FOOTBALL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10691, 12 August 1912, Page 3

FOOTBALL

"WAIRARAPA VERSUS BUSH UNION.

AX UNINTERESTING GAME

The first representative match of the season in Wairarapa. was played on the old Show Grounds, Mastert'on, on Saturday afternoon. The weather was fine, and the ground in excellent order. There was a good attendance of the public. Considerable interest was centred in the match from the fact that there Las been inn eh comment ever the selection of the Wairarapa representaj tives. The feeling of the public in the matter was painly indicated by , the support which was accorded the ! visitors. It cannot be said that at any part of the game we.ro the: homo men superior to their opponents, who played a really good game. No doubt the Wairarapa team was handicapped by not having played together before. At all events, with the exception of one or two glaring cases. Saturday's form .was not the best that may be expected of the team. The forwards were mostly sound, and play- : ed • good football individually, but . what was conspicuous by its absence was combination both in forwards and backs. Those who have followed football in the Wairarapa this season know that the majority of the Waira'rapa, are capable of better things. The .backs were palpably off. Sievers was the most outstanding weakness and made many bad mistakes. His play on Saturday in no-wise justified •his inclusion in the team. Matson was also at a disadvantage. He is a good young player, and with more experience will no doubt bd" one of Waira- j rn-pa's 'best backs. He has only played two seasons, and he should bo re- j placed by an older and more experi- j encrd rtlayer. Thompson, on the right wing, got very little fo do. and then did not do it well. We know J that he is eana.ble of better things. I Darville, at full-back, made several j mistakes in the first spell, one of which gave Bush their first score, j In the second spell he was much 'better. He was, of course, playing out | of his place. He would have been a ! hig improvement at centra three- j quarter. Sandel was the redeeming i feature in the rearguard, and played | like an old hand. His goal kicking j was excellent. O'Brien, at half, got j the ball «iway nicely, but was not bril- j liant on defence. Groube made seve- | ral nice openings, 'but ho also has been ■ seen to 'hot-tor advantage. With the exception of Panelol the backs struck an off day. The. forwards as a whole j Aver-a bright, and with more combination will redeem their laurels. The.' visitors were a good all-round team, j 'and their forwards -played a good , bustling gnme. and playing well together had the greens "Scratching" . •for the greater parti of the game. In the backs the two Mexteds, Sam. I Moses and Galvin, gave very good . exhibitions. A draw, on the day's play would havo been a fair indication of the game.

Wairarapa won the toss and kicked with a. slight wind in their favour. From the kick off tho Bush forwards rushed play to tho green 20, where Wairarapa. were kept busy defending. A free kick to the greens for offside relieved matters for a time, play being transferred to mid-field. A free kick to Bush -saw Sam kick well down field. From a line out Oroiihe and Sieve,r.s .mulled the ball and Sam, who was playing a good game, punted high I over Darville's head. Darville. run- ) ning hack, failed to'take the ball, and Sam following up very fast scored un- \ der the posts, amidst the loud cheer- , ing of the spectators. H. Mextrd add- : ed the major points. Bush o, Waira- ; rapa 0. Grotibe shortly after started j a nice rush, but Moses came to the res- , cue. and found the line for Bush. HendcrsoTi and Bond away from the line out and carried piny into the ; reds' 25, Moses again saving with a i timely mark. Matson failed to take the ball from a high punt, and the red forwards went close to scoring; jSiovers just/ forcing in time. The play at this stage was very uninteresting. and was mainly connned to forward' scrambles. A free kick to Bush, saw the reds again attacking but H. McKenzie retaliated by starting a nice rush, which took play to the reds' 25. Here Desmond following up fast, had the hardest luck in not scoring under the -posts, a force resulting. Groube made 1 another nice opening, but he was quickly smothered by Moses and Mexted, another force being the .result. Matson returned, well > and found the line in the red 25. where for a time the forwards were kept busv with line play. Wairarapa, were now having the best of matters, mginly by the work of the forwards, of whom Bond. Desmond, Henderson, and Spackman were seen to advantage. The Wairarapa backs had several nice openings j but bad passing destroyed each chance of scoring. From £ ?c:vm near the B;ali lir.c the hall •came out <"iuiek and ckan and O'Brien getting it away nicely, the only decent piece of work of the day resulted in Sicvers getting over in a nice position. Sandel converted. Half-time was called with Wairarapa 5, Burb 5. The ::ccond spell was little more interesting than tho first. Ihe reds stuck fo their work like Trojans. Wairarapa pressed from the kick off, but (Conthmed on Page 7.)