FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 312, 26 September 1908, Page 11

FOOTBALL.

, • RUGBY. ; - (By Aristobulcs.) . OTAGO v. WELLINGTON. '• The spectators,. who - were present at' the Athletic .Park on Saturday .to witness tho last representative Rugby match of the season,- weVo treated to a fine,'all-round.exhibi- ■ ;tion of,footbaU., With.the-exception of a mild northoriy breeze, tho weather conditions woro .' ■ perfect,- and tho ground: .was in excellent T order for fast play.' Though .the first spell ' was for the most part productive of unii); terestirig play, tho. second half was quite tho reverse/and besides witnessing the mdst.attractive Rugby play that could be desired;the -. spectators had their enthusiasm', 'aroused to '-.the highest pitch, owing to the exciting na-. ■I'ture-of . the scores and the'uncertainty as to ho w thu gamo- would-ultimately result. Disregarding- some . unpleasant .vrumours that havo:been in. circulation since, tho inatch, ...the-' defeat -bf tho local teairi 'inayAbe attributed Ho the fact'-that' they-did'/not: make the most-of their advantage when they had thef wind and sun behind thera.'in the first spell/ Otago on the other hand,, after sav-ing-,their energy as far as possible in tho first spell by.making good and frequent use of the touch-line, instilled thq'.utmbst vigour into their efforts in the second , hdlf, and for a quarter of ; an hour/the Wellington team, were'practically demoralised. 'The concluding stages'of the match .provided a fine struggle, but the' task 'of .rccoyering.the- lost ground-proved too'-mrich' for;tho' home team; It has been said AthatSthe poor goal-kicking of the losers was responsible for their defeat, but the victors missed; kicks just ;as many and just as easy. 1 • , One of the brightest'features , of tho. match was the-brilliant work performed-by Mitchinsori;. The Poneke player 'figured as: an excellent' places-kick in' the first spell-, and,though he' deteriorated'in./this department as tho gcfme - progressed' the rest' of his play imE roved immensely.;/He. really had to make all is '-'own', chances jofor/.Grepn, ithough lie did some - gbod w6rk (at,- five-eighths, vas of 110 • use,;;td; /th 6 of: 'the fejam,. arid M'Leod- was.".right, off "colbiir-;rV Mitehinson wrtainly'; hiirig,'on to the hall rather long orice!or tw|ce-'in the;first 5pe.11,./but': no fault could bo-found with' any of hi? : play in, the second half; -Two of his efforts call for special mention.- The first-was when he, v tho ball i'at-;the half-way'' flag, and ran towards touch, drew. the Otago.defence.aftel-.'him, and then- with .a. beautiful, screw .kick centred the ball almost' directly in. front of the. posts, and quickly put his fbpvards on side'.. The• reralt was a.try iii a good position. The second effort was .whbri r he " scored the. , try which nearly pulled the riiatch out of f the fire.; Green' sent him ,a Very! feeble pass, arid. oiio which it was .-.quite.^impossible.,to. take on . the full. But the next best'thing' was to tyke it on tho bqiirice and snapping, it-up he set out on a perilous f expedition, to tho-. some seventy .-yards, distant.' , Crossing'. the halfway ,?line' he : -made -aU 'preparations- to pass to ! this -.was only for! tho'! benefit of the Otago backs;-'arid; when: they-were convinced that he intended to pass he slipped quietly between them, .arid ;set out at a pace which fquickly disabused their minds of the idea. With still 1 a-'few yards it appeared as! if. ;he must be,, collared by one;of the Otago backs but a ■well-timed. dive culminated. in one of the finest scores that has ever been seen on tha Athletic. Park. •

Vcrcoc, at full-back for Wellington, did some excellent kicking,, .but. his fielding of the ball, was not always'good. ■ ■ . Even£on:di(T somc first-class' work it wing three-quarter; his first trybeing especially noteworthy. -. There were times,. however, when his defenco was, to say the least of it, patchy. ....... ■. , . Magee was scarcely.. a , success at. wing three-quarter, nor was Green happy in the •position ' of., five-eighths.' The passing of the latter .was .erratic' throughout tho game. Roberts, at half, was- undoubtedly a tower of strength to ;his, side, but,for all .that ho has been seen to more advantage 'in other matches. His judgment'"hppeare'd''''to be at fault in the. first spell, when, on two or three occasions;.'he, worked . Mageo's wing instead of Evonspn's; ■■■• This may Have beenbecause .he discovered it-was of . ho uso ; passing to.M'Leocl, who .was a passenger right through the match. . , . Indeed, it is difficult to. account for tho form shown by M'Leod in : Saturday's match In previous •■representative, fixtures ; ha . has played conspicuously, but against Otago ho was never what- one could call i prominent. Another player who showed reversed form was Rush. .He is usually considered tho best forward in the Wellington team, but the only time he appeared prominent in the Otago match-was when ho kicked off .at the commencement; of ._ tho . second spell. ' What was the matter with him? . The best of the forwards were Hardham, A. C.' Wilson, ■ and -"Ranji". Wilson, tho two. being hard at work from start/to finish, and always being on hand in the loose rushes.' ..Shadboltjvßeadyy.and-Hamilton alsografted consistently, the'former, registering' one fino run in. the first spell. Among the. Otago backs Sutherland and Doherty? stood, ,out above the rest, the defence of this pair in the first spell reaching a high: degree of proficiency. Sutherland generally got. the ball, away from the scrum very clean; and he exhibited plenty of pace himself. . Though all the passing, rushes initiated by him . did not end in scores, his efforts to-open up the game were commendable. Doherty made' few mistakes at'five-eighths, and his line kicks were very sure. O'Sullivan,. at wing three-quarter, was too eager and spoiled a lot of passing rushes by 'overrunning the ball. • • • " I , Don and . .Chambers were both reliable, Don doing some very useful work, at centre. On one occasion in the second half-both ho and/Mitclimson raced for tlio ball in thu loose, and tlie Ota^o 'player secured it and mado'an opening wnich should have, resulted ih ; ' Clarke,; at full-back, was fairly • safe, but when Mitchinson scored his try the Otago full-back -was certainly not playing deep enough. ■■ Without doubt the whole of the Otago forwards played' ideal Rugby,' and the manner in 'which they, threw- the; ball about in,,tho second 1 spell was a sight well-worth seeing. They -.seemed to concentrate their whole energy.into those sweeping.rushes Which on several occasions proved irresistible. Thero was no reckless kicking of-the ball, it was either good dribbling'or neat,passing. M'Donald as wiuger was responsible for best individual .play,'.'and of the other forwards Ivimey, Casey, Paton, and Patterson were perhaps more conspicuous than the rest, but all .looked to bo doing their very best. The fine kicking of Paton and Patterson deserves 1 a llote. Thus the: "Athletic News":—A letter which has been received by the honorary secretary of the Northern Rugby Union, from Mr. J. J.; Giltinan, of Sydney, is most important, and ought, if-it can be accepted aa accurate, to make Rugby Union folk ponder. Professionalism seems to be. extending in Rugby' football , in the Commonwealth, and the success which attended the' State of New South Wales .in their engagements with tho All Blacks would suggest that tho cream of the football playing talent has gone over, to the new leagues. The backing given the professional, movement seems wonderful, and it-,;will;be, interesting to watch what .support is accorded the British side in their;engagements. -These will also furnish some idea-of the. strength of the Colonial Rugby Union team to tour, m;this country during tho,winter. If Mr.,,Harnett's side jvin. -their engagements, tho • Australians, might' just as well stay at'home, for any chance, they have of bbiiicc successful hero. On the other hand, tho. professionals have proved their right to

tour by reason of their .victories over the Now Zoalanders and the Maoris. • 'Thero is-only 0110 tiling which, can be urged against the fixtures provided for the Australian Northern Union team on their forthcom-ing-tour, and that is a'tendency to cater for far-away interest at_ the cost; of tho zealous lovers of the gamo in Lancashire'and Yorkshire. Tor instance,-the tour, opens with" a gamo against Mid-Rhondda, : Why not at Oldham ,or Wigan, or Hunslet? The first test match will take place'at Park Royal, London.;- Why? We do not wish to find fault with tho zeal of tho Northern Union officials. They are justified in doing their utmost to expand the interest in their-game, but they must not forget one thing. Thero is a largS home constituency, which has .stood by their game, through -thick and thin, arid that constituency should havo: been considered to a greater extent than has been, the case. The opening match at MidJlhondda, the gamo between the colonials and tho Northern. League ' at' ' Goodison Park—we' thought the league had suffered, discomfiture and' to spare in Liverpool—and the first testat Shepherd's Bush; these' are arrangements which are not wholly commendablo under the circumstances. At . tho same time, we hope the Northern Union officials will not bo disappointed, though we must be excused for saying "wo ha'o . oor doots." —"Athletic News." ; ' It has been rumoured that Jackson is out here in tho interests'of Northern Unionism, says the "Otago Witness.," This is. farthest from his thoughts; indeed, the big Cornishman's opinion of Northern Union football is not altogether-favourable to the-code. Jackson's movements, at present aro '.undecided, He purposes spending a week or two in Southland, whither he goes'in ! the course of a day or. two. By that time he anticipates letters from England which will make lus case of, alleged professionalism clear; in fact, Jackson is'hopeful of being reinstated.'/ Jackson has only- been suspended pending further hearing of his .case, and if he is reinstated New Zealand will benefit,, for Jackson has stated that thero is a. possibility of his remaining in New Zealand," arid moro unlikely things might happen ..than playing under the banner of tho New Zealand Rugby Union F. Jackson,, who. toured part of New Zealand! with the Anglo- Welsh team,' speaking toa Southern pressman; sai'd-: "I have seen a' lot'of the Northern -Union flame, -arid the Rugby game; if played- well, is far ahead of it; • What 'is", required in" the Rugby' Union f?amo is a-modification of the rules and intelligence to play'it." ' ! By paying 'ihdso ; whq suffer under present conditions ' tho governing ■ body,, can give them justice; and at ' the " same , tirne, can domucSh to strengthen its position as : agftinst ; professionalism. 'By.refusing. it will assuredly lay up much'trouble for itself.—" Canterbury' Times;" 1 ' '■ .'

The match between the team of British Rugby Union players and fifteeri of Now South Wales, . members of- the combination who are to.tour England, would-scarcely.'be said-to have bad a satisfactory result (remarks the'" Athletic. Jfews")•■'. Had the colonial team, won thero might have been some degreo of interest manifested over their coming to this country;''' They were, however, bgatcn by a try,to nothing' in a match which was, played on wet" and .heavy ground,, so that it. is impossible to entertain great hopes''of their success on the heavy pitches they are, likely „to' encounter,, in Jthil..QMintj6yA.J.'.Pjir. opinion .of the strength of the British team is'. not high; what, then, can we say of the chances of the men.of-Neiv South Wales? Verily . New South Wales must be a poor team. Mr. I. Hyams, of Wellington, has compiled a complete record of 'the m&tches'playod, between New Zealand and Australian representatives since, tho first game took..place in 1882,. • Ninety-nine'matches* have'been' played altogether; ;and . of. this -total New'' Zealand has won .80,-. lost, ;17,- 1 anddrawn 2. ..The points scored by - the New Zealanders to date, total 1.601,' whilo the' Australians have scored 507. Of the 99 games played,,the compiler of the rccord has witnessed-45. Details .of the scores in tho matches are:—Npw Zealand: Tries scored, 395; goals from tries, 147; goals from marks, 12; potted goals, 19; penalty goals, 17.- Australia: Tries scored, 108; goals from tries, 34; goab from marks, 12; potted.goals, 6; penalty goals,, 18.