FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE TEAM SELECTED. 2y Telegraph—Press Association, Wellington, August 29, The following have been selected to a«semble at Wellington to go into training io preparation for the third test on September 17: —Baeks, Kingston, Evans,’ Steel, Ifwersou, Ford, Markham, Algar, Roberts, H. E. Nicholls, M. Nicholls; forwards, Donald, Fogarty, Duncan, McLean, Moffitt, Richardson, Bellis, Turnbull, Fletcher. AWARD OF MEDALS. Auckland, August 29. The medals presented by the New Zealand Rugby Union for the best players in the test match on Saturday were awarded as follow : —Best back, G. Morkel (South Africa); best forward, E. Bellis (New Zealand). WANGANUI DISAPPOINTED. Wanganui, August 29. Considerable disappointment is being expressed locally at the fact that only six reserved seats are kept for the third Rugby test, at Wellington for the Wanganui district. The president of tie local union has wired the authorities at Wellington suggesting that the All Black team play a combined Taranaki and West Coast team a week before the third test. THE MAORI TEAM, Auckland, August 20. The Maori team to play the Springboks at Napier on Saturday is as follows-Full-back, Kuru (Hawke’s Bay) ; three-quarters, Phillips (Hawke's Bay), Barclay (Hawke’s Bay), Barrell (Bay of Plenty) ; five-eighths, Tureia (Bay of Plenty), Peina ‘(Wairoa) ; half. Mills (Poverty Bay) ; rover, Jacobs (Horowhenua) ; forwards, Kororiko (Bay of Plenty), Carroll and Ormoud (Wairoa), One One, Garlick and Tangitu (Bay of Plenty), Grace (Taupo). MOASCAR CUP MATCH. AUCKLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL v. N.P. HIGH SCHOOL. The Auckland Grammar School team will arrive by the Rlmu this morning. Arrangements have been made to accommodate the boys during their stay here at Rahul- and Sarnia House. The New Zealand Rugby Union has decided to play off that North Island final of the Moascar Cup competition at Palmerston North, on Saturday next, the 3rd inst. The match will be between the winners of the St. Patrick’s College-Napier High School, and the New Plymouth High School-Grammar School matches. The Palmerston people have ottered to put up the visiting boys. CLUB MATCHES ABANDONED. The Taranaki Rugby Union has decided, in view of the representative fixtures and the lateness of. the season, to abandon the remaining matches, the results of which would not affect the positions of the various teams.

THE SECOND TEST. CAPTAINS INTERVIEWED. BACK PLAY DISAPPOINTING. ROBERTS IN GREAT FORM. Auckland, August 27. Interviewed after the game/ Mr. Bennett, manager of the South African team, said: — "I prefer to make no comment now, and will wait till after tho third test match." Mr. G. Aitken, captain of the New Zealand team, said: "Tte Springboks made it a tight game, and beat us forward, but among the backs there was little difference. Both backs played a crowding game, keeping among the forwards.” Mr. It. T. Bailey, manager of the New Zealand team, expressed himself as follows■ “They beat us in superiority in following up.” .Mr. A. McDonald, one of the coaches of the New Zealanders, stated that he was disappointed with tho hack play, though Roberts played a magnificent game. Their decided weakness was in the centre, who did not give support when an attack opened.

All critics and Press are of opinion that If the five-eighths had gone in straight and tackled (.heir man it would have broken up (he Africans’ combination before it got going. Tho tackling, with a couple of exceptions, was very weak.

New Zealand was played to a standstill when the final bell went. “The old hands must go if we are to win the astes,” said a former player after the match. 'We must get youth, especially in the forwards.”

CRITICISM OF TEAM. "ROBERTS THE IDOL OF THE CROWD." At full-back Kingston had a tremendous amount of work, and did it very well, l>ui ho made a couple of bad mistakes in the second half, when tho Springboks nearly scored. , Steele’s work was hampered by the closo attention that the Africans paid him. Nevertheless, he executed several pieces of clever individual play. Storey also played below Ms best, form, and suffered, like Steele, through not being fed. Aitken was weak in attacking from the p.enlre, but showed better In defence. Mark Nicholls was another weak spot in the blacks’ attack, though his defence was very round. Badoley’s play was most inefficient. Among the backs, Roberts was the old Roberts, and was the idol of the crowd. He carried a double responsibility, and shone everywhere. The most thrilling moment of ti’e match was when he chased Zeller for thirty yards, and dived from behind, bringing him down by the heels within a few yards of the line. The manager of the New Zealand Army team said it was the finest tackle he had ever seen. All the backs, except Roberts, and perhaps Kingston, played well below international form. Coming to the forwards, Bellis played a magnificent game, and was always on the ball. His work on the line-out and in opening up an attack was very fine. Moffit played a vigorous game, his best Work being shown in scrum, ruck, and tight play. Hughes was of very little use beyond hooking. Duncan played a very hard, useful game. West was one of the best forwards, and was especially useful in open play. Richardson was going well, although not nt his best, till bis eye was injured. Donald was a continuous source of worry to the Springbok halves, and added much to the strength of the forward rushes. Taking the team as a whole, they were played to a standstill, and in the last fifteen minutes had little strength or pace left. SPRINGBOKS’ EFFECTIVE COMBINATION. G. MORKEL’S OUTSTANDING DISPLAY. Of the Springboks, one could say they were all thoroughly at* home in conditions that most nearly approached those of their own country. Tho combination reached the highest standard of the whole toilr, and they had control for the major portion of the game. G. Morkel’s exhibition as full-back has rarely been surpassed during the last two years. He was always cool, ‘ and was the ‘ tt* iU« Sptifit’Mks' tfiWlrt, UJ

tlie line rather than kicking down the field. Zeller was the best of tho thre’e-quarters, and proved himself very dangerous In attack. Clarkson was tho pivot of the combination, afid was ably supported by the otter centre. Sendin. Henry Morkel, on the other wing, was a very sound attacker. Meyer played in excellent concert with Michau in opening up the game. Although brought up from the three-quarter line, Meyer was greatly superior to Badeley and Nicholls. The best Springbok forward was Van Rooyen, but the two Merkels, Ellis, Mostert, Du Plessis, and Scholtz played hard, battling games. NEW ZEALAND FORWARDS HELD. THE BACKS DISAPPOINTING. In his report the Wanganui Chronicle's special reporter wrote: — On the afternoon’s play, South Africa deserved to win, as they held the New Zealand forwards and were superior in the backs. New Eealarifl put a great forward team in the field, but the backs as a combination were a long way below combination standard, and unless there is a great improvement, there would be little prospect of New Zealand winning the deciding test. Neither Badeley, Mark Nicholls, nor Aitken was up to Dominion class. The last-named was very lt was the failure of the inside men that crippled the blacks on the attack. Behind the scrum Roberts played in masterly fashion, and was acclaimed by all as the best back on the Dominion side. The five-eighths handled fairly cleanly, but. they were unsuccessful as a penetrative force, and when they did hand the ball on, Aitken was even worse. Steelo was easily the best thre n -quarter. The erack New Zealand professional runner was always dangerous in the attack, and on several occasions his determined running and speed nearly carried him through. Not much came Storey’s way, and on the whole ho was Bound.

New Zealand had no backs as brilliant as Zeller and Sendin. Both showed great dash and ability to side-step their opponents. Clarkson was good, likewise Michau, the latter playing very game at the base of the scrum. Neither Meyer nor Henry Morkel was prominent.

"Boy” Morkel, Royal Morkel and Van Rooyen were the most prominent of the Rpringboic forwards, but it was a great pack, which saw the fight but to the hitter end. There were several stoppages for Injuries during the game, but play was clean throughout. Tho big crowd was very silent in the last ten minutes of the game, when it was evident South Africa, was holding New Zealand, and that the blacks would not win.

Up to half-way through there was a feeling of great confidence in New Zealand’s ability to win, the general opinion being that the African pack would tire in the latter stages and fade out of the picture. When this did not occur, Roberts was a good enough general to try to win with his backs, but the play of the inside men made that knpossible. Slimmed up, it was an even game. There Is always an element of fluke In a potted goal, but Gerhard Morkel’s winning effort fully deserved success. Indirectly Kingston gavc ; tho Africans the opportunity to get what proved the winning score. The ball was kicked along the ground to the New Zealand full-back, but in trying io run up the field ho slipped and fell full length, and the greens surged round him. Playing desperately, the blacks got tho ball away from the threatened goal, and a hard kick sent it to Gerhard Morkel, who was standing close to the twenty-five flag. He ran in the field for a better position, and then coolly stopped and ’potted. He made a lovely kick. The ball had hit side on, hut it passed midway between the posts and high over the bar. In the latter stages of the frame tho New Zealand backs tried passing tactics, but Aitken threw away a certain score by a rotten pass to Storey, and a moment later missed badly when Nicholls sent the ball to him. ’ "THE BETTER TEAM WON." AUCKLAND STAR’S VIEWS. Commenting on the game, the Auckland Star says; "All impartial critics must admit that on the day the keyer team won. it was essentially it day In all conditions for the South Africans to sl ow their best, and they did it. Their best was almost, out not quite equah-1 cd by the All Blacks’ display, pound for pound, Ln the forwards; the South Africans really outlasted tho New Zealanders, and they timed their effort better. They jumped Into their game early, and put more pace and snap Into their close passing than the AU Blacks' vanguard showed at any time, 'riielr bunch passing frequently had Hie New Zealanders puzzled ■to find the ball, thus giving their serum half a clean opportunity to set his l»acks going. True, it seemed to many that penalties for obstruction and forward handling should often have been imposed and were not, but it is their game, and it came off. In open ruck and loose dribbling play tin* All Blacks were superior, and there was little between tho packs in line-out play -and scrummaging ability. The ono place where South Africa, laid the foundation was among the inside backs. There was a snap and resource about their attacking work that was a stade ahead of the game of the. All Blacks’ five-eighths and centre, who, while sound, lacked the lightning initiative to punch hqles in the defence which has come to be idbked on as the great winning characteristic of Now Zealand international teams. The game, perhaps, lacked tho spectacular stimulant of brilliance, for the teams were too evenly matched for much of *the sparkle that comes from crumpled attack and -unchecked dash-

avvays. Summing up, the chief faults of New Zealand were the failure of tho five-eighths and centre three-quarter to produce the brilliancy expected of them, and a decided inferiority among the forwards in the matter

of following up. They may have been playing to infrti'iU'tions in the latter point, but they did not last appreciably better than ti’e African forwards, whose following* up was brilliant and effective.”

"SOCCER” NOTES. (Contributed.) New Plymouth travelled to Hawera on Saturday to meet the local team, and suffered defeat by 4 goals to 1. The game was a very fast and even one, but Hawera bad better luck in front of the goal. Really one goal difference was about all they were entitled to, and seeing that New Plymouth had to travel one i/nan short, it seems the two clubs are at about equal strength. Marshall scored the goal for New Plymouth, and Mr. Dawson, who travelled with the team, donned the colors for the first time in twelve years and filled the vacant gap in tho- ranks.

Auckland are expected in New Plymouth next Saturday to play a representative game against the province, but seeing that it is a race day here, it has been suggested to divert the tour to one of the other towns, and the club is now awaiting their decision.

Opportunity was made of the visit to Hawera to get the delegates together and resuscitate the old Taranaki Football Association, so as to be in readiness to make the game go with a swing when next season opens.

Also a team was picked to represent Taranaki next Saturday, consisting of the following men, five of whom are from Hawera, two from Stratford, and four from New Plymouth: Goal, Johnson (New Plymouth) ; backs, W. Shepherd (New Plymouth), Barker (Hawera) ; halves. Pouch (Hawera), Humphries (Stratford), Nichol (Hawera) ; forwards. Freakley (Hawera), Brown (Hawera), Shepherd (New Plymouth). Fitzgerald (New Plymouth), Baird (Stratford). Emergencies: Jones (right wing), Marshall (left wing), Lawrence (back), Pickering (goal).

Notification will be given later on where the match is to take place and any further particular!