FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 261, 25 July 1895, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

Auckland v. Poverty Bay. The first foreign match of season 1895 eventuated at Potter’s Paddock, Epsom, on Saturday last, when the local representative fifteen met and defeated the chosen of Poverty Bay by 14 points to nil. Splendid weather prevailed, and a large attendance was present to witness the struggle, or rather what many of them were inclined to look upon as the “run over” for Auckland, an opinion based on the fact that, the Thames reps, had secured a verdict over the visitors on the previous Thursday by 8 points to 4. Certainly, on this reasoning, matters looked none too bright for the Poverty Bay boys, and as it has been said on all sides that football in Auckland this season is better than has been the case for years past, one can quite understand how cheaply the strangers were held by local enthusiasts. Sueh, however, was not by any means the case, for though the victory reads a decisive one on paper, those who witnessed the contest admit that it was not by any means the good thing for Auckland that had been anticipated. H..d it not been for the superiority of our back division an entirely different tale might have been told, and an Auckland team, selected from seven district clubs, might have suffered the infliction of a defeat at the hands of a country club, who-e Union has not one fourth of the players to select from that we have, and even then could not manage to send their best team north. Speaking of the play, it must be said that the vanguard of the Poverty Bay fifteen proved itself superior to that of the local reps., being faster at following up, always held up their own scrums, and were by no means out-classed in the line-out work. The weak point was undoubaedly their back division, for here the absence of one or two good scoring men was very notice able, as the visitors, though playing a good serviceable game, did not show any of that dash and combination so conspicuous in the local men. The Poverty Bay men were very attentive to Braund throughout, and prevented the local backs getting off several of those passing runs that had been looked forward to, though on the whole it must be said that this division rendered a good account of themselves, their fine defensive play being particularly noticeable. Although beaten, the visitors have every reason to congratulate themselves on the capable manner in •which they held their end up against a strong centre like Auckland, and on reaching home can safely say that they were by no means disgraced. . Smith at full-back for Auckland, played a sound defensive game right’ through, making very few mistakes. His collaring was very safe, and his kicking well judged. “ Tabby ” Wynyard played one of the best; games on the ground, punting well, and taking and passing with precision. Although not scoring himself he rendered valuable assistance to those : who did. Surman did yeoman service for.bis team, getting off several nice dashes, two of which resulted, in his crossing the line and scoring. He never allows a chance to pass, and is always to be found, on the spot when his club mates are pressed, taking the oval at all times with great precision. His long punts are always useful... ’ ,;j Masefield and Clajton both played serviceable games, and were always strong on the defensive/ though their offensive tactics were not as noticeable as has often been the case. H - Ronayne has never been seen at a greater disadvantage, if he had tried he conld not have fumbled worse than he did. Certainly he improved somewhat in the second spell and now and then put in some useful work. Doubtless he would be seen to greater advantage behind Edmonds than Albie Braund. Albie Braund behind the scrum was as cool and clever as usual, and brought his side out of several difficulties. He was taken great care of. by Caulton and Murphy, though he very often managed to get the ball out to Ronayne, who was, however, very much off in taking it. The forwards were not up to ext ectafions and seemed unable to keep pace with the opposing vanguard. Murray. Gittos, Brady, and Whitley were the most conspicuous, though if ti e four three quid er game is to be continued our pack will needs put their best foot to the front. No “ wasters” need apply. Gittos n ade another of his sensational dashes on Saturday, picking the ball up in his own 25 he made off with the field in .full cry and nearing the Gisborne line transferred to .Wynyard, several neat short passes resulting in Surman dashing over the line and scoring Auckland’s fourth try.

At full-back for the visitors, C. Hillson, did good service, and besides getting his side out of : ■ trouble on more than one occasion, kicked with judgment and collared well, A. Hillson, Skeet, and E. R. Murphy also worked hard to avert defeat, putting in a lot of serviceable work. The first mentioned also made a splendid shot at goal from half way, but lacked direction. Ted Rees captained Poverty Bay and played a good game right through, his quick screw punts after taking the ball from the feet of the opposing forwards being a feature of the game. Murphy and Reg. Caulton paid special attention to Braund and “Albie” had his work cutout trying to dodge them to get his pass. Braund’s try was secured after a short feinting dash and was well deserved. The forwards were all fast men and grafters of the first water, there not being a single “ loafer ” in the vanguard. Poynter was head and shoulders above any of Auckland’s forwards. His line work was especially good and he was to be seen in the front of nearly every rush. “ Pukaki ” should certainly get a place in the North Island team. On Tuesday afternoon the visitors drove out to Wellington Park, at the invitation of Mr Thos. Morrin, where they spent a pleasant afternoon looking through this gentleman’s well-known stud. ' Mr “ Willie ” Miller, the popular manager of the Poverty Bay team, is the right man in the right place, and during his short stay in Auckland he has made host of friends.

‘ Our Napier correspondent writes:—On Friday August 16th, the night following the visit of the Auckland football representatives, the annual •Rugby Union ball will be held. A first-class and energetic committee have been formed with Mr J. G. Hughes as secretary and Mr S. Fleming treasurer.

Referee Bennett has agreed, at the request of the Hawkes Bay Rugby Union, to deliver an oration on the intricacies of football on Friday evening, the 2nd August. The meeting will be open to all footballers on presentation of tickets, which can be obtained free from the secretaries of the various clubs.

The Wellington representative team will, I hear, play Canterbury at Lancaster Park on August 17th. The Canterbury Rugby Union intends sending its team suth to play Otago and Southland as soon as the rep. games which are to be played there are finished. The Sydney Referee says :—“ New South Wales appears to be very strong this winter, and has every prospect of doing well in intercolonial 7 matches. If a New Zealand team were to visit Sydney they would probably find the colony much more formidaole than of old.” The team selected v to play against Central Queensland included Cobb, Galloway, Henlen, Edwards, and Carson, members of the team that visited New Zealand ; last year. Hanna, W. Warbrick, and others lost their chance of being in the team owing to injuries received just previous to the selection. H. Dacre, well-known to most Aucklanders, is

in town at present, having been transferred from Wellington for a few weeks.

At a recent meeting of the Management Committee of the Wellington Rugby Union the charge against Cooney of having struck at Sheriff during the Poneke-Athletic match was further considered, and the following resolution was carried : —“ That in view of the admission by the referee (Mr J. Gamble),, in his statement to the committee, that Cooney’s action may have been accidental, and no other direct evidence being available, this committee does not feel justified in suspending the player named, but wishes to caution him against any undue roughness in his play in the future.” “ Theophilus,” writing to the Wellington Mail, suggests that ths following team should be chosen to represent Wellington in the coming representative motches : — Full-back, Davidson or Bourke; three-quarters, Galloway, Duncan, and Roberts; halves. Baumber ard Crawford; forwards, McKenzie, Kelly, Swindley, Young, Pauling, Poland, Campbell, Calnan, Pringle or Hardcastle.

On Saturday last, at Wellington, Petone defeated Poneke by 5 points (a goal from a try) to nil, thus winning the senior championship and shield. The fixtures have been of a most interesting nature throughout the season, and on the previous Saturday the question of the premiership was indeed an open one, the clubs standing as follows : —Petone, 10 points, with one match to play; Athletic, 8 points, with one match to play; Poneke and Melrose, 7 points each, with two matches each to play ; Wellington, nil, with two matches to play. Eden defeated Ellerslie rather easily by 35 points to 11.

At the recent meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union the following programme of dates was drafted July 20th and 27th, trial matches; August 3rd, South Canterbury ; August 10th, trial match; August 17th, Wellington; August 24th, Wairarapa ; August 29th (Thursday), Auckland; September 7th, Otago, at Dunedin; September 11th, Invercargill, at Invercargill.

The football contributor to the Sydney Referee referring to the request of the New Zealand Union that certain monies (£37) in connection with the late New South Wales tour in Maoriland be refunded, says :—“ It appears that the manager of the team (Mr Sefton) had to pay certain railway fares, which the New Zealand authorities had forgotten to arrange, and after making good the amount the New Zealand people, finding that the tour was not a financial success, thought to get a refund. The New South Wales Union, at a recent meeting, decided that it couldn’t fall in with the desire of the sister union.” It appears that this amount was included in the annual balance sheet of the N.Z.R.U. as a refund to come from the N.S.W. Union, and this body will now have to make another levy on the Unions or strike the amount off.

North Shore 11. played the Lake fifteen, winning by 6 points to nil, Walker being responsible for the scores made, viz., a try and a goal from a penalty kick. . Epsom gained their match with Newmarket by default, the latter being unable to place a team in the field.

Clifton won their' contest with the Avenue team by 12 points to nil, Fielder and Tomlinson doing the scoring.

The Excelsior v. Arawa match resulted, after a tougbly contested game, in a draw, neither side scoring. In the Church Union matches St. Mark’s defeated Pitt Street by 7 points to 6, the winners’ score comprising a goal from a mark and one from a free kick, as against the two tries of tneir opponents ; Mount Albert gained a verdict over St. John’s by default; Tabernacle beat Onehunga by 9 points to nil, tries being secured by Jackson, Saunders, and Stevenson ; and Alexandra Street were returned victors over St. Sepulchre’s by 10 points (two tries and a goal from the field) to nil.

As the prospects of a Queensland representative team visiting New Zealand this year seems to have entirely faded away, the Auckland Rugby Union have definitely arranged the programme in connection with the Southern tour of the Auckland representative team. Leaving Auckland on Tuesday, August 13th, our “ reps.” will play against Napier on the following Thursday, August 15th, from whence they will journey South, meeting South Canterbury at Timaru on Monday 19th. Next coines the match with Otago at Dunedin, which is set down for Saturday 24th, from whence they will travel back northwards to Canterbury, playing that province at Christchurch on Wednesday, 28th. From Canterbury they come on back to Wellington, and play the kickists of the windy city on Saturday, August 31st, then crossing Cook’s Strait once more will meet Nelson on Monday, September 2nd, and finally bring the tour to a conclusion with their seventh match at Taranaki on Friday, September 6th, returning home on the following afternoon. The time for

preparation is all too brief, and it would be well to urge the Selection Committee to get together the best possible team at once, in order that every opportunity might be given them wherein to thoroughly prepare themselves for the coming fray. The task will be no light one, and unless our boys can be got into better shape than the team which did battle for us on Saturday last against Poverty Bay, it seems hardly feasible that we will win more than one or two matches right down the line. The deliberations of the Selection Committee have resulted in the following being chosen to play in the practice match on Saturday : —“ A ” Team : Smith, Riley, Wynyard, Surman, Stevenson, Braund, Brady, Gittos, Murray, Heffernan, McMillan, Brown, Williamson, Whitley, Mills. “B ” Team : Masefield, Absolum, Clayton, Breen, Ronayne, Caradus, Luke, McKean, Martin, Gallagher, Green, H. Speight, Evitt, Freeman, Donald. Emergencies : Full-back, Sutherland ; three-quarters, McPhail, Siddle; five-eighths, Ramsay, C. Hay; half, D. Hay; forwards, (1) Hobson, (2) Eaton, (3) Thomson, (4) Gerrard, (5) P. Murray. It is anticipated that the contest between Auckland and Wairoa will eventuate on the 10th August. The Wairoa Union have decided to suspend cup fixtures and commence Probable — Possible matches at once.