FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 906, 27 August 1910, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

[>;•;::-. ■■; ~' rugby. \ .'.,' ; \ : : '-'.:':'■'■' .;, THE TEAM ON TOUR. . . NOTES ON THEIR-DOINGS., : j, ; - ;■;•:. (By Ow-side Mac.). j Seen from the Touch-line. [:' -Wellington won their game against I;'■-: v Tarariaki o'n skill, combination, and, con-K'-dition,..and, at times, they played their \;' moro burly apponents almost to a stand- |: ■< gtili. .Taranaki were superior only in; a v? \ Hieasure in obtaining possession in tho ■■■ ■■;' ecrum, and on tho line-out, but, against V;-/: / tins, the Wellington forwards played.a p;': never-tiring following game, and their ;.;'...backs-shot the,leather about' with a £.-' '; magnetising.accuracy and rapidity, do-. |y .'; iightful to witness, but absolutely per : iP plering to the , other side. Tarariaki: [:; "were really routed'by these fast-following I '■■ forwards, fast passing, and the prodigious !■;■"::.■■-•■■■ kicking, of Evenson and Kinvig. ; ; "■:'",-. ."Taranaki failed lamentably in' their '\.i'[:] forwards, who, except on a few occasions, *";•;.'■■'; played much, below their-best standard. '•'■Had they shown more keenness in keep:CV ing on to the- ball, thty might have '{'''■; nullified, to some extent, 1 the attack of y- 'the Wellington backs, , and given, their ■■':'-. .own'rearguarjl better chances to attack. •■•'■■■■'. : Bnt it.was apparent that they were not ' ; .fit, and, added to, that, they,individually ■■.'•'■'. showed, up as unskilful compared with / .'.'■■.• . '-.'• .. ■■;)■ '.. The play of'the Taranaki backs was, :".. :," on the whole,; crude, but, occasionally, it. : : '.; was something like that-of Wellington,, •:■■; though with nothing of the same brilliant ""cohesion or; accuracy. Had the Welling-' '.'■ .ion. place-kicking from penalties been \ only decent, Taranaki would have been ..handsomely: defeated.' In :the circum-'. ■■'.'.' stances Taranaki escaped rather' easily. .- ; A Coup by . '-'■:'. • ''■:. .:"'-.■: Mitchihson practically: won the game for." : ':'-'.. ; ;Wcllingfqn'-.when, 'with even' scores' and .V-1 within-eight, minutes from time, he ;".secured.tho ball, beat Cameron badly, i , :, , 'and.immediately Perry scrambled over '.:':.-■•: tho .Taranaki .line with .a try from :'-'-'.\- ; ..Tfluch Avery kicked a fino goal. ,' ,\ "■ .;/':■: -Taranaki- made'one desperate .'effort -;-/;■ after 'that when Divo made'a great kick. ;.': arid,-following up.fast, sn - ung Evenson .'■■'.'.: heiatb that player could kick ie: '■'} ■:', irat he was , not' supported, and, wh«:n .i-V-the whistle .blew, a few. minutes later, 'Wellington were again assaulting tho V,-;.laranaki twenty-five. : ', ' " . . The Taranaki team'will require somo ~.,:■ solid' training in order-; to beat Auckland. :>■,•:'/ Some- idea; ; of'AVellington's' strength arid- "'; - j;i,SaTanaki's weakness can be gauged; by p.'i-the fact:that it was estimated that the- '. .'r- yisitors were conceding their opponents :''■-'■;' fully';a stone in weight, all -round, but it was very (evident that weight ■■ was not' -■; .'everything. ■ The game was '.fast, and ■■;'/: exciting. On the one side .was the skilful ■':■;•; passing and fast rushing . tactics, of tho V); Wellington men;, on the other side, nut ."' v .'i by any means siich a good display, but ":, helped by tho individual skill i/.'.of one man—Stohr—who kicked two ■;;., magnificent goals from the field. He' ■':■;'':-;■.nearly Kcked another, and, every time he '■;;: had a place-kick, Wellington shivered. .'. :; The brilliant passing 'of the combined '. ;<■ Wellington men .was thus to_ a ; large .'•■' extent neutralised by the individual skill : }.y.) of this one man, and it-, seems hardly ,'.'..;;..-fair. :that goals from ,the Sold should ••;.!'( count as , much as tries. This, .'however'/.' V■ji'iby.'way of. diversion. , ■■",■: ■ .... : .-■ ; ,; 'S<flert ! ieet. ■■'"^■'. ■;■ ■ ; ' ,-■■ : : :''^ f V V- 'r.Theiganie- was open and fast—much ..■■■iastei'i-but/n'ot so strenuous (say the Wel- --:. ■- lingtori ;men), than' that against Auckland , -. on; Saturday■' last. 'During tlie.Jtwo "spells' i,.;: Wollinffton were forced down only thrice, ■ ,',.,. and .Taranaki five, times,.but in addition ; :■;;"to that, .Wellington scored three tries: The 'i, running, passing, and kicking of the^Wel- : -.' , -Engton backs,' and the.running and kick- ■;,.-.-'' jn|.'of.the Taranaki.rear division at. times. . ;V; produced kaleidoscopic changes. At one ; ■■'~''p erio Wellington would be .attacking, .-'.strongly, and then (possibly with a miss ■-,:' ; pass)-they would, lose their ground, and ; :-'.the gigantic kicks.of Stohr or Dive would !.:■ carry play in an instant almost to tho ",;•; other-end of the field, i . .- ■ . ] ;- ,:, ; . Taranaki's . mistakes were of course more ; : .' o "numerous than >those of Wellington,'and ■v, .when they, .lost ground in any of the at- ■ :'■-.. tacks, counter-attacks- were relieved with' ~ : • such .suddenness that, .almost immediately, tho home team wouldMje fighting for , ■J.; their lives to. avert disaster. The.game' '•'•■:;: all.round.was a ;fine exhibition of good, .!>:'clean, football played in the , best of '■;v' ■ spirit. What little speculation there was on !.v-; 'the game was on level.terms. ; ,' : ■■'■- ■ Taranaki had. three absentees in Pini , ' ; (forward), Roberts (three-quarter back), ;' -■■'■'•and' Taylor (wing forward), while AVel- , lington were minus the services of the .'-. brilliant "Treddy" Roberts. \' It was ■ \ thought, however, that Taranaki were. '- somewhat superior, arid tho start of the --:. .game seemed to confirm this opinion as,' ■', from a strenuous rush ,in the first two .-'■:■.- minutes, Stohr'landed a magnificent goal ■/. - about forty-five yards from the posts, and ■■'■'.-''.■■'■■■ fro m, a..fairly, difficult angle. It was • .nineteen minutes before! Wellington squaf,'ed: matters with a try by Irvine from ■.;.' play by Mitchinson, and then, eighteen '■.'■■, minutes later, : Ryan scored a. try. ~' .■ It was then seen that Wellington were . : -iho better team.. Their football was bet-. -.-:■ ter, and they were surer. Taranaki's hopes were raised: early ,in .the second ; spell ■?':■ when Stohr equaused matters six minutes v !'-after''tho kick-off with a fine goal from a ~'..■ mark by Brown, but after that, except ■ on a few occasions; Tnranaki wero never . ,■ in the.hunt, and when Perry scored the thmL.try and Avery converted, the'fear ■ ■'■■ was much lessened that Stohr • might ■•. again equalise- matters even in the last , . ;i stages of .the game. ■

: Our Backs at New Plymouth. , .. •' Amongst tho'Wellington back division , ■ -M'Leod gave a finished exhibition of pass- .': ■■' ing and 'following-up tactics. • He throw '.'.-■■. the ball about crisply, and.kept his backs -•'!-' going on. every available occasion. Hβ <■' .was ably helped by E. Eoberts behind the scrum who, in this his first repre- ..' sentative 'fixture,'played' cleverly and '■•-:■• well, and gave a sample of, the ability which his father used to demonstrate a '. quarter of a century ago, in the same place. Kinvig was chiefly remarkable , for his splendid kicking. ■'.. . Of the three-quarters Mitchinson was ..•"■ the chief factor.. He kicked and ran .'."..we11, was quito unselfish,' and besides commencing the play which led to tho winning try was associated in nearly all : : Wellington's most brilliant efforts. DawEon put in some very good work, and 60 did Byan, who, however, was rather ■ slow at times in attending to tho passing runs of his colleagues. As a- full-back Evenson played with a . - Boi-t. of inspired confidence. Ho made only one mistake during, the whole game, and, whenever' ho was pressed, ho roso' to the occasion in all departments. His ;•.. punting and finding the line were heartbreaking to tho , Taranaki, forwards. ■• Our Tireless Yan. ' . Among the Wellington forwards, all played consistently. Avery was skilful as wing man. Ho dribbled and followed up well, looked after his chances in proper style, kicked a neat goal from a try, and --' almost.another from a penalty. Perry seemed ■ to be the most, prominent o£ the others. He followed up in great stylo, and was ably supported by Leahy, Moffatt, Irvine, and Bruce. The fact that Wellington did not gain possession in the scrum is'attributed primarily to clinching tactics on the part of oue of the Taranaki front-rankers, • The Wellington team might havo been strengthened if Evenson and Eyan had ' changed places. On the Toranaki side Franklin, at full-back, showed inexperience, and, on several occasions, ho let hia team down badly. \ Stohr and His Mates. . ; Stohr was by far the best of the threeffluarter line. He was handicapped'also :'. through M'Leod crowding him on to the touch-line. Cameron was patchy, and tl'Leod good only, in defence. Brown

played very well at half, and somo good defensive work was done by Mynott. l)ivo ranked next to Sthor as tho best of the Taranaki backs. .Ho made somo • fino ■ efforts ' in'.- the last, stages o£ the gamo. ' Moir,. Smith,, Coir, and Osborne, wer« seen'at times, 'but none played well. Tamu and Martin, members of tho Maori team, were very N disappointing. In following up the play tho referee was some-, times ahead' of any of them. Although tho team got possession, tho heeling-out was patchy oh numerous occasions, showing that they required mote sctujn practice. Auckland Match, ; Auckland saved themselves from defeat against AVellington through tho strength of their forwards, who, it. is admitted, played abovo themselves on that day, Every Auckland forward was entitled on his play to a place in a Now Zealand team. They had weight, size/.and skill; they were very/quick on ( th6'brill, and continually broke'thi-ough on to the Woilington backs,- who, with the exception of Roberts and Ryan, were rather buloiv form., v : ■ The Wellington forwards played a big game against great opposition. . Had they been supported in the- attack'by ;their .backs, as they were in the Taranaki match, they must have won. It was not a fast game, but it was slTenuous and terribly exhaustive. "It was," .said Mr. R. 'Williams, the referee, "something like the gamo played in AVellington in ISSC against Otago. As a brilliant exhibition jt was not, to be compared with the match played by AVellington in Auckland in. 1008, when AA'ellirigton cracked up in the last stages of the play, and were badly beaten. The back play last Saturday was brilliant in defence by both. sides. This was especially so in the case of AA'ellingtou 'half-way through,the .«eco-nd spell, when Auckland vigorously assaulted the AVellington goal-line for fully minutes. All this tiaie Auckland wero only five yards from the. coveted mark, hut so desper.ate' was tho tackling of the Blacks that the attack was staved off. On one occasion AVjlie, of Auckland, was- actually over the line,. but failed to ground the ball,' and, before he could touch down, he was. held up by three Woilington -forwards, .iuid' hurled back into the held 'of'play?' ';•■'■ •'/•■;' ■ In 'the last 'five minutes.Auckland were perceptibly tired through their great exertions, and AVellington forced the game. Roberts brokelaway with a thirty-yards' dash,' and, had lie been, supported as he should have been, Wellington must.have scored. ' '; .- ■ Auckland Individually! Coming to' the Auckland individual backs, O'Leary gave the best exhibition* for his side. Always a neat kick, he was right up to his, highest, standard, and saved Auckland repeatedly. It is Only fair to state, however, that he did ■not have so much work to do as Ryan, the AVcUington full-bnck. , . Walker, who played as substitute for. Stewart, was just about next best, while ■Murray, on the defence, was very good. Morse and the others' also played, very well on, the defence, this notwithstanding general' newspaper reports which ap-i -parently prefer the Auckland rear.division on offensive tactics alone.' .

All the Auckland forwards played phenomenally. Francis was possibly a little above his' fellows, but Tyler, who had, been classed' as a "has-been,", played the game of his life. ■ '.. . "Our Own" Again. ■ F. Roberts was easily the star of the Wellington backs. He showed great tackling, rush stopping, and kicking tactics, arid he made plenty of openings in.attack, which were 'nullified, however, ■ on' inany occasions/by;the spoiling efforts of the Auckland-five-eighths. It would :appear;. : however,..that: the Wellington backs" might have' changed their gamo when they found that they were being rushed'l>y'tho Aucklanders. '.His try, through the instrumentality of Avery, was, a splendid '.;thirty yards' dash. ■ ; :.Evenson, .at-wing three-quarter, had not much to do, hut played well. Ityan was also prominent in.attack, and, .when on the'defence, got AVellington out of several tight corners. ■ Mitchinson , was suffering from boils, : and, .consequently, did not play up to his usual form. Kinvig kicked magnificently in the second spell. AVith Evenson and Stohr ho, this - season; has the'honour of being one' of tho biggest punts and linekickers in New Zealand. M'Leod, the other five-eighths, played fairly well, but not so well as he did against Taranaki. Dawsondid a lot of smart fielding, and showed much pluck against tho attack of tho heavy Auckland vanguard, who, tirno after time,, swept along in 1 a veritable phalanx. . Thero, was nothing to pick between Avery and Hall, tho AVellington . and Auckland wing forwards. Possibly, the AVellington man was the cleverer' with his feet, but Hall was great in the ■dashes. ■ ■.■>'.' ' It Tvcrald be very hard to define theremaining forwards. Beaten and pushed in. the scrum, they, held their own fairly well on the line, while, in the loose, they seemed to bo generally better than Auckland. Perry, Moffatt, and Bruco followed up consistently,'and Elliott and.lrvine as , hookers did very well against great weight. *~''>'■ Thb referee 'put tho hall in the scrum on every occasion, but not with success, as in several-instances the ball was put in while the Wellington pack was standing up. It was not that the referee showed any spirit of unfairness in ■ the matter,. but tliero is no doubt that AVellington got the worst.of it. It is difficult to understand why. moro attention, is not bestowed upon tho rules. The crowd .was impartial, and frequently applauded good play by either side.'