FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 27, 22 June 1914, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

\.drill v, SoliT.ll. w i\ A ■.■. ■ ; 'it II IE '-OUXiilauvlißK |- Li tY!,i-; iir.TTl?lt THAN A Ml'D I SCRAMBLE, f: iiv T.'e.-.'raph—Press Assoeiation, t Wellington, L:ut Night. The North v. South Rugby match yesterday ri suited in a win for South by S poinT-' to nd, after what was little bet- . 'cr ti. .:i :■. ;uud scramble. Rain fell dui i ■ng (lie afternoon, accompanied by a ', co.d, biiing southerly wind, and the , gvoui. I was already churne;', up by tii.- j cur i.a iu-raiser between St. Patrick's College ami Victoria University, which , elide.! in a three-point draw. Though . it was the bleakest day on which any Inr.iti b 'nas been ])layed on the A.hleuc Park this season, there was a good attendance of the public. Under such con ■ dition-/, the game was essentially one ■:••[ tactics. Back play, was next to impossible with the greasy bail, heavy slippery ground, ami falling rain. Obviously the game was to kick and follow uu When with the wind. South played that garni! and won. North attempted the passing game, and failed badly. Plav itself was not interesting; It could" hardly be so under the circumstances. Son till .-showed better form forward, and more vigor behind the scrum. North were probably, man for man, hotter, and their combined work such a* there was 1 of it was certainly more atI tractive than anything the South did in that line, but back play on either side never came to much. The game v«s played in four spelks, and the lirst two were even enough, with a slight advantage to South, who got tho ball more in the scrum 1 «uid were enterprising, in the. loose. At the opening of the third spell, South, playing with wind, put in a determined "hush, and in less than five minutes -ran up tlhe only points scored in the liratdh. These were a well deserved try by Taylor, who beat his opponent Black in a race for a wind-driven rebounded ball, and a minute o r two later a line try. by Pyle, who took a chance pas-l and got over in tho corner. ' Graham converted the first, hut Cockcroft had no chance with the second * kick. North rare near enough to scoring in the concluding spell,, but their tactics were faulty. They endeavored to open up the passing game 1 , and every time failed to Tea* the goal line. The following were the teams:—

NORTH. Full back, J. Ryan; three-quarters. Steward, 11. Roberts, Stohr; five-eighths, McKenzie, Wosbon; half, E. Roberts! wing forward, Taylor; forwards, Francis, Cain, Downing, Smith, Cotter, Wilson, Bruce.

SOUTH. Pull back, Scott; three-quarters, Pyle, Cockcroft, Lynch; Ike-eighths, Black. Crawshaw; half, Taylor; wing forward, Murray; forwards; Williams, Lindsay! McNeece, Irvine, lasher, Graham, Langford.

THE PLAY. 'South kicked off with, their backs to the wind, whicli was strong, and North were soon defending. Ryan had twice to save in tlia teeth of a strong forward rush. The second time he 'was only just able to get it to touch on the 25, and in the ensuing scramble fox the bather E. Roberts just managed; to force. North made some progress from the kick-out, but Coekroft, with a brilliant •run, eluded the tacklcrs and made pac; to tho i"). whore the ball went out. It drifted aeross in loose scrambles to the opposite side, and from the throw-in iii.nji Wilson dribbled away to safer territory. From the line 'out, Taylor kicked 'high for tha centre, bat the ball was carried by the wind too far, and Stohr forced.

pressing all the time, and next minute were down again. Another force resulted, and again the South came down, and Jim Ryan's) lino kick was swung back to a bad position in touch. StiU attacking, South were soon awarded a penalty for an opponent (R. Roberts) lying on the ball. • Graham just missed the posts with the kick. North were always on the defensive. After an interval of more even play, Graham had another penalty fjhot at goal, liut the. ball went wiac. Weston opened a North .rushi just as the whistle went for quarter-time. There had been no score, and North now had the wind.

Tha Blacks opened the second' quarter with 11 determined attack, and Scott was penalised for 'hanging on the line witHi the Back forwards over him. SMltr look the kick, and narrowly missed the pcrcts. South came back, and actually crossed the line at midway—somctliing North had not succeeded in doing in their &pel!—against the wind. It was not for long. North weire soon down again, and McKenzie made a good attempt to work through. The wind was exceedingly strong, and Oockroft's kick for the line curved right back to touch behind his initial position. At length the South forwards, who were outplaying their opponents in the loose, broke away with a fino dribbling .rush. Jim Eyan attempted to pot, but failed, aud again the South Islanders came back with a sweeping onslaught, penetrating to the North. 25, where the ball went into touch. After an interval of even play in the North territory, undistinguished by any incident, tihe Blacks again got away.' Then camic the first flasih of back play yet seen. MeKenzie picked up out of the mud and passed to Stewart, who made a good mm and passed in agnin. E Roberts took it and alung out to R. Roberts, wiho feinted and slipped through among half a dozen whites, but eventually slipped and fell in the mud. Oockroit was distinguished in getting the ball away, and with Taylor managed, to reach half way. Jim Ryan returned with a fine- kick to touch, ami SSith (had a tougfl* time of it in the teeth of the most strenuous attack so far. 'j.he upshot was that South held their own throughout the spell, and when the hell ■went for .half time tihere was no «o.re.

Things livened up a great deal on the opening of the third quarter. The Jih.cks made n desultory foray aga'met tlie wind, but did not penetrate Jar. Sout'U wan soon down again, and Ryan had to wake good with, careful line kicks to restore anything like- the balance. At length South opened out anil with a strong null. R. Roberts picked

■up in the face of the attacking forwards, anil attempted,to kick fo r touv'.i. The. bull rebounded from another player, <tiid, swjpl by tlie wind, careered towards the goal line. There was a great race for Hie ball between Taylor, htohr and il'iin Kyan. Taybr, with a brilliant spring finished lirst, and Mid with the ball under liim right to the fence. It 'was a line try, well earned. Graiham, from right in front of the goal, fp.fe.ly piloted the ball between the posts amid the applause of the crowd. South 5 North 0 "Now North will wake things up," said somebody in the crowd, hut it was SoutiU who did it. A vehement forward rush carried the hall right down towards the North line near the corner flag. Pyle took a pass at high speed with one arm, and scored a. fine try. The line umpire Had his flag up, hut this referee overruled him. Ooebroft' took the kick, but could not accomplish what was well nigh an impossibility with an acute angle, greasy ball, and 1 heavy turf. South •■ 8 North 0

The pace now eased up a good deal. North held their own for a dull few minutes. The game degenerated into scrambling in the mud, and South, with the wind and the weight of ■their forwards, arradually worked their way to the North 25. Here there were some brilliant rallies. South had hard lines in not scoring, but the defence was improving. The closing stages of the game were characterised by desperate North attacks, with equally staunch .and determined defence on the part of tins South. Cockcroft displayed fine generalship in his tactics, while North missed their through trying to pass ton much, or kicking too hard. It was a grim struggle in the falling darkness, and North several times Came within an ace of getting over. St >hr had particularly iliard lines in one comer. South were not content with defending all the time, but more than once crossed the midway line, end even reached the North -25. North' made valiant efforts, but it was too late. The fatal bell went, and North were left scoreless, the final result being:

South 8 North ••■■• 0 Mr'J. Francis controlled the game. THH AUSTRALIAN TOUR. THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM SELECTED.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night.

The following tram was selected n:ght for the tour of Australia, leaving Wellington for Sydney on July 3.>— Backs.—Green "(West Coast), Taylor (Canterbury), Weston (Auckland), 'MeKenzic (Auckland), Kack (Otago), It. Roberts (Taranaki), Lynch (Souto Canterbury), O'Brien (Auckland), Loveridgc (Taranaki), .lirn Ryan (Wellington). Forwards.—H. Williams (Otago), Francis (Wellington), Cain (Taranaki), Brueo (Auckland), Irvine (.Southland), Downing (Auckland), Graham (Otago), Kanji Wilson (Wellington), Carroll (South Auckland), McXeccc (Southland), Fisher (BnUer), Murray (Canterbury). Of these, McKenzie. Taylor, R. Roberts, Lunch, L-overidge, Williams, Cain, Bruco, Downing, Graham, and Murray were members of the teanv that towed California last year.

WELLINGTON 0 v. WAIRARAPA 3. WON BY WKLLIN'GTON OX THE CALL OF T1MI& Carterton, Last Night. 'Wiuro.ra.pA i"«t Wellington on Saturday in ft howling southerly, and were dc-feated by ti points to 3. "Wellington won too toss, and defended tilre orn goial, witl'i the wind and Tain behind them. In spite of this, 'Wairarapa forwards more than held their own, and continually pressed. From a long kick from Wellington's 2o to the "Wairarapa 25, a scramble occurred, and Ta.ggart scored under the goal. Tho try was not converted. There was no further score up : to half-time. In the second (Uitff it was [•expected that "Wahvurapa would score vigorously, but the exertion of the first I half had palpably weakened them', and ' though they pressed continuously they could not .score till about half way through, when V. Johnson, from a forward ru»h, fell on the leather, McKenzie failed to goal. \ , airarapa continued pressing, .and Wellington accepted several forces. With a minute to go, Wieliington forwards- broke away and ran the ball to Wairarap&'s 25. A "speculator" across the Held was picked up wonderfully by Faire, who ran in and scored a try, which was uncomverted, and time ■was called. Play throughout w:ih merely a mud sfflramble, and in this department Wuirarapa outclassed their opponents.'

QUEENSLAND BEATS NEW SOUTH WALES. Received 20, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, June 81. The Queensland Rugby team boat New .South Wales by 10 points to .14. AUCKLAND MATCHES. . Auckland, Last Night. I Football matches on Saturday ire'sultcd as follows: City and Ponsouby drew, no fxore; University beat .Marist Brothers, 8 points to nil. THE ASSOCIATION GAME. WELLINGTON MATCHES. I Wellington Last Night. ! Thistle beat Swifts 7 goals to nil; Y.JI.C.A. Uevt Petone J to 1; Rovers heat Brooklyn 4 to 2. The liiomondsWanderers match was not played owing to the wet ground. AUCKLAND MATCHES. Auckland, Last Nigh-t. Thistle beat North Shore o goals to 2; CvrinthiaiisandlCarlto!'! drew 2 all; Evorton beat Y.M.C.A., 2 to nil; AiUiH School beat Brotherhood 2 to 1. THE LEAGUE GAME. ENGLAND UEFKATH QUEENSLAND. THE COLONIES OUTCLASSED. Received 21, '5.5 p,m.. Py Cable—Press Association—Copyright Brisbane, June 23.

England defeated Queensland by 22 poin'fe to 8, after leading at half-time by 14 to (i. Tlie watfher iras fine, and tlie ■attendance was 12,<XK>. The guune throughout was fast and strenuous, and at times ittigh. England'.-) forwards proved too llier.vy, and beat tlhoir opponents both in the, thick and in (tie open. The visiting baxwa, pa.rtU'.utarly WagstaiT and! M'ooreluntfw were brilliant, tat" wore frequently penalised for oiTsduo plav. Queensland forwards played a hard game, while the backs, ttwiah lacking combination, put up a splendid

defensive game. For England, Moore- . house scored two tries ana Wagstdlf, Coldrick, Hall and Roberts, one' each. Thomas converted one, and Longstail'e kicked a. genalty goal. For Queensland |V. Uolewski kicked three penalty goals and H. liolewski one. MATCH AT WELLINGTON. Wellington, Last Night. Only one League mateki wo/j got off, Newtown beating Pctone by 11 points to 5. AUCKLAND ■MATCHES. Auckland, Last Night. Ponsonby beat North Shore 2 points to nil; Newton beat Grafton I<s to 4; City beat Otataihu 5 to 3.