FOOTBALL NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 18, 16 July 1920, Page 4

FOOTBALL NOTES.

SATURDAY'S GAMES. SPORTS PROTECTION GAMES. BANKS AND LAW (7) v. PUBLIC - — SERVICE (6). (Black) (Blue and Black). Teams.— Service : Backs : McKenzie, Saunders, Fortune, MacDonald, McGregor, Dalgleish (2). Forwards: Hunter, Cameron, Anderson, McDermott, Langbein, Sproat, Stobo and Doogue. Banks and Law : Backs : Christophers, Prain, Lopdell, G.ilmore, St- George, Stead, Dykes, Delargey, Pryde, Todd, Wilcox, Knox, Kirkland, Broughton and Lambeth. Service opened with a kick. which did not reach the ten yards' limit, their blackjerf^yed men being well placed for the venture. A forward dashed up, knocked on, and a free resulted, Sproat ending with a kick to the Saturday "Blues" 25. Blacks set up a pass but the half found the ball greasy, and J. Dalgliesh sent high to McDonald at wing, the ball coming back to half-way with the Blues on rush. Lopdell sent to Saunders, and the ball •went across the field, no gain or loss of territory resulting. So then, from the last two sentences one gathers that all the play was to no purpose, and that, if the high pass hadn't gone to McDonald, all the energy exerted would have been conserved. A flash of speculation came, McKenzie feeding St. George, the latter's effort ending a mark by J. Dalgliesh, the knock on'' costing Blues more than 25 yards. The line saw the ball go to McDonald at shortside wing, and instead of one-knee taking, lie stooped his elongation to knock-on. McGregor then took part in a transfer movement which he checked through not having been trained in two-handed transfer.' He should watch his opponent Stead. Gilmour appeared from the opening left and tried to centre, but the exchange of kicks was to the advantage of Service, later a hard kick allowing McKenzie to force-— 25 yards lost to Blues. From the kick Prain failed to secure, and Langbien was on him, kicking well into Law lines. The parallels gave a Service movement which McGregor checked with a high pass. Another Black passing effort stopped at the wing, Saunders getting a pass overhigh for a slippery ball, and relief coming to Blues up to the 25 flag. Delargy further improved with a fine dash, McKenzie stopping him with a lucky speculator. Blacks then had a good passing bout and gained ground ; hut Banks kicked, the balance of exchanges going to them, some Black backs being out of place, Fortune ending at the 25. Service were better on lines and at this stage were dominant, clearing readily and heeling excellently. Delargy again broke away, hut this good forward was not supported adequately and the ruck resultant on his check gave Service heel feed, McDonald getting to the corner, with J. Dalgliesh on his left to take another pass, which he didn't get. Prain cleared well to nearly half-way, and t'le Service half had a cross speculation which Lopdell sent across the other line, no ground made. The Black attacic continued, and a mark was kicked by J. Dalgliesh to the line opposite which the ball had come from. There, on the shortside, Lopdell dribbled well to half-way. Another mark gave the same two players similar efforts, this time Lopdell coming well through and supported, J. Dalgliesh having to end the matter with a fearless dive on the ball, aeveral players sprawling over his black back. Dykes ran into the scrum in possession, the free relieving Service to about middle. Blues came up slightly, Broughton, Pryde, Todd, and Delargy, showing, a free sending the side to Service 25. The ruck that followed the checked return gave Langbien and Sproat chances, Service risking two off-sides to clear slightly, full relief coming with a spoiling dash by McDonald who kicked on receipt, Broughton sending to his own 25. From the line feed to Service Stead returned to the same spot. Dykes fed St. George, but McDonald kicked back and a free went to Blues. The ball was heavy and the ground treacherous, so it was of littls use. A scrum gave Law possession, but they lost points through their half being. slow in whipping it out, the smart littls man standing with his feet wide apart and his head down. Blacks moved into attack, a line pass and a kick changing the play to the other1 side of the field where a passing attempt allowed McGregor to jink cleverly and pass to For-

tune, who centred the ball going , over the line and Blues clearing. The play went from w^st to east in the Banks and Law 25, and a heel permitted L. Dalgliesh to pass to J. Dalgliesh, who scored on the oriental side, one half-hour after the heginning of the game. The kick was a mere formality. Service 3. The first-fiag kick brought Cameron and then Sproat into prominence to mid-field, St. George cleverly marking to check. Wilcox shone on a spoiling rush and finished with a great tackle of J. Dalgliesh. Dykes stopped a scrum-heel passing rush of Blacks, but Saunders^ dribbled cleverly back to halfway, the line feeding McDonald who presepted to Fortune who booted well over the Blue 25. Black forwards carried the line, and Cameron headed, a knock-on checking, and a free further relieving the rush on the Banks. J. Dalgliesh kicked across and McDonald bettered ma-t-ters, Sproat vainly endeavouring to get into the movement, and faibr.g through lack of anticipation. The halt fed the Service half, the^pass to his brother not moving past F ortune who missed a soapy - transferred ball. However, the veteran kicked to the corner,. when St. George cleared to McKenzie, the fumble allowing Blues to get to half-way. The line gave Dykes ball, and he made forty yards of territory from the heel .and kick. The scrum let Blues secure, but Dykes slipped and Stead received late. Blues, however continued to attack, a free coming to Service, the weak kick allowing Lopdell to serure and pot a goal: Banks and Law 4, Public Service 3. From the half-way kick McDonald invaded and Pryde failed to stop his dribble, but Prain cleared gallantly. Still Blacks moved ever onward, kicks being charged, and Blues being bustled until a free relieved for a moment. Back qame Blacks to the front of Blues' posts, but the ball. went out at the corner from the scrum. From the line Blues worked out and Lopdell kicked well to McKenzie, J who waited for the second hop and managed the 25 with a sinister kick. The scrum fed McDonald who fell to St. George's deadly dive, Gilmour marking the abandoned ball, McKenzie returning to half-way and making good his very recent slackness. A free to Blues saw an exchange of kicks, Cliristophers lining at middle, a waste of energy being cut off when Dykes sent McKezie, who lined where ihe silly thing had begun. The heel from the line scrum saw regular transfer to McGregor who cut into the field hole, where a scrum sent ball to McGregor, to Fortune, and the Blacks moved into position. Prain relieved well, and McKenzie returned across ; but the Blues came up and made big attempts to score, the efforts being foiled oy their backs bunching behind the scrums, though Prain nearly got over, McDonald stopping him hard, and Fortune clearing to near the 25. Then Service showed the mettle of their men, a great clearance resulting, McDonald beginning and carrying up to Stead who foot-jabbed the ball out at Blue 25. Blues received a free, and a dribbling return and counter produced excellent ground work from each side, the play being as clean as clean could be, finally Blacks suffering penalty for .dwelling on the line. Following the kick came the whistle for oranges and lemon.,, the points acquired heing, Banks and Law 4, Public Service 3. Sproat kicked off and Lopdell came through to half the last 25, where a heel to St. Gporge let the ball out to the same spot, the sequent line scrum giving L. Dalgliesh almost a mid-way punt to touch, when J. Dalgliesh put in a strong run, a scrum and a Blue free following. Sproat' received the wet ball and improved an L. Dalgliesh to J. Dalgliesh pass and kick being taken by Christophers. A scrum then fed Dykes to St. George who sent to the 25, a free to Fortune forcing Blues. Stead came across, the Black forwards moved in, and in a scramble McDermott nearly scored. Saunders returned from the 25 to the 25 flag, hut from the line scrum Dykes handed to St. George, the effort not gaining ground. J. Dalgliesh then kicked to Gilmour, the latter getting a slight advantage. Blacks dribbled well, and Stead made a good checlr to the 25, but Blacks' first drove in five yards further, Sproat breaking away to he stopped by Stead. Saunders made two good attempts to score, but a heel brought up Lopdell who fed McKenzie who outed at the 25. Lopdell did a long dribble through and J. Dalgliesh came out of the bunch and dived, a free being kicked to Fortune who rnarked with Prain well on to him. A quick change of scene came, Sproat and others dribbling through splendidly for Lopdell to save and for Blue forwards to bustle back to the 25 flag. A gervice break was well checked by Gilmour. Fortune passed forward, the scrum setting up a Blue attack ending in a kick. Service tried to kick out of trouble, hut Christophers and Prain each sent them back, Prain's late mark going to Fortune who crossed to allow Saunders to come up and be pushed out. Blues again attacked, the 'ball going out at the corner. Service were defending well, but threa

times were they sent back to the corner, St. George kicking the mark for the last one. Blacks made a cleara-nce to the 25, but Gilmour kicked to Cameron who kicked in turn. Sproat gained some ground with McDonald backing, the rush coming only to his own 25, where numerous scrums were whistled. McDonald was fed, but a knock-on checked. The scrum heel gave half, first, and McDonald handling to do, Fortune cutting in and leaving Saunders, a free going to Blues. McGregor in possession moved in to near tne corner, and Blues burst out, the Service first-five doing other backs' work. The game was becoming strenuous, but was very clean and fearless. Gilmour came into view with a clearing dash, but McDonald and Fortune came on, Fortune beating Dykes and McDonald scoring. A very good kick did not increase the score. Service 6, Bariks 4. St. Geogre began a great Blufi rush, which was stopped by a mark, but Dykes kicked his team to the last 25 of Service, and on Blacks getting out, St. George crojss-kicked, Lop'dell chasing it to the same corner where McDonald cleared well. Scrums came and a free to Banks, Sproat marking to kick. Gilmour nullified. Sproat's attempt, McDonald running up with the ball to Prain, whom Stead backed and securing ran to advantage out of touch. The scrum brought Langbien well out, but Stead cleared, St. George gaining more ground. J. Dalgliesh relieved his full, and sent the bu-1 to half of half-way. Fortune made an effort, and Gilmour booted high, Delargy breaking out. Fortune's defence was good, his kick going to Dykes, Stead receiving and Langbien dashing up to smother; but St. George received a pass and the half-way was kicked. Service full misjudged a take and G. Todd came down the side line at top and ran over in possession and scored in the north-west corner — a fine effort. Banks and Law 7, Public Service 6. Immediately J. Dalgliesh made a fine ruri, passing to McDonald to Fortune, who reached the 25. Blacks attacked, the first punting high, but St. George m ark ed well, and G. Todd went on the ball with a great dribble. A free to Blues was mulled, and McGregor did a good cross-kick, McDonald coming up to be well stopped by Gilmour. Followed a free, and Cameron received a sent across, Prain marking. A scrum came with a heel to Service, Prain again marking the cross-kick by the opposing firstfive, the ball dying at about middle. Dykes secured from the line, and McKenzie mad© a good take. The ball went out, the whistle was blown, and Banks and Law won a great game by one point, their score being 7 to Service 6. UNION (3) v. BLUFF (0). The game was played in a drizzly rain, but taking this into accomit the cLass of football was miserafcle. Neither sided forwards played well, being out of condition, and the consequence was a slow game and plenty of line kicks. Bluff were very lucky in not having a larger score registered against them, because" all the defence was left to the backs. In only one rush did their forwards show up well, Winter and Hamilton being in the fore. Union forwards were not good, but they were superior to Blufi forwards. Leete, their scorer, deserved his score, for he played a hard gamo throughout. The backs of both sides played good games, the tackling being good. Finnerty was the pick of the Bluff backs, but he is a.pt to forget that he can pass as well as cut in. Middlemiss, Union's full-back was a tower of strength to his side, not missing the ball once. He showed a marked superiority to his port opponent.