FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 100, 13 September 1912, Page 3

FOOTBALL

TAKAXAKI v. CANTERBURY. A (HUH) OAMK. EASY \Vl\ FOR TARANAKI. Canterbury louring team met the Taranaki representatives at the Stratford A. and P. showgrounds yesterday afternoon. The boisterous, rainy ni<mt and a showery day militated against the attendance, but still the attendance was about fifteen hundred. The grandstand was crowded long before the commencement of hositilites. The game commenced at 3.33 run., or 33 minutes late. The crowd was good-humored, but the Union should take measures to pivvent a delay of the kind happening again. When the teams lined out it was seen that the Taranaki men were the heavier. They played with,the advantage of a fair breeze. Their superior avoirdupois, coupled with the "ginger" imparted to the team by the inclusion of Tamil and Pini, who seemed to have swallowed a steam engine apiece, gave them the victory by a big margin of points. The Canterbury men held their own fairly well in the second spell, but their backs let them down in the second half. The forwards were a clever set, but lacked "devil," several of them suffering from severe colds. The generalship of the team was not as good as when "Dolly" Gray and Byrne were behind the pack. The tackling of the rearguard in the second spell was anything but reliable, although one or two of the men could be relied upon. ' Summarising the play, it appeared ;hat' Taranaki had i!.".re weight, more pace, and more "devii." The weak point of, the home team was in taking the ball, and Brown and Roberts were the principal offenders in this respect. Cain, Taylor and Roberts were prominent throughout the game. Maxwell was the best forward in the visiting pack, and Sergison was also prominent. The backs were a fairly even lot. ■xhE fiAME. Taranaki won the toss, and Canterbury kicked off, Roberts sending a lino return out of touch. The locals set up a rush, but mulled, and McDomald's attempt to change the trend of events resulted in a throw-forward. Taranaki secured from the first scrum, and fast following by Stohr put Canterbury on the defensive in the corner. The nest scrum put Sandman and Taylor in mof tion. Don Cameron mulled, and the I reds crossed half-way, Brown returning I from a free kick. Brown passed out of j some scrambly work to Stohr, whose | further progress was stopped by Doell, Ithe Canterbury full. Off-side play gave Stohr a kick at goal from just inside half-way, but the ball went just outside the post—a line kick, nevertheless. I Franklin's first chance to feed his Dacks ! was a glorious failure, and Sandman got in a pretty run. Some of the backs I interchanged kicks and dodges, and Tinney lined well opposite the stand. Up- , came the Taranaki forwards, Tamu leadj ing. but Taylor's wretched pass was of no use to Stohr, and a good chance went i begging. A cross-kick by D. Cameron was well judged, but McDonald had the. pace, and Payne lined well. TaraI naki had had the best of it so far, and i a scrum was formed in Canterbury's 25, j a rebound going out near the corner flag. I The red forwards were too nippy, a«d i Taranaki failed to pick up, Payne and others getting the visitors out of an awkward corner. Stohr and Roberts ) seemed to be away, but the tackling setJ tied them. The crowd was getting a j good run for its money, and the applause ] was frequent and impartial, betokening a igouil bevy of Canterburyites in the stand, i The Canterbury men were more nippy, and were gaining by reason of more rapid closing up of their ranks. Franklin made a fine run, but was unsupported. 1 Had he gone right on, instead of looking round, he must have scored. Roberts failed to get his pass, but Canterbury were still lucky in touching down on the line. A scrum enabled the reds to clear. A Canterbury rush into the Taranaki end was stemmed by Tinney marking, and play returned to centre, a bit of obstruction by a local forward easily nullifying the effect. The scrums were now nearly all in favor of the reds, Hegarty out-hooking the other hookers. A loose rush, in which Taylor and Stohr were prominent, ended in touch in goal. Baxter cut right through the Taranaki men. Don Cameron ranged up, and looked at him. S. Cameron came behind, and Baxter's run was over Then Stohr, from a free kick, kicked a goal from near half-way. Taranaki . Wk .. M . MBMKr .« J- 8 Canterbury ,»....... 0 The resumption was marked by a fine line kick. Hawkins had to retire from an injury to his jaw, and Ryan went on. A hard kick, and Canterbury forced. Starting from a scrum, the Taranaki forwards pressed the visitors into the corner, where another scrum occurred, and two line-outs, touch-in-goal resulting from too vigorous kicking. The local hookers' innings was on now. Sandman set his backs moving, and McDonald ran and short-punted to Tinney, who ran out. Gradually, by better work behind the ruck, Canterbury wore the locals down into the north end, and only a kick into touch-in-goal staved off a score. Tinney came into collision with the fence, and dislocated his elbow, and R. Woods went on. Tinney had been playing a fine game, and this accident in his first rep. game was very unfortumi'e. Taranaki had the better of things for a bit, and Stohr raised the crowd to a great pitch of enthusiasm by a tremendous drop-kick from near half-way, and it crossed the bar. Taranaki 7 Canterbury 0 Nearly everyone in the Taranaki team seemed to take part in a rush which Franklin initiated, and Canterbury forced, within a minute of half-time. A re-arrangement of the Taranaki team was rendered necessary by the retirement of Tinney. S. Cameron went to full-back, and Wood to wing threequarter, Franklin playing five-eighths. Canterbury made it willing from the start, and found the corner. Cameron centred to Doell, and an unintentional i offside by a Canterbury forward stopped an interesting piece of work. The amber-and-blaeks improved their position, passing the half-way mark. A long kick by Doell from a penalty was returned from under the goal, but Pyle missed tke return, and Tamu set sail. He played the team on his own for a bit, and Pyle just beat Whittington by Kicking behind to the dead-ball line. Stohr had a shot at goal, and Canterbury returned from behind the line to orcr the mid-way line. The wind was an increasing quantity now, and Doell made good use of it, kicking high into touch. Sergison made a dash, but Don Cameron had a bit more pace than the attacker bargained on, and the ambcr-and-blacks' line was safe—but only for a while, Taylor getting off-side in his anxiety to haulk a mark. Hasell narrowly missed a goal. Woods weakly ran behind the line, and a scrum was given, followed by a loose scramble, from which Pini emerged, yards oIT-side. Hasell failed again with the kick. The Canterbury men pressed hard, but Taranaki kicked away out of touch. Swarming down near the goal, the reds were dangerous, but wera penalised. The kick from the line w« a

weak, and the southerners came again. That Doell was no Stohr was shown when he failed lo try a pot from a great chance. Cameron outdistanced three of his pursuers, and had just evaded Maxwell when lie passed forward. It was an occasion on which selfishness would have paid, and was a splendid run. Franklin passed to Brown to Stohr, wdio manoeuvred, and narrowly missed potting a goal with a left-foot kick. A free-kick let the southerners out. .Then Pini came again with a great dash, but lost the hall. Brown set his team going. A scramble ensued among the forwards, and Whttington pounced on the ball just over the line. He was about one second late. Then Stohr got an easy mark close to the posts, but missed the goal. Some passing, and Taylor sent to Roberts. He started out on a run. ''Pass, you fool!" yelled an old-time rep, "Pass!" But he cut through and dodged "his opponent, grounded the ball close to the posts, and, being rewarded with the kick, goaled. Taranaki ..»■., -.-.-,• 12 Canterbury 0 Pini and Woods did some good passing, and Pini fell on a red player—who survived. Canterbury forced. Roberts fluked over again, near-the posts. Stohr took the kick, and narrowly missed the goal. Taranaki ■„.... 15 Canterbury 0 Sergison and Cummings were the outstanding forwards in a good, red rush, but Don Cameron and Dewar stopped it. Pini showed out from a line-out—ho was playing well throughout—and Woods, by clever centering, brought about trouble for the visitors, who forced. Franklin speculated and lined from the front of a fine dash by a couple of red forwards, of whom Maxwell, as usual, was one. Don Cameron sprinted down the side-liu" Dowell refused to be gulled by a tricic, and grassed his man beautifully. S. Cameron here emulated Asher. He bounced about, and was thrown about n. lot, and eventually got first in a racbehind for the ball. Stohr failed with the kick. Taranaki 18 Canterbury 0 Roberts made a fine opening,. beating several men, then passed to Tamu, who failed to gather in, but went on with the ball at toe, and Don Cameron grounded. Brown made an ineffectual and not particularly brilliant attempt at goal. The whistle sounded immediately afterwards. Taranaki 21 Canterbury 0 Mr. Ni'elson, of. Wellington, was referee, and his decisions were prompt and impartial. The Canterbury team was entertained last night at the Stratford Football Club's annual dinner, and will leave by this morning's express for WanganuL Mention must be made of tbe capital music supplied before the match and at half-time by the Stratford Municipal , Brass Band, under the baton of Band- I master T. Marshall. ■ J . !