FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 113, 22 May 1901, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

BANNER FIXTURES,

Senior. May 2-5 : West End v. Hnia May 30 : City v. West End June 1 : Kaiti v. Huia Junior. May 25 : City v. Kaiti June 1 : West End v. Huia June 8 : City v. West-End June 1-5 : Kaiti v. Huia

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[By “ The Whistle.’’]

There is no doubt that we, in the colonies, and particularly in Gisborne, take our football seriously. The sound of the referee’s whistle seems to have much the same effect upon the majority of players that the “ savage and shrill ” note of the pibroch had “ in the noon of night ” upon the ancient Highlanders what timeLochiel was skipper of the far-famed Cameron Club. One could not help but be struck by the conviction while watching the play in tho match between Kaiti and City on Saturday afternoon last that there was too much wrestling and not enough football throughout the greater part of the contest. Can anyone tell me why it is that New Zealand, which is admittedly in the van of all progressive legislation, should bo so far behind the Old Country in the matter of scientific foot-

ball '? For years past the brain of the English Rugby Union has been directed towards devising amendments to the existing laws of the game with the object of doing away almost entirely with the rough element. These amendments reached us in due course, and yet how little they have tended to improve our play. The game on Saturday reminded one at times of tho old style which obtained in tho days of maul-in-goals, when both fifteens would take a hand for

quarter of an hour or so iu wrestling on the ground for possession of the ball. I could not help coming to tho conclusion that the employment of wing-forwards has a great deal to do with tho tightness which

invariably characterises our play. Everyone will admit that the science of the game consists in making play fast and open, and in transferring tho ball skilfully from one player to another. This is what the spectator pays his money at the gate to witness. And yet, we deliberately place four men about the scrum with special instructions to prevent passing; and, unfortunately for everyone concerned

—both players and spectators—they arc only too frequently successful. Now, such

a thing as a wing-forward is unheard of iu England, and may the gods speed the day which will see these hindrances to scientific play swept off the football fields of this colony. One man in particular was responsible for a lot of dreary play on Saturday. This was tho City wing-forward who had a little problem to work out in connection with line-out play. He persisted in throwing the ball in a yard or two each time, and the scrambling and fighting which ensued until the ball wont into touch again was anything but edifying to watch. The pathetic look on Mr Arthur Rees’ face while ho watched

this performance repeated again and again called forth our sympathy. There are three simple reasons why this class of play should be discarded. In the first place, it is particularly severe on the men; secondly, it is most uninteresting to the spectators; and, thirdly it gains a side no advantage. Some of this play on Saturday gave one tho impression that ho was taking a glimpse into Dante's Inferno. It is this class of football which causes us to find the church pew so hard to recline in while listening to tho Sunday morning sermon. Let us have more science and loss wrestle. Cultivate your forwards till a scrum is only the matter of a moment; and when it docs break up, lot every man on the side be a back.

There was far too little passing indulged in on Saturday. The City men had instructions to make it tight, aud herein wo think they erred in judgment. The Kaiti men must have been thankful that tho City backs did not have more opportunity of handling the hall in the first spell. Tho few chances they had they made tho most of, and were nearly in from passing rushes on several occasions. With men like Primrose, Samson, and Glennie behind a pack, it is, wo consider, a mistake to keep the ball from them. The Kaiti men wero even worse in this respect. It was heart-breaking to watch Ngatai, Porter, and Kirk patiently waiting on Saturday for a chance to handle tho ball, which never came. They seom to have no passing forwards. It is the number of passing forwards they have which makes the Huia team so dangerous. They have given us the best exhibition of open play wo have seen so far this season. They remind us forcibly of Joe Warbrick’s Maori team of glorious .memory. Those who saw the Maoris play will remember that they positively refused to scrum at all. They made a pretence of' forming, and immediately the ball was in they opened out, ran back — did anything, in fact, to force open play, and give their backs an opportunity of handling the ball. The game on Saturday last was a peculiar one. There was too much forward work about it, but occasional fiashes of individual brilliancy among the backs made it interesting to watch. Two facts were apparent at tho conclusion, one being that City had had, on the whole, the best of the play, while the other was that Kaiti had won.

We regretted to notice that one or two men on Saturday used their feet rather more freely in collaring than the laws of the game permit. They can consider themselves fortunate in not having been detected in this practice by the referee. We shall expect to see a good exhibition of the game on Saturday next when West End and Huia meet. -The former club arc putting their camp in order and arc training hard. They are reported to have one or two new men of ability, chief of whom will be Brown, an cx-Te Aute player, who will occupy the five-eighths position. There will not be any great change on the Huia side, and they can be confidently expected to give the spectators a good exhibition of football, whether they win or lose. “ The Whistle ” is pleased to notice that his football “ Notes ” are being extensively copied by contemporaries.