FOOTBALL NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 9, 14 May 1920, Page 3

FOOTBALL NOTES.

(By "Referee.")

BATURDAY'S GAMES.

The surface at Rugby Park was looking and feeling in splendid order, the drainploughing just finished leaving it in a firstclass state. The atmosphere was mild ; the sun favouned neitlier side and a fast, exciting game was seen between Banks — • Law and Serviee. Banks — Law. 8, v. Public Serviee 6. (Blue and Black.) (Black.) Colours got into stride almost from the kick-off, and an excellent movement initiated by Dykes sent Stead out to pass to St. George with great precision ; tho last named went the full safe distance and sent high to Gilmour, wlio stopped the bali off his chin, and at top transferred to Prain who grounded after a weak Black check. Bank$, 3 ; Serviee, nil. Give and take play followed with a marked absenco of diving and tackling among the forwards on each side, Holz, full for Serviee, being lucky in stopping a Banks rush in the last stretch. Gilmour was doing much defence, but he failed to take oue from Eortune, and Stead just forced. He was given the benefib of the doubt. McDonald made a good run through several Colours, his turn and buttock putting the wind up sorae players. Belowknee tackling was not seen, and loneDykes relieving on one occasion with the work. Forward Sproat was playing a hard spoiling game well supported by Langbien and Brougliton. The combined forwards Pryde, Kirkland, Knox and De Largy were battling weil, and the forwards appearcd evcnly matched. McDonold was going on his own and making his high tacklers sore. Gilmour put in a cross-kick but it was low, a mark relieving. J. Dalgliesh wa3 playing his usuai game, letting the hall out with judg'ment, but the centre was playing his first match and d.elayiug in the transfer with no-score results. Cameron checked Stead hard and cleanly. Serviee had the majority of attack, but scoring failed. During the reaction Itae ran strongly and not being well tackled shook up the defence. Some weak kicking by Law brought Serviee into position from a mark, and McDonald got a pass and ran straight and strong along the line unstaggered by high tackling. Serviee, 3 ; Banks, 3. When the ball was returned to play, it hung in tho middle of the field, and a Combined was penalised for taking a pass off-side. The punt brought Serviee into attack, and a weak kick by a Law wing wai marked in good position but the kick failed, Fortune again having no luck. Banks and Law had the hetter of the play in the first spell and looked like winning comfortably as iheir backs wero brisker and speedier than those of their opponents Three all was the score at halftima. The second spell opencd with Banks and Law facing west, and they almost immediately ran into attack when Gilmour passed beautifully to Prain who scored in good position, Dykes goaled. Banks and Law, 8; Serviee, 3. Yet the bottom dog plugged in, and the forward play and the tackling in plac.es were a sight to see, Serviee blocking by hard, deadly impact tho attompt of Combined to get their smart backs into motion. Numeroiis spelll for minor injurics occurred, lady supporters and cavaliers in the big stand applauding each resuscitated hero to his heart's content. The Black forwards wero carrying every scrum and frequently pnshing the Blue-Blacks all over the field, out clever defence and loose heavy forwards stemmed the tide again and again, handed backs went on with their selfish only defence pass seen in the game, Prain cieverly clearing from ten yards out to the middle flag. The effort was applauded ger.erously from the stand. Pryde, Knox and Broughton, were grafting like one o'clock, and their dribbles were hard ti stop, though the Banks and Law's . backs nearly all did good work at times on ground defence, except when fast rnen booted at a ball instead of picking it up. Fortune made one excellent. check of a deadly rush. But the piugging of the Blacks was to be rewarded and McDonald smashed all opposition and scored his second try. The kicker again had no luck.. Banks, 8; Serviee, 6. Tho game surged up and down with the Black forwards slightly better than the others, but no further score came to either side, so Banks and Law, 8 ; Public Serviee, 6; was the finaL The winners have done well on

two Saturday's, and their meeting with Union on a dry day will be watched by tlieir big crowd of supporters. BLUFF, 6; v. UNION, 3. This game ended late, the light hoiding well Cockroft kicked off for Union and the retums saw the ball out at half-way. At the first line Budd and another Bluffite broke away, the Union backs going down well. The play went straight into a battle of forwards, and Union were beaten at their own game, although each team was at full strength, Bluff scored in the first fifteen minutes from a forward scramble, and got their second try about te i minutes afterwards, the backs on one side all handling. The referee appeared to be blocked, so Union's appeals for two forward passes were not heeded. Still, Bluff were unlucky in not being given a try before, as it was quite clear. On three different occasions Union got Bluff's free-kicks, and once Bluff got Union's. The Union forwards didn't get into it, imitating their captain's strategic wait for opportunities. In the second spell Union placed a penalty, Stapley making a sure kick from a fairly diffieult angle, Cockroft's three attempts not being successful. The game was a series of scrambles and was not good to look at. Bluff will be a big proposition on their own midden even for a team with backs. The ground was in capital order; it has been changed in position and the bog has been cut out. I Good for you, Bluff !