THE LEAGUE RUGBY GAME.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 79, 24 July 1914, Page 8

THE LEAGUE RUGBY GAME.

A BSC DAY AT ELTHAM. BRITAIN 43 V. TARANAKI 11. "And what do you think of Waggy r"' Tliis v\7(B after the mated, when the crowd oi over '2OOO was wending its way home ironi Tuamata Park, after witnessing a game that it is sale to say waV thoroughly enjoyed by all. "WaggJ," was the people's name for "the captain, the popular player from Huudersfield, Yorkshire, who had during the afternoon delighted raranaki.-s with his wonderful versatility as an exponent of the League game. Yeryjmauy of those present had'- stiil fresh in their minds the imports of his exploits while in Sydney J a week or so before, but these reiniu- | iscenees were as nothing, to the real enjoyment of having seen him play. Brave one would need to be to venture an opinion as to the brainiest !' Britisher on the afternoon's display, • because there were so many who showed initiative such as made the hoary-headed old Kugbyite stand aghast. "Throw the ball about!" said one who was seeing League for the first time. "Why, it was the Alpha "and Omega fit their game. The last thing they seemed to think about was to kick." That was true. Only when every trick of side-step-ping, feinting, and all the little subterfuges had been exhausted did they "put the boot in." In .thin one instance ;alone, there is a wealth of improvement stored up for the Taranakis waiting only to be But to revert to Wagstaff, which is to give him his full name. He was the pivot upon which the play revolved, or set off oil a tangent which embraced all the known and unknown angles: He was here,, there, and everywhere. Seeing him take' part in a passing rush and then 'disappear f-om view; led many' to think Wagstaff was done with for the time being; fjiit that was the undoirig of the opposing piayers. Up he bobbed" in the most- unexpected and uncanny places, until it seemed that there' nas more than, one "Waggy" on the field. 1 This champion is only 22 years of age,'but he stands sft llin. and weighs 13 stone neat, and when lie is moving with a leather one may. as well- be bumped' by ' 'ftbzelle's Sultan," or scntte otlier "Jersey" ' bull that is'Vmt ; 'for' business. ' But leaving Wagstaff now. it must be held that the ? most prominent Bed and White representative was Guerin, the goal-kicker", the second heaviest man in 'the whole team, the second tallest" of the bunch, "and, what Th '■ moreiremarlcable. 1 .the "bAby" of the British family.' [ Guerih is set down as being just out' of,his teems, 15.6 on the scales, and halt' an inch less than the t'aTlest,*' Goldriek, whose gi'Veh as 'fift"l*in. Fancy a forward like GuWrin bearing down on a diminutive Amber and Bkck like, say, Tqcker, ; who is proud To see, 10.6 opposite name on,-the, programem. Guerin is the goal-kiok-cr of the team. He won the medal presented by. the management for the best .exhibit ipn of .booting over, the posts during a competition at hair time. In three "attempts—one from the 20-flag near fhe touchline on the left of'the ground, »n,d one from just inside the centre, he made no mistake about—they sailed between the posts in fine style, while from •the right 2-3 position, he made a splendid effort. Hooker (Taraanki) was the best of the others, notching one goal and boating Romans, 15.8, the giant .of the visitors, and Malone (Taranaki) who* were never in the hunt. By the way, Thomas, the fullback, who seemed quite as much at home taking a ■ hand in the passing rushes sb getting in his serviceable kicks when pushed, is the old man of the team. At 32 he is a marvel of dash, and a tower 6f strength. The burly Romans is only a year younger. Bujfc space will not. permit of a record of all the interesting details associated with those Rugby giants. There is Glampitt, who has been out to the Antipodes with the Internationals before 5 , and Jarman. from Leeds. What these two don't know about forward work isn't worth Fossicking for. Prossor, as outside half, didn't seem to care about trouble, and Hall who played in the three-quarter lino next "to "Waggy," came to l>e - known as the india-rubber, man, such a bundle of springs and hops did he show at the most unlikely moments. Moorehouse, in the same line of offence, was not, in his beat form at the start of the game, and appealed to lodge the thick of the contest. It was explained that lie had had a ?oup'e of ribs broken recently, au'd spas not too keen on getting up against it. but in the second half he notched try after try until the crowd fairly cheered him. It was a game that will be long romembaied. Taranaki, though hopelessly out of the hunt as was in a sense only to be expected, seeing that the flower of the game from its native land wore up against them, battled bravely on, ami if they did not score more than eleven nointa had 'only themselves to blame. Where all were so willing, it would be invidious to particularise, but/ if it is permissible to bunch some names, let it be stated that Hookar. Tirhbon, Tocker and \ioholls. among the backs, Ki'tigj Parker, Charters, Osborne and Martis iu the forwards wera most prominent. King, indeed, scoured the honors for himself by scoring all the trip* registered for the Amber and Blacks. The weather was not at all promising in the early :>fternonn, and when the whistle blow for kick-off-a shower of rain made matters a shade unpleasant for the spectator*. The

F.ltham Brass Band was in attendance, land played a number of selections 'during the afternoon. A noticeable 'feature of the attendance was the |crowd of .youngsters, whom, it would 'appear, the management believe in ; encouraging, as ' admission for these was free, arid a special stand was set apart for their accommodation. Mr T>. Murray, the coach of the British team was the referee, and gave every satisfaction. The teams lined out as follows:

BRITAIN (Red and White). Full-hack, Thomas (12.6) : Three-quarters, McGara (VIA)), Wagstaff (13.0), Hall (11.1), Moorehouse (12.8) Outside Half, Prosser <;I0.6). Scrummage Half, Smith (12.6). Forwards, Romans (15.8), Jarman (13.8), Clainpitt (13.2), Guei'in (15.6), Holland (12.6), Smales (12.12). TARAXAKI (Amber and Black). Full-back, M. Malone (12.12). Three-quarters, G. Hooker (11.13), A. Nicholls (10.6), J. Fitzgerald (10.3), Tiehbon (10.12. Five-eighths, N. Kyle (12.0). Half-back, 0. Tocker (10.6). Forwards,

C. King (14.6),. A. Osborne (14.7), J. Charters (13.8), T. Irwin (13.5), J. Parker (13.3), B. Martis (13.10). The game requires little description, but in reading this it must not be imagined for a moment that the game was not full of interest. Rather does it mean that the Britishers came away almost when thefy liked. At times the Amber and Blacks showed a taste of the mettle that is in them, getting. down to their opponents in rare syle. But no body of thirteen humans could be expected to stand up to the onrushiug horde. Time after time, a long Red (and White) line extending half way across the arena bore down upon the citadel as represented by the upright posts and crossbar. Sometimes the attack failed, but it was often the misfortune of the invaders than the fav.lt of the defence. Within three minutes of the time King kicked off for the horae ( jplayers, there was a protty bit of passing among the threequarters, and Moorehouse was over , the line, but a force resulted. In another two minutes Hall,, with two in reserve, was behind the posts, and Guerin 1 kicked his first goal—(s—o). Taranaki was twice forced in quick succession, and it wag evident that the Amber and Blacks were not getting down to their opponents, a b. they should. This,* together . with the fact that the. Britishers got the hall from every ..scrum, accounted for the score mounting up. ' Prosser, \\ agHall and Smith handled, and the, latter over, Guerin kicking ai!othei> goal--;-(l()—0). That was the result! of 14 minutes' play.'. Then Proseer passed to Wagstaff, who sent !t on to Moorehouse, the last-men-tioned kicking "across to Wagstaff, who was pulled ,(|P wn under the posts, Mid in less than a minute from hig last kick, ,Guerin had.again done] tha trick—(l^—b). t ' King ?jt for the Ambers, raised a lot of enthusiasm by his sterling work which carried play into the "enemy's camp, but a free kick relieved the Britishers. A little later King broke away with the ball, but he was not supported, and the pass was intercepted, and from a subsequent scrum, Wagstaff and others handled 'the 'ball and sent it oil to Moorehouse, "who scored an easy try. Fer the first time, Guerin failed with the kick—(lß—o). Momentarily, the , Taranfikis raised the hopes of their friends, Kyle going: through, on his own, but pass was "mulled., Tackling like Britons (!), Hooker and Osborne brought their men down wallop, but they were lucky to be only forced, Setting their teeth and scrambling along, a score hove in sight for the Taranakis, Nicholls being the fortunate one. While Hooker's kick was a good one, it was not good . .enough—falling , short-(18—3). Tichbon tackled well, but he could not reach Wagstaff,. who seemed like the proverbial cat oh hot bricks, beating everything with his bewildering feints, and passing to "Moorehouse. And then the crowd breathed aga'in while Guerin kicked at goal. They laughed audibly when he failed by! a . fW inches—(2l —3). There was another score just before hajf time. Romans, after a great display of passing, . and as he was being tackled, quietly put the ball down over the line. Guerin must have been a nontrier, for again he failed, with the kiclfc~(24—B). ' - There were some exciting times in the socond half, and when the Taranakil put up a fairly decent show of passing soon after opening, people sat back atid—well, they didn't have time to wonder, for Hall, Wagstaff, and Moorehouse were racing to the goai-pdsts. Lucky it was that King beat them f,or the ball. A somewhat similar incident occurred almost immediately. .But such grim determination always wins in the end, and inside six ..minutes . Q)Ga,rs had the ball from Wagstaff and was over. Guerin was still off it—(27—3). After a good deal of give-and-take play, ..in which Taranaki showed up to better advantage than Parker, irad Charters being prominent at odd times—Kyle made a fine opening and passed to King, who got over the line. Hooker had too much to do to register the major points—(27—o). There seemed to be more grit in the g-inue for a time, Parker leading' the jAmber am] Blacks, but free kicks to tlia Br Rubers nullified tb« advant'ago gained. A pas* from Tichbon went rigfit across th» three-quarter line, a»d the crowd appbiuded heartily, but iiext moment there was aj scrum and Wagstaff and Co. steered J Mooi'"ehoiJse 1 >eh ind th o post s, and |j Guerin was pushing the ball, between i 1 tile uprights before oiie could say;

I 'the name of the nuggety coram half, who had started the ■ movement. It wys amusing e o see Moorehouse a shade later streaking 1 to the line with three of his mates I in support and no Amber and Blacks [ anywhere except behind. Guerin kicked the bal! .up, against a posftand the points stood—(3s—6). The next score came from a penalty kick, be-, cause Tichbon collared Smales when he hadn't got the ball—(37—6). Then followed a great rush of Red and Whites, out of whom emerged Wagstaff, who kicked scross id Moorehouse. and that was the end of it. Guerin was palpably, tired of kicking goals—(4o—6). wa« Tarana'ki's turn. Wonder of wonders, -thoy, scored twice in quick succession. For obstruction a free kick by Hooker was rolled into two points—(4o—B)—, and then by dint of real good play, King made' his third try. 'Hooker's kick was poor—(40—11). There was only a minute to go, but there was a Tot of fun in store. In a melee,. O'Gara dodged round the referee, nearly knocking him over, and everybody enjoyed the incident immensely. As a fitting finale to a great exhibition, there came a passing rush, in which the whole Red line of backs and most of the forwards took par*, and O'Gara scored at the. corner, i Guerin made an unsuccessful .kick, at: goal, leaving the score—(43—ll).; Then. the whistle went'.

The game will not soon be forgotten by those privileged to witness :it. The visitors are good sports, and the crowd recognised the fact.