Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 151, 23 May 1903, Page 18

Rugby Football.

By Touchline.

WHEN a day like last Saturday comes along football scribes hail with delight the postponement of the matches. Generally speaking, the play on a wet day is of a very straggling description, and there is nothing to v>ax enthusiastic over, and the writing of notes on the play is therefore wearisome. And, again, the gathering together of the said notes on an afternoon when a southerly is permeating right through your clothes is a very arduous undertaking, and if a writer deals out uncomplimentary criticisms in his succeeding budget he* can hardly be blamed. But— and there always is a but, somphow—when the time comes round *or the budget to be written up, there h trouble of another character. Making bricks without straw in the Biblical days was hard enough, but writing football notes without any games being played the preceding Saturday is, to my mind, harder still. However, that by way of introduction — I expect, with a little bit of energy, I can keep faith with the readers of these columns this week • • * Fred MicDane is m town on a short holiday jaunt from Sydney. Though \e has done nothing sensational in the cricket world in the Mother_ States 1 c has got on wonderfully well in his profession, and is saying kind things of

Sydney. Fred is looking well, and has filled out nicely. He tells the same story others have told, that the New South Wales footballing public are eagerly looking forward to the visit of the New Zealand team, and those of them who are barracking for our team in the capital of New South Wales are eagerly canvassed for their opinions of the likely strength of the touring team. Fred hopes to have more time to devote to cricket next season. Cricket, however, takes a seoond place in Midlane's thoughts now — he considers that it is a pleasure, and does not intend i o let it interfere with his progress upwards in his profession — -in other words, woik before pleasure is his motto now-a-days. For one his age, his resolution is a commendable one, but there are many of us who would like to see the two ?o hand-m-hand in Midlane's case, and that the promise he gave of developing into something above the ordinary as a cricketer may be> realised. This is hardly a football item, perhaps but to make it nearly so, let me remark that Midlane has not played the Rugby game yet on the other side, if a practice game "may be excepted rut I think when, he gets properly settled down he will be running about on Saturday afternoons with a jersey on. # * * The proposal of Mr. W. Coffey's, to the Wairarapa Rugby Union, that steps be taken by the New Zealand Union *or withdrawing from the English Union, w as not agreed to by the country union. Mr. Coffey acts, as the leprefeentative of the Wairarapa Union on the head body, hence the forwarding of the proposal. The suggestion was deferred indefinitely, as it was recognised that, any move towards the severance of the silken bonds immediately preceding the 1904 visit of th© New Zealand Rugby team to Britain would tend greatly to render the visit unpopular. A passing thought came to me in reading the above. Mr. Coffey has the pleasure, sir, of representing the Canterbury as well as the Wairarapa Union

on the big union. The thought is — What w ould have been said by the committee of the Canterbury Unaon, considering they were the first proposers of the scheme to send a New Zealand team Homei, if Mr. Coffey had submitted his proposal to them ? Personally, I am with Mr. Coffey n this matter. The English Rugby Union is no good to us — we im this country derive no benefit whatever from the affiliation of our head union with the English Union. The rules of the ganiQ are aveimdden in many cases by the case law decisions) thereon — many of those decisions coming from the International Board themselves. Yet the lules have not been brought up to date. This subject 151, however in the nature of ai led rag to me, so I will desist ,n tihis occasion. I am assured positively that the team is going to England next year, and that such team will be fully representative of New Zealand football. Well, good luck to it if it does go, but the good it will do New Zealand football is very problematical. For my part I would far rather see an English team invited to tour the colony — all branches of footballers would then be able to profit by the play shown, by the visitors. • * » "Full-back" says — "Local referees might fall in line with their confreres in England, Avho when they have occasion to punish a. player severely order him to stand on the boundary line instead of ordering him off the field altogether. In this way the public is informed that the player has been guilty of misconduct, and it is said that having to stand n full view of the public has prevented many a player from again offending. Unless a player is altogether devoid >f shame, the- effect of being publicly disgraced is 1 far more beneficial than that which comes from being ordered off the field altogether." The idea seem® a good one, but I cannot find any provision in the rules for such a procedure. The rule bearing on th© point distinctly states that 'he [the referee] must order him off." The English Union,, of course, may have a case-law that overrides this rule' but,

as it stands at present, the referee would be exceeding his powers if n© took the. action suggested in the above paragraph. • • A suggestion was thrown out in the annual report of the New South Wales Referees' Association, which should be taken, notice of. It is . — "As the New Zealand R.F.U. representative players are to. visit Australia this season, your hon. secretary is of opinion that a duly accredited representative of the N2w ZeaLand referees should accompany the team, and a conference be arranged exclusively on referee matters." This suggestion was to have been brought before the New Soutih Wales Rugby Union, but I have not heard yet of its coming to New Zealand. It i& am admirable idea, and should be fallen m with, by the New Zealand Union. Mr. Norris is accompanying the team as manager, and no one 1 abler could be selected to represent the New Zealand referees at the suggested conference. But, could he spare the time p The worries attaching to the controlling of the team will in my opinion, occupy aU his time, and he would not be in a satisfactory settled condition for along enough period to sit down to discuss the rules of the game at a conference. But, still, the opportunity should not be lost. If Mr. Norris 1 is convinced that he will be able to spare the time, then, by all means, the. New Zealand Union should send him as its accredited representative to this conference. If he agrees with me, then somebody else oucrht to be sent, and if Mr. Ohlson, of Auckland, is available, the expense of sending him would be amply recompensed by the rulings in New South Wales and New Zealand being brought mto 1 line I give the suggestion my cordial approval. • * • Sutherland — Auckland representative full-back of a few seasons back — is a,gam m harness. A comment on his play says his kicking and stopping were of a first-rate order. In view of the weakness of the full-backs in New Zealand football last year, it is good news to> hear that an acknowledged expert in that position is showing form.

Conder, the half-back of the Poneke senior team, has had the bad luok to contract scailet fever, and has gone to the Hospital A positive rumour is gaining currency that "Cocky" Robert's will fill the vacancy behind the pack in the Poneke team. By the way, up to the present, none of the half-backs playing in the senior matches have shown anything approaching the form, necessary to secure that position in, Wellington's representative team. Who knows but that, if Roberts yields to the persuasions of jis club mates, that he will be the man wo are looking for? ♦ * * While fully recognising the arduous duties of referees in controlling some of our Rugby matches, "Full-back," in the "Otago Witness," is of opinion that much of the work could be lessened and the game improved were the officials promptly penalise when players intentionally lie on the ball instead of waiting, as is. invariably the case, until two men with a ball underneath are joined by others and become a struggling, writhing, squirming mass of human beings with arms and legs going like mill flails and he has perforce to blow his whistle for "danger." I (mote this paragraph because I like it, and would impress it upon local referees. The rule is decisive, and the stricter a referee is in enforcing it +he better it will be for the game generally. • * * Charlie Manning is playing full-back for Linwood (Christchurch). Several players in Sydney wear sand shoes when playing the game. Peter Menzies has not retired after all — he wa& assisting Merivale on Saturday week. George, representative Taranaiki halfback, is playing for the City CM) in Auckland, this season. Glancing through a Taranaki paper, I notice that Allen, Humphries, and George are still playing the game. A "Spectator" comment • — "Duniedin critics say Referee Priest reported the game with his too free use of ihe whistle." Cross has Dut his bundle on his shoulder once again, having left Wellington on Monday last for Christchuroh. All matches set down to be played last Saturday will be those for decision this week. The Melrose-Poneke match will be the draw at the Athletic Park. Abrim, a prominent forward of the Alhambra Club, Dunedin, arrived in Wellington on Wednesday last. It is said that he is joining the Poneke Club. Oliphant — "Bob" of that ilk — is playing for the North Shore Club in Auckland this season, but an unkind critic refers to him as "a light of better days." Charley White, New South Wales' ciack three-quarter, who accompanied the last team through New Zealand with his arm in a sling, is playing again this season. Bennett, Knowles, Mitchell, Hobson, Given, Munxo, Fenwick, Booth, Duncan, Porteous, and Spiers are familiar names in Dunedin football. They are all following the leather this season. Scotty Irvine, a clever front-ranker 'n Auckland football, has been transferred to New Plymouth for several months. He should be of much service to whichever team he joins m the Breakwater town. McGregor, the scoring three-quarter back m the Canterbury representative team last season, is showing good form at the. piesent time, and a place m the New Zealand team may not be beyond him. A troublei a country union has to settle. "A protest has been entered on the grounds' that the referee aw arded a dead ball for w hat the protestants consider was a try." A question of fact, surely. Looking through the referees appointed for last Saturday's matches m Christchurch, I could not find a familiar name — Evans, Garrard, Barry, and SO' on, all being conspicuous Ity their absence. Mvnott, the Taranaki representative five-eighth, is still wearing the jerse-v but there is no mention in -ny exchanges fiom He-Hem's country as to whether Jacob is as keen on the game as ever Thus "Rugger," a Napier scribe, winding up a comment on a sen. or match in that city — "The public visit the Recreation Ground to see Rugby football, not an exhibition of methods which tend to bring the game into disrepute." Two succeeding paragraphs in a Wsirarapa paper end as follows — "Mr. E. MoKenzie was referee " "Mr. H. McKenzie was referee." This doesn't mean that the brothers of _ "Off-side" have stopped playing — it was in matches played on a Thursday that they were officiating.

"Off-side Mac" has a few lemarks to make — ' The Wellington Annual compnses lot) pages, much of which is interesting, and much of which is not. The latter applies to the anonymous contri-bu*-ons It would appear that the obscurity which is at present clouding Wellington Rugby is causing much mental trouble to quidnuncs in the Empire City, and, following the lines 1 of the Management Committee, a number of irresponsible persons, who eatli3r never played football, or if they Jid weie particularly ineffective at it, are vainly striving for a reason why Wellington is not what it was. 1 The w riter is quite sure that during the coming season 'Joe' Calnan and W. Hardnam will do< more to brighten Wellington representative football than the w ntings, of forty imbeciles, whose knowledge ( ? ) finds vent in the following 'The guiding hand of the mastermind.' "Some very good stuff in the Annual is written bv Mr. A. C. Norns, but it is not long enough, and the same remark applies to some explanatory remarks on the laws of the gam© by 'Touch-line. ' " • * * Mona Thompson scored three tries for the Christchuroh Club last Saturday. Tannahill, a solid forward, who has been playing lock for the Petone Club, is leaving Wellington, and perforce the suburban club. "Bumper" Wright is to takei his place in the Petone pack. I ha.ye to acknowledge receipt of the Canterbury, Wellington and Auckland Annuals. All are worth perusal, and should be of much interest to the players in the respective districts. Are you listening? "Against Dunedin on Saturday Duncan was doing three men's work, and was certainily t eceiving the knocking about which should have been sip read over that number." — "Full-back." Bill King is assisting the Petone Club in its remaining matches. The old war-horse is still full of vigour and activity, a,nd the best of his opponents will have their work cut out to keep him from hooking the ball. Jim Cochrane, a good player in his day, is acting as a referee m Wairarapa senior football. From personal knowledge Coohrane should be an able controller, and I am surprised that he has not been doing duty before. I notice "Hem" Kelly is. playing again this season, at five-eighths, for the Grafton Club, in Auckland. Some' of my contemporaries give his initials as "N" — but they are "H. W." — "Hen" is a contraction of his first name Thus an exchange . — "The first football match at Katikati for the season was played last Saturday in the Domain, and was fairly well attended by spectators, Saturday afternoons being quite a gala, time in. that country district." Mr. George Mason, a vice>-p resident of the Canterbury Union, has been on a visit to Sydney. In conversation with "Drop-kick," Mr. Mason stated that the Sydneyites are confident of giving a good display when meeting the New Zealanders in July. The specially-audited defaulters' list of the Rugby Union, though much delayed, is expected to make its appearance on Monday next. This week the clubs have been digesting the auditors' report, and many are the surprise packets that, have been brought to light bv the auditors. Cunningham is located in the Upper Thames district this season, and will not be playing in the Auckland union's city competition. In all probability, though, when the representative team is beang got together the burly, goodnatured player will be among the chosen. Wood played a good game, both en the attack and the defence, making several good runs and kicks, while ],c tackled well. All round, his display was first-class, and he should have a good chancei of being selected for the New Zealand team which is to visit Australia.. — A comment in the "Weekly Press" on the 'Morry" we know so well. The Canterbury Rugby Union is getting to work. One player has been disqualified for the rest of the season for striking an opponent , another has been given a fortnight's rest for not controlling his team in his position, as captain, and for not upholding the referee's decisions. A third has to appear before the committee for questioning a referee's decisions. A friend in the Wairarapa and another in Napier have offered to supply me with notes on players in their districts occasionally. I can assure them that said notes will be as welcome as flowers in May, but they must be forwarded purely in the interests of the game I write for in these columns, and not with any prospect of being remunerated other than seeing their notes in print.

What do you think of a motion parsed by the International Board — "That referees in international matches be directed to act strictly in accordance with the rules governing foul play or misconduct, in international matches.'' The resolution is all right, but why should its scope be limited to international matches? "The feature of Saturday's) play was Logans grand defence against mighty simters, and his sure taking of the ball and kicking." — A Master-torn comment oai the ex-01di Boys player. L. Armstrong is credited with playing a fine game on the wing for Carterton against Mastertoni last Saturday. Jack MoKenzie filled a position in the three-quarter line very creditably. I have always been told tihat, compared with the Rugby game, the Association one is a gentle pastime, and the risk of aocidents is very small in the game of which the main war-cry "s "shoot." It would seem that the Wellington Football Association consider players of the game are liable to accident, for have they not adopted an insurance scheme for players in their matches ?—-thereby? — -thereby counteracting the arguments in favour of its gentleness. A remark in an Auckland paper — "The number of ticket-sellers at the pigeon-holes was totally inadequate for the requirements of the public." This comment was passed re the arrangements made for the opening day in Auckland — no wonder the leading men of the Rugby game in that city can rub hands with themselves when tlhe public support, them in such a manner that the above comment was 1 necessary for a cup ma,tch. I pioked up a Taranaki paper the other day, and, in glancing through the report of a football match a sentence caught my eye. and compelled my attention. It read "A desperate bully in front of the goal was splendidly frustrated by the goal-keeper." For a moment or two I was nonplussed, but, reading a bit further on, I discovered that the intelligent compositor was to blame again — he had mixed up the -eport of a football and a hockey match.

Mr. George Hutchison, sometime of Patea, but now of the golden Rand, 'ed the party that, according to the Capetown ."Owl," "vetoed and potatoed, and rotten-egged the Chow." The "Owl further hoots thus 'The press organ of the RandLtti wants to know who and what is the stranger from New Zealand who is barracking for treasured British principles, the job of the legitimate inhabitant, the purity of the races, and the inheritance of the man. Who is this meddler," etc. The bird answers the Handitti "He was one of the desirables. Not one who, although undesirable himself, seeks to flood the country with undesirables. He always had the capacity to make his influence felt m any community. He is just the type of citizen the goldbugs do not want under any circumstances. He is made of the stuff to suit the robust British idea doiwn to the ground." Now, tell usi, do you think the editor of the "Owl" is a New Zealander p * * * The school youngsters in one of the Southern districts are rejoicing over ji holiday brought about in a curious way. One of their schoolmaster's children has caught the scarlet fever epidemic, and consequently all the members of his household, including; the dominie himself, are tapu. The master could of course, djsmfect himself and go into lodging, but no one in thei district will take the risk of putting him nn. So the school stands closed and the scholars aire running wild till the quarantine is lifted. • • *■ Quaint advertisement, culled from a Southern paoer —"Advertiser will exchange South African war medal, clasos 'Paardeburgr ' 'Kimberley.' 'Transvaal,' fvr Crimean medal with clasps 'Alma.' 'Inkerman,' anid 'Se'tjastouol.' W'll give Scotch collie to boot."