FOOTBALL NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 21, 6 August 1920, Page 8

FOOTBALL NOTES.

EASTERN DISTRIGT (12) V. COMj BINED WEDNESDAY (11). (Blue). (Blue and Black). The teams were : — Eastern District : Backs : Moore, Scully, Robertson, Holmes, MacGihbon, O'Kane, Johnson ; foiuvards : Barrie, Duncan, C'hristie, Macalister, Scott, Crombie, Adamson, Mclntyre. Town : Backs : Lilley, Brown, Lyttle, Coakley, Arial, Cleland, Davidson~ forwards : Smith, McKenzie, Roche, Sparkes, Whyte, Strang, Millar and Fougere. A good crowd watched this game, and the merits and demerits of players were freely criticised, the supporters of Southland Rugby wondering whether the province could get a tea,m to stave off a crushing defeat from Canterbury on the 11th August. Gore began well, but their first attempt at passing found them uncertain of foot, and that plus a high punt put Wednesday on a-ttack, Spaxrs being jersey-held while dribbling. A try should have Ibeen awarded. Lilley made it three. Wednesday 3. Gore were still uncertain, and Holmes and Scully, win.rs of the visitors let Wednesday into position, Lilley, full, getting across. Wc^lne^day 6. Local forwards took a hand, Roche appearing. Bad tackling of firstfive O'Kane brought Eastern into the last.

stretch. Here a free, a fine cross of Holmes to the other wing set up a pretty transier movement, four ba-cks handling, Mr.cGibbon ending like a flash. We-Jnesdav 6, Eastem 3. The local forwards brcke the visitors' line and headed by Roche Miller and Fougere ,backing, the team moved up to the line, and on the ball being thrown out from the -comer, Smith took cleanly and dived across. Lilley goaled. Wednesday 11, Eastern 3. From this on only the Wednesday forwards, Brown and Davidson backs, and the Eastern team were in the game. The Town ba-cks neve^, looked dangero-us, they weri tossed about like nine-pins, their passmg was slow, and they, did not look to be m any way aggressive, though the first-five cut in well a few times. The backs seemed feeble in comparison with Eastern rearguard. Any attack of merit came trom Wednesday forwards, who over-kickad re. peatedly. Moore full, and Mailey centre, put up a fine record of taking on the full and of defence kicking, while O'Kane and MaeOibbon turned defence into attack several times with unpleasant results to Wednesday backs, Eastern scored two more tries in the first spell, the last ten minutes of which the game was theirs. The lock, McAllister, dived for one, and the winger, Mclntyre, received in-feed for the other. The ground defence of the Wednsday backs on tlreir ' own line was shockingly weak. The first spell finished wit-h Wednesday 11, Eastern 9.

The most of the second spell was Eastern's, if we except the forward rushes. The visiting scrummers were most lesoureeful on the line though their packing was not so solid as that of their opponents. Twenty times they broke through the lines. \AThat forwards were failing to taclde their man? Sparks bashed through a line and headed on lone-headedly, but he couldn't prevent his over-kick losing him thirty yards when Mailey got it. The Wednesday forwards certainly lacked finish, and if Smith hadn't got the ball for the backs, what would Eastern hare done to the backs opposed to them? For their winning try Eastern got amongst the confused home backs and were penalised. Then a poor kick brought Scully through a line, with centre Mailey to receive and dive over. Eastern placing for goals was weak. Eastem 12, Wednesday 11.

SOUTHLANB TEAM. The selectors have chosen the following representative fifteen to play Canterbury on August 11th:— Eull-back : I. Brown (Otautau). Holmes (Pioneer), Giimour (Banks and Law), Fortune (Service). Stead (Banks and Law) Capt., MacGibbon (Eastern). Davidson (Invercargill). Forwards : Smith (Star), Barry (Eastern). Sparkes (Atheltic). Roche ( Athletic) , AVhyte (Waikiwi). Cockroft (Union), Millar (Invercargill). AATinger: Potter (Bluff). Emergencies: Backs— O'Kane (Eastern), J; Dalgleisli (Service). Forwards— Langbien (Service), Duggan (Western). The following team will play the representative team on Saturda.y ;— Lilley. Lyttel, Coakley, Brown (Star) J. Dalgleish, Vial Dawson (Waikiwi).

n ForwardS; | L-ameron, Mr,rr Toda ' 1 Snuth (Union) TW, n Spr^t (Service), ^ »■!): Wruger: AgM% Emergencies: Backs o George, - prain. ForWo^ W i Murray (Union), Stol0; A AU players ]isW _ Gymnasium Frid,,s ,tl1 £o„„,wsh;^ The Western man was chnS» as he was against a Saturdav? the Wednesday effort out-takes and clearly W,ng-ihree Holmes (Eastern? J"" even though he did not sh„w , ' H on Wednesday. Has foot Wmg-three: Fortune (Satnva }' (Westem). ^ Fortune' s condition and hic • , punfcing puts him behind Eni, 2 excels m erperience. McDo,,: , ?! able, should put either out. ' Centre : Giimour, rival Robefq0B J ern), if sound, and Mailey (]?asb , attack and detencedonot^: ) that rival Gilmour's brillianre Brown (Wednesday) is a fine ceV may be brilliant late- ^

Second-five : Stead (Saturda' r,V u Gibboli (Eastern), who pUyod ^ 1, five on eWdnesday has ali Steads ' with tackle and rush-stop en inMW | erior. The positions have been .miu to get in the Stead — Giltnour corrbina^ii i for that end two non-doiou lers hnve |(, included in the team I'at voa ii,Biti attack. 1 First-five : D. MacGibbou (EastenJ 0 Kane (Eastern). As a combiniiti^l their own places, these two ieh backs standing. MacGihbon js less, and plucky. His skill was evideit even on tbe wet groqnd. His tac®] w'ih cover some of the weakness of ii's M. low-backs. Half-back : Davidson (Wednesday), rival J . Dalgliesh (Saturday). After the'gm played by Dalgliesh. in front of St&J, Giimour, . and Fortune, when he dnl J the defence, and opened up is much attack as his wretched pack would Aka, it must remain a mystery why he is out of the combination. Davidson did nll in the Eastern — Wednesday match; ti he is not to be compared with DaJglii in any department of the game ; and kt did get softie protection from his pack. ' Winger : Potter (Saturday), rival Agnw (Wednesday). Two good sound men, with Agnew more versatile. Front Row : Smith (Wednesday), no rival. His hooking in tbe Stai— Blue final, and in the Eastern— Wednesday matcl set-tles any doubt. His general forward play is excellent for a man oi his buili , Bai'ry (Eastern). We know little of ia front row work this season ; but he it i fine forward, and was the younge:t sc» mer in the Southland team of I® J Lock : Sparks (Wednesday). \°-* tion he would do ; but he must not hodr fesed to the enemy's backs. , Supports : Roche (Wednesday). Th«» only one Roche. No other forward ; Southland has this season shown , line work, smothering, and packing. ^ faeds the opposing backs with over , ing. Whyte (Wednesday). Given a sora ankle, Whyte is a forward true to Wj line, follow, loose, tackle— all he eib in. He must not kick hard unless Mg j or to the line. . j Back-row : Cockroft. Given con i i this mai should justify b» •*"] Southland has not seen him at neary best, and many admirers wih K him for a great game against Can | Taking, kicking, smothering, ® ^ work, are his strong pomts ; » 1 company of determined men W and Whyte, he should satisfy 0 ^ are hungry to see him play his e"' J J (Wednesday). In dribbling ^JU here. Is short for the line and s ^ body impact. . , . The forwards have been picW J evident intention of training • ^ A line and as ascrum, to do this 1 ® ^ 1 must have the men here; ot I hara (Western), Crombie anV ^ (Western), might have had a c ^ ^ selectors have every good wisn . team from "The Digger."