FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 July 1922, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME. POSITION OF THE TEAMS. The position of the teams is as follows:

REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES PLAYED. v. Wanganui, lost 12 to 9. v. Wellington, lost 13 to 3. B TEAM. v. Wanganui, won 18 to 13. REPRESENTATIVE FIXTURES ARRANGED. Aug s.—v. Wanganui, at New Plymouth. Aug. 10.—v. at Stratford. Aug. 12—v. Auckland, at New Plymouth. Aug. 19—v. Wellington, 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 have to be arranged against Wairarapa, and possibly against North Auckland.

TO-DAY’S MATCHES. WANGANUI COLLEGE v. N.P. HIGH SCHOOL. Considerable Interest is being displayed fn the school and college matches, which take place at Hawera this afternoon. The meeting of Wdnganui College and New Plymouth High School is regarded as one of the annual fixtures in South Taranaki, where the boys are always accorded a splendid reception by the public, who appreciate the fine play of the boys. High School have been playing in first junior football this year, and so far have only once been defeated. They should therefore prove worthy opponents of their doughty rivals. The New Plymouth team comprises the same back division that played Wanganui last year, anC. should more than hold its own. The Wanganui forwards gave a very impressive display against Te Aute, and their backs were also good.

A CURTAIN-RAISER. As a curtain-raiser, a. primary schools’ match will be played between the representatives of North and South Taranaki. The lads take keenly to the game, and play good football, and the union, recognising that they will be the footballers of the future, ire deservedly encouraging them on the right lines. The schools* match will start at 1 p.m., and the college match at 2.15 p.m. to enable the teams to catch the evening trains home.

THE FIXTURES. ACTION OF THE RUGBY UNION. As anticipated, the special meeting of delegates on Thursday night decided that the second round of Senior A grade fixtures should be carried right through, instead of being curtailed as decided upon by the management committee. In past years southern clubs have experienced difficulty in getting their teams together after the middle of August ewing to the call of dairying, but no doubt the clubs that voted for the continuance have considered the matter in all its aspects, and can see their way dear to fulfil their engagements, though it will be early in September before the final matches are played.

THE REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS. Again Taranaki has been defeated by Wellington. The match on Wednesday was a hard fought one, and there was on the day very little to choose between the teams, though the score showed a ten points margin. The bulk of that unargin was the result of good goal kicking and had Taranaki’s goal Kicking been equally as good the margin might have been the other way about. Wellington had difficulty in securng a team to make the trip, and the fifteen that did get away was far below the cily union’s strength. Taranaki therefore will have to show considerable improvemeut if the province is to make a respectable showing in the South Island next month. Forward the Taranaki team was alright, but the backs were, frankly, disappointing. Individually there were same good backs, but there was a lack of cohesion in attack. Seldom did the ball get out to the wings, and when it did the wingers were crowded on to the line, and had no room to operate. Wrflington backs, on the other hand, threw the leather about very cheerfully, and at times, it appeared, haphazardly, but there was generally some one handy. The local backs were sound in defence, but to win matches they must learn to attack as a team. There are some dangerous scoring three-quarters in the province, but they must be made use of.

Forward the teaun is a great one, every man doing his share in great style. It is a long time since Taranaki possessed a scrum that packed so well. Masters at lock holding it well. They also secured the ball in the first spell, givng their backs every chance to get going, but the best use was not made of their opportunities.. In the loose they were too good for the opposition, and set up some great rushes; indeed, their work all round please greatly. Of a great pack West was perhaps the greatest, but he was well supported by all. Masters and Hunt were prominent in the loose, whilst Fogartv did great work in the light. Campbell and Hammersdey did fine work in the front row, getting their share of the ball. McCullough also justified his position.

Malone, on the wing, stood out. playing the best game of his life. Always on the ball, never missing a ball, and above all. keeping on side, he was invaluable to his tefcm. Atkins, at half, defended well, and got the ball out better than usual, but his passes were too slow, and gave the fiveeighths no chance of operating. Coutts, at first five-eighths, did a lot of good defensive work. He sustained a bad knock early in the game in checking a forward rush. He did not open the game up sufficiently, being too inclined to run into the rush. Johnson, second five-eighths, came through his first match very well, though one is inclined to be dubious as to how he would fare behind a beaten pack. The try he scored Svas a beauty. He gave the ball nicely to Vaughan, and showed great resourcefulness in coming round to take it again Roberts, centre three-quarter, dewhere tome one

was to be stopped, but he seldom thought of the wings, both of whom are speedy and dangerous in attack.

Of the pair Vaughan was easily the best-, showing great dash on the few occasions he got a chance, and he also had a hand in the try, letting the ball out smartly. His defence was good. Hickey had a day off; no one would have suspected he was a New Zealand rep. His defence was weak, and his attack equally so. Possibly he was feeling the effects of the heavy match on Saturday and the tiring Mia in Trunk journey. Robertson, full, filled the bill very .well. Though not up to the Kingston standard, he did all that was asked of him. The B team, in contrast to the A team, did try to open the gaune out, and threw the ball out considerably, but the handling was faulty and the defence not nearly as sound as it should have been. Berg was weak in defence, whilst R. Oliver, generally a solid player, did a lot of good work in the second spell. Bell, full-back, was hardly up to the requirements of the position. He was obviously nervous, and the remaks of the crowd would not tend to restore his equa-

The forwards imposed a lot of dash into their work, all playing well. Birchall, Crompton, Spratt and Soffe were the best. Taylor did not go down to it. Greaves, second five-eighths, was solid, and got the ball away nicely, though he w'as often on the ground. He should make a likely half. Hooker, centre three-quarter, played a sound game. Wilkinson was the pick of the wings, scoring a couple of fine tries. Ennis could not handle the ball early in the game, as rover was always on the ball, showing great foot work. Taranaki’s goal kicking was appalling. Of twenty one shots, mostly in handy positions, not one materialised into points. Some went fairly close; the bar being struck in one case, the post in another, but it was not Taranaki’s lucky day.

- ■*' ■ NEWS AND NOTES. Footballers throughout Taranaki on Saturday suffered their first really wet day this season. There have been other occasions when it has rained in some districts, while in others fine weather prevailed, but on Saturday the bad weather was general. All the matches were proceeded with, and it is pleasing to note that though in some cases only weak teauns were available, every dub filled its engagement. The grounds quickly got churned up. and with the heavy ball and heavy going it was imposible for anything like good football to be shown, and the fact that the difference between the teams throughout was very little indicates that there is very little wrong with the defensive play throughout Taranaki. The result of the matches made very little difference in the positions of the teams, save that Okaiawa’s defeat of Patea robs the southernmost team of any chance of achieving championship honors. Patea, however, must be congratulated on the wonderful recovers* made since last year.

Principal interest centred in the TukapaHawera match, as after the fine exhibition at New Plymouth in the first round a display of brilliant football was anticipated. As it was, it developed into a struggle between the forwards, in which Hawera had the better of it, though the lighter Tukapa pack stood up. to them well in the earlier stages. Both teams tried to use their backs, but the movements were rendered exceedingly difficult by the state of the ground and the ball, and they generally broke down, though the only try of the match was scored by the speedy Wilkinson at the end of a passing bout. The defence on both sides was splendid, Tukapa particularly excelling in this department, especially during the last twenty minutes, when Hawera had them hard pressed. As fast as a man got the ball he was upended. All the Hawera pack played well. Indeed, it is questionable if a finer club pack could be found in the Dominion. Of the backs, Paterson impressed most, doing an iuTimense amount of work. The threequarter line was sound, especialy in defence. Anderson was safe at full-back. Of the Tukapa pack none played better than Allen, though all the forwards did their share. Brown was very erratic in his passing, the opposing forwards giving no chances. Hooker and Oliver were sound in defence, as were the rest of the backs. Hart was handicapped from a kick received early in the game, but tackled gamely and made one or two nice runs. Loveridge, at fullback, gave a very satisfactory account of himself. Patea were defeated by Okaiawa by 0 points to nil after a close game. Okaiawa’s attack has been strengthened by the inclusion of Rye, the ex-Opunake wing threequarter.

Stratford took a weak team to Opunake, only one senior making the trip, and met a weak Opunake team, with whom they drew. So far Waimate have not won a unatch, but on two occasions they have been very close to it. Patea only beat them by one point, and on Saturday Clifton did likewise. The plainsmen are improving. In the B grade Old Boys maintained their lead by defeating Eltham by the narrow margin of three points, whilst Inglewood defeated the coastal team by the same margin. Lepperton are ’an improving team, and in the last two or three .matches have been narrowly defeated. They should show up in the third round, which is about to open. Congratulations to H. Masters (Stratford) and P. Hickey (Clifton) on their inclusion in the New Zealand team. They had only to play up to form on Saturday to make their inclusion certain, and they evidently did. /tent are young yet, and should be in the Wuieiight for a number of years, particularly Hickey, who possesses the qualifications that should make him one of the finest threequarters in New Zealand if he pays due attention to training and keeping in condition. West’s non-inclusioh in the North Island team came as a surprise to many, as the Hawera man is playing in great form at present.

THE NORTH-SOUTH MATCH. Commenting on the North-South Island match, the Auckland Stay remarks:— It was a gruelling test for the full-backs, and neither Beil nor Brook came out of the ordeal with exactly the flying colours expected of an international candidate. Bell shone as a tackler and rush-stopper, and his kicking was good, but he lacked the pace and the ability to handle cleanly that were shown by the Wellington man. Brook showed more finesse and certainty of touch in getting possession of the ball, but his man-stopping power is doubtful. Of the wing three-quarters Fitzgerald was the pick on both attack and defence. He had a lot to do. and he showed a touch of brilliancy at times. Hickey was clever and sound throughout. It was not Steele’s day, for the play rarely came his way, and making chances is not his long suit, though his pace, hands and determination, make him a good scoring man. Svenson stood out by himself in the centre of the three-quarter line. He dropped passes at times under excusable conditions, but in both defence and attack he outshone Siddells. Among the five-eighths Fea was the tactician as well as the player of the day. Byrne, a product of Nelson, who lias made his name in the Waikato and King Country, caught the eye next for his finish and nippiness. Mark Nicholls was brilliant in patches, and the impression of the game is that on a dry day he would be matched in cleverness by Byrne and outshone by Fea. Dickinson played a solid game. Both halves played fine games, and though H. Nicholls played well up to reputation, he had very little on Mathieson, who is certainly the better defensive player, as well as a first-class and heady attacking half. The honors of the scrum were fairly well divided, the northern men getting perhaps a little the better of it. Bur in the general forward work it was hard to pick a player ■ who did not play a fine gajme. Bellis was I conspicuous throughout ,by the finish of his I play everywhere, and Brownlee, Cupplc-s ana { Masters were brilliant in the loose, but, outside of Bellis, the man who caught the eye most was Richardson, the big Dunedinite. who I was not only always on the spot. but . handled particularly well. Goodall, Whyte, and Carnegie all showed to advantage right through 1 the game, and the selectors of the New Zea- . land team can scarcely go wrong with such fine candidates to back their judgment, what- ] «v«r choice they make.

THE INTER-ISLAND RECORD. NORTH WON 10 OUT OF 18 GAMES. Of the 18 inter-island matches played, Nortli has won 10 and South seven, one having been drawn. Details are as follow;

THE GAME IN AUSTRALIA. ■& POPULARITY OF THE LEAGUE CODE. A New Plymouth resident, just returned from a visit to Australia, states That League Rugby has a great hold in New South Wales, and that it is very doubtful if the Rugby game will ever command the support of old. Visits like that of the New Zealand team will certainly help Rugby, but not at the expense of the rival code. The fact is that the League game has taken hold of the Sydney people, mostly because it is faster and more attractive than Rugby used to bs. It is not unusual for from 40,000 to 50,000 people to witness an ordinary cup contest, and the interest taken and enthusiasm shown are considerable. The players are professionals, being paid for practises and matches. They are highly trained, as may be expected from the fact that in the season they do practically nothing else but train and play football. Really they are like the gladiators of ancient Rome, providing for the interest and amusement of the multitude, from whom they receive about as much homage, especially from the younger generation. No objection is apparently taken to professionalism, payment of the players being regarded as part of the game.

On the other hand, the Rugby votaries are strictly amateur, as in this country. The Rugby game is not as fast as League, possibly because the players are not trained "to, the minute,” as is the case with the others, and consequently Rugby games command comparatively poor gates. The Maori League players were boomed before they arrived as the team that nearly defeated the Springboks last season. This statement, of course, was entirely wrong, only one or two of the members having taken part in the match, but a good gate was aimed at, and the publicity department of the League Union did not worry itself about, trifles of that nature. They succeeded in drawing the crowd, who, however, were disgusted with the poor showing of the Maoris, who were outclassed in every department of the game. The fact, that they did better subsequently was to be eipected by those with a knowledge of the huge amount of betting indulged in in Sydney. Betting is, indeed, the bane of League football in New South Wales, and may in time bring about its discredit, if not downfall. It can readily be conceived that if men are paid big sums to play football, they can also be paid bigger sums to plaj* "stiff.” It is this possibility that makes the average New Zealander keen on retaining and supporting the amateur Rugby game, and opposing the introduction and development of the League game. The League game itself is very bright, and attractive. The sides are of 13, as against 15 in Rugby, and the aim is to keep the ball in-field and in motion. There are no lineouts nor scrums as the Rugby player understands them. It is largely a back game, the forwards being used mostly to feed the backs, who, trained as they are, are very fast, and accurate and clever in fielding the ball and kicking and passing. As a result they run up large scores, and the issue between evenly matched teams is in doubt right up to the sounding of the final whistle. This keeps the crowd In a. state of excitement, and ensures further good "gates” —and this, to the League authorities, is what chiefly matters. Rugby in Sydney seems to have improved slightly during recent years, and supporters of the old game are looking forward with interest to the coming of the New Zea-iande-rs month. They expect to be able to give them good games, and are not without hope of lowering their colours. The writer’s impression is, however, that our men will be found«far superior to the Welshmen. But for the breakaway to the League code it would have been different. The fact cannot be disguised that the best footballers in the State are to-day playing under League colours, and therefore the New Zealanders will not he meeting them. Nor is there any likelihood of their ever returning to the amateur fold. They are in the game chiefly for the money attached to it, more’s the pity, and the excitement-loving crowd prefer League to Rugby.

THE VICTORIAN GAME. ITS FERM HOLD, Rugby, League or "Soccer” have no place in the football firmament of Victoria. The Victorian game holds absolute sway, and arouses the greatest enthusiasm. In Melbourne everybody seems interested in football—the fair sex as well as the sterner, the sedate business man as well as the irresponsible youth. To obtain a seat in a grandstand at an ordinary cup match you ha ve to attend very early; to secure even standing-up room affording a view of the game is often difficult, so great are the crowds. Fifty thousand is not an unusual attendance. And how the crowds barrack! They grow excited, hurl epitetiis and compliments in unsparing and impartial measure at the players, and quarrel and fight amongst themselves in a manner that is highly diverting to the stranger. They take the game very seriously, more so than the supporters of the rival codes.

The Victorian game is exciting and full of incident. It is, of course, entirely different from Rugby or "Soccer,” though comprising the best features of both games. The field of play is oval in shape and much bigger than a Rugby ground. There are three goal-posts at each end—a central one, and smaller ones on each side, and the aim is to kick goals cr behinds, goals being through the centre posts and behinds through the shorter side posts. There is very little kicking out of touch. When the ball does go out it is thrown in by an umpire over his head. The players are fast, field very accurately, and kick, especially drop-kick, wonderfully well. There is no off-side rule, players being located all over the field, the idea, being for one side to kick in the direction of their own men until they reach striking distance of the posts, when they endeavour to goal. Maries are allowed, and it is an advantage to mark near the posts. A player c*n run with the ball, but he must bounce it every ten yards. The game is divided into four quarters instead of two halves, as in Rugby, and the play is open, fast, and interesting. The sides arc of 18, not 15. as with Rugby. Big scores are regis-tered-bet ween 50 and 70 points being quite

common. The Rugbyite is prejudiced against the Victorian game at first, but soon becomes interested a-ud appreciates the skill shown by the players, many of whom are professionals. South Australia plays the same code, so that the possibilities of inter-colonial matches is considerably restricted. If New Zealand and all the Australian States played tlie same game it would add considerably to the interest in the trials of strength between the countries. As it is, none of the Australian States are purely Rugby, and cannot therefore afford New Zealand, which is almost purely Rugby, a real test of skill in this domain of athletics.

Senior A. s t: ri <r. a S H 3 £ £ S ►4 Q £ Tukapa .. . 9 8 — 99 37 Hawera . . 9 6 1 2 87 43 14 Okatawa . 9 2 — 74 Patea — . 9 5 4 50 36 10 Clifton .. . 9 4 — 106 61 10 Kaponga . . 8 3 :» — 57 Stratford . 9 2 G 1 40 V J Opunake . 9 1 6 2 52 110 Wa unate . 9 — 9 — 30 119 Senior B Old Boys 10 9 1 — 95 33 18 Inglewood 10 7 2 *4 0 Eltham .. 10 .> 3 .Jo 48 11 Star 10 3 r. 2 :j< 53 8 Okato .... 10 2 6 2 21 80 6 Lepperton 10 — — 43 66 3

1897—At Wellington North 16 to 3 1902— At Wellington . South 20 to 14 1903— At Auckland ........ South 12 to 5 1904— At Dunedin ......... Drawn 3 to 3 1905— At Wellington North 26 to 0 1906— At Wellington North 9 to 5 1907— At Christchurch ...... North 12 to 0 1908— At Wellington ....... North 12 to 5 1909— At Wellington South 19 to 11 1910— At Christchurch South 14 to 10 —At Wellington North 19 to 9 1912— At Napier North 12 to 8 1913— At Christchurch ..... South 25 to 0 1914— at Wellington .. South 8 to 0 1919 — Wellington North 28 to 11 1920— At Wellington North 12 to 3 1921— At Christchurch North 28 to 13 1922— At Auckland South 3 to 8