Out-door Sports . . and Pastimes. By Touchline. Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 48, 1 June 1901, Page 20

Out-door Sports . . and Pastimes. By Touchline. Rugby Football.

THE football matches, on the Athletic Park on Saturday wore. very tame exhibitions, especially when the Welhngton-Melrose game of the previous week i& taken into consideration. * * ♦ In neither match did the players take things seriously. The Old Boys and Orientals seemed to be of the opinion that it was a foregone conclusion that they must lose — while the Melrose and Wellington players* had decided in their own minds that they had only to run about and the scores would come. * • • The conclusions in both cases weie correct, but Melrose allowed the game to be more than half-way through before they began to out any figures on the slate, the appeals of a half-hearted barracker to "follow up your kick, Melrose," being practically the only interesting feature of the first half. * ♦ • The scores, however, came freely in the second term — the penalty goal score of three points when the teams turned round be,ing increased to 25 points when the bell sounded. The Old Boys put a penalty goal over, by the aid of T. Page — their only score in the game — right towards the end. ♦ * * For Melrose, tries were scored by Laws, J." Spencer (2), E. Clandge, and Sieveis (2), G. Spencer converting two into goals, besides kicking a penalty The most noticeable feature m Wellington's score of 30 points was the splendid goal-kicking of McLachlan, who converted four tries, out of six attempts, besides kicking a fine goal from a mark. Tries were scored by Mclntyre, Wood (2), Johnston (after a beautiful run more than half the length of the field), Row, and Kember. Carr and Dixon each secured a try for the> Orientals.

The Poneko-Petone match was splendidly contested, although the town team wore having all the best of the play when the whistle sounded. The "boys m bluo" were disappointed at the result, and, with a little bit of luck in the early part of the game, when they were attacking with plenty of vigour, the tide of battle might have turned their way Judging by their play in this match, the Petone team can be rehed upon to give all their opponents as much of it as they want in their remaining matches. In two of the senior matches on Saturday the referees made a similar mistake, and in each instance a try was scored. At Petone, Milner, a Poneke forward, was running with the ball, and was tackled near the hue by Baird. In the tackle both players came to the ground, the ball in the possession of the former The referee allowed Mcßae, another Poneke player, to pick up the ball and cross the line and a try was awarded. As this was the only score in the match, it was peculiarly hard lines on the Petone team. In the Old Boys-Melrose match, Wrigley was tackled similarly, and, after being brought down, he rolled over and passed the ball forward to E. Claridge, who successfully run in. The try was aw arded . Another instance I noticed in this match. An appeal for "not over the mark" was allowed, and the referee 1 permitted the ball to be kicked again. These are breaches of law, and those who act as referees in senior matches should not place themselves zn the position of having to take back a decision after they have given it. The rule re playing the ball after the player has been tackled ought to be known to every player and referee — the sub-sec-tion dealing with the matter being so plain. The rule is numbered b, and it says — "The ball may not be picked up (c) when it is on the ground after a player has been tackled." A case law r decision gives it that picking the ball up in an instance of this description is not to be considered as picking out of a scrummage, meaning thereby that a free-kick shall not be given for this breach of law. At the meeting of the Referees Association, on Monday night, it was decided to award the free-kick if a team systematically broke this law. The practice is growing amongst players of passing the ball after they have been tackled and brought down, an immense amount of time being thus wasted by

causing the play to stop while the ball is brought back to where it was made dead. As there is power given in the rules, to awaid a free-kick, that course r ! „° taken m future, with the object ot killing the practice. • ♦ • Mr. Campbell was acting as referee in the Wellington-Oriental match. Earlier in the season I ventured the opinion that he could not attend to his duties conscientiously as a member of the Selection Committee if he carried the whistle. By the way, I wonder what methods the Committee adopt in discriminating as between players. I have watched them individually and collectively, but never yet have I seen them make a note on the play. Perhaps they note the incidents of play,' in their memory-book — a tricky place at the best of times — or else they do, as "Long Mac" aptly describes it— note the players i\ ho have made friends of the reporters, and whose names appear in print the oftenest. Reverting to what I started with, Mr. Campbell should, now that the season is about half over, give his main attention to the selecting of representative teams, and this he cannot do while acting as a referee. * jt How does> this look on paper as a back team — Full; Wngley , threequarters, Burr, Wallace, and Jacob; five-eighth, Wood, half, Meredith. When you have studied this carefully, think of the claims of Hales, Spencer, and Callander for full-back , Row, Mclntyre, Laws, Roberts, Gerrard, Marsh, Hansen, and L. McKenzie in the three-quarter line , WTallaceW T alIace as fiveeighth, and Clandge at half. Kelly I have not mentioned, for this season the wing-forwards are not much better than last, when they were practically overmatched by their opponents. Kelly, then, would be 'the first I would put on my side for selection as wingforward, and Ostler, the ex-Horo-whenua player, I will put with him. Manson, McGrath, Chambers, and Quinn would all have to be considered, but the best pair out of the six are not near the class of J. McKenzie and Armstrong, of Wairarapa, say. The forwards are a bit beyond me just yet, but the Selection Committee can rely on getting a good lead from the copious notes I have made on the individual players when the time comes round for them to make their first selection.

The following tables show the positions of the various clubs in the senior and junior championship matches up to and including last Saturday's games . —

The Wellington Club have played all their matches in the first round, the other clubs completing theirs next Saturday. Should Poneke and Melrose both win their matches they will still be two points behind the Wellington Club.

The positions of the third and fourthoJass teams will be published next week.

Mr. A. G. Norns has been appointed to represent the Wellington Rugby Union at the conference of referees. Mr .Norm is about the ablest exponent of the laws of the game we have in Wellington, and he is the right man to send to this conference. Since he came trom Hawke's Bay, he has devoted a lot ot his time to matters affecting referees, with an immense amount of credit to himself, and of satisfaction to the local Referees Association, of which he is at present the chairman. Mr. F. J. Ohlson has been appointed to represent the Auckland Rugby Union at the forthcoming conference of referees. ''Curly/ as he is familiarly known in the Northern city, although his soalp is like Uncle Ned's, is the acknowledged authority there on the laws of the game, and no New Zealand gathering of referees would be complete without him. He is a schoolmaster by profession, and nearly all the time he can spare from his ordinary

•duties and studies he devotes to betteiiiig his own knowledge of the laws and instilling that knowledge into the heads of those who aspire to blow the whistle on Potter's Paddock and on the other grounds controlled by the Auckland Rugby Union. Mr. Ohlson's presence will be appreciated at the conference. Mr. Hallamore, an old friend, is coming from Hawke's Bay to the Referees Conference, and W. G. Garrard from Christchurch. Messrs. Ohlson, Norns, Garrard, and Hallamore would make a splendid conference in themselves, and with them as a positive quorum, players and referees throughout the colony can rely on something really practical being done when they get together on the 18th June. » ♦ • Meredith was an interested spectator on Saturday, the injury to his knee the Erevious week compelling a rest. Peraps his absence caused the Wellington attack to be so disjointed. On the Athletic Park on Saturday the touch-line judges in one match were signalling when a goal was kicked , in the other match they were not. The latter is the method decided on by the Referees Association at their meeting last week, and I must confess that it does not seem a good one. In one instance in the match in which the umpires were not signalling the ball appeared to droD short. From the distance the referee was away from the goal-line he could not have said positively that the ball had crossed the bar, yet he allowed the goal without consulting his touch-line judges. The old way worked Avell. and gave satisfaction all round, and it is difficult to a&sign any reason for the change.

The Queensland Rugby Union last \\ eek received notice of an alteration in the laws relating to the duties of touch judges, the alteration being an addition to the present law, as follow & . — "A touch judge shall hold up his flag when the ball goes into touch-m-goal." I read, a montli or so since, m a Home paper that the International Board had decided this way. The Queensland Union have got it ; why has not the New Zealand Union? Perhaps, Mr. De Costa can tell me The Athletic team is pulling itself together, and is being re-constructed, with a. view of taking more than a passing interest in the matches of the second round. It is said that a new half-back is being brought into requisition, Herb Gerrard is going five-eighths, and Kelly is to play wing-forward. With OBrien, Joyce, and Pitt (who, by the way, is staying with us) in the pack, the team must be considered a hard one to beat, if the gymnasium gets the attention from them it should. A writer under a norn de plume, in Friday's "Times," gets one right on to the chairman of the Management Committee. Why he should have picked him out specially for the comment is a puzzle to me. All the same, I agree with the writer that the "deadhead" element is growing m connection with matches on the Athletic Park, and ought to be checked by the Union as much as possible. The spectators pay to se<> the sport, and their opportunities of doing so should not be marred. "Wing," in the Dunedm ''Star" — "One good feature about the SouthernUniversity match was the absolute fairness of the referee and both line umpires " What do those three lines

mean? Are the line umpires in the senior matches in Otago not always fair, or is it that only in this match have they acted fairly? I confess to a feeling of wonderment on the matter, for, to my notion, Dunedin is the place where everybody connected with the 1 game of football officiates in a manner that can only be for its good. The Appeal Committee, as set up by the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union last week, I cannot say I hke too well. The gentlemen composing it are all good men and true, but I do not think collectively they are up to date enough on the laws of the game. The "Queensland Sportsman" says : — "Cabled from Wellington that the New Zealand Rugby Union is disappointed at not receiving replies from Queensland with regard to the new arrangements for mtprcolonial matches. I understand that the replies were posted from this State. The matter, however, is to receive attention at the next Q.R.U. executive meeting." This is the way a confrere in a Carterton paper sums up the decision of the Management Committee of the Wellington Rugby Union to report cases of rough play coming under the attention of the individual members of the Committee, but which may escape the notice of the referee — "When Wairarapa plays Wellington in the latter's town, and during the game 'Jack Mac' knocks an opponent's false teeth down his throat, if a Wellington Management Commitirpcman reports Jack for flagrant conduct to his own union, will Jack take a.ny notice of it ? No : nor any other footballer placed in a like position who knows the rules."

The picture tliis week is a group of the Spencer family. Four of the brothers — Jack, George, Bill, and Wai — play each Saturday for the Melrose Club, but Tom, the eldest, is content now-a-days> to take a barracker's interest in the doings of the Melrose boys. Jack, the youngest, has represented Wellington in seventeen representative matches. Bill has taken part in eleven, George in four, and Wai in two. A recent decision by the Wellington Referees Association is causing some oommenfe by scribes in., various parts of the country. The position is this — It has been the rule — one which I have strenuously opposed myself — to give a mark after the whistle has blown, even if the player who called for the mark mulled the ball in taking it. This is manifestly unfair, and the conclusion arrived at bv the local Association is that in instances of this description a ''knock-on" shall be given, as if the whistle had been blown inadvertently. Of course, if the referee is not eager to hear the sound of the whistle he will not blow till after the ball has been fairly caught, as, until that is done, no heel-mark can be made. The giving of the "knock-on" is only the glossing over of a mistake by the referee.

Association Football. [By Goalkbbpee.] The contest between Swifts and Rovers, played at Miramai on Satuiday, was a grand exhibition of "socker" football, and. in fact, the best played match in Wellington for some time past. The game was fast and furious, and every man did his little bit. Referee Wardell had his work cut out in pacing up and down the field, and his control was most satisfactory. The result of the mateh — one goal for Swifts to love — is a fair criterion of the merits of the competing teams. The Swifts,, undoubtedly, showed their supeilority over Rovers in this match, and the result is clue to sheer hard graft on the part of the Swifts to ivm, and the Rovers to equalise, if not to beat. Keys, in goal for Swifts, had a lot to do, and was pretty safe. White an.d Macdonald, at full back, were aJive to their responsibilities. Macdonald, who skipped the rearguard on Saturday got ahead of himself as a full back. White did not display his usual defensive powers, but played a fair game.

Hawkins was too much for Moore and Williams. His play completely broke them up. Fred Hale and Philips used the ball to considerable advantage. Sloman was fairly good in the centre, but could have done much more. Martin played a good game in the open, and his delivery at times was urgent, and done with quick despatch. Johnson, in the centre of the forward pack, played a good game, but appears nob to know when to shoot or pass. He, however, gave a splendid pass to Williams, who scored the winning goal. Smellie plays a very fair game, and had hard luck in not scoring on several occasions. Williams, his wing mate, played a considerably improved game on previous Saturdays' form. Philips and Hale were the shining stars of the match. Philips played a tricky, passing game, and his centreing was cleverly done. He can take a pass well, and is good with his feet. For Rovers, Russell, in goal, had a lot to do, and did it well. He should not indulg* in the too frequent practice of running out of gaol to take the ball. Howie, a new man at full-back, played a sound defensive game, and got some good kicks in from tight corners.

Godber, as usual, played a sound and sterling game. His kicks are powerful and prompt. Clark was the best half-back. He shows great judgment, and uses his feet and head well. Paton seemed to be "dead off." From what cause, I know not. Johnson, on the right wing of the Swifts, simply did as he liked with him. Hunter, another acquisition to the Rovers, did not come into prominence, but his work was done coolly and well. Fernie, again in the centre, seemed to be operating too much on his own, and, consequently, lacked the necessary support of his wing mates. Williams and Moore played capitally in combination, but the defence of the Swifts was too good, for them. Fraser and Pye-Smith played fairly good games. Fraser had to be content with a disabled partner in Pye^Smith, who received a kick in the early stages of the game. The game between Red Cross and Diamond was fought out at Petone, and resulted in a win for the latter by two goals to nil. A good exhibition was spoilt by the undue length of the grass on the Petone ground, and it behoves the Association to have this material defect removed. Fitzgerald, in goal for Red Cross, played a magnificent game, which was an eye-opener to his opponents, whose most excellent shots were spoilt by his marvellous saves. Time and again he was called upon to defend his goal by all manner of shots, and he proved himself equal to the occasion. The two he missed were easily put through in the goal mouth. Dixon played into prominence by his sterling defence, and upon him devolved a considerable amount of apparently unnecessary work. Adams was unsuccessful on several occasions in bis efforts to notch a score ; his dribbles down the wing were swift, but met with a severe check in tihe person of Roberts. Gibbs did not rise to the occasion. His play was ill-judged, and very loose. His usual dash was noticeably absent. Will played a good game, but should learn to take the man when his partner is taking the ball. Hall, a new player in the club, was playing out of place as left full-back. He spoilt several good chances to relieve, but, on the whole, his work must be considered satisfactory. Jamieson did not display his usual defensive powers on Saturday. His kicks were not strong enough, and were the cause of several corners being conceded to his opponents. Martin did not reach his usual standard of play, but fed his forwards well. Hathaway and Mouatt played capitally together, and their dribbling rushes were not easy to stop, and they provided McKeowen with plenty of work to do. Sennet, at centre, should have shot more. The frequent pauses he made most times _ resulted in the loss of the ball to his side. Wells and Collins were of valuable service to their side. Wells, in particular, fairly overcame his opponents in getting the ball in from touch. Collins services were practically indispensible as a help-mate for Wells ; they worked in harmony, and in style of play effective. Austin Smith, the famous all-round player of Auckland, has left the Northern city for the Old Country, and his absence will be sorely felt in Association circles. Kohn, an old-time Swifts Club player, is now doing service for the V.M.C.A. between the uprights, in Auckland. Dr. Adams, an Auckland medico, and an ex-representative of Otago, has thrown in his lot with V.M.C.A., in Auckland. "Barney" Todd, now, if you please, Captain Todd, D.5.0., is still in town, but will shortly leave for the Northern city, where he soon expects, to resume the hunt after the leather with just as mucii zest as he chased the Boers. The latest addition to rule 10 of "Laws of the Game" is that a goalkeeper shall not be charged until he has passed outside the six yards line. This is the only alteration! in the rules of the English Football Association up to the present.

CLUII c o S sg, i| Wellington .. Poneke Melrose Oriental Petone Uhletic )ld Boys 6 5 5 5 5 •5 5 5 3 3 2 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 100 63 60 27 34 39 20 41 11 14 7 28 7 68 5 36 4 63 2 83 0

Seniok. Matches

Meirose Poneke St. Pat's Coll. Oriental Kia Ora -Uhletic 31d Boys Well. College Petone Wellington . . 6 5 6 5 5 5 6 2 b 6 5 4 5 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 2 d 3 4 1 4 5 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 45 61 57 38 32 18 24 14 28 18 12 17 21 34 19 33 65 20 Gi 56 11 9 10 5 4 4 3 2 2 2

Junior.