FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 755, 25 August 1904, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

(By

“ Scrutator.”)

THE BRITISH TEAM IN NEW ZEALAND. BRITAIN V. AUCKLAND. THE MATCH OF THE SEASON. A HARD AND STUBBORN GAME. AUCKLAND WIN BY 13 TO 0. As was anticipated, if the weather was ■at all favourable on Saturday, a great rush set in for Alexandra Park to. witness the game between the representatives of the “ old land ” and “ the new.” Long before the gates were opened at 10.30 a.m. the Epsom road was completely blocked by the streams of anxious folk, young, old, and middle-aged, of both sexes who were eager and determined to ■witness the match of all matches. Notwithstanding the great throng very good ■order prevailed, and in no instance were serious accidents reported. Within half-an-hour after the gates were opened the auxiliary stand’ was filled to its utmost ■capacity, and the centre of the permanent stand and Qther points of vantage were quickly filled. with eager and anxious enthusiasts. Long before two o’clock every position in, around and about the ground from which a view could be •obtained was occupied with excited onlookers. Never before in the annals of Auckland football has such a multitude been grouped together, nor has such enthusiasm been shown. Although every ■conceivable form of conveyance was employed to carry out the masses, yet it was necessary from force of circumstances that a great many were compelled to do the distance on “ shanks’ pony.” The New Zealand railway catered very strongly for the public, but the bulk of them were conveyed by road via Parnell and Newmarket by the Auckland Electric Tramway Company, the cars running at short intervals from the city and suburbs. ’ . To while away the time the early-com-•ers were treated to games played between teams picked from the A and B Section of the Public Schools, and later on St. John’s College met St. Stephen’s. Both games were much appreciated, the juniors showing some first-class play, and who is to say that next time a British team visit our shores some of these lads of today will not be called upon to uphold the victory of Saturday last. Music was plentiful, the No. 1 Battalion, Devonport, •and Garrison Bands playing at intervals. THE PLAY. The teams took the field as under : — BRITISH TEAM (red, white, and blue). Fullback : O’Brien. Three-quarters : E. Morgan, R. T. Gabe, W. M. Llewellyn, P. F. McEvedy. Half-backs : J. Vile, P. 0. Bush. Forwards : R. J. Rogers, Saunders, D. Dobson, R. W. Edwards, S. Bevan, B. I. Swannell, A. F. Harding, S. N. Crowther. AUCKLAND TEAM (blue and white). Full-back : W. Harrison. Three-quarters : A. Renwick, W. Murray, W. E. McKenzie. Five-eighths : M. E. Wood, R. McGregor. Scrum-half : H. Kiernan. Wing-forward : D. Gallaher. Forwards : G. A. Tyler, W. Mackrell, W. Cunningham’ (lock), 0. Seeling, G. Nicholson, Hayward, Joyce. Mr P. Mackie (Wellington) had charge of the whistle, And kept the game well under control from start to finish. The Britishers won the toss and took advantage of the strong wind blowing from the west. M. Wood skippered the Auckland men and E. Morgan the visitors.

Nicholson kicked off for Auckland, but a penalty resulted and McEvedy found the

line near half-way. The local forwards, with Nicholson in front, swept the ball into the Reds’ 25. The ball was snapped up by Kiernan, who sent it to Wood, to McGregor, to Murray, to McKenzie, but unfortunately the latter knocked on and the visitors cleared their line. Bush put in a tricky bit of work and got well away, but was ordered back for infringement. Kiernan intercepted a pass from the Reds’ three-quarters, but spoilt a good opening by throwing the ball back blindly with no one to receive it. McEvedy stopped a forward rush and found the line at Auckland’s side of halfway. The Blue and White forwards got off with a fine dribble, but the attack was only momentary for the Reds replied by Bush and Morgan getting on a passing run, the latter centreing. McKenzie mi».de a poor return and it looked as though the British would score. From the hustle that took place it was seen that Rogers was down, he having twisted a tendon in the leg, and had to retire. The British three-quarters gave the locals a taste of their passing tactics, the ball going through the hands of Vile, Bush, Gabe, Llewellyn, and the lastnamed got up to the full-back before being grassed. Auckland were shortly afterwards penalised, but Harding’s attempt at the posts kept low and the ball was swept up the field by the local forwards. Morgan kicked to Seeling, who started off with the forwards in line, the ball going near half-way. Murray took a high kick from Vile, made a short run and punted, but the strong wind brought the ball across the touch-line in Auckland’s 25. The whole of the British three-quarters took part in a great attack on the Blue and White lines, but the defence and tackling were good, each man finding mother earth in quick succession. Bush marked the ball from a loose scramble in Auckland’s 25, and his pot just missed by hitting the post, the ball coming into play, where Wood shot it into touch just as the Reds swept down upon him. Auckland were penalised near their half-way, the ball being placed for Harding, who miade a splendid attempt, the ball passing just outside the post. The ball was no sooner set going than McEvedy had a pot without result, Auckland forcing. From the kick-out Gabe marked, and Harding was again entrusted with the kick without scoring. The British were awarded a free kick, the ball crossing the line, and Auckland forced. On the ball being started again the forwards worked their way to n» centre, when the bell sounded half-time and no score had been registered. SECOND SPELL. It was freely speculated on the pressstand that the local men, with the help of the wind, would give the Britishers all they wanted to keep their line clear, and so it proved. Harding started the play for the visitors, and after an exchange of kicks, in which the reds were twice forced, a pot by McGregor, and a penalty kick by Wood for off-side for Bush, the ball passed the touch-line well in the British 25. From the line the blue and white broke away, and Gallagher picked up and sent back to Kiernan?, then to Wood, to Murray and McKenzie, the latter putting the finishing touch on by scoring near the corner. Cunningham’s kick failed. Auckland 3 British o Shortly after resuming play, O’Brien marked from a strong kick by one of the forwards, and McKenzie marked the return, the ball being placed for Cunningham, who failed with a good shot. The local forwards were fairly romping over the visitors,, and the ball coming out to the backs they made constant efforts to get in, but found the tackling somewhat sound and rough, Vile receiving a slight knock out. Auckland gradually worked the ball within striking distance, when Kiernan passed to McGregor and he to Rertwick, who looked like scoring, when Llewellyn threw hirm out of touch. A scrum was ordered from the throw-in, and a pass from Wood to McGregor was intercepted by Llewellyn, the local men replying with clever passing run between

Kiernan, Wood, Renwick and Cunningham, the centre forward dropping over the line near the post. Murray added the necessary points with a fine kick. Auckland 8 British o Harding started the play again and found the line near Auckland’s 25, but it was only temporary, for from a loose rush down the field Renwick picked up and passed to Gallagher, who scored under the posts, Murray again converting. Auckland 13 British 0 The rest of the game is easily told, for the latter part of the spell the ball rarely came out of the British quarter, and it was evident that the visitors were not trying to play that “clean game” we have heard so much about. There is nothing more regrettable in any sport than to be always crying for leniency, and then to act in an exactly opposite manner when you see an opening, yet this appeared to me to be the case on Saturday last. It is a wonder that Gallagher did not get badly hurt the way one player got on to him with his boots, when down, and Kiernan also received a nasty prod in the face after getting in his kick. No further score resulting, Auckland was left victorious by 13 points to nil. NOTES. The Aucklanders played a great game to a man, and when all worked so honestly, I think it even unfair to single out one name. The backs, too, played up to their form, although there was a tendency to hang to the ball now and again. The inclusion of the young player Murray, and of Renwick was fully justified, the former appearing to the better advantage of the two. I don’t think the visitors can! teach us anything in the way of the game. Their formation in the scrum is somewhat different, but it frequently happens that the ball never gets a chance to go in, for it is simplv fired into the scrum with force and bounces back again to the operator. Penalties were frequent, and I take it that was one of the causes. There is no question that the British backs handled the ball cleaner than the local men, and they also made their passes quicker, but it frequently happened that their passes were made to a spot where a comrade should have been without first making sure that he was in his place to receive it. Their line kicking was distinctly inferior to the local men’s, and their mode of centreing was of little or no use to them. Playing the game as they now play it, against a good set of forwards and a smart winger, the British backs have little or n»o chance to get on the sweeping passing runs we heard so much about while they were in Australia. Taken on the whole, and making ever allowance for the fact that the men were a bit stale and jaded from their tour, the play of the visitors was somewhat disappointing. THE TARANAKI MATCH. The British Team played a match against Taranaki on Wednesday of last week. The afternoon unfortunately proved very wet, but notwithstanding this there were some 7000 people present on the Recreation Ground, at New Plymouth, to witness the match. Taranaki is very strong this year, and were accordingly expected to make a big fight of it, and so it proved. The teams were as follows :— Taranaki. — Full-back, Fookes ; three■quarters, Thomson, Stalker, and Abbott ; five-eighths, Mynott ; half, Frewin ; wings, Guy and Glasgow ; forwards, McMinn, Wilson, O’Sullivan, Glenn, R. Douglas, J. Douglas, McKay. Britain. — Full-back, Stanger-Leathes ; three-quarters, O’Brien, Gabe, Llewellyn, and McEvedy; halves, Vile and Bush forwards, Rodgers, Trail, Dobson, Edwards, Bevan, Swannell, Harding, Crowther. The opposing teams were very evenly matched, but the locals had rather the best of the game throughout. The forwards played especially well, Guy distinguishing himself in particular on the

wing. On more than one occasion Taranaki very nearly scored, but the excellent defence of the British backs was too sound to be broken .through. Eventually when time was called neither side had been able to effect a score, the match thus resulting in a draw. Owing to the efforts of the Hon. James Carroll a match was arranged between the British footballers and a Maori team at Rotorua. After a hard match at Auckland, followed by an all-night journey to Rotorua and then a rush round the sights it was only to be expected that the Old Country men were in no sort of condition to play good football. It was not altogether surprising, therefore to find that the Maoris proved victorious by 8 points to 6. * * * * Bedell-Sivright was a much interviewed man during the New Zealand tour. On arriving in Auckland he said to a reporter who asked him where an improvement could be effected in the New Zealander’s play, “ Drop your wing forward and put him in the scrum, to get the ball out to your backs. A moderate pack of forwards and good backs will always beat a team with moderate backs, because good backs secure the ball and there is no stopping them. You might have done far better in heeling-out to your backs. The only time a wing forward is any use is with a greasy ball, because the backs cannot handle it. Otherwise the wing forward is practically a wasted man.” No doubt the British skipper wished we had acted on his advice at Wellington when the splendid work of the wing forward so hampered the visiting backs that the; were quite unable to show tne great game expected of them. Sivright also said that for every man in his team it would be possible to pick ten just as good, but this of course must be taken cum grano salis considering the number of international players in the team. An interview generally gives occasion for a lot of rubbish to be talked. The following team will represent Auckland in the match against Taranaki next Saturday :—Full-back, Harrison ; threequarters, McKenzie, Murray, and Renwick ; five-eighths, McGregor ; half, Kiernan ; wing forwards, Seeling and Gallaher ; forwards, Tyler, Sandall, Cunningham, Joyce, Nicholson, Mackrell, Hayward. Emergencies : Carlaw, Young, Trevarthen. * * * * Manawatu defeated Buller at Palmerston North last week by 10 points to 6. Wellington beat Canterbury on Saturday by 6 points to 3. The match, which was played at Wellington, attracted not more that 3000 persons. Wallace and Wright scored for the winners and Burn got a try for the losers, but none of them were' converted. The match between Taranaki and Auckland next Saturday should give rise to a great game. The Southerners are very strong. this year and Auckland will have a stiff task in beating them. It should prove a much more even and interesting struggle* than was the case on Saturday. New South Wales defeated Queensland on Saturday at Brisbane by 10 points to 6.