FOOTBALL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 97, 28 August 1913, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

the league game.

Ni.s.W. (16) V. TARANAKI (5)

About 1000 people witnessed a very hue and oxdt.ug game between tin v I'iting Vv'elsnrncn and the 'laranak representatives at tho Hawera Showgrounds yesterday afternoon. Many o: tnc crowd were seeing the game for tae first time, and even without a scintilla of knowledge 01 the difference between the old llugby and the now, they had nothing but praise fp. ti U . excellent afternoon’s entertainment of loot ball. On the other hand, lucre was not wanting in the ranks of old-time experienced players souk

wuo still pinned their faith to the oia love. The general opinion, however, was that the contest was full of incident from start to finish; and that h ■was well worth seeing. That Taranaki upueld tho traditions of the province 111 forestalling an ignominons deteat Dy the famous, -Welshmen, cannot lit disputed. Against a better educated, nippier, and more concerted team they put up a high individual standard 01 play allround, while collectively, they

snowed they had not forgotten part oi the “abe” of the game, viz,, in tackling ‘•go low.” To this feature must be set down their partial success. Time and again, nothing stood between the line and an onrusning blue horde or living Welshmen, but a determined low tackie. Xo wonder the. crowd got pleased.. “A line game, I grant, you/ said one of tno critics, “but what would cue game be it played by- iaraiiakis oust, '‘ies, by tho same token,” came tae reply from' a League enthusiast, "init does even tirsc-ciaus old llugby provide as good a game to witness as tnis second-rate crowd of Taranaki’s u.s you say they are) gave you to day Hesitatingly, came the answer. •‘.No; I did not look at it in that light. V/e’L leave it at that. Hut, mind you. i never sa w League played before, and i must say 1 am not now so prejudiced against it.” These remarks just about stum up the position of the great majority of tho public, and the experience of the past in Australia, according 1 1 tho manager of the visiting team, is that time will smooth away most of these .troubles which face tin new rival of Rugby. The teams lined out as,follows: — NEW SOUTH WALES (Light. Blue). Full Back: f , /'i G. Challis. Three-quarters; . a u W. Collins 0, Deane,; ~ S. Deane H. jHorder., ; i .—;pHalves,: urn ■ : i: E. ( | r . Forwards: oi Fpord,.,<Jc Barnett, RV’R. . Craig. J! Murray, P.,-j.McCuo '(Capt.)l A Curren. TARANAKI (Amber and Black). Full Baicku !• M. Malone. Three-quarters: C, Robinson, J. Fitzgerald, 0. Tocker V _ j --t}.; RTfioke i 'i w-om ,/i *M VOS: - Kit * :' - ■ * A. Nichollp,,, L. Moir. Fppvards ,u / R. Pukore, A. Osborne, C. King, H. Rich, B. M arc is, N. Kyle. Referee—- Mr T. Cunningham. Clad in their uniform of sky biue, with tho badge of a kan garoo, 1913. on the left breasts, am big bright red figure on the back dc noting the players, the Welshmen took the eye of tho crowd at once. They evidently know that appearar.ccs'count some, cvn on the football field. They were up to a stone heavier allround than their oponehts, and were ai even lot. The Yellow and Blacks look ad, in a- sense, a bedraggled thirteen their small indistinct numbers mak leg distinction of individuality a times impossible in the hurly-burly o: tho play. There was no advantage in tin breeze. Taanaki kicked off, am pressed from the start, but Challi;' cleared with a good kick. From : free for obstruction, Challis kicket over Lae local line, and Fucker picket up on his own side of the line, am as he passed. S. Deane intercepted am scored. Holder failed with the kick Only a low minutes had gone sine* tho opening kick. N.S.W. 3, Taranaki 0. On resumption of play, Robinson followed up fast, and collared his mat low. f ile collaring of the home play ers at this stage roused tiie enthusiast! of the crowd. Pukore and,Moir stop pod a great passing rush by tlie Blue at tire 2b liag. A free kick to tin visitors did not materialise. Anothc series of passing by the Blue left play at the corner, where a free reliev ed Taranaki for a moment. Hooke marked in front of tho goal for relief, and from the ensuing piay Taranak. got to their opponents’ territory. Border-to the fullback, and play ini the attack, but*play was fast and furious and the game was difficult to folio.v from the press table. Moii head d a rush to Challis, and many o. tho locals were glad of the breathing time afforded by a Blue being knoeket, out temporarily. A splendid passing rush light across the Blues’ line let lion' >r to the fulback, alnd play immediately let up to centre. The Yellows were then forced by a long i.i !■:. Malone and Hooker .grabber! the ball from fiorder as he fell across the line, and a free kick meant another force. Play went across the iit-l.f. and back in passing rushes by i'v' l ines, Malone proving the stumbling block on each occasion. Xicbolh streaked to the full back, and grea : • t'a.siasm followed the locals’ cross i.-g: c; the line, but a Blue bad bee: tit n-e in tho nick of time to touch ,I'vvi A lot of forward passing by tie-- bluer, meant free kicks to tin Yelb: rs. Robinson laid Challis lov hv the toes when matters looked criti

..•ill. , Taranaki up to this stage had ,een holding up their end of the stick very well, assisted very materially, it must be admitted, by what seemed a lot of lucky “flukey” incidents. Kyle was temporarily laid out. Robinson picked up and kicked when the Blues were almost over. then King made a wonderful recovery from the ruck, and dribbled to the full back. A free wick to Taranaki in front of the goal looked promising', and Hooker land'd the points. Play had' been going just 33 minutes. X.S.W. 3, Taranaki 2. A passing rush by the Blues, which seemed irresistible, ended in tbs wing man, Collins, mulling through Malone getting in his way. Suddenly there was groat applause from the crowd, seven Blues appeared in front of the fellows’ goal without an opponent, and S. Deane, who worked the movement, gently ran in. Holder landed olio goal. X.S.W. 8, Taranaki 2. In the opening stages of the- second -pell, the visitors, had a bright sun behind- them, ami the locals Avefe • greatly inconvenienced at times in raking high kicks: Three .kicks, to' •he Blues meant that the locals were mrd pressed, but’none of the kicks Mere- successful. There wak a great Wish bydlle locals,”aifd; the opposing r ail i buck got'beaten by : Nicholls and !vitig, ; the former grounding in the ■ace'home. Fitzgerald’s kick was a fairly difficult one, and was unsuccessful. X.S.W. S, Taranaki 5, Osborne and Fitzgerald had a great rush to Blue territory, ari3 a, free to :ho Blues gained 2o rcceo kick by Herder at the 2-3 flag the crowd, because■,tlier9 was jo score. Then Malone was caught japping, and from a scrum, Craig had j free, which was successful. X.S.W, 10, Taranaki 3. Only good collaring prevented the .3ues scoring from ,a passing ruoii, the jail being thrown over the lino by tlie ,ast Blue player to handle it. Then a rush by the Blues, who were now piaying up to tlieir lonn, resulted in i score by Xaylor. Craig did not nick a goaf. X.S.W. 13, Taranaki 5. Exciting play followed, and Collins .wored after a hue passing run in which ae Blues started from the half-way, is Yellows just failing to ground the mil. There was no goal from the ,ick. X.S.W. 16, Taranaki 5. In the immediate succeeding play Moir was most prominent, bis collarng preventing,^on two occasions, what coined would end in certain scores, j’oeker and Fitzgerald, with clever .larks, close to the goal, flattered the . ellow supporters, but the kicks w ere ..nsuccessfui. These incidents were uly breathing spaces m a whirlwind if play, which tore up and down the irena. All the Blue backs appeared ~> handle the ball, and then the forwards took a hand,' and all the Yelows could do was to make a series of lives at the elusive flying feet. First /tie and then another rush was atopic d, until it seemed that anything .light happen to them and maybe they would score. One of these occasions joined up when King broke away with .he ball after intercepting a pass, but ,s lie was collared he threw forward wear the line. The same player again , ; ot the ball at the end of a decent passing rush and looked dangerous, .Lit was thrown out at the corner flag, i force relieving the Blues. The Yel.ows were then forced after a long .rick by S. Deane. Taranaki’s collarng staved off further score, and the whistle went with the score X.S.D. 1(3, Taranaki 3. WITH THE WELSHMEN. AN IXTEIIESTIXtJ CHAT. “Ball” is unique in its appropriateness as a name for the manager of ,i football team, and a Stratford Evonug Dost reporter discovered yesterday it Haw era that Mr S. Geo. Ball, manger of the Xew South Wales visitng llugby League team, in name and mrsonalitv, fills tiie role to perfection, lo is brimming over with news and otes o! the game and its players in •ydnoy in the intervals when lie is :ot gleefully relating the team’s ex■erience.s of Xew Zealand hospitality i general, and the way they have in he Christchurch city in particular; or,

again, when ho is not. referring to tin tine country he ha.; seen in the Go minion; or, to ns as a. people, not tin least interesting of whom are th. .Maoris. To very many members o the team, the natives were curious specimens, as seen in their natural habits. “Why,” said Mr Ball, “the way the.' treated us down in Christchurch wa amazing.all the time and embarrassing often. The Doctor (Thacker) with hi motor car, and others could not dr enough for us. And at half time las Saturday—think of it! Pastry am cakes and everything imaginable; it*; true, in fact, one good old gentleman wanted to know jf the men would no! like (of all things) “soup”! When tin laughter had subsided, the conveisa tion drifted to its inevitable sequence— LEAGUE. Mr Ball could talk Teague “till tin cows come home,” as we in Tarauak say, though it is only six all-too-shor years since League stained out in Sidney to light its way for recognition Mr Ball talks big about it—hig figure, in money, big membership, and the hig multitudes who roll up Saturday afid Saturday even to duo matches. An attendance of 20,000 at the cup limn is not at all an uncommon sight. Aim that he talks with authority will hr understood when it is mentioned tha 1 Mr Bali is honorary secretary of the South Sydney Club, the working n. which will give some idea of the hole the' game has “over there.” “We won the Cup in 1908 and 1909,’ said Mr Ball; “we were runners-up in 1910, in the semi-finals in 1911, ana won a special cup pi 1912. We also woji the second-grade this year. We have a membership of 86, and put three teams (Ist, 2nd, atid 3rd grade' in the field each Saturday, Affdiat ed to the Club arc one 2nd grade, five 3rds and 18 junior clubs.” “Probably you would like to know something concerning our methods o 1 training? Well, members go out to the Sydney Sports Ground on Tuesday ant .Thursday of each week. The ground' arc well lighted by eight big arc lights and after the usual practice in run ning, passing, etc., and a rub-down (massaging is given particular attention with us), the tactics to be adopted at the forthcoming match 1 are discussed and agreed upon. There arc four trainers, one each to the teams and one as a coach. The players art impressed with the need to keep fit as there is keen rivalry in the district for places. There are always plenty of men waiting for a member of the 13 to. go slack ill his training or perhaps drink too much, when immediate ly the offender is dropped, and the op portunity is 'afforded to the next host, to take his place. The men are encouraged in every possible way to b ready and fit. Then we have a system of bonuses for the men. “Just to give you an idea of the League’s strength, I may say that during the current season the Club received as. its, share of the gate proceeds’a sum totalling about £I2OO. which is divided up, giving something under £lO to each player. “Perhaps these few words will not interest the people hero very much, hut it will at least give them something to think about. 'The game is not run so loosely as our opponents would have you imagine. Every effort is made to put down larrikinism and oilier capers; in fact, the met must behave themselves. “As to the fellows I have with me. they are splendid. We are a happy family, each appearing to vie with the other in being sociable and attentive to another’s wants. Some of them, yo must understand, did not know each other before we gathered together, and you can imagine how delighted I am with their exemplary conduct. Tam quite certain the members of the team will leave a good name behind them in this respect while I feel that on the field they will not he disgraced.” Reporter: “Daly Messenger has retired from the game, as you will have seen by, the papers.” “Oh, yes, Daly is a wonderful player. He is only 29 years of age, but I understand that he was not able to make the trip owing to business arrangements. On our return to Sydney we shall know more for sure, about the alleged retirement. Daly has said that before, you know,” concluded Mr Ball with a smile. Mr Ball: “It is quite likely that another game will be played at Christchurch, as a request from there has been sent to headquarters, and will no doubt be favorably dealt with.” It transpired that of the 24 members of the team on tour, eleven are at present in Auckland practising hard for the game on Saturday. Ihe Hawere match was the first in which several of the players were included, and much of the noticeable looseness in combination can be set down to this fact. X.S.W. v. QUREXELAXI). [By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright] [United Press Association. 1 Sydney, August 27. In League football. Xew Sont.i Wales (29) defeated. Queensland (10). TH £ HUBBY CAME. WA lIIARAPA BRATS TARAXAKI. [Per Press Association.! Masterton, August 27. | The Wairarap.i-Taranaki’match wa-s | played at Carterton to-day. Th ■ weather was lino and the ground in good order. The game was fast and I 'interesting throughout The Tara- ■ naki hacks were brilliant at times. The local forwards were superior in all departments. Wairarapa won the toss. Taranaki at once sot up an attack.

[Tie local backs appeared to bo uer-. ous and unable to get into theirti'ido, and uio laranaivi forwards ran, vtr everything in the early stages,.ml looked like scoring, imvendgo j .icked into tne homo twenty-live, ] Roberts picked up, and after a clevcrj un passed to Lovendge, wiio scored; tear the corner, after play had been a progress twelve minutes. Taranaki 3, Wairarapa 0. Shortly afterwards Roberts put ,‘aranaki on the defensive with a good .tick. Meuli ■ got over at tiie corner, md Loveridge converted with a great .tick. Taranaki 8. Vi airarapa 0. Then Wairarapa cook a hand at attack, and the forwards were getting .in ball, but lack of confidence on the ,art of the backs nullified the advanage. Several free kicks were awarcld to Wairarapa for oil-side play, and . rom one of these, McKenzie kicked i lino goal.

■Wairarapa 3, Taranaki 8. The local backs now found their con.douce, and they threw the ball about icely. A fine Wairarapa passing ush ended in a scramble near the .no, Cameron mis-kicked up the line, , rid Clark following up, scored near he corner. Wairarapa 6, Taranaki 8. The Taranaki forwards were next onspicuous, taking play to the home .wenty-five. From play near the ;iuo, Cameron scrambled over, Love■idgo failing 'to convert. Taranaki 11, Wairarapa 6. Half-time was called without any urther score being registered. The home forwards opened the second spell"with a line rush, arid in Tara Juki’s twenty-five McKenzie put the nail over the bar from a mark, C Wairarapa 9, Taranaki 11. The pressure was- continued by tin Wairarapa forwards, and play was jlmost confined to Taranaki’s tweiifyive. From a scrum near the line, I'larke scored, MrKenzie’s kick failii g. Wairarapa 12, Taranaki 11. Taranaki played with great vim, but die homo team were ahead and seemd determined to keep that position, ’rom a free kick foi; off-side play Tjy loherts, McKenzie landed • a good >;oal. Wairarapa 15. Taranaki 11. The. two .sets of forwards now engaged in a real hatle, and the home cam’s next score was a further goal >y McKenzie, Roberts being again penalised. \ Wairarapa 18, Taranaki 11. The last score of the game was made :’or Taranaki by Meuli, the major joints not being added. Taranaki "It, Wairarapd‘lß. i___ -:iu - AUOKLAXD DEFEATS AUSTRAL f.\ ■ . lii, ; I ■'l ■ ; II*.: Auckland, August 27. The Australian Rugby Union team ipened their Xew Zealand tour this ifternoon, when Auckland was played, i strong wind and an occasional drizde made accurate handling of the hall lifficult. 'Trie ground, although a .rifle' soft, was in fair corfilitirih/rind m the form shown, the visitors should re a Stiff proposition when' they work ip combination. Had they taken ‘all advantage of their chances they vould probifbly have won. At halfime the score was nine to eight in Auckland’s favor, and the game end'd with the scores, Auckland 15, Australia 13.