FOOTBALL OF TO-DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 25 April 1921, Page 4

FOOTBALL OF TO-DAY

(By “Old Lace.”.) j Oh wad some po’er the giftie gie us, » To seo oursels as others see us, i It wad fra mony a blunder free us j and foolish notion. That onlookers see the most of the game is a trito and maybe a true saying. Last Saturday’s match on Cass Square was an indifferent expositon of the Rugger game of to-day. In my humble opinion the best side won, not by 21 to 6, but by 16 to 6. Ask one of the Union officials what is meant by these figures. He is a footballer and an interested spectator, and as indifferent las the writer as to who won or who ' lost. Now this is just the point on : which I wish to make a few remarks. ' Who won, who lost, appear to be the “summum Ixmutn” of the game to-day, not the game of footba.il, not the fail clean playing of the game, but win honestly, fairly, squarely, if you can, but always having in mind we must win we will win whatever way it goes, forgetting there is sometimes more disgrace in winning than in losing. By this I mean it is fiftv times more honourable to lose fairly than win by pointing and cheating. Two instances of Saturday s game. The unselfish pass by the Kiwi (in the best bit of play in the game) right on the line to his*right wing three-quarter whe scored’ easily and cleanly, and the pointing tactics of three Kiwi players towards the latter part of the game When the pack were 20 to 24 yards up the field, the player who fielded tin ball, (the touchline judge was 30 yards or more up the line and couldn’t pos sibly see the ball was out of play foi the spectators over the line), and knev he had crossed the touch line, because his attention was called to it, but hi was not sportsman enough to throw tin ball down outside the line (Jack Deal of All Black fame did do so) but “point ed”, and played the ball. These ar two instances, one of the “playing the game of football, the other of play ing the game of pointing.” A furthe glaring instance was the persistent ofl side play by the oldest (but by m means the slowest) player on the field You frequently hear the remark—“Oh such and such a team will win the Cup they have some old fashioned cute play ers in their Club, the inference bcin; they are smart Aleck’s at the gam and always get away with the “dough’ whenever the Umpire or Touch lim judges can he beaten Footballers, ask you is there any credit in this win ning a game much jess the trophy o the game. To the credit of our foot bailers be it said, the. great majority o them prefer to follow the sporting max im given to the scholars of this domin ion by our Democratic Prince—“l’la; for your side, play to win, but play th game.” Another wearysome feature of las Saturday’s game was the reprehensiv practice of punting the ball into touch This was done faithfully by both sides Footballers have you already forgot thi lesson the Ainrist team gave you, anc ran the local reps to a standstill b\ kicking (not so frequently punting) the ball into the centre of the field. Thai was a game of football worth seeing anc remembering, but evidently the players on Saturday have already forgotten that match and its lesson. Of course 1 the writer remembers the rule allows this feature of the game, but trained men and good footballers don't play the punting into touch game. II they are 111 men they kick into the ceptre and follow up. Speaking of fit men, a las) word. You cannot play ball, “Dancing Ball” I mean until four o'clock in the morning and then play the game of football at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. If the game of football (not win tie point, or wrangle game) is to be played and the worthy traditions of Rugger, kept good and clean, Westland players will have to train, and give up both beer and tobacco to hold their end of the stick up. The famous All Black team won their fame by training, selfsacrifice (that is in exiting and drinking) and going to bed every night at 10 o’clock and taking two hours rest before playing a match; if you’re not game to do this throw in your jersey, before you disgrace its colors. The finest feature of last Saturday’s game, there was no “jawing by the players” (the onlookers made up for that). The play was indifferent through lack of form, breaches of the rules, but not love of the game.

CO a -P 6 o c> d Mrs Stnveley and Mnekay ... 58 9 Miss Moore and Langford .. 54 ser. 54 Mrs Macfarlane and Pcrham 57 2 55 Mrs Bovd and Grant ...... 61 fl 55 Mrs Williams and Cranston 6(5 9 57 Mrs Grant and Ellis 66 6 60 Miss Lewis and F. Williams 69 9 (