FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 2 August 1906, Page 10

FOOTBALL.

THAMES V. AUCKLAND. The Thames v. Auckland team played a return 'match at Alexandra Park on Saturday, when, despite the unfavourable weather, there was a very fair attendance of the public. The sides were made up as follows : — Thames (blue and black): Fullback, Newdick; threequarters, Choate, Hall and Kingham; five-eighths, Lennard and Keating; half-back, Houghton; wingforward, Baker; forwards, McKee, Dobson, Dunlop, Clark, Autridge, Hayward and Smith. Auckland (blue and white): Fullback, Renwick; threequarters, Wilson, G. Smith, and Magee; five-eighths, R. Wynyard and W. Wynyard; halfbacks, Kiernan ; wing-forward, W. Tyler; forwards, Dunning, G. Tyler, Francis, Eaton, Maguire (City), Maguire (Grafton), and Trevarthen. After the commencement of play the game was for a long time of a very even character, Auckland making one or two good attacks which were well repulsed by the visitors. Eventually Smith made a fine run to near the Thames goal line, where he. went into touch. From the throw in the ball went to Kiernan, who dived across the Thames line and scored, but Eaton’s kick was a failure. The Auckland men continued to attack, and a fine passing run by Wynyard and Smith who transferred to Wilson, gave the latter a chance but he failed to take the ball, and Thames relieved with a force; at ha f-time no further score had taken place. On changmg ends Thames played up better, and the Aucklanders were called upon to defend their line. Play was then carried to centre, and Smith getting possession was almot over before he was stopped. Soon after he made another dash, and passing to Magee, the latter scored. The kick was entrusted to Francis, who failed. A little later Thames came away with a fine rush, and Keating got the ball from a scrum near the line and took it over, but Hall’s attempt to convert was a failure. From this out the game was very fast, but no further score resulting. Auckland won by 6 points to 3.

The team sent to represent Auckland against Northern Wairoa proved hardly strong epough, the men from the river -winpy g >y 6 points to ml. J 7 . . * * * Mr' D.' Ga.laher has picked the following teams to play a practice match next Saturday : — A Team: Renwick, Wilson, Smith, McKenzie, R. Wynyard, W. Wynyard, Kiernan, Gillett, Francis, Tyler, Dunning, . Cunningham, Nicholson, Seeling, Hayward. B Team : Dufty, Flynn, Rowe, Gladding, Magee, Todd, Darby, W. Tyler, McCormick, Capill, McGuire, Eaton, Trevarthen, Autridge, McGuire. Emergencies : Twiname, Little, Hooper, Herrin. * * * * Taranaki played Otago on Saturday at Dunedin. The ground was very heavy, and did not appear to suit the visitors, who were defeated by 12 points to 8, after a keen struggle. x * * xWanganui beat Rangitikei on Saturday at Wanganui by 11 points to 6 after a very interesting match. * * * * In the Secondary Schools matches on Saturday, King’s Colege defeated Prince Albert College by 3 points to nil. Auckland Grammar School beat St. John’s College by 6 points to nil. Grammar School 11. beat St. John’s IL by 22 points to nil. * * X- X The first interprovincial match in Auckland this winter will be against Canterbury on Saturday week. On August 18, Taranaki will be played, the match against Southland follows a week later, while Septembtr Ist is the date for the Wellington match. *■ * * * In the Wednesday Trades’ Rugby Union the Butchers have won the championship with an unbroken series of seven victories. Of the other teams playing the Bakers have the best average with 4 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses. * * * * Under Australian rules the big match was that between Waihi and Auckland, and to witness this invitations were issued by the Australian Football League. Unfortunately the weather was very uncertain, and the ground very wet, and these facts materially instituted against a large attendance. Both sides had strong| teams in the field, and the match, which was a very low scoring one, was productive of some very good football. Ultimately the local men emerged triumphant from the encounter, winning by 3 goals 10 behinds to 8 behinds.

Playing under Association rules, Thistle beat Ponsonby by 3 goals to 2.

Corinthians defeated Tabernacle by 5 goals to 2.

Tabernacle 11. went under to North Shore by 7 goals to nil. Olympia and W.Y.M.I. A team played a draw, each side scoring 3 goals. Ivanhoe and W.Y.M.I. B team also drew with two goals each.

To the present generation of players Leonard Stokes, of the Blackheath Club, is little more than a name, but to us he is a cherished memory, because we have always regarded him as the prince of drop-kickers. Old stagers still linger lovingly over that marvellous goal, of his at Raeburn Place from beyond mid-field away in the shadowy seventies. It was accomplished without the faintest effort (as all flights of skill are), and will always be treasured as a memorable achievement. In Kenneth G. McLeod, the old Fettes boy, we have a rival, historically speaking, to Stokes in the art of goaldropping. At Dublin in the international match between Scotland and Ireland, he landed a goal from beyond half distance of the playing pitch, and the facility with which he accomplished the object in view could not have been equalled even by the immortal Blackheath player. Scotland has a long roll of brilliant drop-kicks, Marshall Reid, Vivian Findlay, D. J. McFarlow, and W. F. Holms being among the most conspicuous, but all these men have to take a back seat to the younger McLeod.—“Fry’s Magazine. ”

By universal consent, W. E. Kyle, of Hawick, F.C., enjoys the distinction of being the finest forward in Scotland. He is good at everything—fast on the ball, marvellous control thereof, tackles like a vyse, works without ceasing, and rarely, if ever, does anything wrong. The Scottish Union would not have him at any price at one time; now they would part with anyone rather than with this dashing Hawick player. Kyle has taken part in no fewer than 13 internationals, and is sprightly enough to take part in many more. He is one of the Union’s great assets. Kyle, we understand, was nominated to captain the Scottish team this season, but the fact of a working man holding that position was more than some of the officials could swallow. Caste is the curse of Rugby football in Scotland, and nowhere is its pernicious influence so rampant as in offical quarters. C B. Fry’s Magazine.

If the club standard in Sydney is as high as that of the principal New Zealand cities—and from what one is told by the men who have often been through New Zealand, there is little doubt that it is—the representative New South Wales teams ought to be as powerful as those of New Zealand (writes the Cynic in the “Referee”). But they are not, though one looks forward to the time when they will be. At present the average New Zealand representative team combines like a machine without any laborious practice, whereas it takes the average New South Wales representative team some little time to work with anything approaching the neat mechanism of club football. The explanation lies in the fact that the finer points of the game, as they apply to individual effort, as well as to collective tactics, are better known in New Zealand than in Australia to the average player. However, the New South Welshman is slowly coming up to the New Zealander. His future is hopeful and full of possibilites.