FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 38, 4 July 1914, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

™ TO-DAYS MATCHES. Seniors.—xStrai -1 v. Tukapa, (it New Plymouth . ,<ree, Mr W. Roeh); Okato v. Clifton t Okato (Mr Sncll); Star v. Inglcwo , at Inglewood (Mr Spurdle). NEXT WE, :'S FIXTURES. Juniors.—Strat .1 v. Star, at Stratford; Tukapa v. I. jlewood. at New Plymouth; Clifton v. !igh School, at Waitara. Second Junior v. Stratford, at Stratford; Clift< .. Stratford District High School, at -iratford. SATUR; AY. JULY 11. Seniors.—Star .. Tukapa, (Star :«iatch); Okato . Inglewood. at Okato; Clifton v. Strat i. at Waitara. REPRESENT VIVE MATCHES. RESUI. - TO DATE. ' ▼. Wanganui, • a bv 9 to 8. T. Wellington. ■:ibyl4 to 10. T. Wairoa Su' non. won by 3to nil (B team). v. Wanganui - cid match) won bv 17 to 3. FIXTIJ! ARRANGED. July 23—v. M vatu, at Taranaki. Aug. 1— v. • kland, at Auckland (B team). Aug. 13—v. \V rapa, at Taranaki. Aug. 20— v. I rbury, at Taranaki. Ang. 22—v. A' land."at Auckland. Aug. 27—v. S >l.:nd, at Taranaki. Sept. 10—v. V ngton, at Taranaki. Sept. 17—v. A 'and, at Taranaki. j The last nam--i match will probably Hepend on whe: •• Taranaki still retains the Ranftr Shield.

POSITION- OF THE TEAMS. SENIORS. | 1 "8 ? Z 1 &' 5? c « S -5 "3 £ tu r- j a i, <j <-> j -Clifton 0 o 0 1 67 12 U \ Btratford 6 5 1 0 1W 9 10 j Tukapa 6 3 2 1 51 25 71 Okato 6 3 3 0 24 95 «j Inglewood 6 1 5 0 26 100 £ Star 6 0 0 0 8 42 0 •JUNIOR.?. Tukapa 7 6 1 0 87 20 11 Btratford 7 6 1 0 78 24 12 H. School 7 4 3 0 69 52 8 Clifton 5 2 3 0 31 42 4 Inglewood 5 0 5 0 3 80 0 Star 5 0 5 0 23 73 0

NEWS AND NOTES. After a week'- .-pill, owing to the Bheield match with Wanganui at Hawera last week, the senior fixtures will be resumed to-dry. In the north end, the greatest int ."-t will < litre in the meeting of Stmt ford and Tukapa at Kew Plymouth Given line weather, the match should be well worth seeing. When these tvo teams met at Stratford in the fir.-t round, under wet weather-conditions. Stratford won by the narrow ma;, n of two points. 8 to 6, Should Tukria win ti-iay. Clifton will be assured v inner* of Hie northern division, unless the unexpe :h-l happen-. •pd one of tin teams lower down the list defeats tin vi. Stratford, however, should just about win. At Inglewood Star nu • t the local team. When t!:.-e teams met at New Plymouth in tli ■ tir-t round. Inglewood gained the verdict, by thv >• points to Oil. Star have had their first reverse this season, beinjt defeated by !> points to 3. \Vlun the teams met in the first round, Tukapa won by 1"> points to nil. The position now is that both teams are leading for tlv northern division premiership, and in the event of both winding the next three matches, a play-off will be necessary. How.-v.r, each have yet to meet >Vw Plymouth High School who may upset the pot. To- day Rahotu and Pihania. the two leading teams in the Ka=;ier cup competition, will meat at Rahotu. and a Icecn struggle should be witnessed. The Kasper Cup conip. tition includes players in the district comprised between Puniho and Pihama. Four teams have entered. »nf some pond m;U-h»- have resulted. Unions showing that there :* material that will be of use in seui.v football. The secretary of the competition, in the course of a letter to the Taranaki Rugby Union, modestly remarks: "Taranaki may be obliged to call on their out-back Unions for players to help in the coming struggles, and [ am sure that if one of the selectors were to come out this way and witness a game, he would be well repaid for his trouble by the keenness and sportsmaulike way* in which the game is played.

There is also material that will hare to be considered in the neaT future." This certainly is encouraging. It is a pity, however, that these matches could not be played on some other day than Saturday, say on the weekly half-holi-day, Wednesday, and then the pick of the players would he able to help Opuuake and Okato, who could well do with their assistance, and so have a- chance of appearing directly before the selectors and gaining either" A or B representative honors. One of Rahotu's players reached the I? reps, last year, and it is a pity that he is lost to inter-club games this year, as he showed distinct promise. And others, no doubt, will do likewise, if given the opportunity. A proposal is on foot to form a Western sub-Union, but in view of tlft short life that the previous Western sub-Un-ion had, it will need careful consideration before such a step is taken. Geo. Loveridge and M. Cain journeyed to Wellington last Tuesday to take part in the game against Wellington. Referring to the game, the Dominion a-

marks: One of the outstanding features of the match was the remarkably good work of the New Zealand full-back, J. O'Brien. O'Brien must be accounted one of the best full-backs the country has produced, and if the chance of doing bid deeds goe.i his way. he may earn the reputation of being a hcampion at his work. Loveridge, the young Taranaki tlrce-quartcr fhowed that he is a capable player in good company. He is good all ronr!, and lias little use for every day methods. The Kangaroos, will, in all [irobabi!ity,get a rather small amount of tins lad. It was very noticeable that the Black five-eighths (Taylor and ilVK.'iizie) were outplayed by the Wellington pair (P. J. Ryan and Tiiyard). The White couple would probably beat these two Blacks every time they encountered them, but of course Taylor was playing out of his place, and in any event it seems quite likely that the intention (if any has yet been formed) is to play R. Roberts, of Taranaki, and Black, of Otago, as five-eighths on the tour. Originally, it was generally thought that Roberts would be the chief centre three-quarter. Much interest was displayed in the meeting of E. Roberts and 11. Nunn as rival half-backs, but the day provided little opportunity for satisfactory comparison. Both are really good halves, but the better of the two is Roberts. The Black vanguard is a dashing lot, and Australia will find that our heavy cavalry wiil live up to the big reputation that has been left there by predecessors. No forward stood out as Cain did yesterday, but the pack as a Whole was distinctly good, and moved the Wellington forwards from one end of the field to the other on several occasions, when there was a deficit to wipe off. Nevertheless, they could not obliterate the lead which the city fifteen accumulated towards the finish.

"Lock," in the Dominion, says the "All-Black" selection is atill the chief Rugby topic in the city. The excluded are discussed far more than the chosen. "Where is E. Roberts's name!" Why not Cockroft " "What about Stohr?" These are among the chief queries, and they are queries of a kind which may always arise when a New Zealand team is selected. For one thing opinions differ, and for another difficulties may always crop up whore there arc four selectors. "Lock" reviewed the team in Monday's issue, so there is not a great deal now to be said. The omission of E. Roberts from the combination was not referred to in very decided terms, but not by any means for the reason that the decision of the selectors appeared to the writer as a good one. Taylor has never done anything ou Athletic Park to compare with the best Roberts is capable of, and it is generally known that Roberts was reckoned much the better half-back during the Oalifornian tour. However, the team is strong, and unless Australia puts into the field a better team than they sent us last season,, the silver fern brigade should come home unbeaten." E. Roberts has since been included, owing to the defection of Clem. Green, who cannot make the tour. Taylor, of Taranaki, in the two games at Hawera last week, showed that he has now struck top form, and is unlucky not to get the trip, though it is fortunate for Taranaki that he did not. Colman, an exNew Zealand representative, is playing as well as ever. He is a versatile player, who can play with equal success in any position among the backs, and almost anywhere in the forwards. His year's spell has done him pood, and were the team to he chosen later in the season, he could not be left out.

L. Carey, the popular Okato player, had particularly hard luck last Saturday. Chosen emergency against Wanganui, he was up at 4.30 a.m., and assisted in the work at his farm, extra work being entailed owing to his brother's absence. He left Okato by motor at I 1) a.m., and armed in 11awert about 1 p.m., only to find that the vacancy had been filled by the inclusion of Roberts, of Hawera, the selectors evidently assuming that Carey was not making the trip. George, of Hawera. who was first emergency back, also stood down, and Whittingtcn, who, a fortnight previously

w»3 not chosen in either the A or the B teams, was put in in front of him. Both men who were included showed bv their play that their selection was justffied, but at the same time it was hard on the originally chosen emergencies, ana if this system is adopted there seems little use in choosing extra men. , Okato team to play Clifton at Okato to-day:—K. Andrews, R. Andrews, Oorbett, Eustace, Burrows, Hill, Carey, O'Sullivan (2), Ryan, Hawkins, Julian, Doyle, Aylward, and another. Add Church Services Mr. W. F. Southam, secretary of the Recreation Sports Ground Committee, explained to the Daily. News yesterday that the bungle in connection with the ground for Thursday's football was mo fault of his. The representatives of the Maori teams came to him a day or two before the match, engaged the ground, and paid for it. He had no knowledge of any other fixture, thr Star Club having omitted the courtesy of notifying him that the ground was required. The Star Club, he pointed out, always enquired regarding the ground before definitely fixing a senior match there, but the juniors were not in the habit of doing so. "I am trying to let the ground as often as I can, to earn revenue," he said, "and the hockey and soccer people have a few dates engaged. I would advise the football clubs to pencil their dates if they want iiem." The advice seems sound.