FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 36, 5 August 1911, Page 7

FOOTBALL

TAiRANAKI'i! 1911 RECORD. June 3 v. Wanganui, at Wanga-mii, -won by M to ;i. July (i— v. Wanganui, at Ilawcra, won by 18 to 3. August 3 v. North Island, at New Plymouth, won (by 11 to 0. REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. August s.—North Island team v. Wanganui, at Wanganui; South Island team v. Otagw, at Dunedin. August 9. —North Island team v. Wellington, at Wellington; South Island

team v. Southland, at Invercargill. August 10. —Tarannki v. Maori tcarn, at Stratford. August 12. —North Island team v. Soutk Island team, at Wellington. ■ August 10. —Wellington v. Maori team, at Wellington. August ]!).—Otago v. Wanganui, at Dunedin. August 23. —Taranaki v. Manawatu, at Palmerston; Southland v. Wanganui, at Invercargill. August 2t>.—Taranaki v. Wellington, at Wellington; Wanganui v. Canterbury, nt Christchurch. August 30. —Taranaki v. Southland, at Invercargill. September 2.—Taranaki v. Otago, at Dunedin; Auckland v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. September s.—Tarannki v. West Coast, at Greymouth; Auckland v. Otago, at Dunedin. September o.—Auckland v. Wellington, at Wellington; Taranaki v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. September 14. —Auckland v. Taranaki, ai New Plymouth; Canterbury v. South Canterbury, at Timaru. September 10.—Canterbury v. Otago, at - Dunedin. September 20. —Canterbury v. Southland, at Invercargill. September 23.—Wellington v. Canterbury, at Chmtehurch; Southland v. Otago, at Dunedin. September 27. —Wellington v. Southland, at Invercargill. September 30.—Wellington v. Otago, at Dunedin. October 7.—North v. South Island nva.U'h, at Wellington. NOTES. , Thursday's match was a good test of the ability of the Taranaki team. The crowd woa disappointingly small. People might reasonably have concluded, that the teams would provide a big struggle, for the visitors had done big things against Auckland, and needed only a bit of luck to win there.

The superiority of the home fifteen, however, is undoubted. They would prolbaMy heat the North Island country touring team by a higher margin to-day tlwn Thursday's piny gave them. The attendance at the match, poor though it was fairly representative of the outside district?, lmt the New Plymouth support, was lacking.

The North Island team was more nippy than the local fifteen. On the whole, the forwards were .much lighter, they were faster, and they were more inclined to throw the ball about. They were "up against it good and hard" in the second spell, and were often outclassed, despite the fact that they were nursed by the good line-kicking of their backs, whilst Ryan ran the legs off the big Taranaki forwards,

Unintentionally and unknowingly he did the big fellows a good turn. Some of them hadn't had enough running about lately, and they could do with some more yet. that is, if hard training would have the effect of smartening them up. The Taranaki selector always goes for weight, however, and no smart, nippy forward need apply. \Vc always go for smart, nippy backs, men who can run, kick and collar, and who can pass. Our forwards are not meant for -passing, but must stick to the good old brawn and muscle struggle. The Taranaki forwards are fine specimens of men for the most part, and they play the heavy men's game, pretty successfully, but a. more open game would perhaps prove just as good at winning matches, and would certainly he more attractive to the general putblic. Talking of the Taranaki forwards, they didn't save their half-back very much the other day. A rush of Rlacic forwards generally* penetrated the defence until Charlie Brown was reached, and he received a terrible gruelling at their hands (or feet). There's one satisfaction in knowing that Brownie is hard to kill, but Where's- the necessity for putting this to the test? The North Island team would ibe far more dangerous if its .backs would run up-field instead o.f across field. Time after time on Thursday good chances to score, or get close to it, were lost because the three-quarters galloped across instead of towards the goal. Their centring kicks, however, were generally well placed. The hacks showed a disposition, too, to crowd the wings on tllu line.

CWrroll, the visiting wing-forward, was •considered by many to be up to intercolonial fonn. The Black forwards showed a tendency to follow in a Taranaki rush instead of getting round behind the ball, apparently hoping to reach out and snatch it from their opponents' feet without heading their opponents off. Their usual method of stemming a rush when they met it was to throw themselves down on the half. These tactics are not. illegal, but they should be made so. Tt is a 100 dangerous practice altogether, and a man adopts it at the risk of life and liirtb. Tif a man gathers in the ball and falls in the attempt it is quite another business.

After Thursday's exhibition, the selector promptly dropped l?yan as fullback. Oolmnn will be the custodia.il in next Thursday's game. Hill, the Star captain, is a better man in the position, but Colman is a versatile player, ftnd, if in form, an acquisition to any team. Hill should firnl a place in the touring team as the' best full back in the Northern Division. Tn the Taranaki team there, was another weak spot. 'Roberts' being very uncertain in bis work, lie, too, has been side-tracked by the selectors in picking a .fifteen for the next engagement. Goodwin takes his place, -and if he plays anything like his best should accompany the team on its southern tour. jVTynott was the keyboard of attack aid defence last Thursday.

Cameron and Stolir played' excellently, and McLeod was also a very useful man , to his side. I The Taranaki team, as selected, should give a good account of itself next Thursday. | Will the Rugby Union officials be good enough to provide a table or tables for the -reporters in future rep. fixtures this I season? ! ■ High School and High School Old Boys meet on the school ground this afternoon. The C&if t,hif afternoon should be fast-ana' atti-acta'Ve. The Stars put up a; good fight against the Waitara men: the other day, and should have benefited from the mateh. Prior to that I they' had not met such opposition in any of fihoir games. The proceeds of today's match will be devoted to the Way benefit fund. THB MAORI REPRESENTATIVES. In view of next Thursday's match at Stratford between the Taranaki team, and tilie Maori touring representatives, the following' statement by Mr. W. T. Parjiltii, manager of the Maori team, to «. Ma«te.rtan Times reporter, will be interesting:— "One of the objects, of our tour is to encourage the game of football among the Mnoria The tour will be conducted on purely amateur lines, and if there is a, surplus after all expenses are paid—which, we hope will be—it will he devoted to some Maori charity to lie decided upon by our management committee. We play clean football—the open gamo that the spectator likes—and, without wishing to appear egotistical, I may say that our team plays a more sportsman- t like game .thaw perhaps any other com- | bination in iXew Zealand. Most of the j players learned their football at Te Ante i College—and it is at the colleges, where j proper Rubgy is taught, and where it is instilled: into the boys to play the ball and not the man. Our men have been given instructions to play a clean game, and fast and open, in the hope of being able to show our white brother that the Maori understands how Rugby should' be played." Mr. Parata stated that their team included many players known to every foot?mil enthusiast in New Zealand. They included "Corkscrew" Kaipara (Poverty Iky), a North Island representative and member of the Maori team which toured Australia last year-; Tiki, a; smart half from Canterbury; Takarangi, a North Island representative, who played- for Wanganui against Wairarapa. some years ago; Rongo, livceigkths of the Otago University team (champions of Otago); Ryland, of Gisborne; Rogers, of Eotorna; Monna Paratene, formerly of Mastcrton (and half-brother of Cunningham, the famous All-Black forward), whom Mr. Parata considers will eventually develop into the finest lock in New Zealand; Burnett, of Dunedini; Maka.huri, of Hiwvke's Bay; Cochran, of Northern Wniroa; Dawson, of Hawke's Bay; Dansey, of Otago University, and an Otago representative; Sel-lars and Hall, Auckland representatives: and Hughes, a Mn-iiawatu representative. The -backs are -fast and clever, being good on both defence aiid- attack, while the forwards are a hard-working lot. The average weight of the forwards is list 21bs, -and of the backs list 71bs. Takarangi is captain of the team, and Rongo vice-captain. Mr. Parata said that there were about 3000 Maoris who played football in New Zealand to-day. A movement -was on foot to form a Maori sports association, .\vh.ieh would embrace all amateur sports, such as football, tennis, running, walking, etc., and a conference of Maoris would be held shortly for this purpose. Protvably a Rugby mm petition a.mong the Maori provincial teams, on the lines of the Ran furly Shield, would also be instituted. "The action of the New Zealand! Union in refusing our request to be allowed to send a Maori tosim of footballers to England to play was keenly felt by our race," said "Mr. Parata. "We are firm believers in clean sport on a strictly ( amateur basis', and the action of the head union is certainly not encouraging. However, we intend to make application again -to the New Zealand- Union for permission to go Home, and we hope to be more -successful. There is only one difficulty in the way of the trip, and that is the New Zealand Union; everything else has boon practically arranged."