NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 956, 2 July 1908, Page 10

NOTES.

The Newton and City fourth grade teams who drew in the first match at the beginning of the season play off for the championship on Saturday, when it is expected a very keen contest will take place.

Ponsonby thirds may now be regarded in the light of “ morals ” for the third grade competition, since they are a win and a draw ahead of North Shore 111. B, who are runners up for the championship. With few exceptions, the Ponsonby third fifteen is composed ox players who won the fourth grade competition under the same colours last season.

The second round of the junior grade competitions will be commenced on Saturday.

“ General ” Booth, the New Zealand “ All Black,” who is now residing in Sydney, is a member of the New South Wales “ rep.” team which defeated Queensland by 13 points to 8 last week. He is playing full back.

There is some difference between: the preparations made tor training the New Zealand team against BedellSivright’s combination in 1904 and what was done to make the “ All Blacks ’-’ effective for last Saturday’s game (says the “Dominion”). In 1904 the New Zealanders were taken over to Day’s Bay, where they were subjected to a large amount of physical work in the daytime, and blackboard exercises by night. They,were almost treated as close prisoners. Last week the change was great. The team which was selected never met together once until a few minutes before the game. Half of them resided in one hotel, half in another. They, had no manager to look after their interests, and they roamed the city at will. At the dressing shed they were not really allowed to form a scrum before they were hurried on to the field. At half-time they found no towels nor anybody to rub them down.

The following team has been selected to ‘ represent Wanganui against Taranaki on July 4:—Full, Smith; three-quarters, R. Meuli, Abbott (captain), Reid; five-eighths, Mitchell and A. Seeling; half, Do we; wing, Souter; forwards, Murray, Leahy, Guscott, Milne, Gillespie, Irvine, Dustin. Emergencies: Back, C. Champion; forward, Paton. The Wanganui representatives to meet the Anglo-Welsh team will be chosen after the match with Taranaki.

A youngster born in Bush districts on the day that Harding’s An-glo-Welsh team landed in Wellington has been named Cymru by his footballer father in honour of the occasion. If he lives the lad should always be an unimpeachable authority as to the date of the arrival of the British team in this Dominion, where the Rugby sun never sets.

The following dates have been fixed for the Otago team’s tour: — Southland, September 2; Canterbury, September 5; Auckland, September 12; Taranaki, September 16; and Wellington, September 19.

By representing New Zealand on Saturday in the match against the Britishers, Wallace, the Wellington back, has established a record as a New. Zealand international. Wallace has represented New Zealand in five distinct years, counting the tour in Great Britain as one season. The next on the list are Cunningham, Seeling and W. Mackenzie (“ Offside Mac ”), who have each represented New Zealand for four years.

Among numerous congratulatory messages received by W. J. Stead, the captain of the New Zealand team, in the initial test match, was a letter from a little boy, who is at present

an inmate of the Naseby hospital. The lad mentioned that he was ten years of age, and was a member of his school team prior to his illness, and wound up with congratulatory wishes and the confident assertion that “ New Zealanders can beat Britishers at football.” It is needless to say that a special acknowledgment to. this spontaneous greeting of an enthusiastic but helpless young Ruggerite was sent.

Seeling, the crack Auckland forward, was indisposed previous to and after the inter-island match on Wednesday of last week, and had to be attended by Dr. McLean. Seeling was confined to his room after Wednesday’s game, but donned the jersey again on Saturday, to do battle for the New Zealand team.

The New Zealand University team which left last Friday for Australia is considered to be strong both in the forward and back divisions. Of the original selection only two players were unable to make the trip, namely, Wilson, of the Auckland University, and Hitchings, of Victoria College—and the vacancies were filled by Brosnan, of Victoria College, and Goodbehere, also of Victoria College. Dr. Hunter, of Dunedin, accompanies the team as manager.

The takings at the second test match between the Anglo-Welsh team and New Zealand amounted to over £llOO, a very fair return considering the weather was wet.

After a very fast game the Maori team now in Australia defeated Queensland by 19 to 16. Haera, Asher, Ririnui, Tao, and Ratiti scored tries for the visitors, Asher kicking two goals.

The North v. South Island match last week was something of a fiasco, so far as good football was concerned. Heavy rain had made the AthIteic Ground at Wellington in a fearfully sodden condition, and as a result the game proved an exhibition of mudlarking rather than one of scientific football. The Northern team were much the stronger, and although they only won by 12 to 5 it is probable the difference would have been much greater had the backs been able to hold the ball. Mitchinson (2), Cameron, and Coleman scored the tries for the North, no goals being kicked, while Mahoney got over for the South, Hamilton adding the major points.

Mr. Robert McKirthney Jack is taking proceedings against Albert Asher, the manager of the Maori team in Australia, claiming a share of the profits of the tour in Australia. Asher’s contention is that Jack was only promised 2 % per cent, of the gate at the first match. The case will come on in Sydney in about a fortnight’s time.

At the last meeting of the executive committee of the A.R.U. a player named Lindsay, a member of the City second grade team, was disqualified for the rest of the season for striking a member of the North Shore second grade team during the currency of a match between the clubs. A North Shore player, for attempting to retaliate, was cautioned by the committee, the chairman giving some wholesome advice about the necessity of players keeping their tempers.

J. A. Lavery, a prominent member of the team of N.Z. professional footballers that toured England last year, has just signed on to the Leeds (Northern Union) Football Club.