FOOTBALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1926, Page 1

FOOTBALL.

AVEST COAST RUGBY UNION. AIEETING LAST NIGHT. Notification was received from the Nelson Rugby Uiiion that owing to their northern tour they were unable to send a team to the Coast this season but would recommend their incoming committee to send a representative team next year. Confirmation was received from the South Canterbury Union in regard to the match with the Coast representative team on September 13. The following are the fixtures set down for next Saturday:— Seniors: Hokitika v. Stars, A ground Park, at .3 p.m. Air Fuss, referee. Junior rep. match: Grey v. Lake Brunner Sub-Division, A ground Park, at 1.30 p.m. Air Afclntosb, referee.

Schools: Primary Shield match, Hokitika v. Grey, B Ground, Park, at 1.30 p.m. Air Walton referee. ALL BLACKS AVIN. [Australia & N.Z. Cable Association. SYDNEY, July 30. The N.S.AY. v. N.Z. football match was played to-day. New South Wales omitted Ford from the team selected. The weather was perfect. There was a slight wind, which favoured the Blues, who on the toss. The attendance a.s 15,000. Tlio All Blacks won by 14 points to nil. The game throughout never attained the Excellence of the preceding games. It was inclined to rnggedness till the final stages, when both teams showed to hotter advantage. The Blacks’ continual battering tactics finally wore down the Blue’s defence. Two of the scores were obtained in the last few minutes. The visitors gained most of the possession from the scrum, hut

their attack often lacked a successful issue owing to mishandling. There wore frequent stoppages, particularly in the first spell, due to penalties, and in some eases the reloree’s decision was difficult to interpret. In the second spell more serums were gained by the Blues who attacked vigorously, but spasmodically, lacking their usual cohesion. Ln their bucks, Boss was again superb, his line kicking being uncanny. The Blacks were superior in the vanguard, gaining the ball in most of tho lino outs,,and rucking more successfully. The Blues were unlucky in not registering at least two penalties, but on the day’s play, the better side won. Stevenson played servicably. Elvy find Mill were best of the backs and Sven son and Nicholls both were prominent. Brown’s inclusion at centre was an improvement. Cook was well marked, but conspicuous for line kicking. Porter played at the side of tho scrum success!ully. All the N.Z. loiwards contributed their quota of hard work, Finlnyson and Stewart being the most outstanding.

AIAORI TEA APS TOUR. PAYMENT OF PASSAGE ATONEY. WELLINGTON, July <2O. The New Zealand Rugby Union has received a cable from its representative Air AY ray, stating the passage money for the Maori tour was to Have been paid to-dav at the Paris house of Ihe P. and O. Shipping Co. To-night the Alaori team to play Wellington was selected as follows: Full-hack, G. Nepia; three-quarters,

Fahvasser, Barclay and Phillips; fiveeighths, Bell and Potalca; lialf-bacli, Kingi; wing-forward, Haupapa; hookers. Olsen and Stewart; lock, Alanihera ; supports, Afatent and Rika ; back row. S. Gemmel and Wilson.

THE FIRST TEST. A lAIN CAUSES OF FAILURE. SYDNEY, July 12. All reads led to the Show Ground on Saturday, where there was an attendance of' 40,000. That is the largest number which has watched a New Zen- ( land match here since 1907, when 52,000 saw Now Zealand beaten hv New South Wales by 14 to 0. Neither side played its full strength, the homo side being without Morrissey, Lawton and AYallacc. As Sven sou, Sheen, and Stevenson wore not able to play, Brown was at full-back, Oooke in the •three-quarter line anil AT ill played •second five-eighth. The result, as New Zealanders will know, was a win for the home side by 26 points to 20. The two main causes of tho visitors’ defeat were their failure to get tlio ball in the scrums, and the slowness of the forwards. To be exact, they got the ball in the three serums only, and consequently the hacks were starved. Save iii the final half hour, the forwards were strangely slow, and tin re was an absence ot the last following up usually shown by New Zealand forwards. Finlnyson was a bright exception and was easily the host for vaid o ntlie ground. He was in the van of every rush and collared finely. The Brownlies were perhaps the best of the others, but .generally speaking the pack was- disappointing. Had they shown the same dash in the opening stages as they did in the closing, the result ‘might easily have been reversed. Porter showed great dash, but his impetuosity got him and his side in trouble. The hacks were crippled by lack of the ball, and consequently were oniv able to attack from loose play. No fault could he found with their play, and judging by the way Elm'. Cooke, and Blake (in particular) shaped, the home team must consider themselves fortunate that they had a monopoly of the fall. Brown played well at fullback. and his lack of weight was a disadvantage in at least one instance. AYliile the homo team as a wholeplayed well, the passing of their backs was not as clean and clever as that of the opposing back division. The fact that both sides got the f ame number of tries in spite of the great disparity of the number of opportunities. would go to prove this contention.

UNION UNABLE TO TAKE ACTION CHRISTCHURCH, July 21.

The Canterbry Rugby Union again yesterday evening discussed charges of foul play made by the Old Collegians Club against- a member of the Kaiapoi Club and decided that ns the referee did not see the alleged kicking on the bead incident, the Union could take no action for the referee was the sole judge of the game.