FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 304, 16 May 1913, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

SENIORS. TUKAPA (5) v. ELTHAM (5). || A surprise was provided at Eltham, where the local fifteen drew with Tukiipa. Play was not of a very high : order, being confirmed to loose, forward ; 1 nwiies in which Eltham predominated, j The hack play nearly took place in the St rut ford camp, and was marred by j faulty handling, and wild passing. Tukapa left the final effort till too late, and what was more telling was the I poor display on the part of their for-1 wards. Contrary to what happened at Waitani last week, no penalty shots at goal came the way of Tukapa. They J had one shot from a mark, which Stohr almost materialised. Eltham scored a , converted try iu. the first half, and Tu-' kapa not very long afterwards followed i suit. These were the only scores.. ' The kick-off saw Eltham in Tukapa's: twenty-five, but they did not remain there long . The • opening stages were responsible for some good line-kicking I on the part of Cade (Tukapa's latest ac-1 quisition). Bullot failing to find the' I line, Eeed, of Eltham, returned well up, but Loveridge marked in the nick of time. W. Whittaker got away nicely from a line-out, but a scrum was the ultimate outcome, The ball came to Brown, who passed to Cade. There a nice opening was spoilt by Cade throwing forward . Straggling play followed, penalties?being frequent. Eltham . were holding their'own, against an admittedly better teanv on .paper, who were nob , treating their opponents with sufficient respect, aria, the inevitable followed, Eltham securing" anunconverted try. It came when Swale essayed a pot at 'goal. The kick just missed, the ball striking the cross-bar, and rebounding under the goal, the forwards bunched, and Marbey scrambled over the line with the ball in his arms. Dive converted. Elthan 5 Tukapa 0 Tukapa w,re now on their mettle, and their backs got going. Prom Brown the ball travelled to Cade, thence to Stohr The latter lost the leather after beatinj three opponi ats, but, recovering it, racee through the opposition and scored. Hi 1 converted hii own try. Tukap.i 5 Eltham 5 Eltham, hiwever, were by no mean: a beaten team, and offered a stout re sistance. Tikapa nearly improved oi their tally when, from the line, the bal ,came to Bra vn, to Cade, to Stohr (whi raced along ,n fine style) and thence t Whittaker, who was promptly floored Shortly afterwards. Stohr attempted ► pot at goal, but it fell short. The blue and-white now instituted attack afte attack, in the shape of short, nipp passing rush % but careless "handling an general lack 1 of finish nullified their e: forts. A force down on the part of E tham preceded the break-up of the oj position attack, Ongley extricating hi side out of the tight* corner with good piece i' footwork. Eltham started off well in the secon half, Osborne and Narbey heading a lonj loose rush up-field, which was just sto] ped in time. Eltham continued to maf it loose, Osborne. especially being pror LnSnt. Ome Tukapa'were in a 'tigl fix, but. Stohr relieved with_ amagti - ficent kick which found the line at ha way. Two minutes later, Eltham wei again on tukapa's line, whffl a scru ensued. Tukapa, as usual, failed i hook the leather, but Pryde (the oppo frig half) as was his wont, ( could n< get the i.all away to his backs. An ther scrum took place, and even a fr< kick did not suffice to relieve mattei lj- AH that Tukapa required was to si their flei;t pack of backs in motion, bi their forward's did not protect them su k, fiiciently. Eventually, however, tin managed, by dint of short rushes, 1 work their way up into their opponent twenty-five, where they tried in va . to score, frequently bungling mattei Eltham broke the siege with a dribblii rush, from which L. Whittaker extrica ed Tukapa. The blues, realising tin 0 { tim« was flying, quickly returned to tl •att*.;k, 1, it Dive (left wing), Alexandi r . (five-eighths), and J. Glentworth (ful ba<k), wjre hard nuts to crack. WLI n ' ten minutes to go, and dusk fast a proaching, it was anybody's game, tl eg scenes shifting swiftly. If anything, E tliam had the bigger say in matter Play, although keen, was most unscient fie, and one missed anything in the sha| of combined play. Neanng the en D Brown marked for Tukapa in the cent; of the field, a short distance inside ha '' way. Stohr took the kick, ami tl crowd 1 eld its breath, but a beautifi ~ effort j» st failed to materialise, and tl game ended in a draw. Mr.'Koch, wi referee. STRATFORD (31) v. CLIFTON 1 (3). The Stratford Seniors surprised eve their most sanguine supporters yeste day, by defeating Clifton by a margin ( 28 points The game was not the wall away affair that the scores suggest, ft the Clifton men were never beaten, bi plugged away every minute to the ca ~ of time. But the Reds were in betti condil.on than the visitors, and dh played a better knowledge of the fim point!) of the game. Their fast followir up and sure tackling were special fei I tures, The scrums were not at a j illuminating, for Dewar, recognising tha the weakest spot in his team was direc ly behind the scrum, held the ball i the scrum, instead of letting it out. Tli Stratford backs passed freely, and wit more accuracy than on the previoi Thursday, and altogether it was man points a better combination than tha which had met Eltham. For the secon match of the season, the football wa rxhilirating. Snappy collaring, smai passing, good line kicks, and some bri lunl, rnns rewarded the couple of hui g dred spectators, who were kept on tli g' ijui vive by the rapid changes of tli <rnm.\ The selectors, Messrs. Mynot and Thomas, were on the touchline. Clifton kicked off, playing with th sun in their faces, and the return gav n line-out at half way . Almost immed ~ ately, Tocker got busy, and the Reds a; • Run,ed the aggressive. From a mark b | Spratt, Boon rushed the ball throug | the Clifton forwards, and passed to Do! son, who was hemmed in, and shot on of touch. Clever work by Crowlo ■ brought relief to the Waitara men, bu • lie was brought down when in daiigerou « proximity to the line. From a serin ' muge, Oliver passed to Brown to Woo< " who was tumbled. From some close foi ward play the active Wood got throng

and passud on to J. Fearon, who scored. I Dobson landed a fine goal. .Stratford 5 Clifton 0 Resuming, the Clifton backs got poi cssion, Waka sprinting and passing to l.'clowitsori, but Brown smothered him. J The Red backs started a passing run, but C. 'fate intercepted, and play settled at inidfield,. Kupe's sprint being cut ■very short. Wood, the home three-quar- [ ter was bustled, but Kivell (full back) j lined in time. Some strenuous play by Bower made a fine opening, but he j kicked too hard for Sullivan, who was I unable to touch down, and Waka returned the ball to play. After a few un- | important exchanges, the Stratford forI wards bunched, and, by dint of good footwork and sensible tackling drove the ( Yellows up against their goal line, but jpn over-zealous forward gave Clifton a free kick, which returned play to centre. i Again Bowen came away on his own, seizing Dewars opening, but Spratt | knocked on at the crucial moment, this player having just received-a nasty kick ,on the ankle. Tocker made a clever .mark. Dobson's kick at goal fell under the bar. This resourceful player was much in evidence for the next few minutes, seeming to appear just when and 'where needed, and picking up and pass- ; ing safely. He had another shot at .goal from an off-side penalty, but the I ball went outside the posts, Clifton forc--1 ing. Olliver, taking a ball "on the . ' run," looked a sure scorer, but C. Tate; • ■ got him, and Clifton kicked behind the ' line. Spratt should have marked his > good catch in front of the posts, but off- ! side play by. Bernsten gave a free kick : J' by'' l which Dobson ptyced. ,ihj;fle : more" " points' ttt'Stratford's credit; t Stratford 8 '■ t Clifton 0 Cain, Hicks, and Bernsten were promin-»'-cnt in a determined Clifton rush to the e Stratford end, but Spratt headed them y off. Goodwin had hardly got into his n stride when Olliver, the home fiveeighths, upended him, and Fearon booted through to Waka, who lined; Sullivan dribbled away from the break-up of the next scrum, but a Clifton back beat him " for the ball. Scrum after scrum fole lowed, the Stratford front-rankers genr-! erally hooking, but the ball hung in the 8 j scrum. A good run by C Tait, and a "strong rush by Bernsten,'put the Strat■e .ford backs in difficulties, but Dobson I was equal to the occasion . There was Ino further score at half-time. Shortly after, a long ground kick slipped .through the Stratford rearguard, and beat Kivell. Other Red backs were no more successful in their attempts to: ii gather in, V. Tate chasing hard, and 01-1 ' liver kicked behind, Stratford forcing. ~ Then Goodwin took a mark near the l j grandstand, and, taking his own kick, had hard luck in seeing a very strong kick going just wide. Stratford forced. „ r His next shot at goal from a mark by ' C. Tate was a poor attempt, and when s Crowley passed just later to C. Tate, his ._ attempt to pot was likewise poor, right the thick of the Red forwards, ' L.'who bunched, and, headed by Dewar, T Bonner and B. Fearon, rushed the ball ' out of danger, an off-side forward spoiling the effort. Cain and Hicks brought , play back, and Howitson had a chance to score, but he kicked too hard, and "' Stratford forced. Then Tocker cut T right through the Clifton men with a diagonal run, just failing to cross the ■ f line. Dobson carried on the game, and lie was felled by Crowley, and the ball lit wont into the field, where Dewar opened up for Brown, who scored a fine try, Dobson converting. to Stratford 13 08 . Clifton 0 iot The most useful man at this stage, io- as far as the Stratford men were congee cerned, was Bonner, who did his own rs. Iwork well and remedied others' misset takes. Then, joining with Dewar and mt Brown, he gave the latter his chance to uf- just as a yellow man collared him on the iey I corner. Dobson's shot went low. f Stratford 16 dn . a**™ : « :rs> The Clifton forwards now livened up, „g but their work lacked finish. One yel-nt-jlow forward clean beat Kivell, and got iat ;away, but he grassed the ball several ;h e yards from the line. Spratt, Dobson, l er .Olliver, Brown and Wood took paTt in ill-, a g° 0(1 passing rush, but Wood was [th thrown out. Play settled in the mouth lp . of the Clifton goal, and in the half ;ne light (the watch started very late) the El- surging mass of jerseys was a speculars. *j ve quantity till the near-by spectators t;. cheered. Stewart had scored. Dobson p e again added the major points. id, Stratford 21 re Clifton 0 [ J lf The Yellows now fought hard for a "* soure, and Hicks, Bernsten, Cain, Birkett, '"' and Elliott charged down on the line, /- Birkett scoring a hard-earned try. as Tate's kick failed. Stratford 21 Clifton 3 j The next few minutes tested' R. en; Wood's dodging qualities, but a straight ;r- j run is his forte. Then came one of the ofjbest pieces of head play of the day. Ik- Bonner, who has more dash than some or;gi*'e him credit for, gathered the ball ut '» and headed upfleld, close to the line. ill Drawing the nearest forwards to him, ;er he passed to Woods (front row) and the is- latter raced for fifty yards ahead of V. C r Tate and scored. Dobson made no inisng take, and the score stood ll l; Stratford 26 "i Clifton 3 at , t . Dewar was working his forwards well ' in now, and ihey were throwing the ball ] ie about like backs. Sullivan just missed j ft a score, an.l Clifton forced. Bonner tinug ished up a tfreat day's work by notching „y another try, and Dobson was again eoual a ' t to the ocexsion. The whistle sounded, 1( 1 with the score as( Stratford 31 rtj Clifion 3 il-1 Stratford's outstanding forwards were n-1 Dewar, Boon, and the Fearons, whilst he Bonner ai d Stewart, the wings, showed he'great for, i. In the backs, Dobson, tt Brown, Olliver. and Tocker did the .lion's share. For Clifton, the old-tim-he ers were the strength of the forward J'« j division, Cain, Bernsten and Hicks doing »•!great work, ably backed up by Eona. !S- The two wings were outplayed. Crow3>' ley played a very solid game at half, ?h and C. -ate and Howitson were vigor-b-'ous three-quarters. Mr. F. Spurdle rof"'[ereed. U£| JUNIORS. £l IVKAPA WIN BY DEFAULT. Elth.im were unable to send a team

to Ne v Plymouth yesterday afternoon,} and sccordingiy Tukapa gained the) match by default. \ ' l. MATCHES AT WAITARA. \ (( Wailara, May 15. | SI >atford High School and Clifton played a draw of 10 points each. Star am. Clifton also drew with six points j each, Clifton scored two tries in the Hst spell, and Star two tries in the , second spell. ] Both games were fairly good exhibitions of Rugby. J; 1 \ SECOND JUNIORS. TECHNICAL COLLEGE V. HIGH SCHOOL. Owing to the term holidays, New Plymouth High School was unable to raise a team, and the match did not eventuate. Technical College indulged in some useful practice. The itovers will.be represented by the following team in their match against Star to-morrow; Stewart, Stohr, Webster, Grant, Thompson, Reid, Crago, Loveridge, Newell, Jennings, Drake, T<usK, Quilllam, Brown, and Ellis, Emery, Leary. THE LEAGUE GAME. " !By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, May 15. The Rugby League has fixed the following date's for the New Zealand team's matches:—Against New South ' Wales, JTuae 7, 9, 31> ; «nd 23. The New Zealffriders mil Visit Brisbane and play

(ueensland-on June 14 and 18.