NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 26 June 1913, Page 18

NOTES.

Unfortunately Perry, the one-armed footballer, who has been playing a fine game for Oriental in Wellington this season, met with an accident in a club match a fortnight ago, breaking one of his ribs. Perry has now decided to give the game best, and it is indeed a pity to see so keen and popular a player compelled through injuries to retire from the playing ranks.

The selection of the New Zealand University team for Australia has come in for some criticism in the South, it being pointed out that the men chosen are only representative of the chief schools of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. When one reflects for a moment that such worthy Rugby exponents as attend the Wanganui and Te Aute Colleges are ignored in making the selection of a New Zealand University team it is immediately recognised that the combination that left Wellington last Friday for Australia does not represent the true standard of Rugby football, as played in the student ranks of the Dominion.

F. Glasgow, the ex-All Black Rugby footballer, who four years ago was stationed in Invercargill and other parts of Southland as a. member of the. Bank of New Zealand is coaching a team of Maoris at Kaikohe, Bay of Plenty.

Californ.an Rugby Unionists keenly desire the visits to theii’ country of a New Zealand representative team. They are clearly determined to develop their game until they are tne peers of any Rugby country in the world.

The more the writer sees of G. D. Gray, the more convinced he is th.it the Albion five-eighths is in a grade by himself as far as Canterbury football is concerned (says a Christchurch critic). A select few may equal him in execution, but this cool, heady, artistic player has made a science of the game. Design and purpose, with the necessary skill for execution, make him a model that many could imitate with distinct profit. To his team he is a tower of strength in defence, and one needs not wonder for any length of time as to what would happen to the Albion team without his services, especially in defence. At times, in the Albion-Can-terbury College match, the whole burden of repelling attack rested on him alone. He looked like Horatius at the bridge facing fearful odds, but meeting them as successfully as the Roman of old.

Commenting on the prospective strength of this year’s- Otago team, ■Full-back,” in the "Otago Witness,” says:—The back division should compare favourably with last season—certainly with the back team which represented Otago on the northern tour —whilst the forwards should be stronger, if anything, than the fine pack which did such good service in the North —particularly against Taranaki and Auckland. Three of the star backs of last season are, however, not available this year owing to various causes. Cockroft, as is generally known, is teaching in Timaru, Alexander is in the Hastings (Hawke’s Bay) district, where he is playing well, and Black, our best five-eighth, has unfortunately retired from the game. Among the forwards, the losses include Molloy, of University, who has gone to the West Coast, and Sheehan, of Southern, who is at Suva (Fiji), where, rumour has it, he is coaching an "All Black” team.

The N.Z. Maori team met the Queensland representatives at Brisbane on Wednesday of last week, and .after , a strenuously contested •game they proved victors by 11 points to nil. On Saturday the Maoris de-

feated the Metropolitan Union team in Sydney by 6 points to 3. These successes the Maoris followed up by scoring a victory over the N.S.W. Rugby Union representatives on Monday by 16 points to 5.

The following selectors for the North versus South Island match, to be played at Christchurch on July 26, have been appointed: —North: Messrs Gallaher (Auckland), Mynott (Taranaki), Meredith (Wellington). South: Messrs Wilson (Canterbury), Cavanagh (Otago), Jenkins (Southland).

WANGANUI FOOTBALL NOTES.

(From our own Correspondent). Wanganui’s Rugby Union representative team defeated Manawatu on Saturday by 11 points to 0. It is quite refreshing to have to chronicle the fact that our representatives scored such a decisive victory. It must be admitted that the Manawatu team was not a particularly strong one — that is, in comparison with some of the teams which have represented that Union in the past. Still, our visitors of Saturday came well accredited, the backs especially, but they were outplayed in all departments of the game. The local forwards were too strong for Manawatu’s vanguard, both in the scrum and loose, with W. Dustin again the star. He played a splendid game all through, being always in the van, and his tackling being of the most deadly order, while his handling of the ball was first class. He took part in mgny passing rushes as well as any back, and altogether gave a v'ery. bright display. One try he secured was the outcome of an effort worthy of even a Seeling; in Tact, it can safely be said that on his present form Dustin is better than any forward seen here since the famous "All Black’s” time, and he (Dustin) should be sure of a place for the team for California. The Leaby Bros, and collier grafted very solidly all the way, while Lynch (on the wing) was a big improvement. Amongst the oacks, Atkins (half), Cameron, and F. Meuli (five-eighths), were conspicuous. The first-named started many passing rushes in good style, and Cameron played with plenty of dash, doing a lot of good work, the only fault noticeable being a habit of running out to the wings instead of going straight. F. Meuli was very "nippy,” and this helped to brighten up the play of the other backs. Temperton did not shape too well on the wing; he made a bad start, through slipping a couple of times when he would otherwise have scored, and this apparently affected his play. He got a try very smartly towards the end of the game, his pace standing him in good stead. Campion, who was only fair at centre, had a rib oroken in the second half, and had to retire, his place being taken by Baddeley, who did what he had to do in fine styie, and should be kept in the team, as, unlike some other backs here, he always runs straight, and thus gives the outsides a chance. For Manawatu, Pegden was the pick of the backs. He did a big share of work, and is a fine wing. Kerr was very safe at half, playing a capital game. Bob Meuli was very solid, and his kicking was first class. Of the forwards, Harkness, Best, and Walsh were perhaps the best of an even lot.

Wanganui’s score was made up of a penalty goal, kicked by W. Dustin, a try secured and converted by the same player, and a try by Temperton. The Wanganui Collegiate School teams v.sited Palmerston North on Wednesday to play their annual matches with Te Aute College. The senior game was a great struggle, Wanganui eventually winning by 29 to 19. The play was of a very high order, and the 15,000 people who witnessed the matches were delighted with the fine exhibition of Rugby given by both teams. From start to finish the play was very fast, and passing bouts by the backs, first on one side and then the other, followed one another in quick succession, and kept the big crowd in a state of excitement. It was one of the best expositions of Rugby seen for a long time, but the writer cannot agree with the Wellington scribe who declares that the Wangianui three-quarter line was a magnificent one. It was good certainly, but no one who remembers the -rilliant players who represented the College some ten years ago would think of comparing the present set of backs with them.