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The Spike or Victoria College Review June 1914

Football

page 57

Football

football

The boisterous weather which has visited Wellington, and apparently taken up its permanent residence here, has seriously militated against the good old game, and so far only two senior club matches, one junior, and one third-grade match have been played. Nevertheless, the results so far are by no means ensatisfactory, and, when one considers that at the time of writing University has to its credit 72 points, and only 24 against it, it must be held that our football is at last coming into its own. I have always held that the true test of a club's strength is its vigour in the lower grades, and I am naturally optimistic in finding that 18 men journeyed to Porirua to uphold the honour of the Third Grade, and did uphold it handsomely. The Thirds are an eager, vigorous lot, and should be heard of this year. The Juniors are somewhat light in the forwards, but must also be reckoned with. The Seniors have so far not had a win, but they have met the two strongest teams in the competition, and have already secured quite a following "on the bank."

We must congratulate Mr. P. J. Ryan on his election to the position of Club Captain, which he holds in addition to that of captain of his side. After the game against the Athletics, an old Athletic player informed the writer that Ryan was, in his opinion, the best five-eighths in Wellington. This is encouraging both to the team and to the individual. Another good player is Trussing, also seen on the five-eighths line. He belongs to Masterton, but we are hoping to keep him in Wellington. Robertson has once more donned the jersey, and Luke—erstwhile captain of Wellington College—is a worthy substitute to Quilliam. Of the other players, most played last year, but the additional experience of a year is already making page 58 itself felt. I would not be surprised if, before the season ends, more than one veteran team in the Senior competition met its Waterloo at the hands of University—but then, I always was an optimist.

I cannot conclude without nothing one pleasing feature in the play of all three College Teams—signs of individual training. Many a College match, hard-fought throughout, has been lost in the last quarter-hour through want of that essential factor—soundness of wind. But no one who saw the strenuous game against Athletics can say that University did not put just as much energy into the second half as into the first.

The results of the individual matches are as follows:—

Senior Fifteen.

v. Wellington. Lost by 13 to 11. University had all the worst of the luck, and should have won.

v. Athletic. Lost by 11 to 3. A magnificent game, probably the best ever played by a University Senior football team.

Junior Fifteen.

v. St. James. Won 25 to nil. St. James, playing only nine men, abandoned the game after 20 minutes' play.

Third Fifteen.

v. Porirua. Won, 33 to nil. Played in the rain Porirua Eighteen University men turned out. Porirua did not have a full team, and several of those they did have were under the mistaken idea that it was "soccer" they were playing.

The Club entered a team for the "seven-a-side," and were defeated in the semi-final by the winning team (Wellington) to the tune of 5 to nil. They were successful in beating both Selwyn and Poneke B. It appears that College would have done better had its players indulged in long passes.

Ivor Davey.

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Victoria College Students' Association Committee.

Victoria College Students' Association Committee.