SOLDIERS AT FOOTBALL.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 April 1918, Page 3

SOLDIERS AT FOOTBALL.

NEW ZEALANNDERS TO THE FORE. The following (graphic idea&tip&SrOn of an exciting football match, played in the Old Country, is written by Gunner P. B .Anderson, late of Otaki and Paraparaumu, now on active service: In the Aldershot command —one of the biggest !in England, embracing a tremendous number of camps and troops—'our team?, both A. ;and 8,~ (the Artillery) have so far an unbeaten record. They have been a surprise and a delight to us. Their ■ scores against the English teams have been, pretty generally, cricket ones. To-day's match, here on our own ' ground, drew a big crowd, for the I South Africans are regarded as a ! crack Army team, netver having yet gone under. Unlike ours, theirs is a representative team, drawn from all units. Ours are Artillery alone. Greater glory to us. They filed on the ground, and the Africans looked neat, I natty and dangerous in brilliant new jerseys of bright yellow, black and . read. Our fellows were more sober, ,in black and red, in broad hoops,

with black shorts. They lined up compactly behind their leader, and • after three crisp cheers for their opponents gave a rousing haka, to the ! delight of the crowd. The Africans | responded with a queer short native cry. "Gad but they're going to eat each other," an O.TC. cadet ejaculated. The game was certainly willing from the jump. Ten minutes saw nothing doing. Our forwards were heavier, and better in the open, and they were pressing hard. "For God's sake get off the line and let me see," yelled a S.A. officer, frantic with excite-

ment, and the crowd laughed. The ball eame out and down the line, the Africans after it, but two seconds later Wilson was past their vanguard, and steaking like the wind for the line, He got there, or within two yards, and met their full-back. The next minute the crowd was surging toward them, for the South African lay stretched and still on the side line, face towards .the skies. Wilson, too, was quiet and limp, -with one arm cuddled round +.h*

[ ball at his side; but he was over the i touch. He had scored, but he didn't know it. Ten minutse later both were/ playing again. But there were minutes of. life that they missed when the world went on without them. It was pretty plain that they felt seedy, but they stuck to the game. And that is what the men are doing over yonder, in the same spirit. The. kick was a beautiful one. The spell ended 19—0 in our favour and the game 40—0. Our reputation enhanced, another blasted. They were not at all a bad team, though. Their line-kicking was specially pretty, and they were game; It was good to see, for that is a fault in the English teams that I have seen play—that is, compared with our men. They say our fellows are McMess. It is true, they are. But the tally of the score tells us that it is worth it, for that is largely where the difference lies. The South Africans were game, and didn't deserve "the score put up against them, quite. But our fellows I seemed to have more personal initiative—a native-born genius for the game.

At the finish came the cheers, ant: the change was noticeable. The Artillery cheers were as they always are —as you hear thern on, every fooi field in New Zealand—short, sharp and crisp. The cheers of the men from the big Continent were longer a cross between ours and the English va:i._iy. The difference is very noticeable and typical. Each typifies the breed, or rather the variety. The slow, drawling English roar—it is like them, good and hearty, and solid, but easy-going, unhurryi'ng. Ours is short, sharp, incisive—full of snappy virility. Just the same is the play of our men—vigorous quick to seize an opportunity and follow it up, full of dash, initiative, resource and dare devil pluck. And the game they are playing over there, in Flanders—they are playing it just that way. Every post is a winning post. Personal risk counts for nought—it Is the gam*""' '|

the score. Believe me in this, their reputation stands as high in the fighting front as it does on the football field. The bigger game calls for exactly the same qualities in men —courage, initiative, resource, dash, aye, self-sacrifice, combination discipline—-co-ordination of effort in working to an end. Football is our national game, because it suits our national temperament, and it helps to build, to furtner develop it. Going further, our temperament, our national character—we certainly have one, young as we are—has made through our fellows a reputation as a fighting unit that any people on earth would be proud and g to own. And that is the sober truth. I hope our folk at home —our Second Division—do not let us down, for thf have as much to do in the maintaining of it as "a national asset as the menow in the trenches. a n( * on the firirline.