Out Door Sports And Pastimes

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 220, 17 September 1904, Page 19

Out Door Sports And Pastimes

By Touchline. Rugby Football.

THE Wellington Rugb- Union are the holders of theßanfurly Shield for the 1904 season. They got possession of the trophy by the defeat their representative team admuustei ed to the selected fifteen of the Auckland Rugby Union on the 6th August Since Sen challenges from the Canterbury and Otago Unions have been successt? P tlS players ?f the Wellington team on the satisfactory manner in winch they have upheld the prestige of the Union. During the season now closing ten renrpsentative matches have been played Ui. 14 to 3 . v. Wa,r»,apa lort Bt^o 13 Points for, 112 ; a<raans+ 65. * * * The rain that had fallen during the week handicapped the p aye., m the Otago-Wellington match last S jturday , *srw™TLTa«w,4: tr s r^ardlis of these d^™t««^ » Sent, and the one under rev.ew ™ satisfied that they had got full value for their admission money. The Otago playeis had the advantage of the wind in their favour in the first half of the game, and so well did they use their opportunities that when ends were changT the Wellington playeis bad to wipe off a deficit of 13 points, as the result of tries scored by King, Munro, and Gilray, Booth convening the first two into goals. There were not many people who gave the Wellington team the slightest chance of overhauling this sooie -fersonally, I hoped they would, but I did not think it possible. But, they one and all set to work with a will, and, mainly through McGregors abilities and agility, they put on 15 points— two points to the good. First Booth, the visitors' full-back, made a weak kick from behind his goalline which went stiaight to McGregor who galloped 1 across the line without let or hindrance. The try he converted into a goal. Shortly, when hot pressed, Dobson tried to sciew-punt for touch, but the ball went towards the centre' ot the field, where Hardham marked, and placed! the ball for McGregor, and he was again successful in registering the goal. The Wellington team were now within hailing distance of thear opponents' score, andl here they stayed tor some time, so long so that it appeared as if the scales were going to end there. But patience! Gray got the ball m the middle of the field, and punted for the left touch-line. McGregor followed the ball through fast, and, beating two of the opposing backs, he registered his third score. The kick at goal was not successful , and the Otago team still led by 1 point. Then, from a line-out in Otago 's quarters, the ball went straight to Calnan, who was unmarked. After making a short dash, he passed to Dodd, who sent it on to Gray. Gray in turn gave it to Wallace, who raced across the line, and right round behind the posts. After this, the Otago ifeam made a great rall^ and went clean through the opposing team, but the attack was frustrated, and' the game endled iust after with the Wellington team still in possession of the Ranfurly Shield. » • * The °-arne was full of feeling, the players on both side being very keen. This was very manifest right through th© first half of the game, and no sooner

had! the second spell started than one of Otago's best forwards was ordeaed off the field for "scragging" an, opponent. This sobered the players down, a lot, and the gam© finished with a much better feeling among them. The loss of a strong player's services made a lot of difference to the Otago team —so much so that. I believe it turned a probable win for the visitors! into a defeat. That was hard 1 luck for them, but the loss of the full benefit of Spenoeir's and Wallace's services by the Wellington team for the greater portion of the game more than counterbalanced the luck The test was an even one, and the performance of the Wellington team in winning after facing a deficit of 13 points in, the first half of the game, was undoubtedly a good one. * * * The play of the Otago men was surprising after all we had' read about them. The following is from an Auckland paper —"Their [Otago] forwards were without doubt, as weak and! lifeless a pack as I have ever seen at Epsomt in a big match, while them backs gave a display which would not have done credit to an ordinary club team." Though composed mainly of the same members in both the Auckland and Wellington matches, a similar comment on the latter game as that quoted 1 above would L be absolutely unfair. Individually and collectively they played splendidly. King, at half-back, got through his woik m finished style. Everything he had to do was done well — rush-stopping, marking, passing, and punting. The try he got was also a fine piece of work. Gili ay is one of those unassuming young fellows whom it is a pleasure to know and meet. I had been told to expect great things from him, and generally one is disappointed in. a player when a lot is anticipated from him. Gilray, however, was such a strong three-quarter that I have no hesitation in saying that, as he grows older, and experience is added to his present marked ability, the highest honours in connection with the gamle in thisi colony will be his. Booth performed creditably but the present he made to McGregor of Wellington's first try was unpardonable in a playeir of his experience Bait impressed me very favourably, and the same may be said of Dobson. Bennett and Munro were also much in evidence. Among the fotwardls, Casey and Spiers, in the front rank, were adepts at "hooking," beating the Wellington pair most times. Johnson was a tower of strength that was sadly missed when he was withdrawn from his side. McDonald was the best of the others. * * ■* George Spencer, Wellington's fullback, got a kick on the head very early in the game that practically dazed him all day. His- weaknesses, therefoie, were excusable.

McGregor was the "star" back on his Side. Though he made an occasional mis-kick, his work generally was as sound as a bell. Running strongly, kicking splendidly, and! using his head whenever a ticklish point presented itself, he not only was prominent in attack, but several times his pace got his side out of trouble When the opposing team had got past the full-back. Barber and Blacklock havtei played better games, although the former gave a much better showing than m the Canterbury match. Blacklock — strangely for him, too — could not make up his mind to go down to thief rushes of the opposing forwards. I fancy a knock on the rib that was hurt in the Wairarapa match wasi the main cause of his poor showing. Wallace, who seems this season to be under a spell of bad luok, played! right through the. game with the hardest job in the world to see the ball and keep in touch with the play. It was only fittintr. therefore, that his: plucky play should! be rewarded by his scoring the try that gave the "Wellington team the lead. Many people wondered why Wallace .risked losing the try after he had crossed the line to get right round behind the goal-posts. Well, the truth is that he lost count of one try, and! was of opinion that- his try had to be converted to win the match. Hence his anxiety to make the kick as easy a one as possible. Re his accident. In forcing the ball down on one occasion, a charge of his opponents came right on to him, a hand was thrust forward which touched the ball of his right eye, glanced over the pupil, and made a nasty gash on the low,ei lid of his left eye. It was feared the sight of the eye was injured, but I am pleaised to say that it was only a temporary hurt, and by the time this is readable Wallace will be himself again. Gray was solid, and filled the connecting link between his half and threequarters with marked ability. He was some time in finding the stiength of the wind in the second spell, and his centring efforts were therefore oftennullified. The kick, however, that gave MoGiegor his second l try was a good one. Among the forwards, Hardham was much m evidence on the wing, the dribbling rush he made right across the Otago line in the first spell being a finei piece of work. Calnan and Cross played up to their refutation, and, for a first representative match, A. Wyhe and Knight did very well. * * * Referee Evans satisfied both teams, and the spectators as well. This is the ninth successive occasion on which he has carried the whistle in matches between Otago and Wellington, and his decisions have always been well received 1 .

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The position of a referee in a Rugby football match, carries with it no emoluments — no medals, no caps, no thanks of any kind; the only acknowledgment of his services is occasionally a very lukewarm cheer by the players. After am hour and a-halfs running about the field, doing his level best to mete out fair-play to the competing teams, and at the samet time keep the players, as far as in him lies, within the bounds of gentlemanly behaviour, the referee leaves the field generally with his strength fully spent, and sometimes with the feeling that he is a fool for his pains. And. in case anybody may be labouring under a delusion, let me mention that the referees that control Rugby matches in New Zealand do not receive a solitacry sixpence for their services. Therefore, the sentence in the "Post's" football notm last Saturday to the effect that "there is not a senior referee in Wellinerton who has sufficient backbone to order a 'star' player off the field for roughness" is as unfair ais it is unjust. I venture to assert that there is not one senior referee in Wellington who would not use t>h& power given him to the utmost limit by the. rules of the game if a positively clear case ot rough play occurred in a match m which he was officiating, and which came under his notice. But the referee cannot see everything. There are many acts that happen on the football field, and which the referee knows in his own mind are happening, but, be he ever so vifn'ant' he cannot sheet a case home. W hy, do you ask ? Simply because when his attention is centred 1 on the ball, and the exigencies of his position demand that it should be. the illegal player gets his work in. The man outside the touchline has a wider view of the field of play. and 1 the players— hencei he notices thincs that aire beyond 1 the ken of the referee. "When reading the "Post's" criticism under review, I could not help thinking of the conditions that prevailed before the days of Referees' Associations Players in those days but rarely knew who was going to referee in their matches until they arrived! on the ground, and a gentleman could only be secured for the position after much persuasion by the captain of both teams. Sometimes the two captains would not agree on the referee, and then a coin would be tossed in the air, and the winner of the toss had the choice of the referee named by him. The "Post's" writer, "Drop-kick," is hardly old enough, perhaps, to remember those days, but truly it was anything but satisfactory to the players. The advent of Referees' Associations has done the game a lot of good — more lasting eood than "Drop-kick's" criticisms of the rough play and referees' metbodß are likely to do if he keeps writing on the same subiect until he occupies the editorial chair of the 1 "Post." As indicated in the openiner paraeraph of this note, local senior referees set nothing to reward them for their labours and if, in their efforts to do their duty. they are classed as incompetents, it would not be surprismer to hear that they relinquished t^e whistle alto-0-^fV.oT- A^ if «nch a hanpenincr did oppiit find the Wellington Referees' As-onr-iatiori becamei a tTiincr of the r»nst. "Dmn-HcV and others if thai Virrnev Tronlrl h^ve some* cause then to w v itp tVip we qVTip,<=,c! of Oip rpfpree and the vmitTi methods of the rJovprs. However, I verily believe that the majority of the footballing public do not hold similar views to "Drop-kick," and that there are numbers who hold with me that the referees in Wellington are as competent and as willing to carry out their duties as similar officials are in any place where thei Rueby came is played. Therefore, though "Dropkick's remarks may have caused a sore feelino- — principally because they were a. eross libel — the senior referees in Wellinerton will be able to survive and be found in their places again next season, mainly because they have the svmrjathv of the main body of the foot>>qllintr r>ublic of the city, and Tippmise tnpv are willing to srive the "dirty" player his iust reward if driven the onportunity. In the Wansranui-Horowhenua match on the 7th instant, a member of the former team wai ordered 1 off the' fVlrl T>v tlip rpferee. On the following Saturrtav tTie same player wais a nwnVbpr of the fifteen that plnved for Wa-noranrn aeains+ Canterhnrv And T Tvplipvp it was wi+h the full approval of the Wnneanui Union that he played in tV latter m n teh Tf th c Npw Zen lan d's TTn io^ 's attention hais not been drawn to thp mattpr before I trust that the-^ will cap this pira^ranh, and ask for nn explanation from the Waneanui Union "Unbiassed" writes me anemt the comment on the "New Zealand 1 Times's" diatribe about rough play. He has forgotten, however, to sien his name to the document. I know the hand-writ-ing, and have also used the same paper myself in the "New Zealand Times" office on which the letter is written, and therefore I would prefer the answer to

my comment to com© from a moie "unbiassed" quarter. Wallace has played in sixty lepiefoentative matches — 11 times for New Zealand, once m the North Island team, five times for Otago, and 43 timet> foi Wellington. This season the Wellington representatives have defeated those of Auckland, Canterbury, Otago, and Southland — the first time they have done so m a single season since the establishment of mter-union matches. The North and South Island teams made their appearance early in the week. A comment on the constitution of the teams at this stage would be a waste of time, for there- is not the slightest probability that the teams as selected will take the field on the 24th instant at Dunedin. But, I cannot help asking — What has Calnan, the Wellington forward', done to the selectors? If they honestly believe that he is not worth a place in the North Island team on his play this season, my opinion is that their judgment is very much at fault. In all the repiesentetive matches played by Wellington Calnan has proved himself the best forward on his. side. That is mv firm opinion, at an" rate, and it is corroborated by critics in other places.