FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1920, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAMJi. MANAWATU BEFEAT TARANAKI. I BY ELEVEN TO SIS/ (By Telegraph.—-Special to News.) Paimerston North; Last Nigh*. Fine weather prevailed for the Manawatu V. Taranaki football match played here today. The contest provided only a fair exhibition. Taranaki were defending the major portion of the game; which was mostly confined to the forward divisions. 'The backs on both Sides were disappointing. Manawatu wore superior in every department. The visitors won the toss and played with a slight wind and the sun in their favor. Malone made a goad opening, but the rush failed. Shortly after McKay set the visitors on the attack, but Leeder cleared, and play went downfleld. Fryday got the ball and commenced/a rush, but the attackers werf penalised, and,from loose play in Taranaki'* 25, Muoro secured and beating the full-back scored a try, which was not converted.

Manawatu f, ' Taranaki 6 Taranaki. made many attempts to force their opponents back, and eventually with good loose work got the Manawatu 25. where the home team were for holding on, and Roberts took the kick, was 'succfetafQl. , ( j Manawatu 3 Taranaki 3 Cameron set the visitors attacking, and for a long time Taranaki held the supremacy: but the attempts by their bfi£ks wore invariably., smothered. ? v »' • After half time, Taranaki continued to attack, but were soon put on the defensive and kept, there for almost the rest of the game. Walsh, Cameron, McKenna, and Spratt shone at "various stages, but the solid cohesion of the Manawatu forwards damped nearly all their attempts, and a good rush by tho Manawatu forwards ended in Itiggs scoring a try, which Brown converted. Manawatu .......... 8 [ Taranaki 3 i Manawatu continued to attack, but McKenna I made a good opening for ike visitors by In- ! terceptlng a pass. He . was lone-handed and ! play, again settled down in Taranakl's 2f>, where Taranaki were penalised for obstruction, I and Swa'inson had a successful shot at goal. Manawatu 11 , Taranaki 3 i There was nd further score.

There was almost an entire absence of passing rushes on both aides. The kicks by Roberts were fine efforts, aiyi with the exception of handling the ball badly on two occasions he played well. Came Ton was the best of the visitors' backs, while Masters shone in the forwards, particularly in line out work. Although the hookers on both sides did their share, the ballNyas invariably hun£ up in the scrums, which became unduly tedious, aud moreover, Taranaki seemed Incapable of throwing In the ball straight on the line outs, this resulting in innumerable scrums. On lhe Manawatu side, Ingham and Leeder stood out among tho backs, each player on more than one occasion by skilful work, turning what might have proved a dangerous attack Uy Taranaki into an offensive moreiuem bj Maoitwatu. / [Taranalti'a second score is omiitted, but evidently Roberts must have landed another goal.) ALL BLACKS AT'HOME. EASILY DEFEAT WELLINGTON. By Telegraph-—Press Assn.—Copyright, Wellington, Last Night. To the tune of 38 poinst to 3 the Wellington Rugby representatives were soundly trounced by the All Black team this afternoon.

The'match was witnessed by between, 9000 and 10,000 people. Beautiful weather prevailed, hut the ground .was In a. very bad state. From a spectucular point of view the match was most disappointing and one-sided. The Wellington team was out-classed altogether as a combination, and did not cross the All Blacks' lino once, their only scora coming from a penalty kicked by M. Nlcholls very early in tho first spell. On neither side was the tackling brilliant, but in the handling of the ball the All Blacks were manifestly superior to Wellington, and the occasional bursts of passing which they wew' able to put on were well worth witneaainr The All Blacks' fine pack of forwards held the balance in their favor, and on less than half a dozen occasions were Wellington nbln to penetrate tlfe All Blacks' telri'ory for the All Blacks, tries tore" scored to S M ley i> ( , 3) r Is n.» , (2) ' Bellis. Donald Baileley, O'Brien, 'and J. Shearar, the latters t,ry being converted by Jacobs. Bel11a kicked a penalty goal.

SOUTH AUCKLAND MATCH. if B v ... , Hamilton, I,ast Night. .I t, .f y . , ' Auckland beat Nie South Island country touring team by nine points to nil. It was an Interesting same, and the better team won. THE JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. MIDHIRST v. KAPON.GA. Tho following will represent Mldlilrst in their play-off match against Kapotnga. at Eltham, on Saturday, 21st Inst., for the junior championshipA. Osborne, c. Carroll, A. Chard, P. Anderson, Jt. WMker, J. Wright, D. Victors, Roy Vlckers, C. Little, Les. Vlckers, C. Fowler, Len Vickers, C. Murray, L. Shotter, 'i. Wafklns emergencies, V. Carrol, W. Walke*. Cliftan Tiave wired that they are unable to get together a satisfactory team for Saturday and consequently they halve dealared the benefit match- oft that they were to have played with Tukapa.

The challenge match between Tukapa i.nd Star juniors for the Carbine Shield will be played on Saturday. RUGBY'S LOST PRESTIGE. THE GAME IN AUSTRALIA. To a New Zealand Times reporter, Mr. T H. Jones, the manager of the All Blacks, who m r ! Ted back ln Wellln Ston from New South ofthe toil} 1 ' 18 ®" n " >roa ' ® aTe h's impressions

Tho' people in Australia, Mr. Jones said, would liaTe.Aothlng but League football, and would not countenance the Rugby game until drastic alterations to "And the line" rule were made. He was convinced that the only way to save th? game in Australia, and probably in New Zealand, would be to adopt> the most Important amendments under which Rugby was played by the Rugby Union in Auckland. The most debated of all the amendments was the carrying of the "finding tho line" amendment, the effect of which would be to abandon direct kicking into touch, except In a team's own 25. for defensive purposes. That rule, In Mr. Jones' opinion was much the saute as the league rule, except that the penalty wa§ a line-out opposite the spot where the ball, was kicked and not where It fount} touchy thereby helping to keep a distinguishing feature in the Rugby game.

Mr. Jones was most struck by the football played iii schools of New South Wales, particularly by the magnificent JinelUcking, but Utfcle of which had the effect of rfiaking a forward game of every match. Several of *hs teams had very fine back positions. As the public school football was reallj the nursery of present Rugby football in New South Wales, the importance of ikfe immediate introduction of Auckland's finding fho line amendment, was apparent if the game was to go alidad there. It imight seem, judging by the figures, that Rugby had gone for good iu Australia, but that was certainly only a reaction following on the present season's League team. "Vlth <he South African and French tour to follow in 1921 and 1922 respectively, Mr. Jones stated that there was every prospect of the Rugby i girtho regaining its lost prestige, provided | the "finding the line" amendment, was adopted, j