularly remarked, “I feel as if I could pot a goal to-day if I got th«s chance,’ and when the chance camo, Orlando, remembering his words, shouted out “pot,” which he did successfully. On the field there was no more unselfish player, and it was a great boast of his that he had never scored a try, but had assisted in the getting of hundreds. He Was always impressing on young players to play for their side, and not for themselves. In addition to representing Auckland on the field, he was for some time a member of the Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union, acting as chairman. Outside of footh ill he was also an ardent rowing enthusiast, and rowed in numbers of races locally. The deceased leaves a widow and family, to whom I ani sure all athletes and footballers generally will join with me in extending a heartfelt sympathy. Fro-Blacks Defeated in Sydney. Glorious weather prevailed for the match on Saturday last between the professional team of New Zealand footballers and New South Wales under the Northern Union rules. The game took place on the agricultural Ground, and there were about 15,000 present. The ‘teams were as follows: — New Zealand. —Back, Turtill; threequarters, Tyne, Rowe, Kelly, Wrigley, halves, Bardor, J. Wynyard; forwards, Mackrell, Lile, Johnson, Pearce, Cross, Wright. Now South Wales. —Back, Hedley; three-quarters, Stuntz, Messenger. Devereux. Cheadle; halves, Rosen field, Butler; forwards, Graves. Hennessey, Lutzc. Rosewell, O'Malley, Davis, Moir and Hol loway. During the first spell the New South Welshmen played the better game, there being more dash and fire in their work. The score at half-time was: New South Wales. 14 points; New Zealand, 7. In the second half the New Zealanders played against the breeze, but did not show any form. The Blues wore down on the Blacks continually, running all over them. The New Zealanders were slow in handling the ball. The whistle sounded with the final scores at: New South Wales, 18 points: New Zealand, 10 points.