FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. THE SEASON’S RESULTS. | During the past season Taranaki played nine representative matches, winning three, losing four, and drawing the other two. In al! Taranaki scored 71 points and had 95 points scored against them. Detailed results are as follows: r. Wanganui—Won by 6 points to 3. v. South Auckland—Drawn, 15 points each. v. South Africa—Drawn, no score. v. Wanganui—Won by 9 points to 6. v. Canterbury—Lost, 14 points to 5. v; .Wellington—Lost, 17 points to nil. v. Auckland—Lost, 19 points to 9. v. Otago—Lost, 11 points to 6. v. Auckland—-Won 21 points to 10. B REPRESENTATIVE MATCH. Taranaki B v. Wairoa Sub-Union—Won, 1G points to 0. SATURDAYS REP. MATCH. CLOSE OF THE SEASON. Last Saturday was the close of the football season in Taraxiaki. The Taranaki team has been noted this season more than ever for its in and out playAfter failing to produce anything like true form in the Wellington ana Otago matches, it rose to the occasion against Auckland on Saturday, and gave a great display of offensive and defensive football.

The match has been likened to the display against the Springboks, but it was only similar in its intensity and quickness of change. It was an entirely different style of game, and one that pleased the spectators infinitely more. Saturday the lochl team went out to make the game open and to win, and they succeeded.

A feature of the piay was the magnificent work of the home forwards, who maintained the pressure from start Ko finish, and lasted to the end. The inclusion of West and Fogarty noticeably improved the team, though Fogarty was not quite at home as wing forward. The former played a great game. There i: no doubt that the moral effect of the internationals on the other members o-f the team -was considerable. Kingston, the New Zealand full-backj was in rare form, and his coolness, resourcefulness, and cleverness were a great factor in Taranaki’s ’success. With this trio in the (team throughout the season Taranaki would have been a hard proposition for any other province to meet. Indeed, with training the team might have gone through the season undefeated.

Reverting to the Auckland game, Taranaki forwards played right up to their Springbok form, and were the deciding factor in the game. They continually swept down the field, had the advantage on the line-out, and held their own in the scrums. They appeared to wear down the opposition.

The Taranaki backs were given an opportunity to show their attacking prowess because the fonvards received a share of the ball. Berg got it away smartly. Thei young Stratford half wont down solidly to the forward rushes, and if he continues to improve next year as he lias done this he will’ i fill a long-felt want in the Taranaki ; team. Oliver and Robertson, at five- , eighths, performed well. The former tackled splendidly and made some good openings, whilst his confrere played a heady game. With a little more pace he would be a New Zealand rep. Coutts, who opened as centre threequarter, was patchy, missing the ball or occasions, though it must be admitted that he had some bad passes to take. He was improving when he met with the mishap that caused his retirement. Of the three-quarters, Hickey was easily the best. The Clifton man improved with each match, and on Saturday showed far less indecision than formerly. His two goals were beautiful efforts; he made some great runs, and his tackling was deadly. Hart, who went on the other wing, is another promising player, showing speed and dash, and is a good tackler. With more experience and confidence he should be a valuable addition to the Taranaki

three-quarter line. Hooker, who went ' on as centre when Lusk was injured, i played his usual consistent game. He ■ developed a surprising turn of speed I when he scored. Lusk, at full-back, J played a solid game until he got in- I jured. He plays with consistent bad luclj/ having been injured several times in club and rep. games this season. ' Kingston started as wing three-quar-ter, then centre, and finally at full. I Though good in the other positions, if ; was in his New Zealand position that. I he shone, giving a finished exhibition 01 clever defensive tactics. This was spe- ; cially noticeable when he turned de- : fence into attack, and, running half the ■ length of the field, put in a tricky kick > that culminated in a try being scored Iby Hooker. The Auckland forwards , threw the ball about well, but the local < defence was too sound, and Taranaki’s line, was only crossed twice, once as the result of the prettiest bit of passing of the day, and later from a forward rush. HAWERA CLUB. FUTURE OF THE GAME. Hawera Club, which won the Taranaki championship this season, celebrated the event by holding a smoke concert on Thursday evening. Mr. R. Greenbanks (president) presided, and amongst those present were Mr. J. McLeod (president of the New Zealand Union) and Mr. D. Malone (chairman of the Taranaki Union). Mr. McLeod, in the course of his ■ speech, said they hoped to start next season a fortnight earlier, and to sort . out twenty-five players for rep. honors. - Interest in the game had revived won- ! derfully in Taranaki and the rest of ‘ New Zealand. New Zealand football, he J thought, would be much more closely as- 1 soeiated with the game as played in Australia, British Columbia, France. England and the United States. New 1 Zealand was in the position of having 1 to undertake the missionary effort, and * if they wanted to keep the game going 1 on the amateur basis they must be prepared to spend money to attain that end. The great move now was for an international council, on which all countries would be represented. The, 1 advantages would be obvious. New Zea- < land was the only country which was i playing under two sets of rules, which l of "course, was not in the best interests g of the game. The trouble was that the t power of the different controlling bod- ] fes was very limited. He was looking 9 forward to” the time when one body j m aoatrwl the gane that the one <

sei of rules would be played right throughout the world. The Masters Shield was presented to Mr. West, the captain of the Hawera senior team, by Mr. D. Malone, who drew attention to the unique position of the Hawera Club in having two of its representatives—Fogarty and West —-picked to play in the Ali Black team. Mr. West, in replying, thanked the players of the teams which had competed in the contest for the shield for the sportsmanlike manner in which they had acted. TECHNICAL COLLEGE MATCH. A match will be played tp-day between teams representing the Technical College and the old students. The match has been arranged for at 1.30, on Western Park. The teams are: —Old Students: Jupp, Borden, George, Stephenson, Bishop, Styles, Andrews, Govenlock, Clare, Vercoe, McArtney, Rawlinson, Williams, Bensley. Present Boys: Rumball, O’Byrne, Dickson, Elgar. LovWiWon, Gorney South-

combe Franklyn, Lobb, Frost, Hooper, Smith, Corbett. Emergencies: Julian, Utiger, Barnett.