Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 205, 4 June 1904, Page 14

Rugby Football.

A KEEN southerly buster, a damp giound, inclined to heaviness, and a shower of lain here and there weie the conditions under which the eager!y-looked-for meeting of the Petone and Poneke teams took place at the Athletic Park last Saturday. The conditions were thus all against a scientific display of Rugby footbaill, but what a great straggle it was ! True there were many times when those or us on the touch-lines, m the grandstand, and on the terrace, would have done much better if w e had 1 the opportunity than the actual players did, an certain occasions. There is no gainsaying the fact, however, that each and every man, whether he wore a blue jersey 01 a red alnJd black one, did his level best under the depressing conditions for the team under whose banner 'he was 1 battling. There weie mistakes, and many of them, during the play, but the dash and willingness put into their efforts by the several players were refreshing. That both teams were in, fine condition was proved! by the way they fought the match out to the bitter end, the result of the game being in doubt till the whistle blew. I am not prepared to say the better team won the match, neither aim I inclined to suggest that the better team lost. The only wish I have is that when these two teams meet in the second round of the championship contests the weather conditions may he favourable, the ground in tip-top order, and both teams seeing the match throuerh to the end with their full strength. Then, luck or no luck, may the better team win. • ♦ • The match ended in a. win for the suburban team by 11 points to 9, and the scoring was got in this wise — McKay, the Poneke iight-wing three--quarter,* essayed a left-foot kick to touch, but the ball glanced off the side of his foot. Instead of running through, and putting his 1 forwards onside. McKay chased after the ball, with the result that an over-eager forward snapped it up as it came 1 has way, and was promptly penalised for off-side. McGregor took the kick, and scored the first three points A ragged Petone rush brought the play right up to the Poneke line, and just here Braid galloped along, and gathered the ball up in a truly marvellous fashion, going across the line in a good position. McGregor converted. A Petone attack was just being beaten back when Cain an, the vigorous Poneke forward, tried to help the ball onward, but he oame irom the wrong side. The resultant free-kick saw McGregor register his third goal. The first spell ended with the score 11 to nil in Petone's favour. Poneke got to work as soon as the second spell commenced, and from a fine piece of play by Wallace, Taylor scored his try. Then Alf . Griffiths helped his side on with two tries, the second at the end of a very pretty run from a pass by Conder. From this point onward the game was full of incident, but no further score happened. • • • The main theme of remark wasi the fine form shown by Duncan McGregor, at five-eighth for the Petone team. At times he was inclined to get tangled up aanion^: his forwards, but that only proved his eageirness for more work. His running, kicking, and passing were right up to the high standard he has set this season in Wellington, and prove conclusively that the promise that was in McGregor was fully developed by the tour of the New Zealand team in Australia last season. Instone, a public schools representative two years ago, was substitute for Barber, who was recovering from an attack of influenza. The lad made a creditable showing for a first appearance mi the three-quarter line of a senior team, and, as there are a few more like him coming along Petone waiy, the future of the club is causing our suburban friends no anxiety. Mick Ryan was as solid as a rock aT full-back, giving his best display of this season,. He stopped all the rushes of the Poneke vanguard like n veteran, and he found touch with unceasing regularity.

Pat Ryan has unfortunate in being injured in. the early part of the game. The accident to Ryan is not as serious ab at first anticipated. The right cheek-bone: has been dented in, but not broken, and the doctors say that, unJest, Ryan wishes it, it will not be necessary to' operate on him to press the*bone back into its right position. He will feel i-o ill effects from the knock eithei aAy Braid) and Ramsden weie not often iv evidence, though' the former's try v ,i* a good effort. Amon." the forwards, Cross, Driscoll and Wiight were always on the job, Fraser and King being also conspicuous. Haidham, at thiee-quarter for the gi eater part of the game, and at wingforward, performed equally well in either position Among the Poneke backs, Wallace was shaky in the first spell, but, as the game wore on he showed many glimpses of his true form, and in the second spell played as one expects Wallace to play. The niece that gave Tavlo<r his try was the work of a master-hand. Slatei made no mistakes at full-back, though his low kicks caused the partisans of the Poneke team much uneasiness tiM they got oleau . SLittery was stubborn at five-eighth, and battled along m good style McKays display suffered in compatnsoe with his, showing against the Wellington team the pievious Satui day Stevens was not as brilliant as I anticipated he would be Though he did nothing wrong, he did not seem to me to be eager enough to get into the position to do the right thim*. Perhaps, tv-et v -e 'heavy ground kept him back. ''Tommy's" foim eailier this sea.son pointed to him winning a place in the representative team, but it is not yet. He still has nlenty of football in fiont of him, however and he may vet gain his "cap," In the- Poneke vanguard, Ca/lnan, Rush, and Callum were noticeable, Sweeney and Mcßae also catching the eye pretty frequently. The scoring for Poneke was done by the two wing-forw a.i ds — Taylor and Griffiths. In 1900 "Alf" was a fourthclass player, being in. the Poneke ohainrjion team in that class that season. La lii^'A and 1903 he captained the Poneke team when they won the junior championship. Now that he has secured a place m the Poneke senior team — a place, by the way, that should have been his at the beginning of the season — I have no doubt that he will keep it, and, judging by his form in the match under review, he has great possibilities in front of him. * # * A review of this match would not be complete without a reference to the Athletic Paik. From Sunday to Saturday it had rained almost continuously, and sometimes pretty heavily at that, yet there was not a drop of water to be seen anywheie on the ground. The turf was heavy, but what els© could be expected? When one remembrs what the Athletic Park was like after a day's rain at the time Caretaker Murphy took chaige, you wonder how the transformation has been effected The Park is a credit to Mr. Murphy, and is a big advertisement to his abilities, and the thoroughness with which he does his work. * • • The first goal scored by Petone against against Poneke last Saturday caused more arguments than any other incident of the game. There were mamy on the grandstand, in a good position, too. _ who declared that the ball went 01 tside, the goal-post. Others, in varipositions, argued the same way. But, the man who was in the best position of all — the. referee, to wit—-de-clared that the ball had crossed the bar before it was. blown beyond the goalpost by the strong wind. And, further, that he never had the slightest doubt m his own mind that the goal had been scored). Therefore, knowing that he is there for the sole purpose of seeing such things, I take the referee's word before a whole cloud of witnesses and am perfectly satisfied in my belief that a fair goal was kicked 1 on the occasion referred to. • • • Some personal friends, football and otherwise have subscribed together, and placed a monument over the grave of the late Joseph Gage, elder brother of th < well-known footballer, "Dave." of that ilk. It. has been erected in the Karon Cemetery, and is inscribed as follows — "In loving memory of Joseph Gage. Born 7th May, 1862. Died, 7th March, 1903." The face we loved it now lies low, The fond true heart is still, The hand we often clasped in ours Lies now in Death's cold chill. "When life is dearest, sorrow is nearest. "(Erected by a few friends )" • • • The British team play Australia on the 2nd, 23rd, and 30th July. "Billy" Hardcastle has gone to Brisbane to act as coach of the Queensland representative team.

There is a little point which I would like to impress upon those who undertake the duties of touch-line judges. It 3^ a decision of the- Wellington' Referees' A^oeiation, and reads as follows — "To-uch judges should not indicate with their flags when asked to assist the referee, during kicks at goal." Re touch judges. These officials are only assistants to the referee, and their actions and decisions can always be over-ruled' by the controlling official. For instance, should a toiuch-judge ignoie the instructions in the preceding paiaaraph a.nd indicate, that a goal, in his opinion, had been kicked the referee would not be compelled to award sxich goal. He could declare it not to be a goal, if, in his judgment, it was not. Some people don't seem to know this, hence the remark. # # • There ls a deal of discussion going on in Dunedm ]ust now le alleged rough play in the matches heie. Apropos, the* "New Zealand' Times" had a subleader on the same topic last Monday morning What prompted that article I know not, but from my own personal observation, which has been more than superficial, I can honestly say that the game has been played more m the spirit of fair play this season, and bh<? pilay has been consequently cleaner, in senior football in Wellington than foi many seasons past. Thei c have been occasions where act® have been done which reflect disci edit on the players indulging in them, but, taking the play as a whole, my com.ment as above is a fair one as applied to senior football in Wellington at the pie sent tune. "Play the ball" is the first principle of Rugby football, and if pi avers kept this ever in front of them, the sport will always continue to be a pastime, and be of benefit to all those who indulge m it. • • • Much comment has been bandied about by the fact of Petone not replacing Ryan when he was injured during the early pait of the game last Saturday. In the first place, an instruction from the English Rugby Union distinctly states that an injured player cannot be replaced. Again Wallace (the Poneke captain) informs me that if he had been asked by the Petone captain ho would have been only too willing for Mm to have taken on another player. Hardham, however, thinks that Wallace should have approached him with the offer of allowing him to put on another man. I disagree with him. He wanted the favour, and' the only way to have obtained it was by asking for it. * * • New South Wales play Queensland, in Sydney, on the 11th and 15th June. The Dunedin Club possesses a player named Paton, who can place-kick goals from outside the half-way. "Kiernan played three-quarter, but still his play is below senior form." — An Auckland sciibe's comment. The fiist match of the British team is to be played in Sydney on the 18th June, their opponents being the. New South Wales team. "The Spectator" is my authority for stating that a representative team fiom the Buller Union intends visiting Wellington this season. "Ted" Thomas, who was picked as having a chance in the Petone Club's thi ee-quartei line this season, has returned to Auckland. Thomas is said to be qualifying to' play for the City Club there. Cotbett, who at one time pLiyed in the Athletic Club's forward ranks, is showing good form in Christchuroh this season. In a recent match he is stated to have been conspicuous fiom start to finish. J. Taylor — not J. J— a Southland representative forward, has been transferred from Invei cargill to Auckland. Taylor is one of the honestest of forwards and will prove an acquisition to the club that secures his services in Auckland. He is a decent place-kick, too. Peter Harvey is playing again in Christchurch. With Kiernan out of form, the New Zealand representative half-back seemed hard to find, but Harvey will fill the bill to a nicety. That is, if the hope that he will play continually, expressed by a Christchuroh confrere, is fulfilled. A remark of Mr. Geo. McLaren, one of the whitest men that has ever been connected with football in New Zealand, and who is now president of the Otago Rueb^ Union : —"If every player would make up his mind to play the game fairly and squarely, there would be no rough play." Hear, hear ! The first representative match of the season is to be played' to-morrow (Friday), between Wellington and Wairarapa. at the Athletic Park. The matches between the city team and) the invaders from the other side of the Rimutakas — as an old-time "New Zealand! Times" scribe used to call them — are always enjoyable, and full of interest, andi tomorrow's game promises to equal its predecessors.

Bravo, Athletics! Granted that it was a weak Melrose team that they chew with on Saturday, yet the fact that they at one period of the game had. the unper hand must have caused' them much elation. Let us hope this may be the prelude to future successes. In each of the last three games against Petone, the Ponekes have scored three tries, but have only managed to convert one of the> nine tries into a goal. In the same matches Petone have secured six trieb, and converted four of them, besides kicking three' penalty goals. The team that are going to take a lot ox beating: in the second round of championship matches are the Oriental. They have so far been battling along without the necessary adjunct of football now-a-days —viz., a gymnasium: vet, then- showing is distinctly good. Their latest win —9 to nil —over the Wellington team is a proof to this* end. "Who is Gilchrist ?" was a question in a, lot of mouths on Monday morning. "Dan" had been given a place in the representative team, and many wondered who he was. Last year, he secured a ~lace in the junior representative team, and tliis is his first season as a senior. He is a fine forward, a hard grafter, with a lot of promise, and on his present form is fully entitled to the place he has secuied in the representative team. Gilchrist plays right front-ranker for the Meliose Club That was a well-deserved compliment the New Zealand Union paid Mr. Neil Galbraith the other night in electing him to travel through the colony as its representative with the British team of footballers. Besides being a comnliment to Mr. Galbraath, it is also one to the visiting footballers, for they will be well looked after under his guidance. Re that appointment, I could tell a good yarn about a telegram of thanks received from a certain gentleman for the goodness of the New Zealand Union, but I won't. (Continued on page 19.)

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