FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 318, 3 June 1911, Page 7

FOOTBALL

The Inglewood-Clifton senior match at' Clifton was a poor exhibition, and calls for little comment. Amongst the home backs Smith, in the three-quarter line, caught the ball and kicked well, but was slow on his feet. Brown was also playing well, but not as well as last year. Allen, a recent acquisition to the club from the ranks of the Tukapa first juniors, did a lot of ussful work, and Nicholls was fairly prominent throughout. The full-back was weak. The forwards played well in the open, but were weak in the scrum work. For Clifton, Goodwin was playing well, taking full advantage of the many opportunities given. It was a splendid day for a fast, dodgy three-quarter, the tackling being dreadful. The Inglewood men must learn to "go for his legs." George played well throughout, and his kicking at goal was very successful. Eggleston was playing up to his Best form. Tate, on the win, suffered in comparison with Goodwin, who, as before stated, was spoon-fed. But Tate isnt as good as Goodwin at cutting through a crowd. Colman played a hard but not brilliant game. He was keen as mustard the whole match through. Of the forwards the most prominent man in the fifteen was Kyle, although there were some others doing great workin the pack. Cain was anything but good, his off-side and illegal scrum work earning full many a free kick. , Qkato took full advantage of the postponement of the matches last Saturday to hold a useful practice. Teams werp picked of fourteen aside, and a strenuous game resulted. With condition and a knowledge of the fine points of the game, the country team will be hard to beat.

• The following will play for Rovers at Okato to-day, leaving at 10' o'clock from the Post Office:—Pott, Grant (2), Webster, Thompson, Rcid, Ryder, Martin, O'Neill, Coker (2), Mason, Jennings, Baker and Ellis. , The football match Central v. High School thirds will be played on the High BcEool ground'on Monday at 10 a.m The followiag is the High School team: Campbell, Grant, Hooker, Jury, Kirton, Avann, Ewing (2), Matthewa, Marfell, Blundell, Hempton, Clemow, Evans, Monteath; emergencies: Putt, Fair, White. The Rev. A. H. Colville, a prominent member of the Oxford University XV in the nineties, and a weil-known South of England representative, who was stationed in New Plymouth for | some time, preached an eloquent sermon at Feilding on Sunday, in the course of which he made some very pertinent remarks oil New Zealand's national game. He repeated to players the advice a Devonshire farmer had given his son when taking the boy to school. "Now, my boy, play fair and think fair. If you win, don't crow. If you lose, don't howl." Good rules, said Mr. Colville, that we all might act upon throughout our lives. Continuing, on the subject of New Zealand's national game, he said it was a game he had played since he was a little boy, and in many countries. He said this from no spirit of egotism, but because when a clergyman spoke on any subject he was not supposed to be conversant with, he was expected to show his credentials. He had been informed, he said, that football was going down in the Dominion, and on inquiry I he was further told the reason was the betting on the game and the brutal play. Speaking on these heads, Mr. Colville said that betting at any time or on anything was an evil; betting on a football match was a great evil. For spectators to bet was bad enough, and was the cause of bad play and a bad spirit being introduced, liy their partial outbursts and partisan comments on the line; but for players to bet was unthinkable. He urged spectators and players alike to set their faces against betting, even shilling wagers, for the principle of the thing. On the subject of rough football, he said in football itself, nlthough a "hard" I game, there was no brutality, though 1 sometimes the players introduced it. Players certainly were called on to take hard knocks, but that did not constitute brutality. He would regret it exceedingly if the game were to lose its popularity. He urged the young men of New Zealand to play the game for its own sake, as it was one of those outdoor recreations which, when not abused, had a great moral influence, and was one ofthe gifts of "Him Who took pleasure in the work of His hands."

Mr. <!eo. Hartnett, manager of the IMS Anglo-Welsh team, writing to Mr. .Tas. MoMahon, under date March 31, lflll, has tlie following to say:—"Just a line to let you know that at our committee meeting last week it was decided to ask the representatives of New Zealand, New South Wales, and Queensland to attend sub-committee meetings of rules, and also attend full committee meetings of the Rugby Football Union, when we discuss the laws of the game. This, I mil sure, will be a great advantage, as we shall be in closer touch with von all. Of course, I hope some day to see you have a representative on tho International Board. However, that if not ripe yet." A similar notification was received by the New Zealand Rugby Union at Wednesday night's meeting. The news that representatives of the New South Wales and other colonial unions are. to be invited to attend meetings when the laws of the game are Going discussed came through by cable about a month ago. and is now confirmed hv the above. This concession, says the Sydney Referee, should have a very beneficial ell'ect on the game in the colonies, and while preserving the universal code in its entirety, the few alterations necessary from our standpoint can now be urged with much more force than before.