FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1919, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

"ALL BLACK" TEAM. London, May 2,5. The New Zealand footballers sail for South Africa on .June. 7. All the interservice team are included except Taurei and A. Wilson. The. following have been added from the reserve team: Sandman, Lucas. Whikington, Staiiden, Bruce, Naylor, Gilchrist, Ede, Ryan, Koberts, and Henry. THE LEAGUE GAME. NEW ZEALAND v. NEW SOUTH' WALES. By Telegraph—Press Aasn.—Copyright. Received June fi, S.lO p.m. Sydney, June o*. The teams for to-morrow's match are: New Zealand: Back, McCarthy; threequarters, Wikon, Ifwerson, Mitchell, and McGregor; five-eighth, Lang; half. Walsh; forwards, Rukutai, Clarke, Tancred, Walters, Williams;, and Somers. New South Wales: Back, Wall; threequarters, Horder, Conaghen, Norman, and Cubitt; live-eighth, Blair; half. Halloway; forwards, Ryan, Prentice, Schultz, Oxford, Burge, and Latta. Ixmdon, May 25. Despite ;the opposition, some clubs* of the Northern Union Rugby team will tour Australia, and, in all probability, an Australian team will tour England in 'lß2l.—Aus. : N.Z. Cable Assn.

ENCOURAGING "SOCCER," AMONGST SECONDARY SCHOOLS. Wellington, Last Night. A special meeting of the New Zealand Football Association was held to-night to consider the means of fostering the poccer game in the secondary schools of the Dominion. The following resolutions. 1 were carried: (1) That a trophy bo provided for competition between the secondary schools in New Zealand on the lines of the Brown Shield; (2) that the affiliated associations be instructed to bring and main tain pressure on masters of secondary s/ehools, and, if need be, on the governing bodies of secondary schools, to allow scholars at such schools, if they so desire, to play soccerr as a s'chool team, with a v-m- •< the ultimate complete recognition oi' '."iation footboll as a school ga-r- ngside other school games. A trophy was frthcoming at the meeting, and details of the competition will be arranged in due course by the council of) the New Zealand association.

TO-DAY'S FIXTURES. SENIOR. Okato v. Rahotu, at Okato: New Plymouth Old Boys v. Clifton, at Waitara. SECOND JUNIOR. High School A v. Clifton, at New Plymouth; High School B v. Stratford District High School, at Stratford; Old Boys v. Star (Old Boyc match); Lcpperton a bye. NEXT WEEK'S FIXTURES, THURSDAY COMPETITION. FIRST JUNIOR. Midhirst v. Eltham, at Midhirst; Inglewood v. New Plymouth Boys' High School, at Inglewood; Clifton v. Tukapa, at Waitara; Star v. Stratford, at New Plymouth; Technical College a bye. SECOND JUNIORS. Star v. Stratford, at New Plymouth; Eltham v. Inglewood, at Eltham. SATURDAY COMPETITION. SENIORS. Rahotu v. New Plymouth Old Boys, at Rahotu; Star v. Okato, at New Plymouth; Tukapa v. Clifton, at Waitara. SECOND JUNIOR. Lepperton v. Old Boys, at New Plymouth; Star v. High School A (Higtt School match); Clifton v. Stratford District High School, at Stratford; High School B a bye. TO-DAY'S TEAMS. The following is the Old Boys' team which plays Clifton at Waitara:— Full back: Bodwin. Three-quarters: M'Donald, Brokenshire, Little. Fiveeighths: Wynyard, Bayly. Wing-for-ward: Hughes. Forwards: Doilc, Saxton, Burkhart, Kelly, Burithart, Calder, Brokenthire. Emergencies: Grant, Fox, Throstle, Howell, Hamblyn, Le Pine, H. Skelton.

The following has been selected to represent Star Seniors: — Back: W. Lowe. Three-quarters: W. L. Hughes, W. Jacob, S. Skipper. Fiveeighths: E. Loveridge, B. Hartman. Half: M. Skipper. Wing: A. E. Reynolds. Forwards: A. E. Blucher, G. Keoa, A. E. lU.hards, J. Fay, P. Shcppard, H. G. Smith, D. Sutherland. Emergencies: J. Copestake and J. Skipper. \n the event of no match taking place, all senior players; are requested to assemble at the Recreation Grounds at 2.30 p.m. NEWS AND NOTES. At Inglewood on Thursday a Stratford junior team beat Midhirst by 14 points to !>. Playing at Stratford, Clifton beat Toko bv 10 points to S. At Hltham, Stratford second juniors were defeated by Eltham by 17 points to 3 - To-dav (Saturday), at Victoria Park. Stratford, the Stratford D.H S. will meet New Plymouth High School B team. The match commences at 2.30. This season will see representative football in full swing again. As far as Taranaki is: concerned, it has been definitely fixed that Wellington will visit Hawei-a on July 2, and Wanganni also will journey to Hnweva on July 5. Taranaki will return both their visits, probably during the first week in September. Home and home matches will also be plnvcd ogainst Auckland, Taranaki visiting Auckland in August, the return iimfi'h being played at New Plymouth on September 18. Wairarapa is desirous that Taranaki should visit that district, but it is not yet known whether this can be arranged. Wellington is crranging a comprehensive Southern tour as far as Southland.

It is plensing to note the revival of interest being shown this year in the Referees' A-sociatioiu particularly in New Plvmouth. All footballers are pleased to see the old hands W. Roch, O. West, and F. Roberts again taking a

turn with the whistle after doing their bit on a wider field. Another returned soldier who has just joined the referees' ranks is Whitaker. The association could do with a few more members from outside districts. So far, there are only four from outside New Plymoutn, viz., Messrs F. Spurdle (Inglewood), L. H. Andrews) (Okato), Nultal) (Eltham), Cliff Eustace, who arrived home from the war on Thursday night, and, though naturally not (it after nearly two months on a transport, played a' great game, and saved his s.ide repeatedly. There are >™« forwards in the team who show great promise. A new aspirant to senior championship hor,ors is the Rahotu Club. 1). J. O'Neill, the well-known Rover forward, lias this team in hand, so it can be relied upon to give a good account of itself. Competing teams have had the benefit of several trial games, and although the standard of play reached is; hardly as high as one would like, the material available is promising, and before the season is out we shall probably have the satisfaction of seeing a fifteen representing Taranaki little below the standard of past years,'. With men like Roberts, Brown, Stohr, and Loveridge away, this statement might appear a little too optimistic, by(t while Taranaki lacks this quartette their absence means that the positions must go to other men, and thus give the latter the opportunity to make good. There are many who cling to the idea that the veteran player is preferable to the young enthusiast. This does not always hold good, and, to quote an instance, one need not go further back than the last Ranfurly Shield match played at Stratford between Taranaki and Wellington. AVhen the latter made the trip to this province many of the original team were unable to make the journey, so several substitutes were secured, and they played surprisingly well. In fact, their play was too good for our fifteen, and the blacks (Wellington) won the day, the new men in that team—Fisher and Algar in the backs and Dent in the forwards—being equal, if not superior, to their comrades and opponents.

Next month Wellington are to meet Taranaki at Hawera, and we can rest assured that the amber and blacks will put up a big fight. The appearance of both teams (Clifton and Tukapa) last week in the Mynott benefit watch was.' very pleasing, the 30 players being rigged out in brand now "togs," and it is to bo hoped that the conglomeration! of colors usually associated with a team will be a thing of the past. Witnessing the game were "Mick" ITarkness, of Stratford, and "Bunny" Abbott. The latter is coach to Clifton,, and considers; he has the northern champions of 15)19 under his control. He was very anxious to have the game made as open as possible, but, unfortunately, the players were like a clocks—not "much good without oiling—and any passing and Thompson (Stratford). Waitara and Rahotu are nojt represented. Suffely throughout Taranaki there are a number of old players who could take up the whistle, and so relieve the pressure on the present members, some of whom have to take up appointments on both Thursday and Saturday, beside which it would minimise expenses to the club if referees did not have to travel. It is understood that C. Jackson and T. Wilson, of Stratford, are joining. The Manawatu Referees' Association, at its weekly sittings, discusses the rules with players. This undoubtedly has a beneficial effect, and might lie copied by other associations. Mr. A. Bullians, formerly of Wailu and New Plymouth, iy a prominent member of the Manawatu Eeferees' Association. He takes a keen interest in school football, which is in a very flourishing condition in Palmerston North.

By the by, it is not generally known that captains of all senior teams are honorary membery of the Taranaki Referees' Association, and, as such, are entitled to attend the weekly meetings which are held in the secretary's office, every Monday evening. Any players will be welcome at the meeting. The match between Star and Okato last' week was not productive of any brilliant play. • Both teams are very light. Star, who were playing several juniors:, appear to have a very smart set of backs. H. Mann, playing at half, got the ball away well,' and plays a strong game. With a little more practice their backs will be dangerous. Okato has considerable difficulty in raising a fifteen, but, with their wellknown sporting spirit, they have entered a senior team. Most of" their players' are young and lack a knowledge of the finer points of the game, but they can tackle, and a welcome addition to' their team on Saturday was their old captain, rush attempted usually went astray through lack of condition. Clifton has some fine players, the Natives Kiipe and Manu playing fine football. Syd. George has been in the rearguard for many years, and played soundly at full back. He was rather badly winded during the game, and this mishap took a lot of steam out of the nuggety back. McKoy also promises; well with the assistance of a few more games. Fuller, another veteran, was in his element either as a forward or back. Several fine forward rushes were brought off (luring the game, the Cliftbn men showing fine discrimination in not'kicking too hard when Hearing their opponents' goal. The Tukapa forwards as at present constituted are probably the lightest learn that ever attained senior rank. They possess height, but many of them require forcible feeding to get the weight necessary to hold the scrum. As was. 1 natural, they were unable to do much in this direction, but in the line-out play they equalled the winners. In the 'loose rushes they adopted the obsoKiu style of kicking hard and following up, but the "bootins" was too solid, and George usually had plenty of lime to clear. In Loveridge, at half, Tukapa passess a back that should establish a name for himself, proving smart in tackling and good in judgment. Neither of the five-eighths were impressive, but Oliver, at centre, should prove a fine, player with age. He kicks.' well and fields the ball cleanly. Prior, at full back, was very sound, and only mad" one mistake—a rather bad one—missing a "speculator." The remainder of the backs \vcre very ordinary. Six of the Clifton team, with Loveridge (Tukapa) were returned soldiers, while the referee, Mr. W. Roch, is also one of our soldiers' lately returned. K. Clare, front row for Clifton, lost his ristlit arm while away with the Expeditionary Force, but the loss of the limb did not disturb him, as he relished the tight play as well as any one on the field.