THE WORLD OF SPORT

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1812, 26 July 1913, Page 12

THE WORLD OF SPORT

A WEEKLY RECORD OF SPORTS AND OTHER PASTIMES,

RUGBY FOOTBALL

CBt Abistobclub.] ,

,Why-Wellington Lost. "As to the play in the Auckland-Wel-lingtto. Pluhket ■ Shield - game there was nothing between the two teams," eaid one Wellirigton man who saw.it. "Iffany- • thing ,l l should say that Wellington was a ehado "unlucky in losing. I fancy they made tho raistako in the first Spell 'that cost them tho game. They had o> strong windr-noarly half a gale—behind them, end instead of punting up high into midfield and allowing the forwards to get . under tho ball, they played the old game ) of finding the lino—kicking into touch. Wollington had much tho better of tho first.'spoll, and two or three times just missed scoring. '• . "When it ctim'e 'Auckland's turn to ' play, v :with, and not against, the wind, "they- hor ; up for luck each time' righfrjiii tho middle, of tho Our backs- ■were- taking'-the--'hall really : well, but they could.not do.it.every tiine.Kinvig ttrissed taking it from ono of theso and that's whore Auckland .ecori-d/tho try, which won them the game. ■• Tho Auckland forwards were cleverer on tho line, and.got possession of the ball from scrums more often, but, "in tho loose, open ■, play our forwards (Were a good deal better.",, 'An instructive .Game..... ~.,..,. Last" Saturday's "match between Wel'ingtPA' 8 B team and Hawke's Bay was to some extent-very interesting* to-close, followers of the "iamb itf th<r<)ity.' It'p'ro-' .-vided- some idea- of-'how tho men- who were'." excluded from the A team were . likely to shape. ' . .

Our;; Fleetest Wing. ' '••• - ; '■■'■'■ The' .'chiof absented , from the A team was "'Young, the St. James wing-three-quarter. Young has, for the past two BeasoliS' been Wellington's speediest wing. In addition, to his>-pace^h«---possesses«a- ; . very,"*eft'ectivo swerve, and ho is guite a firsttclass scoring man. This year he has beeni. handicapped by.hiY, clab-mates. St. James have had backs in the field who, perhaps not once.. in the season, have gived,Toung a reasonable chanco of scoring. "Thisy'apparently, has been accounted to,-him" by the" selector as a failure to "jnako•good.'"' Young proved on Saturday v(Jhat end is'icapablo of scoring when the Tcji&nce/,comes his .way.. SullfjaVi We.''Star." .'. .. ■ -, ... . The bock ;, on - the day was Sullivanp.'thp new five-eighth whom Oriental ■uiicdMhed well on in the season. . Sullivan ;-played-'tt game-on his ifirst appearance at the park as a senior,;! and he has given the impression all along that he was going to be good. Last;'' Saturday he Tubbed this idea in very. ;'liard. He made beautiful oponings for 'jilio other backs—openings, half tho 'eizo"of'the paddock—semetimesi , . 'On-brie or twoj occasions he so completely "baffled the Hawko's Bay backs that'a single pass .TVfi^siOlicient,to. ensure a.' score. . Even allowing. for the fact that Hawke's Bay ■were'-weak, Sullivan must bo given credit' for plsying one of the finest five-eighths games.-;which has been performed to a , Wellington ..''audience" this .'season. Three Mother Backs. : ■ '• . Twomey,'tho Melroso skipper, claimed attention partly on account of unselfish-ness-,'oaid"partly through good play. He ■passoifc out to Young on two .occasions whotf he .could have had a try for himself.-. His-play throughout'was very good. He hung on to the leathor.uiinecessaril.v long^ohce'whenv'a pass to-Heketa would probably 'ha,TO: resulted in a' try for Wellington, and on one occasion he spoiled a good passing insh by failing to hold tho-greasy,, oval. Adams, though good, was'not' up to the standard of the men on "either aide/ of ' him—Sullivan and Twomey. . The fine-little"Petbne half, H. Nunn, was in capital ( form and seemed, to simply revel -m the work of instituting passing iushes. The number, he set going in the latter half of the first spell was remarkable, and he initiated every attack in absolutely first-olass style. ~ >

Backs.of.,the Future. Altogether Wellingtonians may feel pleased with the gamo because it showed that the city, has quite a number of good baoks!v who wero not billed for the A team. Unless a number of tho younger players wander abroad we should be able to provide a creditable Black rearguard foT several yearß to.come. Saturday's exhibition on a slippery ground .with a greasy ball was excellent, .Smallpox and Rugby. The outbreak of smallpox hag affected • the' Intcr-Stato programme, (says tho Sydney "Eeferee" of July 16). It ' woa originally decided that the'.' New South Wales team should leave for Queensland this morning, but to permit of the players being vaccinated the departure had been de-laydd-until next Wednesday, each match being'postponed for a week. Acting on medical adyico, the council of tho N.S.W. Rugby Union has now decided that the team .will not be sent to the northern State :un.til after tho Queensland team playa-'in.. Sydney in August. Cuth'ill, the Hero. Cuthill; • centre three-quarter, and skii>per'Mthe New Zealand University team, iwaa. the hero of tho match against Metlopplitan Union (says a Sydney writer). jHisCYersafcility, running, and working of 'his ( supports into position was distinctly | ihiglw;las3,.and quite up to the best form of any . New -Zealand three-quarter we have seen for:'6Omo .timo. past." His form throughout the Sydney tour has been quite -equal" to anything shown here by thosS ..'gialits' of the' past, Wallace, Mitchinson, M'Gregor, and Co. We have heard.' something. this season of the de» terioration, in' tho standard of play in tho'Dominion, but with such backs as Cuthill and Grace . (of tho Maori combination) tho Australians to tour the land of the moa during September will have to bo;at their very best to" win any laurels. ' •-'. •' ■■ - ' ■< ■

-MERELY" BANK GOSSIP.

■OliUB NOTES/AND GHANGES. ■• Melrose' havo lost n good player in tho person- of Oakes, Wellington representative forward, who has left for Taranaki. This, coming on top of- Collins, Marshall, and\Pooley/s- conversion to the League game,"is a,serious,blowto tho old club. Talking of League conversions brings to mind the names of others thafh&vo Teceirtly crossed and.'Aasherof tho St. James Club. If Athletic defeat Petone'ne'it Saturday' that will, of course, settle tho senior Rugby championship for 1913. Should the 'rdsult be the other way, there .are possibilities in tho, other contests. Meanwhile,: St. James aro training hard and should 1 they have tho good fortune to meet/ Athletic later on. Athletic will know ; something about. it. In fact, St. James ,'■ reckon on victory, but they are trying-to keep their expectations from the .public. According to the "Sydney Morning Herald" tho field goal was in evidence in all three'grades on Saturday, July 12, but all tho teams using it lost their matches. Bruce, the ex-St. James player, passed through Wellington on Thursday on tho way .to Christchurch, to play for the North .Island team. During his brief 6tay hers, he renewed acquaintance with old football friends. Graco, who' has returned to the city after touring' with the Maori team, will be in his old placo among the Wellington backs next Saturday.

Ono pleasing feature about tho selection '.. of to-day's Wellington representativo team i 3' tho selection of M'Kay as emergency. The opinion hns been widely expressed that'no harm would have been done if M'Kay had been chosen outright, but-at all events it is. something that ho has, been recognised. In tho Wellington Football Cliib M'Kay is regarded as the superior of Miller. Ho is capital on the ymo-out, always in tho van of the

rushes, and does a deal of stopping be--sides.

.!I cannot help' thinking that fho New 'Zealand Union were over-hasty in oc'cepting tho invitation of the Californian Union for a .New Zealand team to visit ' California thiß season (says n writer in the "Otago Witness"). Next season would have been much more suitablo by reason of the fnct that there is every possibility of the English Union extending au invitation to a New Zealand team. At the end of next season, then, a New Zealand team could havo returned tho visit of the coming Australian team, proceeded to California*, and played two or three matches there, and then gone on to England. Now, what happens if England extends an invitation to New Zealand at the end of next season? A New Zealand team will 1 have to bo sent to Australia, but it is unlikely that, following on the tour to California this season; another New Zealand team will bo got together to tour England next year. In placo of Eamsden (of Petone). who was- chosen to play for North. Island ■kgainst South to-day, at Cbristchurch, J. M'Kenzio will tako up the running. Petone boys were elated to find this promising youth selected for the big evnnt. It is difficult to say whether Petone supporters will elect to seo their four repie-' sentativo men (Nunn, Parker, nud lj;bit (2)) play against, the Maoris, or focu9 their attention on their jun , < match against Orienta. Petone juniors iead by 2 points with two matches to.play. They have 'two chances against Athletic's one. SHU, "There's Many a Slip," etc. Great interest is being taken in the annual social of the Petone Club, winch is , to be held shortly to wind up the season.