FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

SATURDAY’S MATCHES. RESULTS OF AUCKLAND GAMES. Grafton beat Ponsonby by 14 points to 10; College Rifles beat Parnell by 38 to nil: Grammar School beat Newton by 29 to nil; Marlst Brothers beat North Shore by 12 to 10. CHRISTCHURCH MATCHES. Merivale beat Old Boys by 14 points to 3; Linwood beat Christchurch by 15 to 3; Albion beat Sydenham by 12 to 8. DUNEDIN RESULTS. Alhambra (30) defeated ’Varsity A (3) ; Pirates defeated Port Chalmers, 6 points to nil; University B defeated Dunedin 13 to 9: Southern defeated Union 9 to 3; Kalkoral defeated Zingari 9 to 4. REFEREES FOR SATURDAY. K NORTHERN DIVISION. SECOND GRADE.

Clifton v. Tukapa, at Waitara, 1.30 p.m.. Mr. E. Andrews; Star v. Old Boys, at Western Park, Mr. F. Hooker. THIRD GRADE. High School A v. Inglewood, at Inglewood, Mr. F. k Webb; High School B v. Oaato, at Okato, Mr. Papps. FOURTH GRADE. High School C v. Lepperton, at Lepperton, Mr. W. Kupe; High School D v. Clifton, at Racecourse No. 2, Mr. L. Goodacre; Star v. Old Boys, at Racecourse No. 3, Mr. L. Andrews; Tukapa v. New Plymouth Technical College, at Western Park, 1.30 p.m., Mr. W. Cleaver. CENTRAL DIVISION. SECOND grade. Stratford v. Midhirst, at A. and P. Grounds, 3 p.m., Mr. Clinkard; Inglewood v. Toko, at Toko, 3 p.m., Mr. V. Harkness; Strathmore v. Tariki, at Tariki, 2 p.m., Mr. T. Wilson. THIRD GRADE. Stratford D.H.S. v. Stratford, at A. and P. Grounds, 1.30 p.m., Mr. Tyrer. FOURTH GRADE. Stratford D.H.S. v. Stratford, at Stmtftad Park, 3 p.m., Mr. Blanchard. THE LEAGUE TEAM. By Telegraph. -Pre*;!? Association Auckland, May 23. In the final selection of the League team for the Australian tour Delgrosso (Auckland) replaces Mitchell (Canterbury) as full back. McClyunont (Auckland) replaces Watt (Canterbury), and N. Bass (Auckland) replaces Grey (Auckland).

TARANAKI SENIOR FOOTBALL. IS IT DETIORATING? (To the Editor.) Sir, —I was a spectator at the CliftonTukapa senior match on Saturday last. Being an old footballer, I was keenly interested Ln seeing a good game. I came away sadly disappointed ; In fact, disgusted. It would not have been considered a good junior game hi pre-war days. Yet I understand Clifton are the leading team in the competition 1 How the mighty have fallen 1 With the season well advanced I expected io see some form and condition shown. Towards the ehd of the first spell Tukapa forwards were scarcely able to get out of a walk. Their opponents were not much better. The sweeping irresistible forward rushes, for which Taranaki senior teams used to be famous, were never seen. The play of the backs was, I think, worse than that of the forwards. The line kicking, especially of Tukapa, was a failure, and this no doubt contributed to unnecessarily tire their forwards. Those kicks in the field are not a bit of use to a side unless the forwards have a reasonable chance of being on hand when the ball drops. Clifton obtained the ball from the scrum with monotonous regularity yet there was not a decent piece of clever passing during the whole game. To start with the "cutting in,” or “run straight" tactics, which are so essential to a game, were completely ignored by the fiveeighths. The result was that if the ball were not thrown at someone’s feet, or over someone’s head, it went straight across the ground, and no advantage was gained. Had Tukapa backs anticipated more they would have given Clifton no end of trouble. The, only feature of the game that appealed to me was the clean manner in which the Clifton hookers shot the ball out of the scrum. Now, Mr. Editor, one thing is obvious to my mind—if Taranaki Is to uphold her reputation on the football field I hold that the material is still there. It wants developing, and the only way to do Lt is by training. In a scattered football district like Taranaki, combined training 1 know is almost out of the question, except at the practice matches. But the individual player can do ever so much if he will only make an effort in his spare time, mornings and evenings, say half an hour a day, skipping, brisk walking, stort quick sprinting all help to get a player in hard condition. It would not inflict any hardship on smokers, especially cigarette smokers, to cut down their tobacco bill to a minimum. I may state that I have seen players this season walking on to the field smoking cigarettes.—l am, etc., OLD STAGER.