SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 19791, 15 February 1928, Page 10

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[From Oue English Correspondent.]

LONDON, January 4. RUGBY. Although the conditions for Rugby football were very unsuitable, the match between the New South Wales players and the combined strength of Gloucestershire and Somersetshire at Bristol last Saturday was carried through. The Waratahs protested against playing under tho prevailing conditions, and in this they were justified. one of the men being injured so badly that he will probably have to stand down for some time. The dominion players adapted themselves to tho conditions very well, and they scored two goals and a try, whilst the only score by the combined counties was a dropped goal by Corbett, of Bristol. Great interest is doing shown in the coming test between New South Wales and England at Twickenham at the end of the week. Already every one of the 25,000 seats has been sold, and if the weather holds good tho standing room for 35,000 will probably be fully occupied. [England won.] —Scotland Going Strong.— Scotland has a fine team for this season’s international fixtures. This tvas made clear when the match against the Waratahs ended in a win, and now another fine victory against France has been gained. This was decided at Paris on Monday, and the Scots took the fixture very seriously, remembering the occasion a few years ago when France unexpectedly prevailed. Fifty thousand were present, evidence of the great popularity of Rugby in France. Tho match showed again that Scotland has found a really great player in W. M. Simmers, who made his mark against the New South Wales men. He opened the scoring with a try for thd' visitors, the French team soon equalising. The Scots continued to have rather the best of the game, and two more tries were registered before crossing over, giving the visitors a lead of 6 points. During the second half, France did better, though only able to score one more try, to two more gained by Scotland. None of the tries were converted, so Scotland won by 15 points to 6. SOCCER. Some of the leading teams have suffered a “slump” during the week-end matches. Everton did splendidly to gain a 2 goals to 1 success when visiting Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, but failed at Blackburn on Monday, when the home club scored 4 goals to 2 by their visitors.

Huddersfield opened the season badly, losing three matches in succession, but tho progress of The Yorkshire club of late has been splendid, and now the prospects of another championship success are commencing to look excellent. Visiting Newcastle on Saturday, the Huddersfield Chib gained a great triumph, taking both points by virtue of a 3 goals to 2 success. This was offset by defeat at Middlcsborough on Monday, tho homo team winning by 3 goals to 1. Leicester City has also won and lost matches, the game against their Aston Villa visitors ending in a 3 goals to 0 success, whilst the one at Bury on Monday resulted in favor of tho home men by tho odd goal in three. It will thus be seen that tho three leaders all gained two points out of a possible four, leaving their relative position unchanged. Everton shows the way with 32 points for 24 matches, Huddersfield claiming 28 for 23 games, and Leicester 28 for 25. —Chelsea l/oses the Lead.—

Chelsea have slipped back in the race for the second division honors, and unless the Stamford Bridge club soon strikes form again, the chance of winning the championship will be gone. It was a surprise to find Reading making a draw of it (no score) when visiting Chelsea last Saturday, and as Manchester City beat their visitors from Wolverhampton by 3 goals to 0, the successful chib overtook Chelsea. Manchester City did hotter still on Monday by beating their Barnsley visitors 7 goals to 3. As a result, Manchester City went to the head of the table with 33 points lor 23 matches, Chelsea being a point behind, but with a match in hand —The Game .In Scotland.—

New Year means much to Scots, and holiday football fixtures are always of great interest at this period. Glasgow Rangers, llio leaders, just got home when visiting St. Johnston, 1 goal to U, on Saturday; and Motherwell made no mistake wlieu beating their Clyde visitors, 5 "oals to 0. A very big crowd watched the struggle between Celtic and Rangers on Monday, the former being at home. This just about turned the scale, and a splendid game ended in the home side prevailing by a goal to nil. Motherwell did well to win by 5 goals to 1 when receiving Hamilton Acads., but suffered defeat tbo next day at Falkirk. Celtic gained another success when visiting Queen’s Park, 3 goals to 1, and Rangers defeated their Particle Thistle visitors by the odd goal in three. These results leave Rangers on top with 37 points for 22 games, Motherwell claiming a point less, but for an extra match PEDESTRIAN! SM.

Jit spite of severe weather, the big pedestrian gala at Powderhall Ground, Edinburgh, attracted much interest. The chief event was the 130yds sprint handicap, and this was wan by J. Duffy, of Broxburn, who is the professional champion of the world at 440yds and 830yds. He received 11-Jyds start, and just got home in the final 'by inches, his time being 12 4-16 sec. This is fast running at this time of the year, and shows that Duffy is nearly an “even” timer for 120yds. He is certainly better than a 49sec man for the 440yds, and good judges in Scotland say is about equal to_ D. G A. Lowe, the amateur champion, at the half-mile. It seems a pity that Duffy is not in the amateur ranks, as he would be a prospective Olympic Games winner. Ho is twenty-five years of age, and a clerk by occupation, and is open to rim any man in the world at 440yds to 880yds. Another big race at the gala was the modified Marathon, distance ten miles. This was again won by A. Scally, of Broomhonse. who beat R. Cole, a veteran from Hereford, by a dozen yards in 54rnin 25see, the track being very heavy. BOXING. Lett Johnson, the colored Manchester boxer, gave a further exhibition of his abiiitv when opposed to Piet Brand, of Holland, at The Ring, London, on New Year's Day. He, punished his rival so severely that an early termination looked likely, but the Dutch boxer is a tough customer, and he struggled on gamely. He was clearly overmatched, "however, and finally forced to retire in the tenth round. ( Many good judges think Johnson equal to any middle-weight in Britain, and he is certainly very clever. A If. Macini, of London, is one of the aggressive type of boxers, and it would be all the better for Britain’s prestige if there were more of his kind about. He made short work of his contest with Billy Bird, of Chelsea, which was decided at The Ring on Monday, the contest being at lOst _Blb (1461 b). Mancini dropped his rival with a clip to the jaw in the first few moments, and had him down again soon after. Seeing that Bird was groggy, Mancini forced matters, and, getting in close, he bauged his right into his rival’s ribs and followed up with, a left hook to the jaw, which ended matters. The contest did not

last half a. round, so that it was well the spectators saw some brisk work whilst it lasted. BILLIARDS. Two cx-champions in M. Inman and H W. Stevenson have just met in rather a novel billiard match. Play was restricted to stated times and victory went to the player with the highest total at the end. Inman proved the winner, and by the fairly big margin of 920 points. Ho showed good all-round form, though Stevenson made the biggest break of tho match, , this being 463. Willie Smith again showed what a great player he is by conceding Tom Recce 8,000 in 20,000 and boating him by 2,142. Smith had breaks of 546 and 570 to his credit, besides_ several others which can be termed big. Newman is now trying to concede Davis 2,000 in 8,000, and he is going strong, an unfinished break of 570 last evening enabling him to make a good gain on his keen rival. Davis is the snooker champion and Newman is keen to wrest this from the Chesterfield player. He made a step forward by winning the opening heat of the championship competition, in which ho met If. Smith at Leamington and boat him by twelve games to six. rowing. As the course originally selected for the sculling and rowing events at the Olympic Games did not meet with general approval, the Dutch officials have announced that another has been selected. It is on tho Slotcr Ringwacrt, and will allow of a straight course of tw'o kilometres. _ . Mention of rowing is a'reminder that the amateur definition as laid down by the Amateur Rowing Association has again conic under adverse criticism. Decreeing that no man who has eavnt a living by manual lahoi shall hi entitled to row as an amateur docs not find much favor in England today When the definition was drawn up it was thought that oarsmen who eimaoed in manual labor had an advantage, as their occupation developed Strength and muscle. That idea no prevails, and sportsmen of every class, outside a few “snobs,” think ai alteration in the rule is overdue.