FOOTBALL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2429, 16 May 1922, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS. SENIOR, Wanderers (>, Old Boys 3. Foxton 8, Hui Mai 0. Shannon defaulted to Weraroa. JUNIOR. «’ : ' Weraroa 31 Rovers 0. Wanderers 3. Foxton 3. Tokomaru 10, Shannon 11. Parnparahmu 12, Kuku 0. To Horo 3. Otaki 0. Old Boys 7, Hui Mai 0. THIRDS. Shannon 8, Foxton 3. Ilui Mai 11, Training Farm 3. Rovers 17, Weraroa 3. To Horo 18, Old Boys 0. ■ FOURTHS. High School 0, Weraroa 0. NOTES. *" * !1 (By Ivoata.) Foxton. 38, Training Farm 3. But for a slight' breeze from the Tararuas fine weather greeted the match between Foxton and Hui Mai last/ Saturday. The standard of play so early in the season was exceptionally high, but there is still room for improvement, and it can be inferred that the residents of ♦his town will be favoured with some brilliant expositions of rhe__Nationnl game later.

Play was fast, throughout and it was obvious that the teams "had been training assiduously and the result was held in suspense almost to the .end of the match. The much-discussed amendment tf> the Rugby rules was again in evidence and there can be no doubt that it will raise the standard of Rugby. In theory the players were familiar but jn practice they were erratic. The lessened prevalence of line-kicking rendered the game much more attractive to the spectators, as well as giving the teams a better cliancftt.oft'tprflving their worth. In bringing the new amendment to bear the kicking in many instances was, except in isolated eases, out of reach concerning those who followed up. The remedy would doubtless i»c found in last week’s notes. To make it effective the height and length must play an important part as well as the occasional varying of direction. It's waste, of energy to kick the ball into a.player’s arms, so it’s far better to vary the landing ground as much as possible. The visiting forwards distinctly exeelledj.theinselves in scrum-work and line-out. They were rarely" hampered and got the ball whenever it was 1 wanted. Their scram-work was faultiest. No doubt the local, forwards wire up against weight and experience. In loose-scrum-mage, the local vanguard if anything was superior. Individually they were Speedier and quicker 8, to foil passing and dribbling rushes and in defence they rendered their backs no small assistance. From their style of play one could safely say that they were “all backs.” Hui Mai’s defeat is traceable to one thing'which is the old desire to play the man. It has now become o habit with Hui Mai and they do it unconsciously; and as long as they continue to play the man, success will rarely home their way and the trophy will he as remote as it was before.

Gentleness pervaded Foxton’s play throughout, and this, in a great measure, was of material assistance to them in winning the match.

Last Saturday the match was continually held up owing to. the .spectators encroaching beyond , the limits of the playing areg and being unmindful of,the rights due to players. Steps will immediately be taken to obviate this by standing spectators at least 10 yards from the line. To designate the specta-t tors' limit: a conspicuous line in white will he made and for a specs tutor to overstep this will mean the immediate stoppage - 'of the game until further orders.

Proficiency in t wo branches of the game was not evidenced in the match, the place-kicking being poor and low-tackling almost conspicuous by its absence. However, the first will doubtless improve when the pi avers have had a little more practice." flic low-tackling left much room for improvement. If Saturday’s play is any criterion, Ilorowhenua should have a.’formidable representative team this season.

FOXTON (8), V. HUI MAI (NIL)

The visitors won the toss and elected to- defend the northern half with the sun behind them. « Foxton kicked off and within a few minutes the visitors narrowly missed a great opportunity of drawing first blood owing to one of them being penalised for off-side play. The freekick which followed gave Foxton relief for the oval floated well np I he field and with it the play' natur-, ally followed. Te Hiwi returned the ball with a hefty, punt and landed Th well within his opponent’s territory where Baker secured and initiated a passing- rush which, was nipped in the laid about half way and in which all, his backs participated. WlVka at, half-back was kept busy in throwing the hall about but little or no liead-way was made. The visiting forwards were making their pressure felt in both the scrum and line-out work, and in order to oh-, viate this the local forwards had lo work very hard in loose play and tackling. Eventually the ball took Bryant by surprise and to make good he dribbled it beyond the halfway mark where the 'visiting rearguard gained possession- and at once indulged in -a passing-rush ’which caused Foxton aevery anxious moment. To avert danger Barber, Baker. Moses and Reid, had to tackle and -J. Martinj for the visitors, seeing that the chances of gaining

ground was remote, punted the hall, which was returned to midfield beyond half way by Taylor. Here give-and-take play was the order. In the scramble Royal secured oval, which was transferred to Moses, who led Reid, Barber and Bryant across the promised line. From a difficult angle Taylor failed •with the kick. Foxton 3j Hui Mai nil, Tfid ball was dispatched from - half-way, and F. Moffatt returned it with fast forwards bearing down on the receiver. Any mistake in the fielding of it would doubtless have given Foxton another try. Bevan, at full-back showed great reliability, and made no error in finding touch. From the line-out, Waka, at half, secured the leather, which was transferred to Te Hiwi, Martin and 1 RansfieTd and the latter returned it to Martin, who knocked it on, This assisted Foxton in carrying Operations out of the danger zone, and in re-adjusting their defence. To the end of the first spell both sides were alternately attacking and defending, except for tlie attempt at potting a goal by Taylor, which failed to t reach by about 3 yards, and for stopping play owing to one of the visitors’ forwards receiving a nastycut over the eyebrow, nothing eventful happened. On resuming in the second spell, Foxton made the visitors feel the > pressure, so much so that Taylor, at full-back, was instrumental in initiating two spectacular passing .rushes, but Hui Mai’s defence was so impregnable that hopes of crossing the line appeared remote. Hui Mai rallied, and converted defence into attack; and defence is by no means pleasant at any time. The visitors attacked vigorously, and on two occasions they.just missed the coveted line. Whilst on the attack, J. Martin took a mark"within Foxton’s twenty-five, which the referee disallowed, as he did not see the circumstances leading up to it. At any rate, play continued within the local team’s territory, and as a last effort to get over the visitors threw the ball about in order to commence a passing rush, when Moses, with a smashing run, intercepted the pass \o Martin, from within 10 yards of his goal-line, and carried the oval as far as the Hui Mai full-baek, ) ’ after beating three opponents, and in\he midst of much excitement and cheering lie transferred ,to Baker, who raced over the line unopposed. Baker was able to convert his own

try, tvhich made the score read: Foxton 8, Hui Mai nil. What followed after was of little or no value, for in a few minutes Mr W. Neville sounded the end.

1 SHANNON FORFEITS.

Shannon failed to put in an appearance on Saturday, and forfeited their ..fixture, with Weraroa. This is to be regretted, a% Shannon has has the material for a strong side, add Only needs pulling together to put up a good game with any team in the competition.

PP^UNIORS,

The Weraroa —Rovers match proved a good game, both sides throwing the ball about, and. the play was fast and full of incident. Weraroa scored in the first half, which was i he only one in the match, and'they won by that margin. The winners l ( iad a big advantage in weight, in their pack, but the Rovers evened up matters by good work in the open, supported by nice back play. The Weraroa hacks showed plenty of initiative, too, but missed chances lost them promising opportunities.

' We are informed that- a good deal i.f money changed hands as the result of Saturday’s football match, played locally. In this however, the players are above sns- ' picion, and we doubt whether any players under the jurisdiction of the Ilorowhenua Union, after last year’s klrets&ic nction-byThe officials, would k rlsk [disqualification by betting on iri-wTirCh they participate. Furl her, the joying men in the district who participate in the game are actuated by a high code of morality, and play foifthe love of the national game. Still, they require protection X from the wiles of the gambler. Once allow the gambling microbe\ Ur enter, then good-bye to clean football. Tn some centres. games have hepn marred, and serious injuries inflicted upon players as the direct result of gambling. We admit it is almost impossible ,to prevent men backing the merits of a j team, but for fhe' sake of " clean sport it should be discountenanced.