FOOTBALL NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10691, 10 August 1912, Page 3

FOOTBALL NOTES

(By "All Black.") The first representative mutch of the season will be played this afternoon on the Old Showgrounds, when the annual fixture Wairarapa versus Bush Union will bo.played. Much comment has during the week been heard in reference to the selection of tho Wairarapa representatives. Tlio selectors will, however, not feel disposed to take much notice of tho criticisms which are always prevalent after a representative team is selectod. With six senior teams totalling ninety players to make selection from it cannot be said that their task was a light one, especially as the matches played during the season showed the majority of the teams to he very even as regards ability. It certainly seems | that with Carterton '.having six men in the team, some injustice was done |to other players. If a team is to bo truly representative the personnel of the fifteen should be divided as nearly as possible between tho teams competing. Matson and Sicvers in the rearguard could have been replaced by men equally as good, which would have given the remaining clubs more equal, representation. Some comment has been made regarding H. Henderson being selected as wing-forward. In that position I think the general •opinion amongst players is that Henderson is the right man in the right place. The Gladstone man has not played an inferior game this season, while many of his exhibitions were of a very high order. In this particular ; case ,T shall he greatly surprised if the selectors' choice is not justified to- 1 d<av. In preferring O'Brien to Ball at half the selectors have taken some ( risk, as the Star player' has for seve- I ral seasons been the best half in the Wairarapa, and J think that he should havo been again selected. Tn j the forwards the selectors have used their best judgment, and while many good men have been passed over, I expect to see the Wairarapa pack do good work to-day, and in any other 'match this season. It is quite possible that another representative team could be selected which is almost or as good as that chosen by the selectors, but then tho rules of Rugby iallow of only fifteen men, so that the selectors should he given some consideration. The old saying that it is difficult to please all is very applicable to the selection of a representative football team. After today's match the selectors and their critics will be in a bettor position to judge whether the selection is justified or not. The Wairarapa senior championship fixtures will be continued next Saturday. On Thursday Wairarapa play Nelson at Carterton, when a good I game should result. _ ! An interesting game shonkl be wit- 1 nessed to-day, when the Wairarapa school representatives will try conclusions with third-class representatives, j An Australian Rugby team to play a series of matches in America leaves for the States on, September 11th'. The following will represent Taranaki against Auckland in the Raufurly Shield Challenge nintch on August 17th: —Coleman, J. Stohr, Roberts, D. Cameron, S. Cameron, McLoocl, Brown, Taylor, Cain, _ Berndsten, Smith. Hawkins, J. Kissiek, Dewar, Whittington. Emergencies: J. Kissick andFranklyn. Good judges exneet Taranaki to wrest the coveted Ran furl y Shield ( from Auckland this year. If such is the case the Wellington versus Tara- I naki annual fixture, to be played this , year at New Plymouth, will resolve . itself into a- Shield contest.. _ ' Extraordinary interest is being | evinced in football circles in Welling- | ton in the Petone-Oriental match, which will be played at Petone to-day.