RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1746, 10 May 1913, Page 12

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

[BT Amstobulvs.] ilarist Bros, and Schools' Union. Once- mure (lie Wellington Rugby fllnion lias failed to induce tho Schools' Union to admit tho Alarist Brothers' primary school into the schools' competition. On what good grdund tho Schools' /Union objects no one knows, for no good 'ground had ever been stated. There is '•nothing to prevent a few public school teachers forming this union for primary ; school boys into a closo corporation, but there is nothing to admire in such an .notion. ) One is fain to ask why (if theso public school teachers who control the Schools' ftJnion have tho true interests of Kuffby iit heart) do they exclude the Marist boys,' and thus drive tlieni into soccer. (The Marist boys are primary school boys, In every way eligible to play tho game, js much needed to carry oh the game in iho future as any other boys, and as fit io associate with,in a competition a$ any biker boys are. These boys' teachers, the Marist .Brothers, aro among the best pjugby ''sports" .we have. And yet tlie (Schools' Union is allowed to drive these jinen to tako their boys into tho "soccer" . game! . ■ . The Rugby Union members must have lieen sadly disappointed with the report iwhich Mr. D. Weir made to them last (Wednesday concerning the interview he / 'find Mr. D. Kitto had with tho Schools' 'Union. It is to bo hoped that'another Mason -will not be commenced without this regrettable alfair being properly ad- . .Justed. v Jo Hold Athletic Park. i l'he Wellington Union is going to ■ , Vbrcast the City Council barrier again and ivskifor a remission of rates on Athlotio ■ (Park. Wellington is very short of sports wounds and this park, maintained by tho u?ugby public, relieves (temporarily) the !«dty corporation of tlie necessity of finding another ground. -, Tho'Eugby Union has been advised by %■ lawyer- ; that the law permits a remission of rates to an impoverished body .which is )iOt using a ground for profit" ' Who union, urging that such conditions ; nieet their case, has asked past City' Councils to help them to hold tho park by {forgoing-tho'rates due-upon it, but tho [councils have refused. As legal opinions T>n the law governing the subject differ, • iho union suggests that 'a declaratory "judgment should he obtained.' ' "Whatever'the"-law,' tho union has a good case in equity, and a 9 the retention of tho park 1 ni(?ans'tho equivalent of nn additional public playing grotind, the present council should sift the matter So tho bottom. Moreover, let them do it aiow. Lot tho Rugby public, particularly ithe union, know definitely whether tho request can or cannot bo granted . Also, Jot the matter bo reported upon fully *>y tho oflicer or committee appointed fto go into the question, and let the whole Wiattor be brought up in open ■ council. /Then the-public can have a look at whatever daylight is shed upon the subject.

)*Bill" Bennett's Luck. I A strange ran of . ill-fortune has purtiled Bennott, one of the College forwards, this season. "Bill," big, burly, and in good fettle though be is, has been disabled every time he has taken the field Jn tho present series of Cup : fixtures. Tor tho opening match of the season, ivhcn College met Petone at Petone, William arrived at the Te Aro Railway Station in time to miss the train. A motor T/hizzed ,bim toi Lnmbton Stutioii, but tho ■train had:just moved on from there. The Enthusiastic athlcto tramped Lnmbton Quay trying to hire a bicycle to i>edal to tho suburb on, but lie could not cet one so ho returned to Lambton Station and ,v>ent to Petone on the next train. He rrrived. early enough to go on tho field nt half-time. A minute after tho restart lie was hurt and, for tho remainder of tho day, lie limped.

'The following Saturday he was once more laid lov/j but through careful nursing he was fit to take tho field again last I u I'd ay against Poneke at Miramar. However, onco . again "William arrived homo disabled—two minutes before time was called he twisted his ankle, and onco rnor'6 he had to go to bed and submit . t'p'tho footballers' "doctor." Enthusiasm Conquers Cold Last Saturday's attendance At Athletic OP irk could not have been altogether dis'couuaging to tho Wellington llugby Union officials, who recently decided to increase jtho price of admission to the ground. The /wteather was bad enough to keep any but ifcha most ardent enthusiasts away, and /therefore tho union was probably lucky to get 1500 at a match held before interest do the competition had reached any great (height., : Tho publio were rewarded with a battle Voyal; Oriental and Athletic fought one jof the hivrdest. fights which lias ever been /witnessed on tho park, and it was not iuntil tho latest stages of the game that [anyone .could be curtain that Athletic 'would win. . Oriental's Real Strength. On the morning of tho match Oriental's friends gavo thfiii* train a much better chance than Rugby followers in general Hid, and it was proved iii> the afternoon that thisro wero good ''rounds for tho Jiopes entertained. Thoso who liavo cot it into their heads that tho Black and Whites are considerably weaker this year thahi'last year are working from >>. tfhaky base , if they presume that tho source of. tlio trouble ; is , tho los 3 of old •hands. Foi' that matter, M'Leod' is expected to bo in the field again soon. What JOrientaPs i',eal strength is remains to be proved. ft ha Slashing Blue Forwards, Athlotic cafno out with the same good plashing forward t.eam, and they played iho forward gamo for all 'twas worth. (Nevertheless, they met ono of the toughest forward combinations that they 'have pjn against, How the teams would liavo fared on a fine day is a malt jr of opinion. (The writer's opinion is that Atlilelic \vould havo won by more than the three joints iV'hich. they had to spare at tho lirish. Tho high wind caused an abnormal Amount of lino jjlay, and this prevented tbo gattiO bxomihg as fast as Athletio bculd otherwise have mado it. Had the game been one of tho class which runs players off their legs, Athletic probably havo liad Oriental well beaten, in the last half-hour. If not, Oriental will go floso to tho championship this year. !A Half-back Soloist, Melroso and Wellington mado things [very interesting for one another on Saturday last. Wellington hung to the victors So .desperately that tho nmtch nearly tended in a'draw; it was only at the tail end that Melroso put on ('heir two tries, arid both of these were nearly lost. Melroso appeared to to tho better fifteen, and they jjavo tho impression that they would have won by nioro than six points in' good .Weather. v They might even have scored moro freely but for Harry Marshall'? mistake of going alone whenever ho got the ball from behind the scrum. Marshall should become a good half, but at present he is a rather disconcerting one at times. It is bad play to send the ball out on the open eide time after time without variation, but jt is worse to never send it out and to invariably go solus. College and Poneke. Poneke were badly beaten by a very lmtcli better team. College were palpably superior in overy department of the game, and had not a rushing southerly jammed play moro or less on tho lee line, would probably have umassed a _ much bigger total of points than 'they did. fioth teams played emergencies, and Poneke wore a man short from tho outset, but while the Collego fifteen displayed sound combination in both back 'and forward play, Poneke seemed to lack even tho ghostliest glimmer of toulics. Morris ivs usual was brilliant in atlaek ' and 'defence, J. Elliot mado 'n dn«h nor and then, and'Kdwnnls (at wing tlirrrriuartcr) played u sterling game, throughout/and cleverly Averted one score whenPains -was romping in victoriously. J'|iese w«re honourable exceptions (o a general •medioeritv which, was a long .wtvy from.

being good cnongh to meet the conditions of the day. . Up Goes College Stock. Good material is plentiful in the ColJegotoam this season, and against all that I'onske could do tho team as a whole perfr.i'iiicd to admiration on "Saturday. The forward-: worked solidly together, anil were determined in attack aiid defence; tho backs were clover aiid resourceful. too, College have strength in risfrve, for three Or four youngsters ■ who were-included as emergencies gave an excellent account of themselves. Meldrum, notably, was responsible for wime particularly-dashing forward play, last season ho was playing for Wanganui College, but on his form last Saturday ho should soon find n place in senior football. Sorry Page in Poneke's Book. The Poneke absentees included threo gcod forwards, H. DUiot, who is incapacitated through getting a rusty nail run into his foot, and Keeney and King, who were away undergoing Territorial training. ' Other Poneke players out of action at the moment aro Irving (live-eighths), vho injured his shoulder in the gymnasium match at the beginning of the season, and Bowie, a forward, who recently sustained- injuries through being thrown by a horse. Bowie is a particularly good man, very assiduous in training, and showed great-promise in the opening matches, 'l'ilyard is another good man of whose services Poneke aro deprived at the moment. An injured tendon, in tho region of the anklo has kept ■ him from the gamerince the match against Petouc, but he is expected to get back to playing form m a week or two. At first the doctors suspected that a bone had been broken, but an X-rav examination failed to discloso any fracture. "We Want Wallaco!" As in tho case of other teams, the Territorial scheme is proving a bit of a hindrance to Poneke in their training operations. To meet the new conditions the club gymnasium is being kept open every night. There was a timo when W. J. Wallace, of All-Black fame, used frequently to turn up at the Poneke "gym" to lend a hand in keeping tho youngsters up to tho mark, but nowadays he does not often put in an appearance. Efforts are being luado to get him to resume his attendance. This is evidently a time when Poneko need a helping hand, and tho veteran. All-Black is just the man to lendit, Petone and St. James. Eithor the advico meted out to Hekcta in these columns last week, or tho fact that Petone are a little stronger than tome other teams, mado that- strategist alter his mode of play, and give a little encouragement to his team in their game against Wellington last week. The stylo of play adopted by St. James tras 50 per cent, better than on tho .previous week, and in consequence it was no gallop home for Petone. Young was about the best city back, and he wns ably seconded by Heketa Utiku and M'lneruery. Among a very fair pack o£ forwards, Hills and Donaldson were tho "stars." This team lias tho stuff, nnd Lthey continue training, and make a h for it, success must follow. On tho Petone side,..Parrant, as wingforward", \vas not a success, and should be placed in tho pack again. Jenkins, the man who opposed Parrant, is a junior, but ho beat the Petoije man repeatedly. W. Ryan and Price were the best two pack men on the suburban side, tho lat- j ter being very prominent in tacking with cffect. Tho Ramsdcn-M'Kenzie-B. Ryan trio of backs were good to watch, but were hampered by tho smartness of tho "Saint" forwards, who all wero quick off the mark, and nipped many a passing-rush in the bud.

Had the :weather been more favourable, the game would have been much brighter. Even as it was, there has been many a worse game played on Petone Oval.