Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 263, 15 July 1905, Page 19

Rugby Football.

THE New Zealand Rugby Union have issued a memorandum as to their reasons for including James Ihincain in the party that is to tour the Old Country. It should convince the fair-mmded person that Duncan/s inclusion was not an after-thought by the New Zealand Union., buit was onily the result of much thought and consideration, by the members of that body. Ihe publication of this information should weaken considerably the arguments of the opponents of a "coach" being sent with the team. * * * The news of the handsome win of tihe New Zealand team against New South Wales last Saturday was received! with much joy in, Wellington. The cablegraphed report of the match makes good reading, although the press comments on the play are not favourable to the display of the New Zealand forwards. But the game ended in a nineteettipoints victory. What would it nave been if the forwards bad played "the hard, dashing game that is traditional of New Zealand football" (vide Sydney "Daily Telegraph") ? Personally, I think the team did well, considering they oommen'oed the 1 game twenty-four hours after they landed from a four days' sea. trip. ♦ * * Wellington defeated Wairarapa by 13 points to 11 ! This was good news indeed', and not altogether expected in the city after all w& had heard about the form being shown by the Wairarapa players this season. True, the game was only won in thei last few minutes, but it was a meritorious win all the same. At the" opening stage of the match the Wellington back division dlidl not handle the ball too well, buit as it progressed they got used to each other's play, and, as a consequence, the allround work was much better. The forwards aE played well, the front-rankers especially so. and the Selection Committee are feeling pleased with themselves in consequence. It is possible that the team will undergo some slight alterations by the time the next match is played, but it is nnore than probable that no radical change will be mad© in, the fifteen. ♦ * *■ " The second team that went to Levin tad an enjoyable time, just gaining the verdict over the Horowhenua fifteeni by nine points to eight. lam assumed that the scores were no indication of the strength of the two teams, as Wellington should have won by considerably more points than they did. • • ♦ A "Lynx" comment on the play in the Aucldand-New Zealand match : — "Auckland! was fortunate 1 in having two fnont^rankers like Tyler and Maokrell, and more fortunate still in possessing a look like Cunningham. Thusi player is probably the best man in tihe position we have seen : certainly the best lock in New Zealand at the present tune, amid it is a matter for regret that his absence from town prevented the selector from advancing has claims for imclusiioni in the North Island team." If Cunningham was in good enough form for a place in the Auckland team, he was good l enough to be tried in the North Island fifteen, and l the Auckland selector was neglecting his duties. I take it, in not pressing the burly one's claims. Hunter, the North Island captain, was considerably worried to find a lock amongst the forwards selected that would hold his pack together in the mter-Island match, and it is therefore all the more distressing to know that the "best lock this colony has eveir seen" — I make this statement advisedly was in good l form, and was not given a hearing. There is no question but that a tried lock is the weak link in the combination that has been got together to represent New Zealand, and, even at the eleventh hour, it would be good finance for the Management Committee to endeavour to secure the benefit of Cunningham's servdoes in the touring team. The team would be the stronger for hie inclusion, and be more likely to win matches during the earlier stages of the tiyur - I was pleased to read the other day that the Dunedin University team that

played the Victoria College last Saturday was not the full strength of tttue team that is contesting with the Alhambra the Otago Rugby Union's senaor championship. There were oocasions when the_ back play of .the visitors was exhilarating to watch, the passes from one to the other of the rearguard being made with machine-like precision, and at thiei right time. But, generally speaking, -their all-round play was not uip to expectations, and I began to imagine that if theiis was a fair sample of Otago football, the forward play in the Scotch city must be very weak indeed. Although defeated by 13 points to nil, the Victoria College team made an excellent showing. True, the tackling of their backs was very weak — paltry, in fact — but stall they doggedly returned to the attack every time they were beaten baok. Their forwards were better than the visitors, and worried them incessantly. * * * A Blenheim friend writes that football is ait a pretty low ebb in Marlborough just now. In a recent match a ten minutes' adjournment took place to decide whether a player running witih the hal] had .gone into touch. The referee said he had, but the touchjudge disagreed with hdm — hence the argument ; the spectators in the mea/ntimte taking complete charge of affairs. The knowledge of the rules of the game by the players is very poor indeed, the following, amongst, others, being points which could not be agreed upon by the players, the referee's opinion being a secondary consideration : — Playing the ball while lying on tihe ground, what constitutes a scrum, when the referee could put the ball im the serumi, etc., etc. Evidently football in Blenheim wants bringing up-to-date. A means to 'this end would be the importation of referees keen on the rules. But the players themselves are averse to a course of this nature, for recently one club gave it out as its opinion that a stranger referee to Blenheim should officiate in a third-class match before being allowed to control a senior game. * * ♦ I publish this week th© positions of the teams in the various championships of the "Wellington Rugby Union. Those who have been askinig for them will be pleased, no dioubt. "The two best front-rankers in the colony." — A comment on Dodd and Watkins, the Wellington representative hookers after their display against Wairarapa on Saturday. Critics agree that Ramsden, tihe Petone Club's 1 half-back, made a good showing in his initial representative game last Saturday, and should easily keep his place for the season. J. o'Lea.ry, Wngley, and Spaokman are the Waararapa playe<rs who are considered certainties for a place in the Wellington provincial team to play against New Zealand) oni the 29th inst. J. Spencer is not available foir selection hi representative matches played outside Wellington this season, and it is ilikelv that he w 11 be dropped altogether by the Selection, Committee in consequence. Wair&rapa are not satisfied witih the result of last Saturday's match.. They have ,sent a challenge along for the Ranfurly Shield, the game to be played on the sth August or any Saturday during that month. "We are going to keep the Ranfurly Shield this season." — An expression of opinion bv a member of the Selection Committee of the Wellington Rugby Union.. Therefore, who dares to tread on the tail of my coat? Somebody wants to know if tihe Ponieke Club defaulted any matches m 1903. I infer this from an answer to a correspondent in Wednesday's "Times." If he writes to me I will give him a reply in these notes next week. "The referee would have done better work if he had remained stationary in the centre of the field, and blown has whistle from there for breaches he noticed." — A caustic comment on the referee in the WeHington-Horowhenua match. The Adams that played for Dunedin University last Saturday was a long way better player than the one who played for the Wellington Club here last season. His form was pleasing, and worthy of the criticisms that had been passed on hisi play. A "Harrier" comment : — "Every fairminded enthusiast that attended tfhe Alexandra Park must come to the conclusion that Wallace is in a class by himself as a full-back. He was brilliant all through, and it was one of the finest exhibitions seen in Auckland! for many a day." The Auckland "Observer" has a "They Say" paragraph which I make no apologies for re-producing : — "That the New Zealand football team will never be 'off-side' in Australia while Neil Galbraith is with them. He will 'put on side* when it is necessary, and probably when it is not."

Both the Oriental andl Old 1 Boys teams being idle next Saturday, it has been decided, to pit them against one another ir> the second' round of senior dhampaonship matches. An interesting gamie shouildi result, as both fifteens are just now at the top of the form. Who will win? I've given up football prophesying. Huntex, the Victoria College captain, is not a very big fellow, but on the field he looks smaller than he really as. He is full of activity, andl, although not playing an ideal five-eighth game, he dotes a lot of good' work, mainly m spoiling the work of his opponents. Tihis is my impression of his play after last Saturday's match. Tlie Bulleir Rugby Union have challenged Wellington for the Ranfmiy Shield. All the travelling and 1 hotel expenses of the challenging; team are paid by the New Zealand Umon, out of the gate 1 takings from a match of this description. Which may account for the number of the challenges being sent ailong fotr the Shield. Absolum, Auckland/ representative wing three-quarter of a few seasons back, is m Wellington this week, attending the Racing Conference. "Abby" has put on miuoh flesh of recent years, and a hard game of football seems to be beyondi him now. Therefore, as a delegate to the Racing Conference, he fills the bill to a nicety. "Full-back," in the "Otago Witness," writes : — "I make bold 1 to say that the ill-feeling in the New Zealand teiam would! nerver have been created but for the recent action of the Auckland Union stirring up the strife. It is no secret that Aucklanders bear Duncan a grudge, and it would appear that the present prosecution is the outcome of this."

The following tables show the positions of tihe varioms teams in the Wellington Rugby Union's competitions : —

Note. — Athletic A defeated Johnsonville, but the match was declared a loss to them through playing a third-class player in the team ; Petone lost two matches through playing a thiid-class player ; Selwyn defeated St. James, but in its team were included four third-class players, and the match was given against them.

* St. James and St. Patrick's College played a drawn game, but the match has been ordered to be re-played.

Auckland and Hawke's Bay pflay in Auckland on the 12th August. An Auckland 1 writer says, anent tihje probable representative team tibia season : —"There should) be no difficultly in picking a forward division capable of holding its own against all comers • and, altJhough our baaks are not likely to prove particularly formidable in attack, they promise to be a soundi, even lot, with plenty of defence." Mr. De la Mare writes that I was in error in stating that the Victoria Clollege team was to be strengthened! in the match against the Dunediin University by students attending the University who do not play for that team' in its senior championship matches. I regret if I made an error, but a certain Oriental player stated that he had been invited to take part in the game. This statement was the warranty for the paragraph. Wellington, representative matches definitely arrangedl are as follows: — July 29th, v. New Zealand, at ■Wellington ; August 26th, v. Auckland, at Wellington ; September 2nid, v. Canterbury, at Ohristohurch; September 6tfh, v. Southland, at Invercairgill; September 16th, v. Taranaki, at WeUimstett. It is probable that the Otago match wall be played at Dunedin on the 9tJh> September, and the Hawke's Bay match on either the 23rd or 30th August. The Australian match will be played about the middle of August, andl Manawatrcti will also visit Wellington. There is almost a season's football in these matches alone.

(Continued on page 20.)

Seniob.

Athletic A . . St. James . . Oriental A. . Railway A. . Petone St. David's Selwyn Athletic B . . John son ville Brooklyn . . Southern . . Oriental 8. . Railway 8 . . 8 8 7 6 6 8 8 8 7 7 9 7 7 7 6 5 5 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 4 5 5 4 5 6 5 6 0 1 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 105 59 54 56 51 49 33 24 11 30 25 24 12 7 12 14 17 6 47 45 72 42 36 88 81 71 14 13 12 10 7 7 6 6 6 4 3 3 1

Fourth Class,

Petone . . 7 3t. James* 5 st. Pat's Col. A* 5 Oriental . . 7 St. Pat's Coll. B 7 3elwyn . . 6 iVgtn. Coll. B 4 Uhletic A . . 5 iVgtn. Coll. A 3 institute Boys 5 athletic B . . 4 6 5 5 4 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 4 4 2 4 2 4 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 124 17 122 6 111 0 86 29 20 106 59 70 27 41 19 69 18 29 3 132 0 113 i: II i

Fifth Class

Junior.

Third Class.