FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 172, 7 December 1912, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

ASSOCIATION. Under date October 17 a London correspondent writes: Sheffield Wednesday had not been defeated in a League match this season prior to last Saturday. The visit to Aston Villa, however, proved fatal, and provided the home side with a win which will take some beating. A crowd of 30,000 saw the Villa sharpshooters pile up a score of 10 goals to nil. The visitors attack was below par, owing to two regular forwards being away, but there was nothing wrong with the defence. It just happened that the home forwards were in grand form, and everything came off. Hampton got half the goals, which is a fine record in itself, though he scored four times for the English League against the Irish League at Liverpool last October. The, Villa once scored 12 goals to Accrington's 2 in a League match in 1802, and other notable victories of the club were trained by 0-0 against Harwell in 1893 ami Glossop in 1800. Manchester is now the only unbeaten team in the First League, and a record of 11 points out of a possible 12 is indeed a good one.

| Hull City and Clapton Orient are doing best in the second division and tho.se old rivals, Queen's Park' Rangers and Swindon, are. once more having a, big struggle for premier place.in the Southern League. ' Important changes have taken place in the, Scottish League, the,defeat of Grcenock Morton by Celtic, thanks to a goal by Quinn, having enabled 'Glasgow Rangers to take pride of place. Celtic appears to have "come hack," for the team easily vanquished Clyde in the semi-final of the Glasgow Cup, Quinn again showing fine form.

RUGBY. The narrow victory of"the South Africans ovpi; Devon at Extcr lias, led many critics to put the present team on a lower standard than the previous combination. It is much too early in the tour to come to a satisfactory "opinion, however, as the men cannot''be expected to show their best form yet. One also has doubts as to whether we have seen Hie best fifteen out yet, and it will be well "to aw tit the internationals. This much is certain, that the South Africans team will not'have such an easy tour as the last, for the good reason that Rugby has greatly improved in' recent years, thanks'to the visits of-the New Zealanders and South Africans^

The Springboks were entertained to a dinner following the match with Devon, arid lots of nice*'/.hings were said. The host was- Mr 'IT. E. Duke, K.C., who pointed out that the 'Visit'of the South Africans struck a great deal deeper than any consideration of sport; The team comprised all complexions in politics and both great races, which augured well for South Africa and the Empire. In his reply,- Billy Millar, the South Africnn captain,: said 'that: they- had found that to-meet. the Englishmen at home was to mettt the finest gentlemen in the world. We iilso expressed ;thc hope that if they had (o jive up the springbok's head on a silver shield (which is to go to their .first conquerors) he hoped it would be to England. -,.-,.. Five new-, men plaved for the South Africans yesterday against Cornwall, and the forward display-was! the, -best we have vet. been/ The home side, wore a man short during the second half, and with anotheri play-.'r injured,, the scored t'hree, trios in a- -few-minutes.- Cornwall then rallied, and did fairly well to only lose -by 5 tries to 2 penalty goals.