General Gossop.

NZ Truth, Issue 122, 19 October 1907, Page 3

General Gossop.

The New Zealand professional ruggers have made a promising start m their first two matches, and the outlook from an independent viewpoint appears to presage success when tougher propositions come along later on. It must not be forgotten that there arc many points of difference m the two games, which can only be mastered by actually playing, and when the Dominionists have got into full swing, it is reasonable to suppose that the increased knowledge and combination gained by practice will make them much more formidable opponents by the time the bigger contests come up for decision.

"Off-Side Mac's" summing up of the professionals m last Saturday's issue of the "Dominion" is something akin to "teaching your granny to suck eggs." Mac talks of the professionals as being a mediocre combination, but wasn't it the same old "Oft-Side Mac" who went into such raptures over the "All Blacks" before they went to Australia last season, and pictured a lovely scene of how the "Roo's" tail would be twisted when he bumped up against the Moalander. And yet that team came back with absolutely the worst record ever put up by a New Zealand Rugby team m Australia. It was rare luck for the visitors that the walloping wasn't infinitely worse. "Off-Side Mac" has been a great player and a masterful Rugby tactician, but he seems now to be trading on his reputation of the past, and talks through his neck about the qualifications of present-day men and teams. It only serves to make an old friend a laughing-stock with patrons of our national game. "Off-Side Mac" had better take shelter m his kennel before a worse fate overtakes him. Tt ■ is just as well to hang on to the little reputation you have than to lose it altogether.

It is interesting to note, m view Qf the statement published by a country newspaper, that Jack Robinson —committed for trial m connection with a recent Feilding case— was a member of the crack Feilding team of footballers m 189-1, who practically scooped the pool m the Manawatu. They played eight matches, scored 107 points, and never had a single score recorded against them. The team was captained by Mr Alex t Matheson, and won the Manawatti Rugby Union's football shield. ••'Carbine," as W. Watts used to be called, was also a member of this celebrated team. Another member of this team contracted consumption and is now at the Cambridge sanatorium, while still another lost his life m tryingiso rescue some ladies from a burning building.

Rugby has not got all its own way m Brisbane, and as evidence of what enormous strides the Australian game is making m Queensland's metropolis, it might bo mentioned that at the finals uhved a few weeks ago, the attendance was 8000. as .asainst 3000 recorded at an imjjertant rugger

match' on the same afternoon. r A" year or two ago the position was exactly reversed.

•It is rumored that South Melbourne was laid £1000 to nothing about the result of its match with ' Carlton for the final of tlie Victorian premiership under Australian rules. The attendance was over 45,000, and the gate receipts^panned out £250 more than last season's final. A Sydney visitor— 'and a great Rugby barracker, at hat— remarked, after wi tTi essjng the Snatch : "Why Sydney .ople .don't know what Australian football is."So successful was the visit to Paris last January of a team of Rugby footballers, got together by E. H. D. Sewell, that the same gentleman kas received an invitation to take a team over m November to play the French champions, the Stade Bordelais Universite Club, which, as its title denotes, is situate m Bordeaux. According to a Brisbane writer, out of all bodies that control sport m his State, for niggardliness the Queensland Rugby Union can be highly commended. This Union, says the writer, is the meanest on record. It has treated those who are the means of filling its coffers—that is, the clubs— in a most contemptible manner. The Q.R.U. Executive has got into a groove, and it is unable to see the wants of the present-day footballers. It is now adopting methods m its administration which would be quite m accord with times 20 years ago. But the Brisbane scribe should cast his eye over ' this quarter of the globe, and he would quickly see that the New 'Zealand Rugby Union could give no points to its sister body for stinginess, incbmpetency, and fossilism. Perhaps it would not be out of place to suggest to "Gaily," Wylie and Co. that they should erect a monument to, commemorate their efforts m retarding the progress of the game m this Dominion.

Blondin on the tight-rope was never m it with the New Zealand Rugby Union when the latter essayed that woederful balancing feat over .the Hawke's Bay v. Auckland and Buller v. Auckland Ranfurly Shield matches. They were a couple of acrobatic gems, and no mistake.

People are wondering whether the Auckland Rugby Union has yet kicked aside its dignity and bowed to the pleadings of the N.Z.R.U. for mor» information concerning matters which affect the two Unions. Or has the N.Z.R.U. meekly pocketed these two snubs and permitted the affiliated Union to go on its way untramelled? Anyway, it is a lovely example of discipline when the Auckland Union can tell the parent body to go, metaphorieallv speaking, "to the devil."

Our'Dominionist dailies are beginning to darkly hint that ,New Zealand is getting the sport mania m a far acuter form, and they and Kennedy Mac are advising the nation to take a pull and pay more attention to the plough and to national politics. Well, perhaps they are right, for the best of good things can be overdone, even m toeball.

A little bird whispers that expectations have not been altogether realised m regard to the qualifications of a certain responsible official m the New Zealand Rugby Union camp.. The story goes that there has been ' some remissness about his work, which doesn't appeal to one or two lynxeyed members of the Committee.

An Auckland writer ventilates * grievance which was common enough m Wellington until last year :— "Now that the football season is over I would again call the attention of our clubs to the fact that no improvement has been made by the Auckland Rugby Union committee regarding making public what transpires at the meetings. It As incomprehensible why a body, like the A.R.U. should continue to hold its meetings m camera ; m fact, it is the only union of any size m the Dominion that does not allow its meetings to be open to the press. During the recent inquiry into the allegations of rough play, the meeting sat m camera, and this was m a matter that vitally affected the game and a good number of our best players , while the decision and reports were only handed to a reporter to wade through about 11 o'clock at night." When the Auckland Unison has to throw open its doors to the press it will probably emulate the very worthy example of the N.Z.R.U. and ask the newspaper representatives to retire wher* some ticklish matter demanding 'publicity but which the committeemen are' anxious to keep, to them/selves for fear of encountering hostjjfe criticism elsewhere, comes up tQJ? review, as m the case of Wylie's -teport on the behaviour of the team m Australia last season. Tire Committee hadn't the courage to/face the music concerning those alleged acts of larrikinism m feydney, m the presence of the pressmen, amongst whom was the writer or these notes. His presence alone was apparently sufficient to put the fear of God into them with a vengeance. Three members of the Executive who are "whales" on deliber«A% "h T stai > c haniber fashion are "Gaily," Wylie^nd Iky Hyams. They are real pets at this game, and no mistake.