HOCKEY.

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

HOCKEY.

.:/•; /■ THE;:BIG^MATCff' TO-DAY. '■/■ ; ;/ V'//' /. : : /'/;WT-;"Btrtt,T-OB'F.")';/ ;-/■//''":'.' Wellington /Favourites./ / •/■/.;.■'.'■ l : ;'■ 1 The' shield;'event..'-betiveeh: Auckland's /. best ■ 'eleven,* and'..Wellington. ..; At/ time ; of writing the' feather looks favourable for field ''game3.'EWill- the'Vßun,,'likO''Napo-. leon's famous ,r sun of Austcriitz"; gladden, the hearts of jthe.-mariy Wellingtonians who'are' so keenly/interested? Givcn.firie weather the'challengers (Auckland) will undoubtedly, put;up a great fight, and, on' the .other hand; what a splendid'' fight the local .representatives havb put up so far this soasqri!:'Will they -keep up this reputation to-day?./ '" ■.'.'; '/Many arethb guessesigiven gratis as.to the probable:;result; of :to-day's ' great : match,,.arid;/l'hii. 'writer'has received riu-.. merous criticisms from far and near. • The" favourites,'are:,decidedly'Wellihgtoii, and two'reliable authorities'in Auckland havo tipped Wellington': to .win , comfortably. But letr hot' this mislead the local team; Who dreamed last year that Wellington would defeat Auckland on their ■ own ground? And now/ we must not be sur-' prised if the unexpected happens again' to-day.,- It, is. tho unexpected—and always tho unexpected—which gives a subtle charm to snort. Our Team and its Changes. The Wellington" sole selector, - Mr.'" Walton, has: had a fair sample of'players worthy of representative distinction from whom to make his choice this season, aud taking , everything into consideration he has given satisfaction. And one fact canluot bs denied—ho has uiimi it great many players their chance in a representative eleven._. It' is not always advisable to [ keep constantly - changing men, but as "Bnlly-ofl" has previously mentioned, a number of our players are-very erratic. One week certain members play a really good game; at; other times it is really disappointing to find them "off form. 5 ' Take; for instance, one case. Our rightwing forward, li.Parton.who has played in representative matches all through this season,/began at a certain stage of.

the season to lose form, and, it was deemed advisable to substitute G. Davies in his place. Young Parton had'earned something of a name for himself up to that point, and it, does seem rather a pity to put an inside-left player ou the right wing. Still, it had to be done, apparently.' It has been said by some'tbat a word from tho. selector to I'arton would have had the.desired effect. This is unfair. A "word" to any player is no legitimate part of a-solcctors business.

The Team In Detail. Parton's 'substitute has certainly had great experience "on the hockey hold,, and providing ho has been in active training,, should: bo able to give a reasonably good aocouut. of himself. The |. writer ; hopes that, to-day, he .will usl both hands and drive hard across. .Hitherto' it has been tlie custom, both lor him.luul Uii.y Smythe (when playing in. representative games) to pass short between themselves, and great effect, was obtained by.the. tactics of these'two. Today, however, thu conditions are dissimilar..

.The half line aro expected to a good account ,of themselves, likewise the:. forwards, and full-backs.: Morpeth ■ will have plenty of anxious.moments ad.'rfonlkeeper. The .speculative ! flying shots of L. Davies appears, 'to. be the .reason for the change made by sulSstituting Morpotn tor Davies. ti'roiii the point of view of the players mentioned, it also seems reasonable and fair that. Morpeth' should be".given a place,'-ecoing;'.that L. Davies. has tiad.a" fairly good.innings in representative matches .this;., season,. ■■.•';'.

•:'(X, Hickson and, Harty',.. as. right /and loft:^full-ba.uks 'respectively, i»rt 'Hi'ithy oi'-i,-representative'' distinction./ .The. best cflntre-half. in New'- .'Zealand, /. ivitho'ut doubt;' is Claude Campbell,'and. no ,ono ,in. Wellingtoh; can lay : - claim' to l-hut nSfiltiou.: Thompnoii is the liml left-half available; He / has .'.improved : considerably; It was, stated recently;.in this column", that Thompson hits hard. This.Ws a typographical-error. : The re- . mark should. have" applied to Campbell. It is 'a; fact/ that tlio last-named player often drives rather: hard, and, over .'the goal-line. Christie, right-half,. is in fine, trim,' and has been training carefully. •'. The forward line should provo a,fast, lot, .with, good/ .co'mbiriatidu... : .-'■'■■ • And How" Shapes Auckland? . ' \The Auckland forwards' lire coitainlj not new to tho'gamo, but pndlably their individual experience will counter-baldrico matters.. Tho'.visitors half-lino is stated to-,be'weak. .The team,- have -been in 'active training for 'some time, now,; and they were- very eager. (when the last 'word was received from Auckland) to: be able ;to feel the turf at' Day's Bay. The Auck.land'/'Stir" Temarks that, the Auckland team l will' heed to show corinidornble imiproyement oii- the form displayed'. last- ' Saturday in atrial match. The/game was disappointing, and combination indiscriminate. What ..had always been a most 'prominent feature;-, of the, hortli'others*' forward play—tho circle': workwas marked- by much indecision. ■, These remarks' mean much., Mather, wlio was injured .last-Saturday, cannot'make the. trip. Baker and Speight, full-backs, were responsible -for, good; work./ Allison played well. Kavanagh was. erratic, but manipulated his stick in/ a..- surprisingly. tricky manner. Howe, has played bettor; club .sanies. , Mason l ; has .improved in form, but his shooting is. not-up to his Usual 'standard;:'-.. D.'-.'Smythe's- stick work, was clever, whilst Welham came, right odt of his/ shell; ,Brooke-Smith' started' in the trial- match'. well,',' but finished \ up poorly. Jacobsen";had a tendency, to overrun, the ball;-, : .'A"''.iraniber. bf : enthusiasts are travelling,..with ~ tlii* ttam to this city. - - : ' ;■-, -.■"■'!.'■. V'■■■'.'■■, ' - •■'-.,.: ;"'- ;