FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

~ ' CANTERBURY v. TARANAKI. TO-MORROW’S MATCH. •Considerable interest is being taken in the meeting of Canterbury and Taranaki at Hawera to-morrow, and given fine weather there should he a large attendance to witness the meeting of the team that beat the Springboks and the team that the Springboks could not beat. Each province will be represented by its strongest combination. Taranaki has not been beaten this season, and has never yet heen defeated by Canterbury. Taranaki will be desirous of upholding both these records, whereas the south- ( erners, fresh from tbeir victory against the Springboks, will be equally anxious to lower | Taranaki's colors. The Taranaki team, including the emergen-1 cies, are asked to assemble at 11 o'clock to- . ’ morrow morning at Gormley’s Hotel, Hawera. THE FIRST TEST. ] THE DEMAND FOB SEATS. By Telegraph.—Press AssociatiOu. Dunedin, August 1. Ten shillings is being charged for seats in the grandstand at the first test football match. About 1000 were sold soon after the plan was opened this morning A hundred people were on the spot from 8 o'clock last night, and were joined by a hundred more before daybreak. THE THIRD TEST; LIKELY TO BE SEPTEMBER 10. It was originally proposed to play the third test match at Wellington on September 3. Then September 17 was suggested, as the Springboks would not be leaving on their return trip until the 19th. We understand that the 17th is not acceptable to the Springboks, who desire the match to be played on September 10. Their wishes are likely to be complied with. COLLEGIATE MATCH. Supporters of the New Plymouth High School will be interested to learn that the colors of the Wanganui Technical College, the team tte Taranaki boys are to meet at New Plymouth on Saturday in connection with the Moascar Cup competition, were lowered by Wanganui Collegiate School on Saturday. Ou the previous occasion the teams met "Tech.” won try a converted try to nil. but on Saturday, after a fast and open game, Collegiate School got their own back, winning by 11 points to six.

The New Plymouth High School team are undergoing special training and coaching in anticipation of next Saturday's game with the Wanganui School, which are considered one of the strongest teams entered for the Moascar Cup.

REFEREES FOR SATURDAY. CENTRAL SECOND GRADE. Midhirst v. Toko, at Stratford A. and P., 1.30 p.m., Mr. Cleaver. Tariki v. Stratford, at Stratford Park, 1.30 p.m., Mr. Tyrerf THIRD GPvADT?. Eltham v. Stratford, at Stratford Park, 3 p.m. Thursday, Mr. Wilson. AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE TEAM, Wellington, August 1. The Australian touring League tenon, en route to Britain and France, Is passing through Wellington in tho Tahiti, and was given a civic reception to-day. The team will play an exhibition game before leaving to-morrow. HOW THE SPRINGBOKS WERE BEATEN. POUNDING FORWARD BATTLE. THE CANTERBURY PACK'S SUPERIORITY. Wired the Wellington Dominion's special correspondent:—

It was in the hardest pounding forward battle seen in Christchurch for many years that the Springboks had it proved to them to-day that huge forwards cannot beat a set of fair-sized, dashing New Zealand forwards, unless ttey have football speed and sidll in addition to their height and weight. .Canterbury’s lighter, but faster and more versatile forwards, won the match, although the winning tries happened to be obtained by wing three-quarters. For a long period in the second spell the Springboks' forwards fought desperately to hurl Canterbury back by slicer weigtt.

The defenders were literally thrown out of the way as the Springboks’ mass of brawn heaved and crashed on and sought to plough through men to its objective; but Canterbury’s dauntless forwards played with rare dash and spirit. They recked not of the catapulting. Scarcely had they touched tbo ground with their shoulders, than they were up and into the fray as vigorously as’ ever. Clouds

of steam rose from the straining, hearing mass of men, and when the mass moved on a few yards the vapour from the breaths and the rain-soaked jerseys of men curled away from the spot it had just left. Then the Canterbury forwards would exercise their knack of breaking up tight play into loose, and there would be either a breakaway by Canterbury or a solid defence to the. Springbok movements from the ruck.

Before tho match there were many people who reckoned that Canterbury was in for a thrashing, and probably lack of confidence in the Canterbury side had as unucn effect as tho weather in keeping thousands of people away from the game. The pack selected for Saturday's match was better than that which beat Otago, even if the members of it had not shown convincing form in the trial games. The president of the Canterbury Rutfby Union (Mr. S. F. Wilson), who had seen the Springboks’ match with Wellington, expressed the opinion that Canterbury’s forwards were better than Wellington's, and if they played a little above themselves they would give the Africans a rare tussle. As they became known, the opinions of Mr. Wilson and other good judges of the game caused some reduction of the pessimistic views of Canterbury’s chances.

The Springbok forwards in z the match averaged 14st. 91b.—within a pound or so of the heaviest eight they can possibly put in the field—and their backs averaged 12st. lib., giving the team an average weight or isat. 6%1b. Canterbury’s seven-merf pack averaged just on 12st. 121 b. The wing-forward weighed 13st„ and the backs averaged list. 81b., giijing the team an average of 12st. 3%1b. o lt was scarcely good policy after rain had ■fallen in the morning to put such a heavy African team in the field. The ground, though not really heavy, and certainly—according to travellers with the Springboks—not as heavy as that on which Taranaki drew with the visitors, became fairly slippery in places as play progressed. A lighter, more active and faster pack would have been of more advantage to the Africans, though it probably would not have overpowered the Canterbury! vanguard even on dry ground.

Canterbury diad a fine set of vimful, tackling forward# and the big backs South Africa were dumped repeatedly as the}’ strove to carry line-outs or to bullock through in tight play. The South Africans were beaten in the open play by the faster, more dashing and anore nippy Canterbury forwards, who hail a greater variety of method. The dribbling rushes of the Canterbury forwards often had tho Springboks’ backs speculating to save. Several times did the Canterbury forwards go close to scoring. Once when three Canterbury forwards were dribbling on to an open goal line, it was only a desperate burst of speed by Strauss thai enabled the latter to get back in time to prevent another apUwt J*? .

j Summed up, the Springboks played a very hard game, but showed want of resourcefulness when the ordinary methods failed, and Christchurch does nor. now consider them a truly great side. One cannot conceive of their having kept anything up their sleeves when they were trying so desperately to retrieve tbe position against Canterbury, and even if they put lighter and faster forwards in the field against New Zealand, they should , not wiu the tests on Saturday's showing. It is unfortunate tl‘at the Canterbury touring , teain will not include many of those who beat , the Springboks, as several good players, and some of those who just failed to get into Saturday’s team, cannot get leave of absence. "A GREAT GAME.” T. B. Pienaar, captain of the South Africans, said: "Ic was a great game; Canterbury deserved to win. They made it hard and fast, and suited themselves to the conditions. I' The only thing we are a bit sore about is that a section of the crowd hooted once for some decision or breach of the rule. That was the first time in New Zealand we have I heard hooting. Still, we recognise it came I only from a. section. All of us wish to conI gratulate Canterbury.” i "The wet ground bad nothing to do with I it," said Mr. H. C. Bennett, manager of the South Africans. "Canterbury wen, and would have won on a gry ground. That’s the best team we’ve met in New Zealand.” THE' FINAL SCENE. The final bell was the signal for the crowd to take possession of the oval. They swarmed over the ground so rapidly fromi all points of the compass that the whole enclo- : sure became a moving mass of humanity. : Shoulder high they elevated first one muddy figure and then another, carrying them In ' triumphal procession to the dressing rooms, : where cheers resounded from all quarters. This was quite the most remarkable scene "■ ever witnessed at Lancaster Park. The oc- 1 casion was worthy of such a demonstration. ■ A TARANAKI RUMOR. Mr. E. Dixon sent the following telegram 1 to tho president of the Rugby Union, New ( Plymouth: "Understand return visit of Spring- 1 boles to Taranaki. Can arrangements he made , to play match at llawera? This would en- < able people of South Taranaki to witness game who could not afford to travel to New Plymouth. If guarantee needed state amount.” Mr. McLeod has replied as follows; "Have ' no knowledge return match. If arranged your representations will receive full consideration.”