FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 78, 11 July 1910, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

AUSTRALASIA v. ENGLAND.

NO.RTHERN UNION GAME.

By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright lxeeehed July 10, 5.5 p.m.

Sydney, July 10. , . o ;lIlle between England and Australasia ended in a draw, each side scoring 13 points.

The attendance at the League match was 45,000. The weather was line. The Australasian team inc.uiied l'apakura at full-back, Asher threequarter, and Brakeiwigg (Queensland). The game was fast and exciting. A feature was the improved tackling 0 f the Australians. Both sides fought grimly, but in nood spirit. The game was largely free from the untoward incidents that were so marked in some of the previous struggles. The Australians, obtained an early lead, which they maintained until nearing the close, but the English k weight and stamina told in the second spell. The first liiif ended with the Australasians leading by 8 to 5. Early in the second halt' Mic locals added asiother converted goal. 'ln the closing stages the Britishers came strong, and just before the close drew level. For Australia, Messenger kicked two goals from marks, and Fa: - isworth, Courtney and McKivatt secured tries. For England, Lomas kicked a goal, and Leyth.im Avery and Winstanlev made tries, Thomas converting one". Papakura and Asher did excellent work for their side.

THE AMERICAN TEAM. Received July 10, 5.5 p.m. ' Sydney, July 10. The- American Universities' team brought their Australian tour to a close with a match wherein they managed to hold their own against a strong Metropolitan team. The visitors showed infinitely the best form yet displayed. The game was open and willing throughout, with clever play on both sides. The first spell ended: Metropolitan 3, America 0. In the second half the visitors evened up to 8 all, and were pressing when the final sounded. NEW SOUTH WALES v. QUEENSLAND. Received July 10, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, July 10. At the Northern Union game, New South Wales beat Queensland by 11 points to 3.

MANAWATU v. HOROWHENUA. By Telegraph.—Press Association Pa'lmerston North, July 10. The football match, Manawatu v. Horiowhetiua, was played on the Showground, before a large number of spectators. In spite of the mud, it proved a good and exciting game, remarkable for the way in which the Manawatu torwards constantly got possession in the scrums and the cleverness of the Horowhenua threequarter line. Had the visiting forwards got possession, their backs must have won. As it was, Manawatu iwon by eleven points (one penalty goal, two tries, one converted) to eight points (two tries, one converted). The Manawatu team contained eleven young players, who had not previously been in a representative team, but wiio are part of a large number of young players coming on, and will constitute the team against Taranaki and Wanganui on Thursday and Saturday.

The Manawatu-Horowlienua team to meet the Maori team at Palmerston on the 20th inst., will be selected from yesterday's- teams.

COUNTRY PLAYERS IGNORED. COMPLAINT FROM MANAAWTU. Palmerston North, Last Night. Mr. E. Hoben, president of the Manawatu Eugby Union, speaking at a luncheon yesterday, said he regretted that the New Zealand Union had departed from its earlier policy of fostering country unions, which had done so much for New Zealand football. It was" of little use now to nominate country players i for representative matches, as tliey were unknown and unconsidered, though often better than some of the men taken to Australia on the last tour. Again, tfte metropolitan unions, especially the Wellington Union, were ceasing to make fixtures with country unions. The <?my remedy would be for the country unions to combine, both in play and on the New Zealand Union. Taranaki was really a combination of country unions. The Auckland Union always fostered football in its province. Wellington did! not. Yet the Wellington team should be selected from the province, and Wellington should regularly play the minor unions in its pro vince. By combining such unions as Manawatu, Horowhenuay. Bush and Rangitikei, they could "beat" Wellington, and that was the only-way to secure consideration and respect. Neither the New Zealand Union nor Wei-' lington had shown them any consideration in match or selection tills year. Mr. Fowler, of the Horowhenua Union, strongly endorsed Mr. Hobeu's remarks. TARANAKI v. MANAWATU. ' THE TARANAKI TEAM.

The following team has been selected to represent Taranaki against Maaawa,tu at Eawera on Thursday: Full, Dixon; three-quarters, Dive, Roberts, Cameron; five-eighths, Mynott and McLeod; half, Brown; wing, D. Moil - ; forwards, Osbourne, Abbott, iDewar, Smith, Milne, Whittington, Pini; emergencies, Crowfey, Beamish. SATURDAY COMPETITIONS. WAREHOUSES (4) v. SERVICE (3). The above teams met on the Sports Ground on Saturday. The game was mostly confined to the forwards, the ball being too greasy to admit of accwr-

ate handling by the backs. There was I \ory littli! to choose between the two teams. . Loveridge 'kicked a splendid goal from just about half-way for Service in the first spell, and just missed the ])oon another occasion. Warehouses strove hard to even up matters, but the accurate line kicking of the Serviee backs and good defence kept them from scoring. Just on the call of time Gilbert secured the ball near halfway and potted a beautiful goal. Mr. Tunbridgo held the whistle. This win puts Warehouse six points in the lead for the Sole cup. Rovers had a runaway victory over Pirates.

THE AMERICAN TEAM. What the American University footballers do not know about the game they make up for in enthusiasm (says a Sydney paper). What Captain Jay Dwiggins does not know about full-back worK he makes up for in football oratory. Jay was in gi'eat form at University Oval. He clapped his hands like a Salvationist leading the Glory Song before the collection, and exhorted the "fellns" —never by any chance the "men" or the "chaps"—to "mix" it, and "mix" it they did, to such effect that they should have won if the first try had been declared void, as it should have been. A season or two more of the training which the Americans appear to have had should make them among the best, if not the best, exponents of the Rugby Uniou game in the world. They come to it with pace and energy, and weight and vim; and questions of tactics alone prevent them being a great side to-day They are too slow on the pass. They think too much. There is a tendency to hang on to the ball over-long wth the majority of them. They 1 have come on with an American leap and an American bound. They are hustlers in the true sense of the word, and when they have perfected their combination, have learned the art of cutting in, and have nullified the fatal tendency to cuddle the ball, Jay Dwiggins will not have to exhort, because no exhortation will be needed. Young America wHI be able to show Australia and New Zealand and England points.

LINE-KICKING AND LINE-OUTS. Line-kicking is an art. It may be used in either attack or defence. Line-kicking may be, and often is, used to waste time when a team is in the lead and is afraid the other side may catch up. On Thursday Hill, of Stars, did some capital linekicking, and the result was the same ,old thing, a long double line of players elbowing and shoving one another, clutching at each other as the greasy thing called a football was thrown along above the up-stretched hands. Some knocks, a few miss-words, the referee's whistle, and "not straight," then a scrum. Monotonous? Rather! There is no doubt that line-kicking makes the game slow. It is hard to defend it at all, but the man who has become proficient in making the game slow will hang to it. The New Zealand Times' football critic makes the following interesting comment on this flaw in the game:—"The defection of the Sydney public from Rugby, as we know it, to the Northern Union game, has had the effect of at last waking up the somewhat somnolent unions to action. Hitherto the governing powers have affected to believe that the Rugby game was perfect, and therefore in no need of any improvement. For some time past many oneJtime enthusiasts have wavered their allegiance owing to the monotony of the game as we have seen it played until the last few seasons. Their warnings, however, have been unheeded up till recently. Now, however, the public, who are fairly shrewd judges, have shown unmistakably that they prefer the fresher and brighter game. When all is said and done, it is the people who pay the piper, and what they are willing to pay for they expect to get. So far the League game has not threatened Rugby at all seriously in the [Dominion, but the danger is imminent and should be prepared for. There is only one way to do this, and that is to make Rugby a more attractive game than it has been in the past, and an effort is at last being made to do this. The five yards rule is good so far as it goes, but the pity is that it goes such a little way. It would be infinitely preferable, if only the governing powers would make up their minds to such a drastic alteration, to do away with the line-out altogether. At their best the line-out end scrum form the dullest and least interesting portion of the whole l game. One might expect the query, "How is it possible to do away with the line-out?" The answer is, of course, to penalise the side kicking into touch by returning the ball to the spot from which it was kicked. The rules state that the field-of-play shall not exceed 110 yards in length, nor 75 yards in breadth. Why should not the ball be kept within the | playing field ? Is there any reason in, allowing a side to Score what is often! an immense advantage by kicking out of the ground on which play is supposed to take place? If no advantage accrued from the practice, it follows, naturally, that it would not be done. Instead, the ball would be centred and kept in play all the time, and the inevitable result would be that with so many tedious delays obliterated from the game an immense improvement would be seen in attractive play. The great blots on pre-sent-day Rugby football are the line-out and the scrum, which nowadays occupy fully a third of the whole game. When the governing powers next consider where improvements can be made in the rules it is at this point they should commence operations. Tinkering with trivial regulations is no use, for the time is past for it. Far better will it be to find the flaw and strengthen it. If this is done Rugby will have nothing to fear."

NEW PLYMOUTH-OPUNAKE. Leaves Daily— New Plymouth P.O. 9.30 a.m. Omata 10.10 a.m. Oakura 10.55 am. Tataraimaka .. .. 11.45 a.ia. Okato 12.25 {/.in. Pimiho 1.0 Warea 1.15 p, m , Pungarehu 2.6 p.m. R.ihotu 2.30 v-m. Oaonui 3.15 p. m , Opunake, arrive .. 4.0 p.m. Leaves Daily— Opunake 5.45 a.m. Oaonui 6.30 a.m. Kahotu 7.15 a .m. Pungarehu 8.0 a.m. Warea 8.30 ii.m, Puniho 8.45 a.m. Okato 9.10 a.K, Tataraimaka .. .. 9.45 a.ia. Oakura 10.45 a.u. Omata 11,40 a.ia. New Plymouth, arr. 12.15 p.m. All Fares and Parcels to be prepaid and Tickets obtained for suck J New Plymouth Booking Office: Maonic Stables. Opunake: Middleton's Hotel(O'Mear*: Through Fare: Single, 10s; return, 17s. W. A. JURY.