FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 300, 15 June 1912, Page 5

FOOTBALL

REPRESENTATIVE FIXTURES. RESULTS. June 3.—Wanganui, won by 16 to 3. June 12.—Wellington, lost by 12 to 10. MATCHES ARRANGED. June 15—v. Wanganui, at Hawer*. July 25—v. South Island country team. August 17—v. Auckland, at Auckland. August 22—r. Southland. August 2ft—v. Wellington, September 4 —v. Otago. September 12—v. Canterbury. NEXT WEEK'S FIXTURES. THURSDAY, JUNE 20. Seniors.—Tukaka v. Clifton, at New Plymouth, 3 p.m. Juniors. Tukapa v. Star (Tukapa match). Stratford v. Eltham, at E!tham, 3 p.m.; Clifton v. Inglewood, at Waitara, 3 p.m. Second Juniors.—Eltham v. High School, at Eltham, 1 p.m.; Stratford v. Clifton, at Waitara. Saturday, June 22.—Star v. Rovers (see ond round match).

To-day our representatives will play I the return match against Wanganui, at Hawera. When these teams met at Wanganui last week Taranaki had an easy win. To-day, however, the Wanganui team lias been strengthened, whilst Taranaki is without the services of Stohr, Roberts taking his place in tiie three-quarter line, and Kupe going in at five-eighths. Whittington and Tamu are out of the forwards, Bourke and Kissick filling the vacancies. The topic of conversation during the latter part of the week, at least among followers of football, has been the brilliant exposition of the grand old game that was witnessed in Hawera on Wednesday, when Wellington and Taranaki met and the men from the butter province went under. "It was the best match seen for yeaTS," enthusiastically exclaimed a keen follower of the game, and he was not the only one who felt likewise. It was a Homeric struggle, and was a good game by which to judge the standard of Rugby. We hear the cry that Rugby is deteriorating. This, however, is not the case. It is not the game that is at fault, but the manner in which it is played. Strenuous struggles between teams of well matched forwards certainly provide excitement enough, but it does not appeal to the spectators as good open play does, when the ball is thrown about from player to jlayer, travelling at top speed, and is taken with machine-like precision. Eren the casual onlooker who knows nothing of the details of the game can become enthusiastic, and is tempted to rise from his seat and shout his appreciation. Wellington won in the last few minutes, but it would have been hard luck had they been defeated, for they played the better football. Their vanguaTd quite held its own with our men in the loose, and though Taranaki hooked the ball oftener in the scrum, yet it availed them very little, as immediately the visitors' found they had lost the ball they broke up the scrum and were on to our backs Ijke a flash. The Taranaki forwards worked well, but they did not break away from the scrum soon enough.