FOOTBALL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1065, 4 July 1912, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

N jRTii ISLAND TEAM,

Wellington, July 2

The selection committee, Messrs V. Meredith (Wellington), D, Gallaher (Auckland), and D. Malone (Taranaki) selected the following team to represent the North Island in the annual interisland match to be played at Napier on Saturday, July 13th; —1 ull-back, O’Deary (Auckland) ; three-quarters, Stohr (Taranaki), Roberts (Taranaki), McGrcgoi (Auckland); liveeighths, Kaipara (Poverty Bay), McKenzie (Wellington) ; half, Roberts (Wellington) ; wingforward, Hall (Auckland) ; Cain (Taranaki), Downing (Hawke’s Bay), Young (Taranaki), A. Wilson (Wellington), Dustin (Wanganui), Bruce (Auckland).

The team to represent the North Island, as selected, is comprised of live players each from Taranaki and Auckland, three from Weilingiou and one each irom Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay. Wanganui, Horowheuua, Wairarapa, Bush Districts, Auckland South and Manawatu are not repiescutea. That there are players in these Unions equal to some of those chosen, there is no doubt, but the trouble is that the selectors have no opportunity of seeing their play auh consequently they do not gel a chance, it might be said that the team, as selected, is not representative of the Island, as it is almost wholly drawn from the Auckland, Taranaki and Wellington Unions, Up till last year players in the smaller Unions did nut get the chances that those in the centres did, but now that the tours ot North and South Island Country teams, the players for which are drawn from these Unions, has been arranged by the New Zealand Union, the players in the country districts have now opportunities uka they in previous years did not possess.