AFTER THE GAME.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 82, 23 August 1912, Page 4

AFTER THE GAME.

Taranaki takes its football quite as seri-, ously as it does its petroleum and its cows and its iroi'sand, and at' the moment it is standing a little hit aghast. After putting up a valiant fight against Auckland for the Ranfurly Shield last week, it was disposed to regard the Wairarapa team as having been simply delivered into its hands for butchery. Put the glorious uncertainty that attaches to all forms of athletic sport once more demonstrated itself, and in a good clean game the visitors played so vigorously that instead of being Daniels in a lion's den, they proved to be lions in the local Daniels' den, and ■ retired' with the scalps, the laurels, and the honors of war, and all those other attributes which attach to victory. Of course, there are plenty of excuses for the defeat of the elect of Taranaki. We all know that Roberts was missed' in the slips early in the game, that Ron Cameron served two faults, that if ■Stewart had sailed on the port tack* after rounding the buoy things would have been different, and that McLeod should have given a miss in baulk after breaking down on his fourth losing hazard. Also, if Stohr had proposed instead of calling a misere ouverte and Brown had scalled thirty-four .to the minute after jumping the stand double, Taranalri's score would have been materially increased. Furthermore, if Cain had been ahle to secure the ball, from the bully and Hawkins had used the kidney punch to better effect things might have been very; different during this match te what they were after the match was played before it eventuated. These are fairly representative criticisms of the "told-yoTi-so" sort which invariably follow the decision of a representative match. The simple truth of the matter, 'however, is that the Taranaki men, who were admittedly a trifle stale, met a team right at the top of its farm," who played clean, bright, hard football and won absolutely -on : their merits. The game was played throughout in a most admirable spirit, and we are moved to comment on it mainly for this reason. There is nothing whatever unhealthy in the universal interest that is taken in the.spoTt of football in Taranaki, and it is good for our men to be beaten at times at their own game. It is'satisfactory, too, to find the public so "warmly . appreciating the closeness of the contest, i " , .