ITEMS OF SPORT

New Zealand Tablet, 18 September 1913, Page 31

ITEMS OF SPORT

FOOTBALL. r Fine . weather, though dull and cold, was experienced if or the Rugby match Wellington v. Canterbury, which was played on Lancaster Park in the presence of a capital attendance on Saturday. The match resulted in a win for the visitor by 6 points to 3. Heavy showers during the night made the ground for the Association football match between Otago and Southland, played on Saturday at Invercargill, very sloppy. Otago had the best of the game from the start, and scored 6 goals to 1 by their opponents. The Rugby match Wellington B v. Wanganui on Saturday at Wellington proved a good thing for Wanganui, who won by 17 points to 3. The local team were weakened by the loss of men playing against Canterbury. The local men put up a bit of a fight in the first spell, and half-time arrived with the scores 3 points all. In the second spell the local men faded away, Wanganui handling the ball much better than theft opponents. Although all recognise that in a football match every man on the scoring side has a chance in the credit of the score (writes a Timaru correspondent), it is generally agreed that the man who actually registers the score is nearly always entitled to a little more credit than others. Catholics may .be interested to know that 24 of the 30 points scored by tho All Blacks on Saturday week were registered by. Catholic players. Lynch scored three tries, McKenzie two, Roberts one, and the latter converted three tries. Surely the Wellington teachers, who object to Catholic boys taking part in school Rugby, do not wish to keep such men as these out of New Zealand's national game.

The first round of the Clarke Cup (a knock-out competition) was played last Saturday, when St. Mary’s and Gordonton drew, no points being scored by either side (writes our Hamilton correspondent). It was one of the best games played this season, despite the unfavorable weather. Roach (a junior player) and Burton were the mainstays of the forwards, while in the backs the consistent Murphy played a sterling game. One of the best backs on the ground was Mathieson, a junior player. It is a fact this season that the senior team invariably makes a good showing when strengthened by a few juniors, and were the juniors available to choose from in the remaining matches, I think they would have no difficulty in winning the Clarke Cup. On the 27th inst. St. Mary’s juniors meet Frankton in the final for the championship. St. Mary’s are now in training, and they may be depended upon to do justice to the Green and White colors in the deciding match.

The Australian .team met New Zealand at Carisbrook on Saturday for the second test match, and suffered defeat by 25 points to 13. It was, however ' .'■■ (says the Otago Daily Times), defeat with honors, and the margin of points in New Zealand's favor does not accurately represent the run of the play or prove such marked superiority by the New Zealand team. In the first spell the Australians more than held their own, and clearly outclassed New Zealand in the quality of their football. The visitors had the advantage of combination, and the harmony was almost perfect. The backs gave a splendid exhibition of passing, delighting the spectators with the adroitness of their handling and the crispness with which they executed intricate movements on attack and defence. The infinite variety n; of the Australian back play generally and the brilliant exhibition of Wood at half were delightful features of a game which otherwise was below test match standard. The Australian forwards were not in the same class as. the • backs, and in the second spell they let down badly. Then, too, Australia was unfortunate in having O'Donnell (front rank forward) crippled, and lost the ball in the scrums. New Zealand played with no combination in the first spell, both backs and forwards failing to find their game. In the second spell there

was a marked improvement in y the harmony of the Blacks, whose forwards took a power of stopping in the combined rushes, and whose backs handled the ball with greater 1 freedom. The contest at the finish resolved itself into a battle of styles, New Zealand forwards v. Australian backs. The ground was in good order, though on the heavy side, but the conditions generally were from- a New Zealand viewpoint well nigh perfect. The attendance was- about 8000. ST. PATRICK'S COLLEGE OLD BOYS. Many ' old boys' of St. Patrick's College (writes our Wellington correspondent) have shone as stars in the football firmament. The two most before the Rugby public during the past week have been Messrs. T. Lynch and J. McKenzie, who are members of the touring All Black team, which left for California in the Willochra on Friday. To bid them a pleasant farewell the Old Boys' Association of St. Patrick's College on Tuesday tendered them a complimentary dinner. Mr. ST. J. Crombie presided in the unavoidable absense of Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy. The toast of the school, responded to by the Rev. Father Eccleton, S.M., was proposed by Dr. Cahill, who, after referring to the part played in Rugby football by St. Pat's,' expressed the hope that the present All Blacks would maintain the great reputation for play and behaviour that New Zealand footballers had held ever since the Maori team went Home in the eighties. The toast of the evening, ' Our guests,' was. proposed by the chairman. Mr. Crombie also -referred to the part played by St. Patrick's .to firmly establish Rugby among the younger generation. Touching upon the names of some famous ex-St. Patrick's College footballers,, he mentioned Diamond (Victorian captain), Dr. McEvedy (British international), Dr. O'Brien (British international), Redwood (Australian representative), and Messrs. McKenzie and Lynch, the guests of the evening. He mentioned the interesting fact that the college had also an ' old boy' in the famous All Black team of 1905, in the person of Mr. Eric Harper. On behalf of the gathering, he presented Messrs. McKenzie and Lynch each with a suitably engraved silver cigarette case. Both recipients made feeling responses. It was announced during the course of the evening that an old boy (Mr. Reginald L. Evatt) had presented a cup to be played for every year by the past and present students. On the preceding Wednesday, the present boys defeated the ' old boys' after a really enjoyable game by 25 points to 14. The Post critic in a comment upon the game considers that the present boys had one of the strongest scratch sides possible to form in Wellington opposed to them, that they played a clean, scientific game, and one that was quite up to the standard set in the recent college tournament (in which St. Patrick's boys did not participate). Dr. McEvedy, on behalf of the 'old boys,' took the opportunity of challenging the present boys for a return match-=—the first tor The cup. .... The challenge was promptly accepted the Rev. Father Eccleton, who is football master at St. Patrick's College, and the return match will probably be played on Saturday next. The following toast list was honored:—'The King' (the % chairman), 'Our guests,' proposed by Mr. Crombie, and responded (to by Messrs, Lynch and McKenzie; 'The school,' proposed by Dr. Cahill, and responded to by Rev. Father Eccleton; The present boys,' proposed by Dr. McEvedy, and responded to by Mr. P. McCarthy: 'The Wellington Rugby Union,' proposed by Mr. i. P. Ryan, and responded to by Mr v W. G. Talbot; ' The ladies,' proposed by Mr. C. Gamble, and responded to by Messrs. C. Hodgins and R. Evatt; 'The press,' proposed by Mr. F. Bourke, and responded to by Messrs. Vernon Haydon and O'Brien. The proceedings were interspersed with enjoyable musical items, contributed by Messrs. D. Twohill, J. Spillane, R. Miller, and J. Sweeney.