FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 49, 18 July 1914, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

FlXTl'liES IX It TO-DAY. Clittoa t. Rest of Northern Dirwion, at Waitara. NEXT WEEK'S FIXTURIIS, THURSDAY. 'laranaki v. Manawatu (Ranfurly Siiield match), at Recreation Grounds. Also, ai curtain-raiser, Tukapa JunioiV) v. New Plymouth High School. SATURDAY. JULY 8». Clittoa t. Inglowuud, at Inglewood. Okato t. Tukapa, at New Plymouth. Stratford t. Star, at Stratford. ALL BLACKS IN AUSTRALIA. RESULTS TO DATE. v. N.S.W., won by 27 to 6. v. Western Districts, woa b/ »» to ID. FIXTURES. July IS, Australia, at Svda.ey. ■ duly 22-Xorlhern Districts, at Armi- i dale. July eg and 29—Queensland. Au»ußt I—Australia, at Brisban-. August » —Olyinpia Fund match, at Sydney. August S— New South Wales, at Sydney. August IS—Australia, at Sydney. ' ( RRPRESENTATIVE MA'PCHBS. | RESULTS TO DATE. j v. Wanganui, won by 0 ta 8. v. Wellington, won by 14 t» 10. | v. Wairoa won bf 8 to nil j (B team). v. Wanganui (Shield match) won tv | 17 to 8. MATCHES AKRANOKD. July ei—t. Manawatu, at New Plymouth. August i»—t. Ilovowhenua, locale to be arranged. I August IS—v. Wairarapa, at Stratford I August 20—t. Canterbury, at New Plymouth. August S7—Southland, at New Plymouth. September 10.- v. Wclliagton, at Stratford. . September 17.—r. Auckland, at Nbw ] Plymouth. NEWS AND NOTES. Taranaki'.s programme of matches ii growing, and very soon there will not be an available date left, llorowhenua and , Bay of Plenty are the two latest aspir- j ants for the Ranfurly Shield. The i former are aot regarded locally as of sufficient high grade to compete for the blue riband of football. Last year Taranaki intended paying a visit to Horot 1 henna with the T> team, and this year. wee the shield not at stake, the B team I would have been given an outing locally . against them. Uiidoubtidly something! will have to be done to limit the num- j ber of unions that <an ciallenge for tinshield. The New Zealand Rugby Union ' will have to adopt a si heme of grading or classification, and limit the number - t of first-class unions. A • hi could b. ! provided for the smaller i:i co'n- ! pete for, as is done in t' • - cricket I ami hockey, and the ho second | shield could be given ,e riglu to chal- i lenge the holder of the Ranfurly shiell. / Unless something of this nature is done, \ there will be such a plethora of thai- ' lenges from teams—many of whom have not the remotest chape- of securing the trophy—that its possession will not be ' regarded as an unmixed blessing. The Bay of Plenty Union is to a large I extent an unknown quantity, but it con- I tains some good material, and the fact ) 1..,;t its p; esident is Mr. Pa rata, who bas i done s,) iniich for Maori football, and ] who certainly knows a good footballer j ■,v!i( n he se.s one. is sufficient guarantee that it- challenge must be treated with , rc-pect. This, match will probably Oc I played on September 3. j On Tliur.-day next, Taranaki will again ,' be cal'ed upon to defend the Ranfurly j Shield against Manawatu. The hoMe:s -, should have no difficulty in staying oil j the challengers, but. of Tonrse. til foot- | ball one never knows. The Taranaki ' team will be picked early next week, and ,' it is safe to say that nothing will be j left to chance, and that the strongest :

; fifteen available will bo selected, so that ' some degree of combination may be ; achieved before tlie more serious ma'ches : are urn!-.: taken.

What is regarded as the first serious match is that against Wairarapa, at Stratford, on August 13. On the two previous occasions on which these teams have met. the wearer.', e!' the green jersey have d.featcd the amber and blacks. The local fifteen will probable be got together a few days before tlie Wairarapa mutch for training and coaching. | This season an innovation is being iuhodiiiid that in view of the heavy programme of representative niafches. is a wise one. To-day the champions of the Northern division are plaving the best fifteen from the other chilis. No.\t week the Southerners will do likewise. The selectors will be present at cirrh . match, and from these matches the A j and B representatives will be chosen. I These matches will give players a chance of coming before the selectors that they would not get if the A and B teams were picked otherwise. Taranaki has a long I programme to fulfil, extending nearly to J j the end of September, and it is quite probable that thirty or more players will lie required to be kept in training right through the season. Those sc- ' lected in the A reps, will, of course, bs kept in form by the matches each week, but some steps must be taken to keep the next fifteen or so in form, so that va ,;>:'ies can be readily filled. The tr .-- . chosen to represent both the rest of the Xortli and the South contain sri'i'- ••ve.d material that only needs to be given a c.han-'c to make good, ft is said that Kaponga has unearthed a topnotcher in Newton, who is playing wing three-quarter. This is good news, especially in view of Loveridge's disablement.

Auckland would not agree to changing the date of the Taranaki match to August 1 to suit the convenience of Taranaki. and the match will therefore be played at Auckland on August 22. This will very much inconvenience the local team, which will have to leave jy mail train .on Friday morning, after playing a Shield match with Canterbury the previous afternoon. Auckland will be played on the afternoon of the team's arrival in,the northern city, and Taranaki will be reached either on Monday night or Tuesday morning, just prior to the. Southland match on Thursday. Auckland's principal objection to the change of date was on account of its best players being absent in Australia, but the same, of course, applies to Taranaki Three matches in eight days, and a long trip between, is heavy work.

The Clifton Club intend to visit Auck--1 land and play the winners of the club championship there this season if arrangements can be made. The championship final between Clifton-Waimate will be played at Stratford on July 30. Auckland is again having its country week, which proved so successful last season, though no provincial representatives were unearthed. The following unions have so far signified their intention of competing: Manukau, Whangarei, Bay of Islands,. Kokianga and Kaipara. Northern Wairoa, which competed hist years, is, asking for a visit from an Auckland team. Auckland's home matches so far arranged are: August I, v. Taranaki 1! ; August I,">, v. Canterbury; August 12. v.'Taranaki: August 21), v. Southland: Sept. .">, v. Wellington. Provided the weather is fine, the Tukapa v. High .School first junior matea will be played as a curtain-raiser to the Manawatu match on Thursday. W. Cloiin, one of Taranaki'.s memhc's of the original All Blacks, has been in a visit to Rotorua. During his stay in "geyser-land" he interested himself in the- local footballers, and gave them a considerable amount of coaching. The triangular matches between the New Plymouth, I'almerston North, and Napier High Schools take place in New Plymouth this year, and local football enthusiasts can look forward to three fine matches, as the boys play free, open football, with a keen, healthy rivalry for supremacy. Three years' ago the matches were played here, when New Plymouth proved 'the champions. The following year honors went to Palmerston, whilst last year eaeii school won a match and was" bracketed level. Tilt' local High School boys have considerably benefited by their matches in the junior competition this season, so should be very hard to beat. The matches ha xbeen arranged as follows: August 27, Xeu Plymouth v. Palinerston North; Augu-t 29, New Plymouth v, Napier; August 3!. Napier v. Palniorstoii North. The first-named match will probably laplayed as a curtain-raiser to the Southland Ranfurly Shied match.

Two Taranaki representatives figured in the scoring lists in the big centres last Saturday. At Auckland.'Les. Hill scored a trv for College liiiles against Ponsonbv, whilst at Christchureh' L. A. (.'ado sL-ored for Merivale against Old Boys. Both were playing for beaten teams.

The New Zealanders have opened their tour in Australia by compiling what in New Zealand would, in r-any parts, be considered cricket score. Against New South Wales tiny compiled 27 points to 8 against them. The result of this match was very satisfactory, more s,, than even the most sanguine siipporte's of the All Blacks expected. The Welsanieii had been training hard, and the ■latch was played on a hard, dry ground —conditions which tended to make the jame fast, and which suited the Welshmen. No less than twelve out of the fifteen chosen to represent X.S.W. had toured New Zealand previously, and were more or less familiar with the New Zealand methods less, as it proved. On the day's plav. the local team was outclassed*, and" the visitors should go

through without a df«"jit. Loveridio' had hard Itn:!; in rh'kini; his ankle earl* in tin* ami will probably be unable to play auain this ?oasott. This wa-i hard lih-h for tin* Tukapa wimj three-quarter. as in- would haw made (Vekrolt will now have an oppo rtuuity of proving that the selectors <1 i<l wrong in omitting him from tin- original t«';vni. Tiic eoal-kickin<! looks a-* though they had erred in omitting Stohr, One »o:il fH thi' result of nine attempts, ami -onie of tho- 1' in very easy position*, makes hud reading. Tin 1 other meinhf/s of the team from Taranaki a<<jiiitt'd tiiem-elves well. "Mirk*' Cain s*-orin« the tirsi try of the match. K. Roberts phnvd a brilliant game. and fairly dazzled Mie spectators. lie eollld not have been »elii->h. as h' k did not -core 1 wl-ei'i-as his \vin_i;'- 'lid. I Tin- match against A\ esteru DKtiie'-s i wiu playeil on a heavy ground i;i t!i> l wet. anil the vuord score ]>ro\ »• , that the All Pda<-ks are r^nit>* at liome under Midi eomlit ions. | To-dar t!ie fir>i te-t match is beMUi ' played at Sydney. The team is said to he mmh stronger than that which far «d . the New Zeahmdei- last week, bat a<i- ! other will to \ew Zealand -hoiih! re-ult. The average weight of tin* New '/.■•.)- \ html hacks is list S' L .lbs. the hravi-'-d Urin.ii' lAiich. 13st I'db.. and the lightest are l.ovcriilye. >\ [{oberts. and (flJrien. eaejj 1! slli11>', The forward- average i:Ut 71b.. the heaviest heinir Downing and MrXeree. 1M 711... and tin- : Lindsay. 1--I L'lb, In t?• »* New Hnufh 1 Wale; learn the luedo. awia'vd I Nt -V ll . | nieavhvt Mb., ami 1 oib.i. and tlie forwards averaged l"st ' ."ilh. (heaviest I- 1 and litdite'T 1-2-1 lib'. Smith, the burlv Stratford and Tara-

t naki lock, who has not been very well e lately, is now on the mend. He will s not be mailable against Manawatn on Thursday, hut experts to be lit for the s big matches later on. 3 Till; LKAOUE OAIfK. ■' 7i;K TOl'l! I)!' THE FNi.'LMI.iIHN. f . N.-.W ZEALAND LESUI.TS TO DATE. Against Wellington, won by II In ',". NEW ZEALAND ITIXI-UAUV. i" July IS—v. linwko's Bay. 1 July 23—v. Taranaki. at Klthani. July 25 v. Auckland. July :!<-'■ v. Wanganui. j Aug. 1- v. N*e\v Zealand, at Auckland. The English League team, which has ] ju-t toured Australia, where it was • , very successful in delighting hundreds o l ' I thousands with its crisp and spectacular I play, opened its New Zealand tour ill ! Wellington last Saturday. In Australia I the team played ten matches, winning 1 seven, and losing three, scoring '2lO points and having 11!) points scored [against it. By defeating Wellington by 14 points to 7 it added further to its laurels, for the game was played in the mud, which suited the local team, win made up in the matter of physical exertion what they lacked in science, and fully extended the visitors. With a drv ball it is safe to say that the tourists' superiority would have been magnifi ;d by a very large score. Even in the wet —it rained heavily throughout ttie mutch—they put up some great passing rushes. On Thursday the visitors will be seen in action at Eltham against Taranaki. and there is safe to be considerable interest in the visit, so that a few remarks anent the star players by Dr. Thacker. president of the' Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Eugby League, who has just returned from a short visit to Sydney, will be of interest, j Regarding the individual plavers of the Knglish team. Dr. Thacker" waxed l most enthusiastic, describing them as "brilliant champions and a line, decent lot of fellows." They were just like a lot of schoolboys together, the best p' comrades, and manly, both on the field and off. A hotter crowd one would not I wish to meet. Moorhouse. the Englishmen's crack wing three-quarter, hails from Huddersfield, and Dr. Thacker described him as a real champion. But it was over Fred Smith, of Hunslet, the scrum half, that the doctor let himself go. "This player," he said, "is absolutely the greatest scrum half I have ever seen under any code of football. He is just a bundle of tricks, He weighs about 13 stone, stands sft Tin, and can run 100 yards under Usee. He has been a champion Soccer player, a j champion Rugby Union man, and a ] champion sprinter up to 440 yds, anil now : lie is unquestionably the best half-back I playing the League game anywhere in the world. Against Australia in the ..last test he was, at stages of the game, I ' owing to accidents and other causes, ' playing behind only three forwards .' against five, and yet with opponents i swarming all over him grabbing for the ~ ball, he scooped it away from them with j his foot in marvellous fashion, and ; would .break through and snap it lip." I ' "Billy" Hall, also oKHunslet, the stand-off half or live-eighths, was mentioned as another marvellous player, and Dr. Thacker remarked that the Englishmen carried out their manoeuvres by signalling the moves with their 'hands. They never talked, and indicating their intention with their fingers they brought off son - - astonishing coups. Wagstaff, of 1' vslield, the captain, fully imp- doctor as the football genius frequently termed. "He is a im working his men into position," s;-...i Dr. Thacker. "and doing the most daring sprints imaginable. He can take the ball in any position, and has such a beautiful swerve that he has gone fully ten yards before an opponent realises that he has moved. SOTTHEB\>NOTES. "Like father like son'' is an old saying which Taranaki football evidently exemplifies, for during this season's last four school foothill matches in the Waimale district a son of "Dan Hughes" contributed 33 points, and a SOU of "Soot McKay" 17 points out of a | total score of fifi points .against tlie opposing school teams' 3(1 point*. Clifton will play-off wit ; i Waimale for thy cup for senior hono.cs in a coplo <>f weeks time, and (l keen contest should result. Clifton is heller in the forj wards, but W : aimate have a. stronger lxick division. Waimale has a wonder--1 fu! record this 1.-t '25 vc;iiv. datinc from | the flood. Lambie and Hughe,' days