Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 209, 2 July 1904, Page 19

Rugby Football.

THE shower of lain that fell just before commencing play on Saturday last made things very unpleasant for the playei s in the different matches. The Athletic Paik, through the wet weathei dm ing the week, was very heavy, and the shower of ram refened to made it very slippery on top. Good football, was, therefore, at a piemium. • • * The Oi iental-Poneke match was keenly contested, the issue of the game being in doubt light up to "no-side." The younger club's players nattered their admirers consideiably, and, on the day s play, should have won. Time and time again would they make a determined onslaught on the Poneke goal-line, but something always happened^-eithei a fine piece of defensive work by a Poneke back, a knock-on by one of themselves, or some other breach of the rules. In one case, an attempt to pot a goal by the Oriental half-back called down much adverse comment by Oriental "barrackers." Several times the Poneke players looked like scoring, but they wei c only successful on one occasion. And if they had got what they wanted in that instance the three paints may not have been scored. The ball came to Wallace quickly from a loose rush close to the near touch-line, and he called "mark." Quickly perceiving that the referee was not in a good' position to see what was happening, he made a beeiline straight across the field, with bu^ few of his opponents realising what he was doing. When he had gone a eoodIv distance, he passed the ball to Gray, who, when he had got to the far wing three-quarter, passed on to Slattery, who galloped across the line with no one to stop him. • • * The Old Boys triumphed over the Melrose, on No. 1 ground, at the Athletic Paik, by 8 points to nil. As this was the first occasion since their entry into the senior competition that the exColleeians had defeated the wearers of the led-and-blue jersey, they were extra jubilant in consequence. Dawson scoied the first try, at the end of a fine run. The second try was primarily the result of a fine take on the line-out by Perry, and finally a great dash by Watkms that landed hum over the chalk-line • • • A decision by the referee in this match calls for a passing oomment. From my view-point Goodwin grounded the ball ovei the Old Boys' goal-line. The try, however, was not awarded, the referee stating that he had blown the whistle for an obstruction on the part of an Old Boys player previous to Goodwin crossing the line. The obstruction could not have taken place more than a oouple of yardsi from the goal-line, and! the referee would have done the correct thing if he had penalised the obstructor by giving a try to his opponents. The referee's finding caused much dissatisfaction among the Melrose players, and theie was a lot of ground For their feeling that way. • ♦ The Wellington team, to the surprise of most people, made a determined fight against the Petone contingent last Saturday, on the suburban ground The game was two-thirds through, and the leading team in the championship were only two points ahead. But. the yellow and black men failed at this stage, the Petone team finally winning by 14 points to 3. • • • Baskivilie is showing good form on the wing-forward for Oriental, his pace being much in evidence. Con Sullivan's footwork for Melrose is a marked feature of his play, and one that will bring him into nrominence directly. Exchanges do not mention "Gus" Carlson as a player this season. Oan any Hawke's Bay friend give the necessary information ? A Mr. Cunningham is refereemg in matches in Waihi. Is this our old friend the burly lock of the Auckland representative team? Gilchrist is now playing lock for the Melrose scrummage, hence his not getting a hearing in the twenty players selected to go into training.

The Albion Club have piactioaily won. the Canterbury Union's senior championship, the Southern Club being in the same position in Dunedin. Jack Spencer was once again m the Melrose ranks against the Old Boys, but he was sadly out of foim. Is this an indication that he intends to play regularly again? Jack McKenzie, a younger bi other of "Oft-Side's," and a 1 epresentative Wairarapa wing-forward, was mairied in Carterton last week, to a Miss Minnie Diamond. Congratulations! "Foi the greater part of the game the play was not up to Junior .b'iag form." "The game did not at any point reach junior form."- — Clippings- trom the lepoits oxl two senior matches in Chiistchurch. A bit of a reooid! J. Harrhy, a member of the Port Chalmeis second fifteen, has so far this t>eat,on kicked 16 goals from tries, seVen trom penalty goals, and potted three goals — a giarud total of 23 goals. Mat Sharpe, who is tempoaanly filling the vacancy in the Petone senior team, caused by Pat Ryan being placed hors de combat, gave the best showing for his side on Satuiday. Sharpe seemed to be web-footed on the heavy ground, and did much good work in consequence. Fied Roberts played a solid game at half-back for Oriental on Satuiday. But that pot at goal, when his fellowbacks were waiting for a pass, was an execiable piece of woik. I like to see players trying to pot goals, but a halfback should not do &o except as the last resouice. "Cocky" Daw&ou, the Old Boys player, is lmpioving. The mn he made when he scored the first try for his side on Saturday was worthy of a seasoned three-quarter and, for the work of a tyro, deserved all the genuine applause it leceived. Keep on improving, lad — scoring wing three-quartei s are not too plentiful in Wellington. "Coiry" Thompson leceived a knock on an old knee m the Melrose-Old Boys match on Saturday, and had to retue. The Melt ose captain did not fill the vacancy in his team, although the skipper of the opposing team stated he could if he wished, English Rugby Union, and its decision that an injured player could not be leplaced, notwithstanding. The quadruple fight in Auckland for the senior championship still keeps in an interesting stage. By defeating North Shoie last Saturday, Newton wrests the lead from that team, and, City and Ponsonby having played a di aw, the positions are — Newton 1, City and North Shore 2, and Ponsonby 3. Either of the four may yet win the championship. The Rev. Jas. Pateison, for many years pastor of St. John's Church, Wil-lis-street, is credited in a Hawke's Bay paper with describing the British team of footballers as a very gentlemanly, well-conducted lot of young fellows, who are bound to be popular wherever they go. The leverend gentleman travelled out with them from Home in the same boat. The suggestion in the "Evening Post," fiom a Dunedm con espondent, to play the New Zealand match against the British team as the first of the series, is an excellent one, and, as things have been allowed to go so far without arranging a practice, by the New Zealand Union, is the most feasible suggestion to date. I hope to see it adopted. Yet another Ryan has woiked his way into the Petone senior team, and another of the same family. Jack has letired. Mick is the full-back, Pat the right wing three-quarter — just now temporarily disabled. The latest addition is Jim, a lad between 18 and 19 summers, and a fine- broth of a boy at that. He gave a good show T mg against the Wellington team at oentie threequarter. Who is Dr. Hunter? At a recent meeting of the Otago Rugby Union he said he noticed that, und'ei the auspices of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Rugby football had steadily been going to its funeral ! That being so, it is just the place where a doctor should step in. Seriously, though, Dr. Huntei 's statement is not bornei out by facts and his remarks can be fanly classed as "trash." Jim Lynskey — -the school -boy football enthusiast out Petone way, and the monitor of the suburban senior team' — tells me that he has foui lads in his district who will yet make their mark in Wellington football. 0. Instone and J Ryan have bath played substitutes for the senior team this season, and A. Kelly is a junior player. These three ladsi play fine games, but the "daddy" of them all is the coming halfback — C. Green. He is not being played past his strength, and, judging bv has present knowledge of the game, when he erets the necessary weight and strength into his frame, hie will be the player we are waiting for. Let us hone the promise in each of the quartette may be fully realised. Continued on page 20.

Re that motion of Mr. Ja&. Hutcluson's, at the meeting of the Management Committee of the Otago Rugby Union, to form a South Island Rugby Union, I wonder could that gentleman have a better 1 epre-sentation of Otago well-wishers on the South Island Union, if formed, than there is at present on the New Zealand Union. The following particulars of the members of the New Zealand Executive me given for followers of football to study — Mr. R. D. Isaacs was, previous to coming to Wellington, a member of the Otago Union's Committee; Mr. A Laurenson, an Otago representative player, Mr. J. O'Shea, ditto; Mr D. D. Weir, although he came from Napier to Wellington, spent his boyhood and young manhood days in Oamaru Mi . G. O. Fache is an ex-Otagoan ; Mi . W. Coffey, though a Wellingtonian through and through, spent two years recently in Dunedm , Mr. N. Galbraith hails from Canterbury , Mr. A. C. Norris, from Hawke's Bay , and Mr. G H Dixon, from Auckland. If the Otago Rugby Union is not satisfied with a Committee in which exOtagoains largely predominate, what do they want? Why, keeping to the provincial element, Wellington has only one representative — and he spent two years in Dunedin — on the Committee. ♦ » • Gray made his re-apoearance in the Poneke team last Saturday. Although he did not do anything marvellous his play proved that he is still the same old "Dolly" Gray, and will piove of much service to the Poneke team, and probably the Wellington repiesentatives later on m the season. Among the twenty-one playeis chosen to go into training m view of coming representative matches appears the name of Alf Griffiths. Since his first appearance in the Poneke senior team, Alf has shown consistently good form, and is numbered among the rarities — a wing-forward that plays the game honestly, giving his attention mainly to the ball, and leaving the opposing player severely alone when he hasn't got the ball. I congratulate him on the confidence shown m his abilities bv the selectors. "We will wm easily." This is an expression of opinion by a member of the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union anent the New Zealand-British match, on the 13th August. Judging by the tardy way in which that body is endeavouring to arrange a practice match for the local team, it would seem to indicate that the individual opinion referred to may be in accord with the majority of the Committee's views. The awakening may be unpleasant to them. "How did the New Zealand team fare with New South Wales?" is a common, everyday question when discussing the performances of the British team Figures are deceptive things generally in connection with football, therefore I give the following comparisons for what they are worth — v. New South Wales (first match) — British team. 27 to 0 New Zealand. 12 to 0 v. Western Districts — British team, 21 to 6 , New Zealand, 47 to 7 , v. New South Wales (second match) — British team, 29 to 0 New Zealand, 3 to 0. The English team that toured the colony in 1888 did not play against New Zealand. They played altogether 19 matches — 13 won, 2 lost, and 4 drawn — scoring 82 points, and having 33 points scored against them. They were defeated by Auckland (4-0) and Taranaki (1-0), and played drawn games with Auckland (1-1), Otasjo (no score), Wellington (3-3), and Wanganui (1-1). The matches they won are as follow — Auckland (6-3 and 3-0), Oanterbmv (14-6, 4-0, 8-0), Hawke's Bay (3-2), Otago (8-3 and 4-3), Taranaki (7-1) Wellington (4-1), Wairarapa (5-1), and South Island (5-3, 6-0) A try counted one point, and a goal three points, when the tour of the colony was made.

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