FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1151, 2 May 1912, Page 15

FOOTBALL.

The Auckland Rugby Union’s club competitions open on Saturday, ‘ a week earlier than last season. As several representative matches Are to be played in Auckland this year the early start should avoid a curtailment of the cup matches as has often been the case in past seasons. * '* * * ~ With the opening of the football season in Auckland but a couple of days off, the prospects of the seven clubs engaged in the senior competition afford plenty of scope for discussion. There has not been a very marked change in the personnel of the various senior teams, and as far as can be ascertained at present the standard of Rugby football should be quite up to, if not higher, than that of last season. As is usually the case, there is a fairly large number of untried players, and until the first series of matches are played it is impossible to judge of the merits of the visitors, even though many of them come with big reputations. Still, it would appear as though the selector will have plenty of good material to work upon when the club competitions are finished, and as Auckland will have to defend the Shield this season against the leading Southern provincial teams, the northerners, will require a worthy combination in order to retain the Rugby supremacy of the Dominion. • • * ♦ To take the senior grade teams individually, commencing with last year’s winners, City, it appears fairly certain that the wearers of the red and black will again be found disputing the champ:onship when the last few matches come up for decision. Fortunately the Club will have their popular skipper, George Tyler, to again do battle for them, and his valuable services, both on the field and at the training hall, cannot be too highly assessed. Other members of last year's pack who will don the red and black jersey this season are the Auckland representative, Bruce, and Forsyth, Maguire, Rasmussen, Collett, and Goudie, while Sam Magee will again act as wing-forward. In the backs, City have lost a splendid little half in Webb, but as P. Thomas, last season’s Parnell half-back, will fill the vacancy, they have no need for anxiety in this important position. The veteran, Bob Magee, has decided to assist his Club for another season, and his inclusion in the City rearguard will, as in previous years, do much to ensure the best combination among the younger players. Barclay, who played well in the five-eighths posit'on last season, will fill a similar- place in the team, while D. Stewart, the Auckland representative three-quarter, and Power will both be available. Fitzgerald, the clever full-back, who injured his shoulder badly last year, will again be a member of the City seniors, so that their back division should be equal to any engaged in the competition. **' * • * As runners-up last year, the Marist Bros. Old Boys’ team are entitled to wide respect when the prospects of the senior clubs are brought under the searchlight. In the forwards will be included that sterling pair, F. Herring and Dennehy, while Barrett, Harris, P. Sheehan, and Gleeson will again be seen out for the Club. M. Carroll, the Manawatu representative w’ho captained the North Island country team last season, will act as wing-forward. The vacancies in the forwards will be filled by juniors. Both Ben and J. O’Brien will be available for the rear division, while other last year’s backs in White, Little, and Curran will again assist the Club. Of the new members, M. Ongley, who played half-back for the New Zealand University team which visited Australia last season, is the most notable, but Marist Bros, will probably only have his services during the first found, as he intends taking up his residence in Oamaru. B. Tapsell, formerly a South Auckland representative back, and Clarke, an old Sacred Heart College boy, who during the 191'0 season played for Tupeka senior team in the Taranaki cup competitions, have joined th€ Marist Bros.’ C’ub.

The University team, despite the loss of over half of their last year’s senior players, will be well represented. An almost new set- of backs will be seen out for ’Varsity, as Frank Wilson (who has retired), Geddes, (now. in England), Dr. Borrie (in, Punedin), Schofield (not available), and Otterson (not available) will not don the. light blue; jersey this season. Of those who will fill the vacancies' in the backs, Stewart, a brilliant: Wanganui player, and F. C. Fryer, the speedy Canterbury and. New Zealand wing-threequarter, should assist materially in bringing the rear division up to its original strength. The clever ’Varsity fiveeighths; Gray, and that promising threequarter, Mackay, will again be seen out this season, the former as captain. Macdonald, the half-back, is also available. The University forwards have lost the services of a splendid leader in T. Wilkes, who is now stationed in Christchurch, while McDayitt and Ramsay will also be missing from this season’s pack. The Club, will rely mainly upon their juniors to fill the vacancies, the only new forward to join University being D’ingle, an ex-City player. Six of last year’s senior forwards, in R. McDuff, Bamford, Bilkey, Grierson, Dineen, and Shepherd, will assist the Club in the forthcoming matches.