FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 312, 27 May 1911, Page 7

FOOTBALL

, POSITION OF THE TEAMS. THURSDAY COMPETIHON. •8 jj 1 S £ 3 & I'll 8 I P4 (5 J PI _ p4 <) o I Inglcwood 110 0 17 11 2 Clifton 1 1 0 0 3 0 2! Tukapa 2 1 1 0 20 11 2' Stratford 2110 11 12 2; Eltliam 2 0 2 0 11 28 0 NEXT THURSDAY'S FIXTURES. Next Thursday's senior matches are: | Inglcwood v. Clifton, at Inglewood; Eltham v. Stratford, at Elthain; Tukapa, a bye. The Stratford-Tukapa match at Stratford was patchy, though brilliant at times. . Some fine movements were initiated amongst the backs, but the passing was I frequently erratic. Cameron played a fine attacking game, running and kicking splendidly, besides directing his men well. But he was not looking for defensive work. Stewart, a new man in the Stratford team, played well, but was selfish. He should have passed earlier on several occasions. Anderson was. brilliant at times. He 1 made a sensational score that was dis-1 allowed for off-side play. Boon was as good as any of the forwards, Bonner playing his usual sturdy game. •For Tukapa, Stohr did his work capably, but the backs were not fed. His kicking was capital—three goals out of four attempts. Webster again played well, doing some good stopping at times. Brown and Whitaker both played well behind the scrum, but the absence of the old skipper was noticeable just here. . Mynott would have won the match for Tukapa. The forwards need no comment. They all grafted solidly throughout. It would be advisable in future for referees to withhold the whistle until the ball has passed between the posts. On two occasions on Thursday Mr. Spurdle sounded bis whistle too soon. In one case no harm was done, the ball sailing over unmistakably, but in the other the writer is convinced that no goal was scored. The Inglewood seniors, after three seasons of football without winning a single match, have opened up the new season most auspiciously by defeating Eltham. The thermometer of their hopes (writes our Inglewood correspondent) has taken a sudden leap up to 100 in the shade, and their supporters will not believe that even the shield is beyond thein this season. One thing is certain, | should thev win it, no single team in the province would begrudge them their victory. They have held together through \ three seasons in a way which is a crediti to the indomitable courage of the players, and stamps them as thorough! sportsmen, and now that things arc> looking brighter for them, they will eon-1 tinue the sports they have always been.' Congratulations to Inglewood! Every I footballer in Taranaki will- say so. May they go on winning matches is thta earnest wish all round, reinstating the men of the maroon jersey in their exalted niche of old in the competition tree. The Rugby Union on Thursday reaffirmed its decision that seniors reinstated as first juniors must remain as first juniors for the season. One appearance in senior ranks will raise them to senior status. 1 Very little interest is lining taken in the Taranaki-Wanganui match. SATURDAY COMPETITION. t—.5 £ cj w I O e .5 i . . g 3 t & § - s I 1 &• —* » © Sm O OS r-i k- Q Pm (j Star .... 22 0 0 30 3 4 Okato ... 2 1 1 0 14 Hi 2 Rovers ... 2 1 1 0 27 20 2 United ... 2 0 2 0 0 38 0 Rovers' forwards played a mucli letter game against Star last Saturday than they did in their previous match. They had more condition and played with more combination. Some of the forward rushes were very good, but they were generally ended by hard kicking. Their method of packing a scrum is still bad, and the ball came out in all ways, giving the half-back no chance. I Evetts was most prominent of a good pack, and was always on it. Reid played I well, but should not attempt to pick | the ball up so much. He would do betI ter if he. took it away at his feet. | In the backs, Pott, with the exception j of a weak kick from which a goal re- , suited in the first half, played a fine game, his line-kicking being very good. The three-quarters had verv few chances, the ball seldom coming past the fiveeighths. Salway had a good chance to score in the second spell, but attempted to pot when within a few yards of the line. Thompson played very poorly, and his passes were bail and ill-timed. He holds on too long, and is too fond of kicking' to touch. A. Grant played well behind the scrum, and sent the ball out cleanly. He did a lot of tackling and stopping, and did it well, j All the Star forwards played well and made the game fast and open. Hawkins and Dewar were perhaps the most noticeable, the latter playing a very heady game. ' | Pfaiikuch, at five-eighths, played s splendid game, and was the pick of the backs. lie sent out beautiful passes to] his three-quarters, and played a good all-round game. Glceson played a plucky game behind the pack, and opened the game up at every opportunity. j Daly put in some fine dashes down the j line, his try being a beauty. He had bad luck in not scoring on two occasions in the first half. Hill has played better games, and his play was good only at times. He is' very fond of the ball, and doesn't like parting with it. MeAllum is wasted as a back, and it is a pity that he is not played in his proper place in the forwards. He is a dangerous man to stop near the line, as some of the opposing backs found out when attempting to tackle him. Ward played well at full-back, but his kicking was not too good. Tn the Okato-Unitcd match, the latter team was over-weighted, hut played with heaps of pluck, holding their opponents for the greater part of the second spell. For Okato, Kupe spoiled an otherwise j fair game by bis fondness for the ball. TTe should learn to get it out to the three-quarter line. Bruce Anderson, though not in form, made a big difference to the coast team. He kicks splendidly, and has a good . knowledge of the game. Could he but j impart some of it to his elubmatcs, Okato would be a hard nut to crack. | Carey was prominent in the forward I ranks. Where the ball was there was j Carey also, or thereabouts. * Martin, who plays at wing-threequar-

ter, promises well. He can pace it a bit, and runs for the line. Sullivan, on the other wing, will be more dangerous when more proficient in i catching the ball. This is his weak point, ? but already he's vastly improved on! his form in the first match. j

E. Andrews easily justified his inclusion, and won the ''trophy" for the first try scored. Of the United men, Martin must be given the. palm for pluck. Doubled up with cramp, lie stuck to his work gamely. But lie was unable to stem rushes, for speed as well as pluck are needed in catching the ball or a man, and it was evident that every movement gave him pain.

Skipper, who played at half in the first spell, shaped usefully. He was afterwards replaced by Kisbv, who was better at stemming forward rushes. Charteris played a good game on the wing.

Two High School boys, Go& and Bacon, showed lip well amongst their bigger colleagues, doing a lot of stopping. Their work was of the school order, clean and neat.

The Western Park ground was in capital order.

The Star team to play United to-day will be picked from the follownig:—Hill, McAllum, Okev, Pfankuch, Gleeson, Hawkins, Dewar, Woods, Richards, Simmers, Picher, Evans, Ward, Daly, Seldon, Bain, Stohr and Burns.

T.R.U, MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. A meeting of the management committee of the Taranaki Rugby Union was held in Stratford on Thursday night. Present: Messrs. T. Buchanan (chairman), H. Chalmers P. O'Dea. J. McLeod, D. Malone, and Rev. W. B. Scott. The Rev. W. B. Scott was appointed manager of the team to visit Wanganui on June 3. THE .SATURDAY DIVISION. A notice of motion given by Mr. McLeod. that the rules be altered to give the Saturday division representation on the management committee, was held over until a special meeting of delegates to be lield on June 16, owing to the clubs not having been given notice of the motion. REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. It was decided .that no "rep." match be played with the Canterbury Rugby Union until Canterbury pays Taranaki the visit it owes. The Manawatu Union will be asked if it would play the Taranaki touring team on August 23. A match against the West Coast Union, at Grcymouth, on September 5, is being suggested to that union. •REINSTATEMENTS. The following reinstatements were granted:— < Waimate.—Charles Davis, senior to first junior; J. Cassidy, first junior t«' second jujnior. Hawera.—W. Ycrbury, S. Larcom, C. Trott, C. Canton, juniors to thirds. Opunake—McLeod, senior to first jitmor. Stratford.—W. Cleaver, senior to first junior; A. Brown, juniors to thirds. Inglewood.—T. Clark, L. de Launay, L. Sutherland, W. Lightfoot, L. Jury, L. Russell, Wm. Russell, O. M. Bold't, P. E. Chapman, C. Miles, A. Hopkinson, I[. W. Kennedy, seniors to first juniors; F. Parli, E, Utiger, juniors to thirds. Clifton.—L. Peppcrell, juniors to thirds. DISQUALIFICATIONS. L. Old, a member of the Clifton second junior team, was ordered to stand down until the end of the first round for questioning a decision of the referee in the recent Stratford-C'lifton third match. R. Harkness, a Stratford senior player, was disqualified for the remainder of the season for tripping a player in the Clifton-Stratford senior match, played at Waitara a fortnight ago. A PECULIAR INCIDENT. The Inglewood Club drew the committee's attention to the fact that the Eltham Club had refused a clearance to D. Moir on the ground that he had not paid his subscription.—As the Eltham Club's certified list of "financial" members for last year contained Moir's name, it was decided to grant the transfer. and to ask the Eltham Club why it had informed the Inglewood Club that Moir was in arrears when his name appeared in the "financial" list. GENERAL. The committee decided to have a num. bcr of rule-books printed, to be issued to clubs at 3d each, except to new clubs, who will have a certain number issued free of charge. In consequence of a protest from the Kaponga Club, it was decided to draw the attention ol' the Hawera Club to the condition of the Nornianby ground, on which junior matches are played. The Waimate Club is to be asked to show cause why the senior matches it has already played should not be forfeited because it had played D. Ryan. Ryan, it was asserted, worked and lived in Hawera for four days iu each week, but played for Waimate. SIDELIGHTS ON RUGBY RULES. _ "Agnopnk" has the following interesting notes in the Hawera Star this week: The five yards rule is undoubtedly one of the finest additions, of late years, to the rules of Rugby, rt has done away with a lot of tricky work and wasting ol' time on tlie line' The penalty for failing to throw the ball in five yards is a scrummage according to the ruling of the English Rugby Union. This ruling was discussed at the recent annual meeting of the N.Z.R.U. in Wellington. It was argued that a serum was 110 penalty; and Mr. Geo. Mason, of Christchurch, maintained that as a penalty the ball should be thrown in by the opposite side when a player failed to throw the ball in five yards. After the matter had been argued pro and con, the ruling of the English Union was accepted as the fairest penalty. Jt was pointed out that the referee held the solution of the problem in his own hands, and if he believed that the live yards rule was deliberately violated he could order a free kick. Let me warn players in regard to playing the man. This violation of British fair play is rearing its ugly head again this season. Last Saturday in one of the senior matches a player was warned for deliberately throwing a man after he had got rid of the ball. No senior should be guilty of this practice, and lie will only have himself to blame if he is compelled to stand on the linei and 000 l his toes for the rest of the game and probably the rest of the season. Never let excitement or enthusiasm lead you to forget to "play the game." Let all referees and players read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest tile following new rule and interpretation bearing on the "tackle":—"A tackle is when the holder of the ball is held bv one or more players of the opposite side, so that he cannot pass it." On this rule take note that a player cannot be considered as tackled until he is so held that he cannot pass the ball. If a. player is collared,but not held so that he cannot pass the ball, he may pass, even if ho has been grassed, and he may, if near enough, place the ball 1n touch or score a try. However, this must be done at once, or else he may be penalised according to law 11, note 2: "When such player is on the' ground, and he does not at onee fairly part with the ball, and either get up or roll awav from the ball."

This interpretation is that of the Wei-i lington Referees' Association, and will lie ' discussed by the local association at its next meeting. There is no mention of the ball touching the ground whenthe player is grassed, and so in the meantime I would not advise anv player to pass the ball after it has touched the ground. In such a position it is also legal to score a try. "When a player is tackled the ball is •only brought into play with the foot," and in the face of that rule I would advise all players to drop the hall when collared instead ef struggling for an opportunity to pass. To hang on makes the game rough, and will certainly earn a free-kick to your opponents. Still there is the rule, and its interpretation, and it is well worth a few minutes' meditation; but, after all, a good deal must be left to the discretion of the referee. You will notice that the above interpretation seems to contradict what I said on a previous occasion: "lie must not on any consideration, if near the line, lift the ball and push it across the line." Until the matter is further discussed I shall rule as follows: —If a player is grassed and the ball touches the ground, and he, being near the goal line, places the ball on or over the line, then it is no try, but a scrum at the spots where the ball touches the ground. If a player is grassed, and the ball acts as in the first instance, then a try will be awarded. It seems to me that the interpretation is not as clear as it might have been, and will provide an opportunity for a great deal of "argufying." There is still considerable ■ doubt on the out-of-bounds rule ;'with regard to I "throwing-in.'' If a player fun or kick into touch, the ball belongs to the other ■side, If-physical -force is used t<? pimlt him into touch, it is his ball. If the referee,, or line umpire, is of the opinion that the player allowed himself to be pushed into touch without attempting to escape, then he must rule that the ball belongs to the opposing aide. THE ASSOCIATION G^ME. (By "Queen's Park"). Eltham came to New Plymouth on Thursday with a somewhat weak team, owing to insufficient notice being given to the players. The score (three goals to nil) docs not at all'indicate; the run of play, as Eltham held their own very well with the locals. The reteree made somewhat of a blunder in allowing the first and third goals to count, as the first was dead off-side and the other suspiciousliy off-side,' Bowles lying in goal on both occasions. Legg for New Plymouth, had nothing to do, the Eltham forwards having no idea where the goal lay. Elliott was the best half-back. By the way, he has been appointed captain for the season, and is undoubtedly the right man to hold the reins.

Gwillim did one or two smart things, but he has a bad habit of making tracKs to the corner flag and then doubling back. He throws all the forward line off-side. Goddard is a bit slow, but he understands the inside position. He should time his passes a little better. McComish is shaping all right in his new position. Experience will tell. Carncross got through a good deal in goal for the visitors and the balls that passed him were too hot to save. ITaseltine is a splendid back and his kicking is clean and sure. "Scott ic" Smart was on Thursday ft terror to the man opposed to him. Soccer is fast gaining a hold in New Zealand. Some of the colleges are taking it up and have asked to be affiliated to the N.Z.F.C. Much interest is likely to lie aroused by the fact that Canada and N.S.W. are considering the matter of sending teams to New Zealand. Should anything eventuate in this direction the game should receive something of an impetus and take the place it should in regard to New Zealand pastimes.

New Plymouth play Stratford on Thursdav.