FOOTBALL

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 361, 24 June 1897, Page 3

FOOTBALL

[By

Vigilant. l

AUCKLAND v. WAIROA. The first match of the season against an outside union was played at Potter’s Paddock on Saturday, when the local representatives met and defeated the chosen of Wairoa North to the tune of 14 to 3. There was a good attendance of spectators, and though they were not rewarded with anything much in the way of Rugby football as it should be played, it. certainly showed the local people that there are good men to be found outside Auckland ci’y, and men who, with a few weeks in town, would be worthy a place in any representative team. The match itself calls for no description, and I will confine myself to a few notes. Before launching out on the teams, I might say that Mr A. Campbell, who had charge of the whistle, handled himself like a veteran, giving satisfaction to all concerned. He quite earned the three cheers given him by the visitors. In point of weight the local men had all the best of the deal, this being particularly noticeable in the forward division, where they must have averaged nearly a stone more than their opponents. This gave them a decided advantage in the scrums, where their superior weight told, they carrying the packs nearly every time. Of course, as might have been expected, they showed a better knowledge in the finer points of the game, and their heeling out was cleaner than that of the opposing vanguard, some of whom, however, got in some very good work in the open, and as a body have a very fair turn of pace. While I say the Auckland men had the best of the scrums I cannot congratulate them on their combination, which necessary essential was conspicuous only by its absence, a fact that will no doubt impress upon the Rugby Union that no matter how good the men may be individually they must have a little practice together. The whole of the Auckland pack did very good work individually, Murray perhaps standing out above the others, although Handcock, Wilson, and Gordon also did good work “ on their own.” Yet I must not overlook the fact that Murray and Handcock made as many mistakes as anyone. Braund, the Auckland skipper, never worked harder, and undeniably proved himself the best half in Auckland, while no one could have worked a team better, though he did not always have the attention to his instruction that he should from the front rank. This is due, of course, to the fact that several of the forwards had not been in the habit of playing with the clever little Ponsonby skipper. His passing out was always well timed and accurate. “Albie” hurt his knee towards the end of the game, and will not be able to play again for some time to come. Carlton Hay made a very good “ fist ” of it at five-eight, but on being injured was put back to three-quarter, which division was not up to the mark. Here it may be said that the Aucklanders played four three-quarters, evidently with a view to scoring, but this did not come off as well as it was expected, the men not knowing one another’s play as they should have done. Absolum, who was shifted up to the position

vacated by Hay, was not as successful as he had been at three-quarter.

O. Riley was undoubtedly the back of the day, and although he has been playing five-eight for some little time now, the change did not in the least interfere with his game, which was of the most unselfish and strong, both in attack and defence. Gl. Smith was as consistent as ever, and D’Arcy also played well. H. Smith, at full back, made no mistakes, his kicking being decidedly accurate and useful. The Wairoa forwards, although rather light—appearing to average about list 81b—are a promising lot, and with a closer knowledge of the finer points of the game would take a good deal of beating. Christensen, Matthews, and Elliott are fit for any team and a trio of grafters. The open play of the vanguard was very good, but they were overmatched in the scrums and want to learn how to hook the ball. The back division’s chief want is a little more dash, though they play a solid, useful game as a whole, while their defence is decidedly good. Harrison, one of their three-quarters, would find a place in any local club team, and, with a few weeks in town, I would expect to see him wearing a rep. cap. The Auckland Union will have to keep an eye on him. Butland is another good man, a great feature being his useful and judicious kicking, while Phelan also did well. If Smith, their full-back, would make a little more use of the touch line, and show a little more alacrity in his kicking, he should fill the bill well. For the amount of work he had to do, his mistakes w’ere comparatively few.

What is expected to prove the most interesting fixture of the season, from a spectator’s point of view, is the Parnell and Ponsonby match next Saturday. So far the teams are on terms, as regards their positions in the senior championships, both having won five matches and lost one, and, as both have been showing sound, consistent form, opinion is very much divided as to how the day will go, the supporters of each team being equally sanguine that the premiership will go to their pet district for season 1897. Parnell will sadly miss the services of Jervis, their crack three-quarter, who is laid aside again with that shoulder of his, and will probably never aga’n don a football jersey, and Murray and Handcock (the front-rankers), who both went to Wellington last Monday to join the N.Z. team. Ponsonby will be short of their skipper (A. Braund), who has been playing a wonderfully good game behind the pack this season, in fact was never in better form, he having injured his knee last Saturday in the Wairoa-Auckland match. Apart from his game at half-back he will be sadly missed as skipper, there being no man that can touch him in Auckland, while I hardly believe he has a superior in the colony in handling a team. Kelly, from the second fifteen, will, I understand, be played behind the pack, and from what I hear is a real good man in the place. The Aucklanders belonging to the New Zealand team —Wilson, Handeock, Smith, and Murray, the latter having been chosen to fill the vacancy caused by Watson dropping out at the end of last week —left for Wellington on Monday last by the s.s. Takapuna to take part in the North v. South Island match, which takes place at the Empire City on Saturday next. A great game it should be, too, as the southern men will fight like veritable demons to carry the day, and prove to the selection committee that more men should have been included in the Maoriland team from below Cook Straits.

The championships continue on Saturday, the Parnell v. Ponsonby match being the centre of attraction. The betting is level money, and agood go should be provided. Whoever wins will, no doubt, carry off the championship honours for 1897. Most people say they would like to see Ponsonby win, as it would be better for the district scheme.

The Wairoa team of last Saturday were too light in their front rank for the local vanguard. It is understood that they were chosen on the light side with a view to having fast men who could carry out some theory re getting away from the scrum with the ball. It didn’t come off, however.

What’s the betting that the New Zealand team does not go through Australia without a defeat. I have already heard that several cigars and new hats will change hands on this point at level money, and have arranged a cigar with a friend on the question myself. I hold that they will not be once beaten, and am going to smoke the cigar right away. I have to compliment Mr Angus Campbell on the manner in which he handled the whistle last Saturday in the Wairoa-Auckland match, also on the previous week, when Ponsonby and Grafton met. The writers in the dailies have expended some little ink in calling A. Braund ( Ponsonby’s skipper) to book for objecting to Mr Campbell because he lived in Parnell, but it must not be forgotten that Albert made an ample apology. The charges of misconduct brought against a nnmber of Wellington players who went to Christchurch at Easter have fallen to the ground. Twenty witnesses were examined, tbe enquiry being a most exhaustive one. The last straw ! (writes “ Off-side ” in a Hawera paper). Word has been received that Kerr, of Canterbury, is unable to go with the team to Australia, and that Wells, of Taranaki, takes his place. Why not send all Taranaki men, and be done with the matter? If the report is correct, the selection committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union has “muddled up things” like tbe Pooh-Bah of Mikado fame. What possessed the selection committee to select Wells when he was not nominated by the Taranaki Union ? The selectors have exceeded their powers. It is of no earthly use Unions sending in names of players when the selection committee completely ignores them and selects men from the back blocks and not the football field. No wonder it took seven hours and a half to pick the team when they discuss the merits of “ has been ” and “ gone before ” players.

The New Zealand team leaves for Australia after the North v. South Island match on Saturday. Good luck to ’em. I hope the selection “committee” (Mr J. Arneil) will, when looking round for his men for the Auckland team to play New Zealand on their return from Australia not forget that there is such a man in Wairoa as Harrison. A week or two in town would make a slashing good man of the country three-quarter, or I’m much mistaken.

Young, of the Thames, being down with influenza, he could not go to Wellington to play in the North Island v. South Island match.

Considering the amount of interest that is being taken throughout the colony in the doings of the New Zealand footballers who are to visit Australia, a few lines about the match between Taranaki and Wairarapa the other Saturday will be of interest (says a Christchurch writer). The game resulted in a draw, both sides scoring a goal from a try. As Wairarapa previously played a draw with Wanganui, the latter can claim to be equal to Taranaki. Yet Taranaki has six times as many representatives in the New Zealand team as Wairarapa and Wanganui combined. Mr Carthew, who presided at the meeting of the Taranaki Rugby Union on June 4th, certainly spoke the truth when he said the Taranaki Union had more representation than it was entitled to.

The New Zealand Rugby Union is (says the Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times) coming in for a great deal of criticism in in the north as well as in the south. First of all, we have one of the affiliated unions complaining that they have too many men in the New Zealand team, and now we have another northern union — the Wairarapa —complaining bitterly that not a single Wairarapa player has been included in the New Zealand representative football team. The result of the match with Taranaki on Saturday emphasises the claim of the "Wairarapa players to some consideration. ~ It seems evident that the New Zealand Union is unable to successfully cope with the proper selection of a hew Zealand team. At all events, there is pretty general dissatisfaction with this year’s selection —indeed, even more than was expressed when the last New Zealand team was chosen.

A southern writer, referring to the passing of the Canterbury men in the cup says : — “ I have watched the teams closely + ’. : s season, and notice a very serious defect i’ .me of the chief features of the game, viz., ihe passing. Players imagine that throwing or handing—the ball to another player is passing. Time after time I have noticed ground lost when it should have been gained, throug' payers running towards the one to whom they ii.lend to pass. In order to pass advantagf it is necessary that the player in possession s M uld be going on the opposite angle to that v hich he wishes to pass, therefore, in a sh -mtence, learn to pass the opposite direct. .o that in which you running.” A Taranaki < orrespondent writes:—“ln your football columns in last week’s issue you stateU that the Tucana (New Plymouth) Club has thjaW proud distinct.on of having most in the Nev Zealand team picked for the Australian tour. T’ 3is not correct, as the other New Ply-)?) mouth senior team (the Star) have also three representatives, viz., Allen, A. Humphries, andjjg Wells. Another statement in the paragraph should also like to correct is that the Tukapa;(| seniors have not been beaten this season. As a matter of fact, they were defeated last Thursday week by the Star, who scored 8 points (goal a try and a try) to m 7. In fairness to the Tukapa W team I might add that the Tukapa defeated the Star on their first meeting this season by 10 points to nil. It is rather a proud distinction for two New Plymouth clubs to have no less than six").) representatives in the New Zealand team, but I am sorry to add that O’Dowda is unable to make the trip, and I also hear that it is whether Watson will find the time to make the)/) journey. A. Bayly, the seventh Taranaki player picked, is this season playing for the Hawera Club, which is the only other Club in the pro-); vince to put a senior team in the field this Star ha met Hawera twice, defeating them by.) 14 and 8 to nil, and Tukapa also defeated the Plains team by 21 to 20—a game that was remarkable for the scoring, Hawera getting no less than ; 12 points from penalty goals. Hawera and kapa meet on Monday next (June 21st). THfefe queslion who will be captain of the New Zealand team is being freely canvassed, bothDuncan being mentioned, but in view of past services in that capacity I don’t think the members of the team should find any difficulty in arriving at a choice. Our Napier correspondent wires:—Saturday’s muster on the Recreation Ground was very creditable as to numbers, the “ probables ” having a full team and the “possibles” sixteen men,’U but unfortunately Speedy, Maicon, Cheer, Speight were absentees, being unable to get off duty. The ground was in a very heavy and greasy state, and spoilt good individual play, 1he x game being chiefly a series of loose, straggling rushes, in which the “ probables ” invariably showed superiority, and were eventually victorious by 16 points to nil. The winning team had a fairly strong back division, which played very well together, getting on some good passing rushes occasionally. Gage (though apparently not in his best form) was most conspicuous in leading the rushes, and he was well seconded by O’Connell and F. Jago. The latter showed a fine turn of speed, but requires judgment in passing. Bear and Caldwell showed good defensive and aggressive play, and both did some fine place kicking. Williams was, as usual, cool and sure in taking and kicking, but requires to cultivate the maxim “ tackle low.” Kelly and Johnstone were the pick of the forwards. The “ possibles”’ showed very little organisation Lignskey and Double (backs). Collange, Brophy, Scorgie, Cameron, and Mountford (forwards) were the pick. Mr Logan was referee.