LEAGUE & LEAGUERS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2181, 20 June 1914, Page 14

LEAGUE & LEAGUERS

- (Bl "]?I,EETFOOT."I ENGLISH TOURISTS. Champions] The smiles of fortune .were certainly in Suburbs'-favour last Saturday, whilo the hardest of hard luck attended Newtown's efforts. On the day the-Whites should, have won. Their endeavours of the second spell merited victory—but they lost, and Suburbs' first position ■in the championship is as solid as an Egyptian pyramid.' '" _ ■ ' ; - The battle was a great impro'vement oii'that of the last, when the unbridled tongue wagged riotously and footbaU was ; exhibited in its untamed state. Of course, there was some .talk, and it rather seems that theso teams/must in future indulge in a little "chirp." The degree of versatility, of these warriors is really great. They commenco operations quietly; then someone murmurs a little'loud—and, in a while, a very short while by • the way—both ■ teams are on the chatter,' and as the game progresses those on the line are treated to something in the nature of arguments better'-suited to a debating society.. Such is their versatility, however. Strickland's Efforts. i, Strickland's exhibition of Jacking in :'the' Nowtown-Suburbs battle last Saturday must stand as the prettiest piece of work executed' locally under, the League code.up to the' present. He engineered three' goals from, near the ' half-way line, eacu gracefully descending well over the, cross-bar.' If : tho sloppy nature of the ground, consequent upon the discomfiting showers that fell at intervals are taken into consideration, Strickland's achievement is no small one. ' A Coming Invasion. ' In-view of the coming invasion of the English tourists, the following comment by a Sydney writer is not out ot place: The English footballers played New South "Wales on Monday at tho Sydney Cricket Ground under conditions which suited their game, and they showed to much hotter advantage than on Saturday The resistance offered was stubborn and truly British, but tho "sons of New Britannia" proved a superior combination, and mado it' clear that, m bad weather just as in fair, they aro masters of the situation. Thcro aro, of course, a few well-mean-ing enthusiasts Who talk nonsense, and suggest tho immediate return of tho Britishers to England. ... If they only knew it, their yapourings aro the poorest of all compliments to the victorious homo team. Tho English thirteen—or should wo say twelver I —are getting into their stride, and many times on Monday tho Blues enjoyed a good slice of luck. The forwards wero a sturdy lot. and never relaxed' from first to- last. There are also certain people who say. '-Forty-nine thousand went out to seo the Englishmen beaten." This sort of sarcasm is unworthy, and altogether too early. But it cannot bo denied, however, that there aro a few points in the gamo in which tho Blues excel, and which could be copied by tho visitors. .First of all, mir boys do not play by tho book. That is to say, each man is ever on tho alert for an opening in which he can shino as an individual. They seem to have mastered this art without interfering with the general combination. I think the best way to bring this home is to assert that the stars of New South Wales have reached a higher state of efficiency than those New Ze'alanders who used to come over hero a-few years back and run all over our fellows. * You never know who is to brealfltiose and start his side. Well, the Englishmen don't do this sort of thing; individual effort is sacrificed, if oiioi.iiiay say so, for combination. In Sfilfbol games this is a splendid method, for it givos the boys a good idea of the game; but in international fixtures wd'oxpect something more than the orthodox; Wagstaff may be an exception—that, is his reputation—but lie did not give; much of it on Monday. Compared to Deane and Kelly, the visiting captain-failed to rise to any great height or flight, whichever way yon take it. In brief,".! want to express the view that the New South Wales team on an Englishman's "wicket" were the more resourceful.