FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1922, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME. TO-DAY’S MATCHES. A Grade. Clifton v. Tukapa, at Waitara. Stratford v. Hawera, at Stratford. Kaponga v. Okaiawa, at Okaiawa. Opunake v. Patea, at Opunake. B Grade. Star v. Old Boya, at Sports Grouna. Okato v. Eltham, at Opunake. Inglewood v. Lepperton, at Lepperton. FINAL JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. • Okaiawa v. N.P. High School, at Hawera, 1.30 pxfli. TO-DAY’S MATCHES. To-day will see a resumption of the cup marches, but with several of the teams minus their test players, who are absent with the representatives, interest in the fixtures has decreased. Tukapa is set down to meet Clifton, and with the leaders weakened by the absence of their backs, the men of the river city may prove too good for them. Okaiawa, who are runners-up, will meet Kaponga <it Okaiawa, and a good game should result. Stratford and Hawera meet at Stratford, and there is sure to be keen rivalry. Patea are booked to journey to Opunake.

In the B grade. Old Boys have a point lead over Inglewood, and consequently the two matches in which these teams are engaged w‘ll excite considerable interest. Old Boys will meet Star at the New Plymouth Sports Ground. At Lepperton, the local club will meet Inglewood. It is understood Okato and Eltham will not play.

Perhaps the best match to witness to-day will be that at Hawera, between Okaiawa and New Plymouth High School, for the final of the Provincial Junior Championship. School play an open, attractive game. Okaiawa are a strong side, their forwards being fast and heavy, whilst their backs good in defence, and an interesting game should result. After the great game School put up last Saturday against the doughty Clifton team, they should have a good chance of bringing the championship to the northern end of the province this TEAMS FOR TO-DAY. TUKAPA CLUB. Tukapa Seniors v. Waitara, at Waitara: Priar, Hooker, Dixon, Walsh, Oliver, Hooker, Cameron, M'Allum, Murphy, Johnson, Davis, M'lntyre, M'Lean, Day, Linn; emergency, Bos-

Tukapa II Juniors v, Tukapa 111 Juniors, ar Racecourse, 1.15 p.m.: S. Donogahue, Short, Harris, Barndon. Kretchmar, M'Lachlan, Dickson, M'Kenna, Dunn, Thompson, Hayter, Hill, Carter, Stagpoole, Evans.

STAR CLUB. Stard Thirds v. Old Boys, at Racecourse, I. p.m. : Bullot, Morris, Russell. Parker, Hoffmann, Loveridge, Smith, Eyre, N. Berge, Francis, Rendell, M'Kenzie, Berge, Stroud, White; emergencies, Murphy, Sturmey. TARANAKI’S TOUR. WELLINGTON MATCH TO-DAY. THE TEAMS SELECTED. (By Wire—Special Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. The weather was fine this morning when the Taranaki team indulged in useful practice at Athletic Park. Rain fell during the afternoon, but to-night the prospects look better, and should there be no further rain the ground should be in fair order. The Taranaki team for to-morrow’s match was picked this evening, as follows: Full-back, Taylor; three-quarters, Ennis, Marks, Wilkinson; five-eighths, Johnson, Coutts; half, Court: forwards, Malone (rover), Harris, Hammerslej - , Fogarty, Hunt, West, Fryday, Allen; emergencies—backs. Stohr and Vaughan; forwards. Brien and McCullough. Masters and Hickey are not available, being emergencies for the New Zealand team; while Birchall and Lynskey have not quite recovered from injulries* x sustained in recent matches. The team to-night were the guests of the Wellington Union at the Opera House. The Wellington team is as follows : Siddells, Malfroy, Mahoney, Jackson, Hogan, Udy, Trapski, Gair, Swain, McHeron, Thomas, McRae, J. Shearer, W. Ryan (captain). Pringle; emergencies—backs, “Doe.” Nicholls and Thomas: forwards, Hopkins and Duncan. PAKEHAS v. MAORIS. DOMINION REPRESENTATIVES TO MEET. Wellington, Last Night. For the first time in the history of Rugby football, a match will be played between teams representative of the Pakehas and the Maoris of the Dominion, at Wellington, to-morrow. In addition, the Wellington representatives play Taranaki, and some junior championships will also he decided. The New Zealand Native team has been selected by Mr. W. T. Parata, as follows: Fullback, Akiura (Te Aute) ; three-quarters, W. Barclay (Hawke’s Bay), J. Blake (Hawke’s Bay), H. Phillips (Marlborough); five-eighths, J. Bell (Southland), P. Potaka (Wanganui) ; half-back, J. Mill (East Coast) ; rover, 11. Jacobs (Horowhenua) ; forwards, F. Tresize (Auckland), T. Bevan (Horowhenua), J. Bannister (West Coast), S. Gemmell (Hawke's Bay), T. Tangitu (Bay of Plenty), J. Garlick (Bay of Plenty);; emergencies. Penia (Wanganui), M. Blake (Hawke’s Bay), M. Love (Wellingtln), Mitau (Bay of Plenty).

The New Zealand team will be selected from the following players : Backs, Bell, Steel, Svenson. Ford, Hickey, Badeley, Dickinson, M. Nicholls, H. E. Nicholls, Mathieson; forwards, Bellis, Calcinai, S. Shearer, Richardson, Brownlee, Cuppies, Whyte, Peterson, Masters, Smyth, Williams.

THE AUCKLAND MATCH. The match between Taranaki and Auckland last Saturday proved somewhat disappointing. Generally when Taranaki meets Auckland It is a case of the local forwards against the visiting backs. On this occasion, however, it was the local backs that threw the ball about on the occasions that the backs did get moving, whilst the Auckland team contented themselves mainly with loose forward rushes, evidently picking early in the game that the Taranaki backs did not relish them. At any rate the l<y?al backs did not go down to them, and it was to this fact that Auckland mainly owe their victory. Victory iniight easily have .gone the other way. A couple of Auckland’s tries were practically gifts, while Taranaki’s two tries were the result of good movements. Taranaki were unlucky from the start. LynGkey, owing to Injury, was unable to take his place behind the scrum, while Court, the young Stratford player, filled the bill, but he Is not /et as solid as the Kaponga man. Then, again, Robertson, who is a gre’t defender, had to retire in the second half, and that made all the difference. Had he remained cn Taranaki would probably have won. Johnston was weak in defence, seldom gbing Gown, whilst his tackling was not up to bis usual standard. Marks, at centre three-quarter, and afterwards at second five-eighths, made some fine openings, but his defence was weak. Hooker, who went on at. centre, chu a let of good work, but at times was apt to crowd his wings. Of the wings E’nnis showed a great turn of speed and quickness to grasp an opportunity. Stohr was not up to his usual fonrr. Coutts. at full back, was disappointing. evidently having an off-day. Of the forwards none played better than ' . vst, i Fogarty -and Campbell, though all did their share. Malone as rover was another who had | a day off. j The Auckland backs were very solid in defence, Muir, at full-back, never made ZF mistake. In fact, he had hard luck on one occasion In not scoring a try. Ifwerson at centre did a lot of work, especially in intercepting. The wingers showed a turn of speeu, but seldom got a chance. Of the five-eighths, Grant was the pick, being a Trojan in defence Earl, at half, did good work. Nicholas (rover) was always on the ball, and he was '•'ell supported in the loose rushes hy He’ander. McDonald, and e«**—■ ,- -