RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1794, 5 July 1913, Page 12

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

[By Aristobulvb.] ' A very well known player of the "palmy ' iays" of the game, as well as a Wclljngon, Auokland, and international tojitcsentative, is apparently too modest to sign his honoured name to his letter, but he v writes as folloivs:— Sir, —I wonder why Heketa is not ■ given a chance 'in the Wellington "rep.'" team? I have often, heard this . question asked at the Park and elsewhere. I think myself that this player should bo given, a gamo, for I'm certain : that he is quite up to representative ■ form this season. He is a very dangerous man, and hard to stop when • under way, especially near the enemy's ~ : territory. .Ho is a solid runner and : quick to beijin, and has stumina as well as grit to forco himself over into the scoring arm. By what I've seen of his play, I'm certain he is quite worthy of doing justice to himself in any "rep." team. I say again, why is it that he's not ■ given a fame? Any of the players. ■ chosen would say that lie. is the most ..dangerous man in St. 'James, and ■ with his club mate, Young, on both ' -wings, wouildcertainly he a great ■•'.scoring.duet,--and that is really what •wo want against Auckland for tho fight for the Ranfurly Shield.—l am, 6t<! " OLD WELLINGTON G'JN, The Camera as Referee. The camera cannot lie. Added to that virtue, it has 'a lightning eye to record i absolutely everything within its focus. Footballers should be careful, very careful, to play "according"'to Cocker" now that tho kodak man'is allowed to wandor along the line. An excellent example of good detective, work done by a camera appeared in one of the postcard snaps of the Athletic-Petone match, played on the Athletic Park on June 23, and now being exhibited in the shop windows. It is the photograph of a fairly closely-packed scrum, but between a pair of legs can be detected ithe white hand of a player deliberately handling tho ball in a most glaring fashion.* After seeing what ono's eyes could hardly detect, it is easy to come to the conclusion that thero are hookers and hookers. , ,The Season's Surprise. ' ■ i Last Saturday's encounter between Oriental and; Petone brought forth the chief surprise of the season. Petone were hot favourites, but they, wero thrashed from 6tart to finish. Oriental opened with a show of dash and ginger which no ono expected would last long, but it was not ' until the grey evening was well upon the match, and the arrival of tho sexton was known to be close at hand that the Black and Whites faded away at all.' Oriental in the Loose.. The work in the loose of the Oriental forwards was the chief factor in the team's victory. In the scrums, the more experienced Petone hookers easily teat Oriental, but the Petone backs aid not make good use of the leather, which they could have had so frequently. Backs Off-Colour. The suburban backs were off-colour as . a combination. M'Kenzie, E. Ryan, and Nunn did their part, not so the others. I'requently ono man's having a day off will spoil a back combination; with l'e- / tono thero was more than one man who failed to reach perfections Recent exhibitions have made it quite clear that tho M'Kenzie-Ramsden-E. Ryan combination as five-eighthß and centre-three-quarter is essential' to the success of the Petone attack, and that with Ramsden out the rearguard loses it 3 sting. So much does one good man count. An Oriental Experiment. Oriental tried tho experiment—a queer one, so late in the season—of inserting a few junior forwards into its pack. The idea was highly profitable. The new; men, probably in better condition than some of tho older players, worked throughout the gamo in a manner which must have ■ thoroughly surprised the Petone forwards, 1 and certainly surprised the spectatorate. If such forward play is reproduced today, even Athletic may 'find themselves with both hands full. Tackling and Spoiling. Another, important thing was that Oriental played close up on the Petone backs and all through the game collared low. Thoir tackling was deadly, and their spoiling tactics distinctly effective., Klnvig's Great Effort, A word on the individual players. There were several men who did a lion's share. For Oriental Kinvig played a . remark- • ably fino game. His line-kicking was positively brilliant at times, and always good. In addition, ho bore the brunt of almost every Petone attack,- and wob particularly lively on the offensive. He has ever shown himself to be a very sound and useful tack, but on Saturday he drove home that impression very convincingly. A Petone,Trio, v Eddie : Ryan toiled exceptionally hard to got Petono out of trouble, and in every way played a clever game. MlCenzio was as elusive as usual, but ! his scheme did not meet with ,much success. His play in the last 'few matches gives ono the impression that he is better suited for the second five-eighth position than for that of'first five-eighth; The Petone half-back, Nunn, iwas as sound as ever, and had bad luck in his hard-earned try being disallowed. This Afternoon? , When Athletic and Oriental meet today, Athletic will not bo nearly so greatly favoured as they wero prior to Oriental s fino showing against Petone. Whatever the result, Athletic will still lead, but the , Blues are not out of the wood yet. Rumoured Melrose Defections, When League football and professionalism aro mentioned, tho Melrose Club is in tho centre of a storm area. Most of tho club's members arc residents of South Wellington, and the League gamo has its stronghold thero. The veterans of tho Melrose Club, in their endeavours to preserve tho amateur Bpirit among -the toys, have used all tho solid arguments at command, and so far their efforts in this direction have been very successful. ■ Now comes a rumour, however—veilfounded, too—that two prominent members of tho senior fifteen aro about to cross over and play under Northern Union rules. This, if it proves to be true, will mean a serious blow to the Melrose team, which appeared to have a great chance of gaining highest honours next season. On the other hand, tho club's present policy of looking after tho juniors will no doubt result in its having useful youngsters to fill the gaps in the ranks'. Preparing for the 'New Zealanders. Writing on June 3, tho San Francisco correspondent of tho "Sydney Daily Telegraph" says:—The California Rugby Union has cabled to the N'ew Zealand ltugby Union inviting it to send a team to California during tho coining autumn. The Sail Francisco officials have been in communication, witii tho for some time, and have received a promise that a strong team will be sent. It is expected that tho New Zealanders will arrive in San Francisco on October 2, and start their programme of matches on the following Saturday. A (our somewhat similar to that arranged for the Australians la-it year will be prepared t'er tho New Zealumlers. Tho proactive visit' recalls tho fact Unit it. was tiie laimius "All Macks" who, iihiviiu' at San Francisco, in February, Willi. opened the eyes of Americans, and •■! the students of the Universities „!' SiaH'fiM and California to become re,j,i t.|-,<. r.'.'iv game. Previously lli'.-v' had been slrwiißly prejudiced against ' ji but tho famous combination demon--!ra:i'«l its excellences "to, such a degree that these colleges havo now settled their

differences, and are both within the fold, of the Rugby Union. A great reception is being prepared for the New Zealanders on their arrival in San Francisco. Why Melrose Fell. A low-grade type of game is all that Melrose ever have to olfer, but they play this'game, which has been the clubs choice ajM'ays, even in their great days, so well that they sometimes succeed where others fail. Tho team that can rout Melrose is not playing in Wellington, but Melrose could never pile up a cricket score against any opponents, however weak. Several men on their side are fleet of foot, the average of individual courage, skill, and stamina in the team is high, and they aro workers to a man, but they fail to get .the points that count. One reason is that they have not trained themselves in the passing game, and another is that the team is never well led. All these things explain in a measure the defeat of tho side by Poncko lost week.

Poneke wore not good except in patches, but ihey attempted a really high-olass style of,game: Tilyard, Mitchinson, and Elliott more especially among tho backs led some smart passing movements', and had they been supported well they would have recorded a good score. , Apart from their passing, they were over watchful for opportunities for opening Up the play by centre kicks and oross kicks, and the result more than justified the occasional .risks they took. They were sometimes on tho defence, but they always managed to repulse the guerrilla raids of Melrose, and more often than not they had Melrose in trouble. If they had boon a little better, their game would have been fjood; it had some, but not all the essentials of very good play.