Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 170, 3 October 1903, Page 18

Rugby Football.

THE benefit match to McAnally and Heberley, members of the Poneke and Petone Clubs respectively, played on the Athletic Park last Saturday, was not taken very seriously by either the nlayers or the spectators. The Poneke team was fully representative of the club, but from the selection made by Mr. Fache to oppose them there were many defections. It is only fair, however, to the majority of those who were absent to state that they had! valid reasons for being elsewhere on Saturday afternoon. The game was well contested, and ended in a win for the champion team by six points (tries by Redgrave and Brebner) to five points (a try by * • Roberts, converted by E. Hales. * * * But little interest is taken outside of the players themselves in the annual football tournament, of the Wellington Rifle Battalion. The display of Rugby in. the games played on the Athletic Park last Saturday was, for the most part, a weariness to the flesh both contesting teams in each instance seeming to hail with pleasure the ringing of the bell to denote that the end had' arrived. The College Rifles defeated the Civil Service Rifles (14 points to 3), and the Post and Telegraph Rifles (8 to 0), the Post and Telegraph Rifles m their turn defeating the Cvele Corps by 13 points to 9. The final game, between the College and Highland Rifles, is to be played at some future date — probably when cricket is in full swing. * * * The final match for the fifth-class championship, on the Newtown Park, last Saturday, between the Wellington and St. Patrick's College teams, attracted a Lot of attention. The previous Saturday the Wellington boys had surprised everybody by defeating the boys from the other college, thus bringing the two teams level for the championsjhro. But, this time the "Pats" made no bones about the matter, and romped home easy winners by 11 points (three tries, one converted) to nil. * * The conditions governing the Ranfurly Shield were the subject of much comment during the recent Southern tour of the Wellington representative team. It is an open secret that had Southland defeated Wellington some of the leading lights of football in Invercargill would have moved their union to claim the Shield for the present season. It will be remembered that last season the Shield was awarded to the Auckland Union. Under the conditions governing the holding of the Shield, the Auckland team must be defeated on its own ground, and after a challenge has been issued to them denoting that the match would be played for the possession of the Shield, before it can be taken from them. As matches have gone this season, the Auckland Union cannot claim to have the champion team of the colony, yet under the conditions governing the Shield they are entitled to hold it. * * » It was pleasing to read in Tuesday morning's paper that Duncans sportsmanlike instincts were superior to the dictates' of the Management Committee of the Otago Rugby Union. Listen — -"That the Committee resret the Otago captain should have allowed a Canterbury player to replace an miured player in the Ot aero-Canterbury match." That is the openme: sentence of a motion passed by the Management Committee of the Otago Rupby Union I have said it before, but all the same it will bear repeating. The game of football is played in this country as a pastime, and, English Rugby Union or no, it is galling to our better feelings as sportsmen to see any union — and particularly a strone: body like the Otago Union — -giving its players the opportunity of winning a -match bv disabling their opponents. This may be strone:, but still it is, nevertheless, the right construction to put on the motion set out above. Many scnbes throughout the country howled because "Off-side Mac" stated, in a oritioue on the New Zealand team, that it did not contain enough "sanguinary" players. Yet, I venture to assert

that the latest decision of the Otago Rugby Union -wiJl tend to make players sanguinary enough to suit anybody that feels that way. It is generally known that players nou-a-days indulge in questionable tactics to get the better of opponents, and if a premium is to be -"ivem, the players of that kidney to. weaken the side opposed to them by playing shorthanded for the best part of the game, they will be only too willing: toi take advantage of the opportunity offered them . While South lately, I heard a, secondhand remark to the effect that if "So-and-so is not carried o<ff thei field a qua.rter of an hour after the game is started, it won't be my fault." Are players of this description — and I am sorry to say there are many of them playing in New Zealand — to be given an incentive to carry out the^r threats'? No a thousand times, no ' The rulesi of football provide for the game bemq; played between fifteen players on each, side, and let it be played with the full strength of both teams, or not played at all. Reverting to the question of the ruling of the English Rugby Union, their are many of us who believe that if Ihe whole question wag submitted to that body by letter, and not by cable as was done, a different answer altogether would have been received. I presume the New Zealand Union have written asking for a full ruling on the matter — if not they should do so in time to have a final decision before next football season. And, if the written deicisiott is in conformity with the cabled one, another argument will be given those in favour of disaifiliation with the English Rugby Union. * ♦ * An Auckland exchange, under the heading of " A Slump in Auckland Football," says — " There is one very ominous sign of the degeneracy of football in the North and that is the remarkable number of junior matches which have been allowed to go by default this season. The Union executive must not lose sight of the fact that it is from the junior ram^s mat our future representatives have to be drawn and if there are no juniors then the downfall of Auckland us assured. This is a matter well worthy of the attention of the executive for the importance of it is apparent to all." If the argument in the above paragraph is good, the prospects of Wellington football in the future are of the best. Forty-eight teams have taken part in, the five competitions conducted by the Wellington Rugby Union this season, and the whole of the matches won by default can be counted on the fingers of one hand. As a matter of fact, the contests m the junior championships were very keen. For example, the Poneke team had to win all its matches before it could claim the first junior championship ; the St. James team were declared the winners of the third-class championship ill their third play-off match with the Oriental team ; the Athletic team were victorious in the fourth-class contest by one point; and the St. .fatrick's College team had to play a deciding match to win the fifth-class championship. So, in, ringing down the curtain on the 1903 season the powers controlling Rugby football in Wellington have every reason to feel satisfied that it is only a question of time when Wellington football will regain its lost prestige. ♦ # * Last Saturday's match is likely to result in the sum of £30 being available for division between McAnallv and Heberley. It is probable that McDuff , the burly Thames forward, will be an Ota,go representative next season. He has announced his intention of resigning his position on the Thames School of Mines staff, to take a similar one in the Otago University. Continued on page 19.

Theie were several New Zealandeis in the team that played for Pretoria against the English team that is touring South Africa. The match ended hi a win for the English team by lo points to 3. A correspondent writes) "It was generally remarked that Ihi New Zealand contingent were the best men on the field. The backs had no chances, as they were playuie behind a beaten sorum. All the New Zealand men who played m this match are to be tried for the Transvaal representatives. A criticism of the players has the following about the New Zealand men — "J A. Foreman worked very hard in the scrum. At the line-out .and in the loose B. Taplin was very prominent. "Of the three-quarters, Frita Hazeldean waa very sound on the defence, his sure tackling helping the side a lot. "P. B. Fitzherbert was best on the attack. "A M. Bonar was weak, as was^ to be expected after his recent illness.' * * * The Melrose and Petone senior teams play a match at Petone next Saturday, as a benefit to McAnaUy and Heberley. There is no foundation in the rumour that Fred Given, the dashing Otafgo forward, intends removing from the Scotch city to Palmerston North. It is probable that Baxter, who has been show in* good form in Otago s three-ouarter line this season, wall return to his home m South Canterbury ere football comes round again. A significant oaragraph in an Auckland paper -"Kiernan is stall [Canterbury match] supposed to be laid up The general opinion of the team is that in ia frightened of his football reputation." An incident of lact Saturday's benefit match. A ticket has been shown me inscribed as follows -"This ticket was sold thirty-six times— £l lbs. me cash has been handed in to the committee that arranged the match. Constable Joyce, who died suddenly in the Whamgarei district last week, is the father of Joyce, the Wellington representative and Athletic Club player. I offer him my sincerest sympathies in the loss he has sustained. "Tram up a child in the wav he should go" etc. Roberts, the lad who was chosen as on© of the public school representative players this season is a son of Harry Roberts, the New Zealand and Wellington representative player of the eighties. Peter Ward, the Southland and New South Wales representative player, is leaving Inveroargill for Auckland some time during the present month. As he has still a lot, of football in him, Ward should be a gain to ™teyer team secures his services in the JNortnern city. Frank Johnson, the Old Boys player is leaving Wellington for Edinburgh in' February next. It is his intention to pursue a course of study m the university of the Scottish capital but he does not intend to relinquish the Rugby game if he can make it fit in with his studies. The annual "smoker" of the Referees' Association, last Saturday night, was a very enjoyable function. _ Mr. W Beck, as secretary of the Committee, had left nothing to be desired m the matter of the arrangements, and everythine went merrily up to the singing of "Auld Lang Syne." A player who showed fine form on the Poneke side last Saturday was Brebner, especially when he played m the three-quarter line. He is an. old St. Patrick's College boy, and has been playing in the Rotorua district this Season Brebner is said to Je settling in Wellington, and will probably play for the club of that name when the Rugby game is played here next -ear. Wallace returned from Sydney last Friday in good health and spirits. His sojourn on Sydney side has done him a deal of good but he is pleased to get back among his old friends. Wallace is loud in his praises of the attentions shown him during his recovery bv Mr. J R. Henderson, who, it will be remembered, was manager of the New South Wales team that toured New Zealand in 1901 He says no one could possibly have' been kinder than the genial "Jimmy." Followers of the game in Wellington received a rude shock on Monday last when the news came through that utago had beaten Canterbury by 20 points to 3 Passing through Christdhurch, on the way back from the South I was' informed that the prospects of a representative Canterbury team touring the South with success were very remote, and it would appear frW the result of ttas match that the fears of the Canterbury e in,thuKiasts were only too well grounded. It mlynotbe so, however,, far the Press Association's representative in Duiedm did not send through the personnel of the competing teams, and the surmise as above may, therefore happen to be wrong.

J. J. Taylor, who was better known when he resided m Wellington as a running man than as a footballer, has returned to the city, and intends ohasm g the fleeting leathei should he be here next season. Since, leaving Wellington, Taylor has represented Southland in thirteen of its matches, as follows — 1900. against Canterbury, Wellington, and Otago, 1901, Otago (twice), Wellington, and Canterbury ; 1902, Otago (twice). Wairarapa, and Hawke's Bay , 1903, Otago. "Lynx" remarks — "Although the Auckland touring team will not return with a record calculated to cause supporters to wax enthusiastic, theiv will at least derive some solace in the year of adversity from the fact that our representatives will not come back to us altogether empty-handed. 'iney have defeated Otago, and convinced the boastful Duncan that there are still a few decent footballers in Auckland capable at least of whipping the chosen of the province to which the talkative one belongs. For this much we are truly thankful, and if they do no more they will be forgiven."