Inter-Union Football, WELLINGTON V. TARANAKI.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 164, 22 August 1903, Page 13

Inter-Union Football, WELLINGTON Y. TARANAKI.

(By Touchline.)

EACH succeeding appearance of the Wellington representative football team in the field makes your enthusiastic suppoiter of Wellington football more disappointed than he felt before. There is no question whatever but that the standard of play here is deteriorating, and the glory that belonged to local football will soon only be a memory. Neither the quaJity of the players, nor tne style of the play is nnpro\ing. The style indulged in this season — the two five-eighths system — has not been given full effect to by the teams put in the field, and the display agam&t Taranalu on Wednesday last only gives further weight to the argument that the two five-eighths game cannot be played with any degree of .success in Wellington. Therefore, if Wellington is to scare, any wins this season the wing-forw ard game will have to be reverted to. The selector tells us that he has no players to select from who can play a decent game on the wing-forward. The leply to this is that the playeis he selects cannot play the two five-eighths game — so between tw o evils let him choose the lesser. In other words, let us play the game we know most about. As, with one exception, all the teams in the senior competition play wing-for-w ards. it stands to reason that that st-\ Ie of play is the one our players can best adapt themselves to The game on Wednesday was very unsatisfactory to watch. Granted that the ground w r as heavy and fast dashes too much to expect on that account, still there was no combination among the players on either side. The play shifted about the field a lot. but it was more in the nature of solo efforts by individual players than concerted work by either the back 01 front divisions on the respective sides. A few of the incidents of the play may here be e-iven. Early in the match, an attack by Taranaki resulted in Clarke crossing the line from a pass to him by Allen but the score was disallowed — why. I could not decide from my view-point. A free-kick to the visitors was well taken bv Allen. The Wellington backs allowed the ball to fall on the ground, with the hope that it would go behind It did not do so, how ever, and a Taranaki forward grounded the ball over the line, only to be adjudged "off-side" by the referee. This decision was a correct one. Hardham broke right away from the ruck and put in a fine run. but he delayed his pass 1 too long and what looked like a certain score was lost. A scrambling rush of Wellington forwards ended in a free-kick being given the visitors when it was going hard with them, one of the Wellington forwards- — a veteran at that — playing the ball when he wasi lying on the giound.

A fine passing rush between Roberts, Bush, Gray, and Wilson, ended in tJie latter being brought down with211 a yard of the chalk-hne. The first score of the game came from a similar piece of work in the second spell—Roberts, Bush and Wilson being associated —Wilson grounding the ball over the line. A scrambling rush of the visiting forwards found many w eaknesses in the defence of the local backs, and eventually Phillips secured the ball in the Wellington in-goal, scoring a try. Glasgow was successful with the kick, and the Taranaki team were two points ahead. Following this, Gray made a fine run and pass, Mclntyre taking the oass beautifully with one hand, and ending a strong run with a long kick ur> the field. The rest of the play was of a give-and-take nature, with no decided advantage to either side. * * * Among the visitors, Hamblyn, Glasgow, Wilson ("Blazer" of that ilk, who has previously represented Auckland), and Glen' \\ ere the best of the forwards. The backs all showed fine tackling powers. Allen, who has gone to embonpoint considerably since he was last seen in Wellington, preferred to find touch from five-eighth rather than opemnp- up the play when he got the ball from the half. Hunter, in tJiis position, passed out cleanly and well. Cross, Abrim Dodd, and Hardiham were the best of the local vanguard. Bush, Roberts, and Wilson showed better form than their comrades in the back division, although all did occasional splashes of good work.

'Harrier" (Auckland Observer") wires me the following as a probable Auckland representative team — Full-back. —Harrison. Three-quarters. —Asher, McKenzie, Absolum. Five-eighth. —McGregor. Half. —Kiernan. Wings. —Doran and Gallaher. Forwards.— Tyler, Stan Smith, Nicholson Cunningham, Long, McDuff, and Haywaird. Emergencies. — Backs Pillenger, Phelan, and King. Forwards Lewis, Sandall, Bakewell, and Eaton.

The New tow n Bow ling Club made a gieat success of their fifth annual social on Tuesday. Upwards of two hundred people were present, and apparently everybody thoroughly emjoyed themselves. A complimentary speech was made by Mr. Barber, M.H.R. for Newtown, on the position occupied by the club, and the fact that it held the Huddart Parker Cup, having now won it outright. To Mr. W. Shore, the able club secretary, and the committee is due, in a great measure, the pronounced success of the social. On Saturday and Monday, Mr. Sheridan will stage the musical come-dy-drama, "When the Lamps Are Liehted." This play is from the pea of Geo. R. Sims and Leonard Merrick, and was written specially for Mr. John F. Sheridan, to exploit his versatility in character studies from life, he sustaining; no less than six oharacters ,n the play.