ASSOCIATION NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 918, 10 September 1910, Page 12

ASSOCIATION NOTES.

/Gbntre-Half.)s;:' ,: '/:/■:

; To-day's;/Battle.-;/ ; -■•■ TMs/afternoon;,there!.is to' he contested■what i]i'4iie:'opinion, of those whoiprDfess': ''.-'tov'Tmo'W';,^ game'' of -'this ,/seasbn's, Brown"; Shield coiripetition—tho" match between Wellington' arid, Aucldahd. / To..beat -a: /combination '---which/proved ■■too";good 'fpr'-Otago,-:Aucßarid -must;needs.possess :.somhthing , extra, speci'al"'in'thb'make-up" ; of her; re-,-presentative' team,/!and ,'since .it 'is- a wise thing never" to.:underestimate'-the '.fight-'. ;ing'force '.of. : -the -enemy, Wellington, it .is.to'/be. hoped, lias taken, due; carp to see that the doughty -champions from the' north will be met:.by .worthy combatants. Whether.:in the choice of their latest coin-' binwion-itho' Wellington: selectors • have done both":'wisely:, and'/wcll, remains. to be seen?, for the,true -test ;bf this can 'only be"'- gaup/jd by Jesuits.': Critics—compn-, tent ontics, be' it, observed—are not -so euro that, thfe.selectbjs/have: dduo.as,well' as "they might-oui this occasion.:The Wellington: Representatives. ;':'. ■ ; "The Wellington team differs in many respects from that which opposed Warigaiiui and Otago,. and-1 am not quitu sure that all is well with the' selection ' (writes "Argus"). A fortnight or so ago the selectors asked somewhere' about, fifteen players to turn up and train twice a week,'and then when they camo 'to make their final selection dropped some ■'of: these ,and 'substituted others, whom only a'fortnight ago,,they (the selectors) did, not. consider worthy of being asked to train.-, This' somersault at once shows '.vacillation;.'; It does '. seeni.. strange that they should lose confidence in somo of ■their own,'pet lambs' in ono ; short week. It'-inay,be-' that ,the' selectors have information regarding the players which the public havenot,' but all things consider- ' «d .their attitude' requires sqmo explaining.' . ■■;■/'.••■" ..--'.' \ /;-:'-/':■" '-■'■' '■.- ' '-," 'Are the: Backs Weak?, ;f •' "The selectors in their wisdoni have thought fit' to disturb the back division. Cornish and Koberts,"except .for one or two' slips, played very-well in both, their last matches, but Cornish has given way to'rye-Smith, at This' is a combination (Roberts and; Pye-Smith), which does not lend itself to efficiency." Both these players are good, but they are both players- of tho same.temperament— 'dare-dovil,, stick-at-nothing.' When they

tackle they go out''with tho idea that they-must get something,'stop something, oitker manor ball. Either of these, two men with Cross for colleague would bo preferable to the back division a"s it stands. L»t them bo cautious and dovetail one another's,.'iplay.V The half-back line has not. even escaped the pruningknife. of the : .'talent-spotters.', Theso very estimable/' gentlemen have given Jackson.n : rest,:and put in his clubmato, Paget/ Hero again: tho 'cautious' player has been'set aside'for ono. who adopts a moro bustling ' game. :•' - Paget, is certainly a"more go-ahead, half than : Jackson, but when :-it ..comes to. feeding forwards and supporting them, "Jackson is a.good deal in-front of his-successor; A.change that' the selectors might .very well; have made hero would 1 havo been to drop Bradbury and play Hart. ,

Drastlc-;'Changes in the Vanguard. •-.' "Tho.foni'ard lino.hasgota shake, and no-■■ mistake;;- Smallbono.'and . Tiniperley -havo been substituted. 'It .is- hardto. understand Sraallbohe l 's' rejection; Timperley .is .unfortunately .rendered/ hors-de-.. -:oohibat,;;having. only.recently, undergone an: operation, 7 .which;, all, footballers will rejoice, tb.'.heaiv he ■ has come through successfully;'-. .The;Mouatt : ,brothers.:are installed on' tho left, and .they should be able/! to'give a-half-back a lively afternoon's .'work. ."■ .Edwards, who was asked' i to' train, set aside. Ho d 66's not seem;toJhav'e'imnfes'sed.'.the'selectors at 'aUi;Bii't.:.on^:',thinß^is.''.i»rM tt !V.X ; '^ loTia ;t t has,: hdl ' tfto: i!.(,'!itroZ. over /ilio ball •'. that .-"Edwards, has.ian'd.neither is he,so good at getting" in; his : ;shti.t,.fr i om any angle.' The selectors.,may" lia'vi!,; in'oi'eascd./lthe. com-:bih(itiou.of.,the-forwards bythejinclusioh. of W.rMonattiibut iiis, cbrtaih, they'have hot. increased! their'.'goal-getting powers. On ,the; .right wo v have Vcssey, transferred froiu , inside. tb, outside, and Trevethick This method is eii-. i tircly : wrong. ■ Vessey's powers are wasted on tho' outside. He is a glutton-for .work; l-nhd ho,ought i« be t rotainril inside, whert; ho can get/scope for his bustling .tactics. He must how-wait when on .tho..wing .till '.the ball comes to.him,, and' that is'not his style. In Vessey's case : it i§ 'ability, not usedis ability wastcd.V Qnj tho,other li'and,/Trevethick is' equally at'home .on the outside, and he-is a faster man,than l,VesseYj/aiid'noi : suoh a bustler. /His.posi-. tibuin the; teain is-undoubtedly on tho outside,- ; and,yessey''inside." ~/-,.'. ,/ ;/'■

The' ChallengersK;:.: { .'): {■;' . Contihuing,,his'-remarks, r, Arguß", gucs oh to : state That tlie^ Wellingtonteam' will havo to .'put their/best/foot' forward to ■stail: off tnb; northern attack.'-Some of last year's'. Auckland -team 'are - again coining down,':but .'a 'good, many, alterations . are made here too., "We shall'have," lu<:says, "bur'.old. goalki;Bpei',.{(olduu.il) opposed tu us, '■' and. tut- home team know wiiat-'tliac means.!? bale ;lu instilled/at back, whefo ha is ; playing .a grand "game. 1 Marshall,; who. played v &uch' a sterling-, game .Just year at centre-half; is again.on;show, and the home forwards know'hew'.difficult it is .to get. past him./.Taken.all ov«r;.then I :think■'■ Auckland have "the pull'-, at "half/ ■back',-: and', -Wellington are. stronger -t'onvard;--Everything'; there-, fore,'.points to -a■:ding-dong''struggle, aild given; good weather, we (should', have,.,a great.orowd.";; ;■ .-./' /',?/;' ■"■'--'./•{■ '//V"

?;• {/'//r '< /./ ■" •;'-,JJrbm"; another .'keen ■..critic.', cornea. the following :—"A.more;criticised team: than ■■ th'at'.ivhi'chi:will .'represent ..Wellington. .011 'Saturday; has ; not been'!selected; to ;defend. |'thb''Sßrown' ; :' ; l; : Ms;e'r,V Patbh,:. ahd'>;yWiUmms';fydropped fsuch/lmeu .'.'as? Smallboh.e,'y/i'Jacks6ni-:ahd , Cornishi a'iid4eft;but'suchT'ajt'rilliaht.left {winger: as Edwards? , '-Ol':;c'pUrfte;', ; not''oni>' of "the'.; eleven,-'is:-new to '->< representative 1 honours; {and '■ after.; all\they,-! may''put'up ;a ; good fight—-lot, üb; hope bo. :" ; Webster,'in Sgbal; l - haslhadSplbnty of; experience,; but .still^scemsl^nefvaus;at 'times, .".phis/ho {;wiU vh'avo toj'ovcrcomc.- Pyc-Smith'will -be/^laying'/{his-/?.first, {.J rep.'-.''gams "?a{{-; .shadow; -of' •' the'^'jaejc l ;: -'.thatiplayfedv'a'saiust ?'tho .meii?.?ffbru?{;thb^ .thenChe-wiU'idp'. ■'.:' KobertS/j(a. : .rigbtibuck; is - playing '•; at left. {well, .'he-is ■' at a' di b-; advantage, ./but likohis. colleague he lias; plenty; of how 'i.o; ■ use? it, 'and''is • a 'spleiidid 'man - at' clear;ing,''htsig6'al.'v''lfirschbe'rg, rightrhalf,;:.!* ■it long-- - top ,: of - his: .'form',.' and : \of , and behind club-iuateS/so ho ought fq show up -iwelli■ Bradbury,;;centre-half,' has .a ; hard I position to fill,':;but ias dohejwell against |.Otago\ahd.'Wangahui,.;;, Paget, '.left-halt, ■has {been 1 playing"'■"at■'right-half'-- for! :hi« Lolub,{; and /was an Auckland reserve last ■■year;'-W.,lie;' must ..have'improved a lot. He is' on iy . %. ■:■ handful, 'a,;gp'qd''.,tackler; but {does not feed ,his : forwards; as hb should.' .W.'fMouatt,;,outside-left, ; played a fair:gamo .against Wangahui,' but- will .'find- the'northerners a /different-lot, T fancy, i- / A;/Houatt, ,inside?left, •■•ninent':agaihst".Otagb,«-,.and'.<, represented . Wellingtbn;;.;versus/ Auckland ten year' 1 ago.'; He; therefore; has'a chance of prdv r 'ing' himselfva"'has.been,';like.Foreshaw iast year>v;/.; ./' ; ' : ;.?,./: ? ■;;{;• .•!,,■:{.."'

A/ Weak/Lpft-wihg,;/ : i ; : : :'' '■■■'■'; "The leftrwing'-mnst be:considered weak,' fore-;aud-: affct-Gibson,;■'.the . long-centre-; fbr.vaid,.;was'thought a lot. of. by, tht Otago' players,; but,! fancy.'„ Marshall will hold hiia-\juite safe;'. .He is. lost .without TimpeHeyV.3.'-Wellington' badly- wants; :;.a mariJofithe'3issett.type for:this position. the ' surprise. ■packet.;;.. His//inclusion has' been ..the means :.of'busting'Smallbonei .as Vessey :h^s,V;been.:.mpyed.:to. the- outside.:- He, :has played:,: S'/feyr fair'; club' games,:' but has. yetvtp.:;.win:':his. spurs' in a. Brown Shield ;,contest./'/; Vessey,/ outside-right; •must., be ..classed as our : A inost /dangerous: 'forward; and."will- ;fequire ;as -good ..a. inah as'Marshall'to:check him.,: If'Treycthick plies .him.:with.ltho ball;' he-will-:givt the: opposing ,'■ half, a'-merry, tiuie" of. .it. ■The .team'on > paper does not- look strong,' .but,.the:''•'J?Msco.:mail agitalbvs.Ujay yet be: surprised.";--: : ;:;:/ : . ~ :: : ■ r .': '■:■■_ . .;.•;.