FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1922, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAMP TO-DAY’S FIXTURES, SENIOR A> Rawer a v. Patea. at Patea. Stratford v. Okaiawa, at Stratford. Kaponga v. Clifton, at Kaponga. Waimate v. Opunake, at Opunake, SENIOR B. Star v. Old Boys, at Western Park. Okato v. Eltham, at Eltham. Ircgiewood v. Lepperton, at Inglewood, FIXTURES FOR NEXT WEEK. SENIOR A. Tukapa v. Stratford, at Stratford, Hawera v. Opunake, at Opunake. Clifton v. Waimate, at Manala. Patea v. Okaiawa. at Patea. SENlOfc B. Star v. Lepperton. at Lepperton. Old Boys v. El thorn, at New Plymouth. Okato v. Inglewood, at Okato. POSITION OF THE TEAMS. 1 The position of the teams is as follows: Senior A,

REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES PLAYED. V. Wanganui, lost 12 to 9. REPRESENTATIVE FIXTURES ARRANGED. July s—v. Wellington, at Hawera. Aug. s.—v. Wanganui, at New Plymouth. Aug. 10.—v. Manawatu, at Stratford. Aug. 12—v. Auckland, at New Plymouth. Augi 19—v. Welltagton. at Wellington. Aug. 23—v. South Canterbury, at Timaru. Aug. 26—v. Southland, at Invercargill. Aug. 30—v. Otago, at Dunedin. Sept.—2 v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. Sept. 16 —v. Auckland, at Auckland. Home matches hate to be arranged against Wairarapa, and possibly against North. Auckland. CENTRAL DIVISION, FIRST JUNHMI. Playing at Toko on Thursday, the Stratford juniors gained a victory over Toko by 9 to 6 after a hard fought game. Keen interest was taken in the match, the “gate” being? the largest at Toko for some time. The game was ! fast and willing, the scores about showing • the relative strengths of the teacns, although ■ Stratford played for some time with only thirteen men. W. Casey scored two tries for Stratford and E. Nolan one, none being converted. For Toko J. Walter scored a try and J. Sangster kicked a penalty goal, MIDHIRST v. STRATFORD. The Midhirst third grade team to play Stratford on the A. and P. grounds to-day will be selected from the following: J. Blanchard, V Jone., C. Maybead, D. Mayhead. W. Spray. J. Barkin, T. Walker, J. Lash, C. Shorter, W. Songster, A. Reid, D. Wheeler. W. Wheeler, J. Morton, L. Beid, AdUun. H. Mills, D. Fowler. , TEAMS FOR TO-DAY. STAB CLUB. Second Grade v. R&hotu, at Western Park, ■ 3 p. m .—Mather, Hoffmann (2), Smith, Gray (2), Parker, Hoskin. Lovegrove, Lowe, Arden, McMeekan, Shaw, Pollock, Julian; emergenciea, Pearce, H. Hoffmann, Francis, Parker. OLD BOYS’ CLUB. Seniors v. Star, at Sports Ground, 3 p.m.— Valentine, Lemm, Sykes, Bertrand, Wynyard, Little, Sole, Dolle, Smith, Blundell, James, Ladner, McGregor, Boon, Aggieton; emergencies, A. Bayly’, T. Brookes. C. Peach. Third Grade v. Okato. —Wright, Burgees, Falwassar, Stephenson, Corkfll, Newell, Me- . Hardy, Olson, Rawlinson, Moore, Luxton, Allan, Drader, Ellis, Frethey. Fourth Grade v. Tukapa, at Racecourse, 1.15 t D.m. —Taylor, Harris, Thompson, Deacon, Hawker, Wheeler, Hancock, Baraitt, Linn, Kidd, Foot, Rea, Jennings, Bird, B. Hughes; emergencies, Crawshaw and Philpott. NEWS AND NOTES. Particular interest will be evinced In the matches throughout Taranaki to-day, because in addition to the local Interest that may taken in the games, the participators will be working in the Cause of charity. To-day Is Charity Saturday, when the whole of the football "gates” will be devoted to charity purposes. It is hoped, therefore, that fine weather will prevail and enable the public to attend in larger numbers even’than they have been attending. The New Plymouth public have a double bill at Pukekura Park. At 1.30 p.m.. High School will meet Tukapa Juniors. Both teams play a fine, open game, and should put up a good display. This will be followed by the Star v. Old Boys senior match. There l s keen rivalry between these two teams, and a great struggle should result. , In the outside centres, principal interest will I centre in the meeting of Hawera and Patea, at Patea. Both these teams are well in the running. Each possesses good forwards and ha Hrs, and as the result of this match will settle the pretensions of the loser to championship honors. It w‘ll be a keeh fight. At Stratford, the local team Will meet Okaiawa, and judging by Stratford’s showing against Hawera last week, the southerners will need to put their best foot forward If they are to keep in the running for the championship. Clifton and Kaponga meet at Kaponga. Clifton has shown improved form lately, and the Kaponga people can look forward to a big struggle at Opunake, where the local team will fight off with Waimate for the wooden spoon. The other B grade matches are Okato r. Eltham, at Eltham, and Lepperton v. Inglewood, at Inglewood. These seven matches should all attract good crowds and be the means of assisting the cause of charity considerably. ... Mr. A. L. Humphries returned by the mail train last night from Wellington, where he had been to assist in the selection of the North Island team. Congratulations to Hickey (Clifton) and Masters (Stratford), on their inclusion in the North Island team to meet the South Island at Auckland on July 1, and all well-wish-ers will join in expressing the hope that it is but the stepping stone to inclusion in the New Zealand team. The selectors had decided to give some new men a trial, and it is understood that the New Zealand selectors will have power to select the New Zealand team from players outside the Island fifteens. Both Hickey and Masters deserve inclusion. Tho former is a brilliant three-quarter, as those who saw him play in representative fixtures last year will agree, and it is certain that it now only remains ffitb himself to decide

whether he gets away with the New Zealand Jeam to Australia or not. He has only to play up to form to ensure selection, as there Is a dearth of brilliant wing three-quarters this season. Masters is also playing better than ever this season, and should earn ills New Zealand cap. Opunake footballers will be pleased to know that their captain of the early part of tills season is in the North Island team. The teams to represent North and South Taranaki in the match at Stratford next Saturday wIU be selected to-day. Waimate is said to have an acquisition In. a new man named Greaves, who is playing at five-eighths and is highly spoken of. As usual, the Te Aute-Wanganui College matches proved an Irresistible attraction to thousands at the Manawatu Show on Wednesday. Te Aute won both matches. Wanganui's senior team gave, a disappointing dis-, play, their backs showing little combination. One of the five-eighths played a great game. They hare some good forwards, one in particular standing out. Te Aute hacks threw the ball about, showing better •.•ombination; but a lot of their passes went astray, and would have given great opportunities to a nippy set of opposing backs. z Tukapa are to be congratulated on having gone through the first round without a defeat. They are also to be congratulated on coming 4 so ■well out of the motor accident that might so easily have terminated disastrously. The accident to C. Kingston is a loss to Tukapa, Taranaki, and New Zealand, and all will join in wishing the popular and clever full-back a speedy and complete recovery. The first round of the A grade will conclude to-day. Tukapa have a bye, and however to-day's matches result will start the second round three points ahead of their nearest opponent. Tukapa beat Kaponga by a comfortable margin of points last Saturday. Patea were somewhat lucky to beat Waimate, whom they held rather cheaply, apparently, and only won by a point, the margin being the result of two penalty kicks to a converted try. Hawera also just beat Stratford, but Clifton won easily from Opunake. There was therefore little alteration in the position of the leading teams. In the B grade also there was no alteration, Old Boys still lead from Inglewood. “Leaguerite” writes in the New Zealand Free Lance, drawing attention to the names of the players composing the Maori team which has now left for Sydney: Unless you were told or had seen the fellows themselves, it is hard to believe that many of them are of Maori parentage. To put the names down in their order: Tresize, Bevan, Bell, Love, Bannister, Broughton, Gemmell, Jacob. Garlick, Mill, Tapsell, Tate, Blake, Barclay, Phillipa, and Stead. A lot of these fellows are fullblooded Maoris; others are half-castes; but, as "Leaguerite” says, they lead one to believe that there are, .like the original native team of 1888, a few Scotchmen and Irishman, as well as Englishmen., 'n the team. The Wellington senioi competition isln an Interesting position. With eight matches played, those old rivals, Poneke and Petone, are equal at the head of the list, with each six matches won, a loss and a draw, their championship points being thus 13. Univ »r--sity, Berhampore and Marlsts lie next with 10 points. University led in the competitions a couple of Saturdays ago, but ha.’e since fallen from grace with successive defeats by Poneke and Marlsts. The Tukapa-Kaponga game last week gave promise of being closely contested, Kaponga, with the aid of the wind, leading by 6-0 at half-time. On changing over, however, Tukapa soon placed the Issue beyond doubt by rattling on 22 points whilst Kaponga were unable to add to their score. The game was an interesting but not a particularly attract- ; ive one, the stiff souC'riy which blew across the ground mtlitatir against good passing or kicking. Patea, who were weakened by the absence of Cameron, Fred McKenna, Spratt, L. Hunt and Petersen had all they could do to defeat Waimate last week, and just got home by 6 to 5. It was only Southcombe’s Kicks that prevented the plainsmen from recording their first win of the season, the game ending 6-5 in favor of Patea. The wind at Okato last week was so strong that the Okato-Old Boys* match was played in four quarters instead of the usual tw< spells. This arrangement should commen itself to other clubs when matches have t. be played in such windy weather as that experienced last Saturday. The match was won by Old Boys by 14-3. Clifton seem to have got info their Ctrl, again. Last week they handsomely de.v. Opunake by 32 to 6. The game between Inglewood and Star, won by the former by 5 to nil, was a very poor exhibition. The passing was wild and purposeless and th kicking was equally as bad. A little more training 1-tween matches would do neither team any harm. Here is what a Hawke's Bai’ writer says of th© Maori team Mr. Parata has got together to visit Sydney : “Never since 1884 have the natives been so strong in Rugby as they are to-day. The younger fry will see this season individuals similar to the great Poddy Keogh, Davy Gage, the Wynyards, Barlow, Madigan and company, and the illustrious and immortal Tom Ellison.” Fulsome flattery without a doubt, but I think he is pulling the long bow. The team of Maoris includes the best 'of Last year’s combination which fought the Springboks over every inch of ground. J. Blake, W. Barclay and W. Tapsell formed last year’s three-quarter line, Peina was fiveeighth, and Mill was half. Kororlko, Garlick and Tangitu played in the forwards, and Broughton was rover. Jacobs captained the Manawatu-Horowhenua team against the Springboks, and was a meunber of the 1920 New Zealand team in New South Wales. A. Kulra is second five-eighth for Te Aute College, and one of the finest place kickers in New Zealand. Phillipa is a very fast and strong three-quarter from Marlborough, and was in last year’s South Island team. They are the makings of a fine team, but whether they can be placed alongside the famous native team of 1888-89 I have my doubts.

THE ASSOCIATION GAME.

TARANAKI v. AUSTRALIA. The “soccer” match between Australia and Taranaki takes place at New Plymouth nest Wednesday. The ’bus proprietors have promised to delay their departure from New Plymouth until 4.30 p.m. The warehouses are closing, and most of the shops have promised to close for the duration of the match, two o'clock to four o’clock. Programmes of the match are being printed with abbreviated rules on the back. These will be distributed as the people leave the Rugby ground to-morrow, si that Rugby followers will have a good chance of getting some knowledge of the most important points of the game. The names of the Australian players are not yet to hand, but these will be announced, with their numbers, by megaphone on the day of the match.

§ 5C 1 O 42 £ 1 ■S f 5 6 Tukapa ... . 8 8 96 34 16 Hawera 7 5 i • T 76 57 11 Patea .... 7 5 2 — 56 31 10 Okatawa . * i. 2 •— 65 51 10 Kaponga . 7 3 4 52 72 6 Clifton ... 3 4 — 95 53 6 Stratford . 2 5 40 52 4 Opunake .. 7 1 a • 1 35 110 1 Wakoate .. 7 — 7 *— 25 — Senior B Old Boys . 8 7 1 — S3 37 14 Inglewood . 8 5 2 52 29 11 El th am ... S 3 2 3 35 9 Oka to .... 8 2 4 2 18 59 6 s 2 4 2 35 22 Lepperton 8 5 3 .18. 44 3