FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 61, 1 August 1914, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

ALL 'BLACKS IN AUSTRALIA. RESULTS TO DATE. v. X.S.W., won by 27 to 6. v. Winters Districts, won by 6# to 18. v. Australia, won by 5 to nil. v. Northern Districts, won by 35 to (i. r. Queensland won by 26 to 5. v. Queensland, won by 19 to nil. FIXTURES. August I—Australia, at Brisbane. August s—Olympia Fund matek, at Sydney. August B—New South Wales, at Sydney. August 15—Australia, at Sydney. REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. RESULTS TO .DATE. v. Wanganui, won by 9 t* i. v. Wellington, won by 14 to 'lO. v. Wairoa Sub-Union, won by S to ail (B team). v. Wanganui (Shield match) won bv 17 to 3. v. Manawatu, won by 11 to 3. MATCHES ARRANGED. " August s—v. Horowhenua, at Hawera. August 15—v. "Wairarapa, at Stratford f August Sft—t. Canterbury, at New Plymouth. ; August 22—v. Auckland, at Auckland. August 8(7 —Southland, at New Plymouth. 6eptembeT 3—v. Bay of Plenty. September 17tli—v. Auckland, at New Plymouth. September I®.—v. Wellington, at Stratford. TO-DAY'S MATCHES. Taranaki B v. Auckland 8,, at Auckland. Tukapa v. Inglewoodj, at New Plymouth. Okato v. Stratford, at Okato. NEXT WEEK'S MATCHES. Wednesday, August 5, v. Horowhenuu, Shield match, at Hawera. Thursday, August 6, Statford v. Tukapa. Saturday, August 8, Okato v. Inglewood, at Inglewood. TARANAKI v. HOROWHENUA. j The Horowhenua challenge match for j the Ranfurly Shield will be played at j Hawera on Wednesday next, August 5. The Taranaki team has been selected as j follows.:— ! Full-back, Stohr. Threequarters: Bertram!, Whittiugton. Young.' Five-eighths: S. Cameron. Half: Brown. Wing-forwards: Taylor. Colman. Front row: Hlrciiali, Dewar. .Second row: Robertson, Young (lockK •lack lvissick. ' Back row: Whittington, Patterson. . Emergency. Ryan.

NEWS ANI) .NOTES. To-day, iht: iiual oi' the Cup competitions will take place. Owing to >Star ha\ing forfeited on !Uirce occasions; tlicy arc now out. of the competition, ami Clifton will therefore have, a bye. Ukalo, owing to the absence of one of their men in t,lie B team, may tic unable to make the journey to Stratford, and, if so, will forfeit. The match between Ingiewood and Tukapa should result in a win for the tatter, though Ingiewood always put up a good fight. On Saturday next, the contain will be rung down on the senior cup competition. when Ingiewood and Okato. will plav the deciding mateJu foi the Sole Cup, of which Ingiewood are the present holders.

The junior competition will last a little longer yet, a* Tnkapa and Stratford are now running neck and neck for first place, and will need to play oil' to decide which is to have the honor of endeavouring to prevent the southerners from securing the triple crown. .Shocking weather conditions prevailed on Thursday for the play-oft matches, and besides rendering a brilliant or scientific exposition of lvugby out of tlie question, it considerably .interfered with the attendance. That there was a big interest taken in the match was evidenced by the large attendance for such a wet day, the stand being packed by peopie, who had come from all parts of Taranaki by train, motor waggon and motor car. indeed, the surray of the la Iter outside the gate was an eye-i-pencr and gave an indication of tii - record attei dance that there would have been under line weather conditions. The keenness displayed by the players', too, forecasted a great game on a dry day. On the day the senior match was good one. The better team undoubtedly won, but Clifton might have snatched a victory had they adopted the right tactics. Playing with a -trong wind and a driving rain beating in their opponents' faces, Clifton hj„! the better of the first apeH, but tliey made far too much use of the touch line and attempted to handle the bail too much, and Waimate adopted this practice when they had the wind, and the greasy ball being very elusive to the Clifton (or any other backs) their, lonvards were down 011 the northerners every time, and kept them very busy defending. The game was marred by 100 many infringements. Clifton weri the main offenders in the first spell, but in the second honors were easy in

;il, respect. It, was indeed a narrow victory. Clifton scoring a try and Waimate a penalty goal anil a try from obstruction. It was hard luck to lose by sncb a *;rv as, on the ilav, it was by no means certain the try would have been scored if there, hiid been no obstruction. Clifton hammered away j solidly for a. considerable lime in the J lir>t half and bud hard luck in not j scoring two or three time-:, but then

so fi rid YV'aimate in (be second half, and also once or twice in the lirsl spel ! . when their forwards broke away but spoilt the elVect by trying to pick u.i the bail. It was no day for side-step-ping or any other fancy evolution. A! times a player had difficulty >n keeping his feet, and it was nothing to see half a dozen floundering in the mud at once. Indeed, after a few moments, it was very hard to recognize the individual players. Waimnte forwards played a great game, coming down time and again in a solid body. O. Young, Kvan, anil McC'oek were always prominent. Clifton forward rushes on the other blind were more of the lone hand variety. Hicks, Thomas, Birkett or another [ would come away, but- when they overran the ball, there would lie no support. Taylor, at wing-forward, played a great, game, going down to rushes* and al-

ways being on 'the ball. V. Tate on tile other wing, also p;ayed a solid game. Waimate wingers were not too slow, either. Both Lyns'key and Wells played witli great dash,'though the latter marred his work by getting ofl'-side. Colman, a;t half, played a marvellous game, showing what a wonderfully versatile player he is. Both in attack and defence he was all there.

L. Young, at live-eighths, was solid. Of the three-quarteiis, Daly was tlw pick, though it was no day for speedy three-quarters. King, at full-back, had a lot of work to do. and did most of it well. He was not too sure at taking the hall. Of the Clifton backs, Crowley anil Bertrand were the pick. The forme; had a lot of defensive work to do, tut went down to the rushes like a Briton. Kupe, at live-eighths, played well in the first spell, but could: no',, handle too cleanly in the second spell, and the same applies ito Abbott. It must be borne in mind that they were *«ot given much time in the latter half. Bertrand played a fine heady game •and kicked with judgment. Goodwin not a day suited to his electric dashes, was prominent at times, but it was C. Tate, at full back, had a lot to da. •■nd got out' of some awkward corners alftcr failing at the first attempt. Clifton arc making a trip to Auckland by Tuesday night's boat to plav the Auckland cup winners next Saturday. The Auckland championship may be decided to-day, wjieu City- and University play off a tie. The B team to play Auckland B today is a much stronger combination than that 1 which were defeated by th; northerners at New Plymouth last year by 9 points Ito 3. The seventeen that journeyed by the mail train yesterday to Auckland oniyi contained three of leist year's fifteen, viz., George, Wells and Rowlands. Forward, it is a goo;! team, but the backs are weak in places. The Auckland team contain eight of last year's fifteen. If the City-Univer-sity final is played, it will be probably weakened by the absence of eight members of those teamsi.

As Horowhenua have finally decided to play on a Wednesday, the next Shield maeh will eventuate at Hawera on Wednesday, itorowhenua defeated Manawatu by 17 points to 3, so that our fifteen will hlave to play much better than they did against Manawatu recently if they don't want the Shield to go into retirement at Levin. If the 'local team plays up to form Horowhenua should not have a look in. It is a fallacy for a team to take the field with the idea thiat they have a "soft thing" on, as such a team is almost foredoomed to defeat. "Go out to win from the start," should be the motto. The following week will see what may be regarded as the first serious challenge, when Wairarapa will meet Taranaki o,t Stratford. Taranaki has two defeats to avenge agaiint the green jerseye.

The New Zealanders meet the Australians at Brisbane to-day in the second test, and in face of the close struggle in the first tost, the results will be awaited with interest. New JOcaliand should win. as their players will be acclimatised by now. , Brisbane seems to suit them, as they hare played two fine games there, and secured victories. Lynch has ihad quite a beanfeast, notching six tries in two matched. R, Roberts has scored one in each match at Brisbane. "Dick" is passing well now, and should be of greater value to Taranaki when he returns. It is pleasing to chronicle that Loveridge has recovered from the injury received in the fiist match and is again able to take the field.