Out Door Sports And Pastimes

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 217, 27 August 1904, Page 14

Out Door Sports And Pastimes

By Touchline. Rugby Football.

IT appears that we weie a bit prematme in congratulating ourselves that the encomiums passed on New Zealand football in times past had been fully desei ved by the results of the matches played by the British team of footballers in this island colony of ours. Why, do you ask? Because Mr. Bedell-Sivnght, the captain of the visiting Britishers, says our football is only of a fair standard — and no moie. And that, if the New Zealand team goes Home next year it would, in his opinion, beat many of the club teams, but would be defeated by the representative teamsi of Englamd, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. * * * I am not inclined to agree with Mr. Bedell-Sivright's conclusions. If they are correct, football in New South Wales must be very' mediocre indeed, and, further, the team he is in charge of must be weak exponents of the game. For, did he not say, after the New Zealand match, that the better team had won, and that his team ha,d been badly beaten? And, further, did he not also say that he was surprised at the combination shown by the New Zealand team considering that they had not even had a practice match together? That being granted, is it not fair to assume that if the New Zealand team, without any combination at all, could defeat badly a team that comprised several international players of note, it will improve considerably when it has played a few matches together? But, can Mr. Bedell-Sivright's remarks be taken seriously ? lam inclined to think, despite his protestations, that he feels keenly the revei ses his team met with in this colony, and is disappointed at the small measure of success they attained. * • • A Home paper writes . — "The British team's only regret is that there are no football 'ashes' to bring back. They are getting confident of their ability to beat the finest team that can be drawn together m Australia." If that quotation means anything, it means that the British team is fully representative of Old Country football, and, that being so, Mr. Bedell-Sivright's conclusions of New Zealand play and players are not worth the time anid money wasted in circulating them through the colony. * • • Personally, I think those of us who have been proclaiming the prowess of our footballers have every reason to be proudl of their showing against the visiting Britishers, for they have conclusively proved that we have reason to boast, and if a fully representative team is sent to the Old Country to uphold the prestige of the colony on the football field, I, for one, am prepared to see them satisfy even Mr. Bedell-Siv-right that the football as played in New Zealand is of a very high order indeed, and that the team will hold 1 its own with the best fifteen players that can be pitted against them. This may be a bit of "blow," but it is, nevertheless, a fair index of my opinions, and I am fain to assert it is the opinion of many more followers and supporters of the Rugby game in New Zeailand. * * * The final match of the Britisher's tour that against Auckland — ended disastrously for the visitors. As a matter of fact, the score of 13 points to nil run up against the visitors by the playof the Northern City, is far and away the biggest set-back they have received during the tour. The following extracts from a private letter I have received should prove interesting • — "The Britishers won the toss, and played with the wind in their favour. They fully realised that to win they must score in the first spell, but Auckland were too good on the defence, and half-time was called with no scores on the sheet at all. "It doesn't take long to describe the second half of the game, as Auckland's forwards simply romped over tihe Britishers, and had hard luck not to beat them by more than 13 points to nil . "Vile, Bush, and Llewellyn, amongst the British backs, with Bevan, Harding, Swannell, and Dobson, all played sterling games, especially Vile and

Bush. The way Vile went down to the forward rushes was a> treat to witness 'All the Auckland forwards played well — in fact, the foiwaids won the game. "Nicholson was the best foiwaid on the ground. He played a magnificent game, being well supported in the older named by GallaJier, Seelrng, Tyler, and Cunningham. "All the backs, with the exception of the New Zealand pair — Wood and R. McGiegoi— played well, the most piomuient being Kiernan Remwek, Murray, McKeazie, and Hairison all played sterling game®, never making a mistake. 'Mony' Wood wais decidedly off. "Renwick was the best of the Auckland thiee-quaiters. He took a hand in all the scores, and not a man passed him the whole day." * * * The "Times's" special repoit of the match was amusing, but it wasn't football. As a mosaic of "puipfe patohefe" it might pass muster, but if you wanted to get an idea of the game you had to takei it from the "Post." The "Times" wntei seems to haw. imbibed his notions from Bedell-Sivnght, who, as in Wellington, must have been badly hit. To excuse the Britishers on the scoie of staleness was very faifetched, five matches in. three weeks is no great effort. As against that, they had the advantage in this colony of the combination produoed by constant playing together. The fact is that throughout the North Island the Britishere were pitted against better teams. That's the plain English of it. * * * The Canterbury- Wellington match, at the Athletic Park last Satuiday, was mainly a distiessmg thing to watch, more especially in the first half of the game, from a Wellington standpoint. A stiong northerly wind was blowing, yet, with this powerful factor m then favour, the Wellington team was only thiee points ahead when ends were changed. True, they kept that three points advantage to the finish, but it was only by sheer dogged work on ihe part of the forwards that they did o. It was heart-breaking at times to watch the passing of the Wellington backs. The batll would go straight across the field, and seldom was even a yard of ground gained by these passing rushes Often and often would a short punt and follow have been of much more value. Another distressing feature was the little use that was made of McGregor, the dashing wing thiee-quarter. Rarely did the ball come his way, yet on two occasions a try resulted, from his work. The first time it was from a mistake Ly the Canterbury wing thxee-quartei that McGregor got a gallop on, and a pass at the right time enabled WTW T all ace to cross the chalk-line. The second occasion, McGregon found himself blocked on the light wing, and he punted the ball across the goal-mouth. Running straight through, he put all his men on-side, and Wallace, getting into position, grounded the ball while a Canterbury back was endeavouring to secure it. Which only goes to piove that ai tactical blunder was made in not bunging McGregor into touch with the ball oftener. The forwards on both sides played splendidly. Calnan, Cross, and Dodd were the pick of the Wellington vanguard, and for Canteibury, Roddick, Corbett, and Newton weie often in evidence. The Canterbury backs who were conspicuous for good woik were Bums (who was making his debut as a representative playea-), Love, Deans, and Byrne. For Wellington, Wallace was solid, but was not too liberal with his passes, McGregor was brilliant when woi k came his way, and Spencer dad all he had to do in good style. Gray also deserves a word for solid work. * ♦ * The Welsh Rugby Union have fixed on December 16th, 1905, as the date of its match with the New Zealand team. Mr. H. Harris, treasurer of the Otago Rugby Union, and one of the selectors of the New Zealand team, is acting as manager of the Otago representative team on its Northern tour Harding, the Britisher who kicked the penalty goal for his side in the British-New Zeialand match, has played in every match of the present tour of the British team. He is the only member of the team who has not missed a match. George Tylei, the Auckland frontrank forward, made a very favouiable impiession on the visiting British footballers, so much so that they invited him to travel with them to Rotorua from Auckland as their guest. The visitors classed Tyler as the most gentlemanly forward they have met on the whole of their tour. Gabe insisted on Tyler changing jerseys with him as a token of esteem and remembrance.

(Continued on page 19.)

In thinking over the handsome win by the Auckland team against the Britishers, the past deeds of Auckland representative players passed through my mmd. For instance, the New Zealand Native Team, which had so successful a tour through the. Butish Isle^, was mainly composed of Auckland players, Auckland's contribution to the team being Joe, Bill, Fred, Arthur, and Alf Warbrick, George, Hariy, and "Tab" Wynyaid, E. McCausland, W Elliot, C. Madignn, D. Stewart, Andterson, S Webster, and R. Maynaid. The 1884 New Zealand team had five Auoklanders in its ranks T. Ryan, J. Wai brick, T. O'Connoi , J Lecky, and G. Cartel. C. Speight, F. Murray, R. McKenzie, and F. M. Jeivis constituted Auckland's contribution to the 1893 team , G Smith, R. A. Handcock, F Murray, and A. Wilson, 1897; W. H. S. MacKenzie, G. Smith, R McGregor, and W Cunningham, 1901 , A Ashei , R McGiegor. H. Kiernan, G. Nicholson, G. Tyler, A. Long, and D. Gallahei 1903. R. McGregor, M. E. Wood, D Gallaher, G. Nicholson, G. Tyler, and C. Sealing, 1904. These contributions tell their own tale of the prowess of Auckland's players in the past. Another item that deserves mention is that of the two defeats sustained by the 1888 English team, Auckland inflicted the heavier one It is also the only Union in the colony that holds an unbeaten record against New South Wales. * • ♦ Wairarapa play the Bush next Saturday, the 3id September. Mi. A. C. Norris will act as leferee in the Otago-Canteibury match, at Christchurch, to-morrow (Saturday). Taranaki plays Auckland at Auckland to-monow (Saturday), and Otago meets Canterbury in Christchurch the same afternoon. A comment by "Off-side Mac" — Sivright states that he is not overcome with New Zealand football. Had he been playing in the last three matches he would have been." The annual College tournament commences in Wellington on Monday next, the 29th instant, the match between the Wellington and Wanganui Colleges being set down to be played on that day. It is mmoured in Auckland that Swannell is not leturning to England with the British team, as he has accepted an engagement at Waihi. The rumoui is good enough to give it space room The Otago repiesentative team pabs thiough Wellington on their Northern tour on Sunday next. They play Hawke's Bay on the 31st inst , Auckland on the 3rd September, Wauarapa on the 7th, and Wellington on the 10th. The annual "smoker" of the Referees' Association is to be held on Friday, the 9th September. The members of the whistling brigade, who get neithei medals nor caps for their work, aie making great prepaiations for a jolly evening to wind up the season's work. Hawke's Bay defeated its Hastings' sub-union by 17 points to 3 last Saturday. Says a writer, in commenting theTeon — "Napier players aie not maivela, but, unfortunately foi the province, we cannot unearth any wonderful men from the countiy teams." That cable announcing the resignation of Mr. Rowland Hill as secretary of the English Rugby Union seems haid to believe. We, in this part of the world, geneially consideied Mr. Hill to be the Union in himself, and it is hard for us to imagine the head body of Rugby football without that gentleman as its executive officer. The football giound on the Recieation Reserve, New Plymouth, is suriounded by large pine trees. Among the many telegrams received by the secretary of the Triranaki Rugby Union, on the day of the British match, was the following — "Save pine ti cc for me to-mor-row, may be late — Wi Kupe." My informant does not intimate that the request was compiled with, but it indicates what interest was taken in the match. On present appearances, the prospect of a date earlier than October Ist being allotted to the Ranfuily Shield match between Wellington and Taranaki seems veiy remote. To-morrow and next Saturday championship matches have been arranged to be played, on the 10th proximo Wellington play Otago, and on the 17th the final matches of the senior championship will be decided. Should the Poneke arid Petone teams at that stage be level for the championship, the play-off match will take place on the 24th. As matches for the Ranfurly Shield — other than those played in the course of ordinary representative games — cannot interfere with the set arrangements of the union holding the Shield for the time being, the stateiment in the first sentence of this paragraph will therefoi c be found to be correct.

One of the visiting Butisheis remarked that when the New Zealand team goe& Home next year it would meet its Waterloo at Swansea (Wales). I mention this just casually to remark that the Native Team defeated Swansea by 5 points to nil. A yarn anemt the recent British-New Zealand match. Hawera, the Taranaki township, was in the same excited state as othei New Zealand towns when the win of the colonial representatives reached there. A Maori was heard to express his joy in the following words — "Good old Uew Zealand ' My word, I'm glad I'm a New Zealanderl" His exuberant spirits were slightly damped by a bystander 1 emarking "You would be a queer Maori if you weie not a New Zealainder."