FOOTBALL.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 208, 28 July 1893, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

The Probables on Saturday last met twenty-two Juniors and were given a good hard practice which tried those who had not been in training and showed them the necessity of acquiring fitness before meeting Auckland. Vs a rule when more than eighteen players are ranged on one side they are ir. the way of each other, hut on Saturday the Juniors played a fine game and held their opponents well in check. Amongst the backs F. H. Walker was conspicuous by bis clean handling of the ball and his judicious and effective kicking. In the forward division P. Matthews, Fowler, Lee, Smith, O’Niell and Harrison did good work, The game ended in a draw, each side scoring seven points. For the Probables Bonella and Butland each seemed a try, one of which Poland converted; and for the Juniors Matthews and E. Harrison did the same audF. Walkerconverted one. Taken altogether the game of the Probables was not a good display ; it was hard work hut very little else. The old dribbling rushes, so hard to stop, have almost disappeared, and the passing which has taken its place is often useless and ill-timed, Many times on Saturday we saw a back get the hall when he could easily have punted high down the field or well along the touch line, but because some other player, anxious to show what he could do, yelled ‘ pass’ it was thrown back ; the result often being that the latter did not send or carry it anything like so far as the first player might have done.

Another weakness of the hack division was that they would not put their men on side after returning the bail. Johnston wants more practice in quick taking of the ball, and as he cannot be spared from the team because of his other excellent points, it is to he hoped that the Possibles will mark him well in future practices and by fast following up give him just what he wants to make him a first class rep. Some of the forwards showed jerky play and others made the game slower than it need have been by holding the ball coo long and trying to bullock through. C. Molloy was the best of the van, he shone in the scrum, in the following up, and at the line out and had no time to barrack the referee. Tomorrow’s Probables will he picked from the following seventeen : —-Backs, —Kitehing (2), Elliott, Hammond, Johnston, Butland, Lowrio and W. Smith : Forwards, —Barker, Poland, Molloy (2), Bonella, Nelson, Keegan, Phelan and Neill. The Aratapu Juniors play the Pahi Club tomorrow afternoon : the following is their chosen team :—Full, R. Jamieson ; threequarters, Lendrum, F. H. Walker, W. Harrison ; halves, A. Phelan, Lindsay, and Masefield; forwards, O’Neill, E. Harrison, Alcoclc, Newman, S, Barker, G- Elliott, C. Nield and Higgins. Emergencies, Brown, H. Phelan, W. Nield, and Cobbald. Mr G. Meredith has teen elected Secretary to the Aratapu F. C. in place of Mr Edmonds resigned. The New Zealanders won their second match with Queensland by 35 points to nil. Last Saturday R. Lendrum was spiked, by one of the Probables, on the crown of the head. The rules do notallow the wearing of spikes by players, and it is a pity that some should have so little consideration for others as to use them illegally. No spikes will in future be allowed at Union matches. Jimmy Goashore played at three-quarters for Port Albert against Mangawai and scored a try. On Wednesday last the New Zealanders defeated Bathnrst by 24 points t.o 5, They play their third match with New South Wales tomorrow, and then make for home. The New Zealand Football Hepresentatives played a team of 18 Queenslanders on July 19th and scored a win by five jioints to nil. Drop —The best kind of referee 1 ha ve seen was a mortal being. You ought to g e t one of a special kind, made to order. One that you could work by pressing a button on your costume for instance. Then we might hope to hear of players of your stamp being satisfied with the refereeing sometimes. Another thing that could be done for you is to give you the whistle for a few Saturdays in junior club matches. Chief Constable Malcolm Wood of Manchester states that it is the amusements of the people that now give the police the most work; the other day he was called upon to provide 200 police officers to attend a football match.