FOOTBALL ENDS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1253, 9 October 1911, Page 3

FOOTBALL ENDS.

INTER-ISLAND MATCH. TWO WEAK TEAMS IN THE FIELD. PLAY UNINTERESTING. NORTH WIN BY GOOD MARGIN. Usually tho inter-island Rugby match is productive- of a great deal of interest, but, this year, it attracted very little attention. When it was announced earlier in tho season that the match would be, played on October 7, it was generally anticipated that the selectors would have difficulty in getting representative teams together, and so it proved. The fifteens underwent u good deal of selection "surgery," some of tho '.'operations" being performed at a very late stage. In short, neither team could bo said to bo anything like the best that could have been chosen. All this, combined with the fact that the local football season practically closed three weeks ago, accounted for the poor attendance at Athletic Park on Saturday, for, notwithstanding the beautiful weather, thero could not havo been more than abont 3000 people looking on at the match.

Generally speaking, the play 'was of a ragged description, with occasional flashes of individual brilliancy, and it could not compare with a couplo of tho previous inter-island fixtures seen on the same ground. A large number of tho players seemed to bo sadly out of condition, and woro inclined to nurse themselves on the hard ground. This was especially noticeable towards the end of the match. Tho youth Island men were favourites at the start, but, though they opened the scoring account, their opponents soon took the lead, and maintained it till the finish.

J''or all that, tha .South team did the major portion of the attacking, but ill— fortune- seemed to attend all their attempts at scoring in the second spell. Three times, at'least, they missed tries by the narrowest possible margin. On the North side, Downing stood out as the best forward on the ground, but there is room for a lot of improvement in his play. Wilson, Desmond, and Young were the best of the others. On tho wing, Coleman did not show any superiority- over his opponent—Murray— who pla'yed a line, dashing game. Of the North Island backs, Kaipara played the roundest game, while Kyland gave the impression that, if he were playing in one of the large centres, he would develop into a brilliant scoring three-quarter. Kinvig's line-kicking was very weak, Kobcrts was below form, and Brown was of little or no use to his side at halfback. Hassell played a capital game in the South vanguard, while Hums was the best of their backs. Green was disappointing at half, and Guthrie at wingthreequarter almost invariably threw away his opportunities by wild passing. Scott, -at full-back, did somo great linekicking, but, on two occasions, at all events, he was slow at tackling. A noticeable feature of the game was that both centre-three-quarters (Grace and f.yn'eh) scored trieß by running almost from half-way. South Scores First. South Island won the toss, and elected to defend the southern goal. This gave them a slight advantage from tho wind, but put tho sun in their eyes. Just after the kick-off the South forwards opened a rush, and Hurray gathered in the ball and pa«ed on to Grav, who transferred to Lvnch, but the last-named was tackled before he could-dispose of the leather. South kept up the attack, anil presently Bums headed a movement that looked dangerous until fiyland saved the situation by kicking down-field. A minute later Best broke away again for tho South and passed to Burns. Tho fatter got within a couplo of yards of the scoring area before he was thrown'finto' touch by Rylatid. 11l the scramble following the throw-in North were penalised for ofi'-sido play, and Scott kicked a nice goal for the southern men. South, 3; North, 0. At this early stage of tho, game the South forwards were beating their opponent's in the loose, and within a few minutes of the kick-out North were compelled to force. As soon as play was in progress once moro Murray, the South Island winger, dribbled tho ball right through bis opponents to the full-back, but Kinvig stopped the rush. He, however, failed to find tho line, and the Southern full-back, ( Scott, replied with a good kick, and sent the ball into touch above the North twenty-live. Good work by Coleman, Downing, and Young, of the North team, transferred play back to raidfield again. Then followed a littlo excitement as Guthrie (South) broke away, and dribbled the ball past the first line of the Northern defence, but Kinvig took a clever mark, and got bis side out of difficulty. His kick again failed to find tho line, and Scott, taking advantage of this, sent the ball out at the corner flag. M'Donald took the ball on tho line-out and dropped over, but the ball had not been thrown in straight, and a scrum was ordered. South hooked the ball, and Green tried to run over, b"t Coleman brought liim down, and Brown cleared the North lino with a long kick, which Scott returned to touch.

North Achieves a Lead. Presently the North forwards, headed by Downing and Wilson, commenced a good rush, and Wilson picked the ball up about half-way, and passed out to Roberts. The ball then travelled on to Grace and Kyland, but the last-named spoiled a good chance by ii knock-on. Kinvig's failure to find the lino had the Northern team in trouble again for a few minutes, but presently tho forwards broke away, and Coleman gathered in the ball and passed in-field. There was a. plain knockon here, but tho play went on, and Roberts gained possession and transferred to Kaipara. Tho latter passed on to Grace, who outpaced the opposition and scored behind tlie posts after a brilliant run. Rawivi converted. North Island, a points; South Island, 3 points. -Very soon afterwards a capital passing rush by Rawiri, Kaipara, Wilson, Roberts, and RylaucT resulted in the last-named' scoring at the corner. North Island, S points; South Island, :i points. After the drop-out, more northern passing was followed by a southern forward rush. Hassell dribbled tho ball past Kiuvig, but was obstructed by the latter, and the ball was kicked into touch. For some time after this play remained in tho vicinity of half-way, until, in a scramble, Lynch, the South Island centre, snapped the ball out of Roberts's hand, and cutiin past several of tho other backs. Eyland tackled him, but was shaken off, and Lynch went on, and scored, just as Rawiri dived for him. The kick proved too difficult for Scott. North Island, S poinls; South Island, G points. Hassell next made a • great effort to score ( by means of a dribbling rush, but tho ball hit the corner Hag. After the drop-out, Scott took a pot at goal, but missad. Right at the end of the spell Ryland made two nice dashes for the line, but, on each occasion, Guthrie kept the South Island defence unbroken.

Second Spall—the Lead Increased. Even play marked the opening of the sec'qud spell. The first Hash of brilliancy was a passing-rush started by Roberts from the loose. The ball went on lo Kaipara, Grace, and Kviand, but tlio lastnamed lost possession. Desmoud, hawever, dribbled (ha ball over the line, and Wilson dashed up, and fell on it under the posts. Kawiri converted. North Island, 13 points; South Island, G points. The South men now made a determined effort to catch up the deficiency in the score, and, after about fen minutes' hard play, a try came. Guthrie made a clever run, and. cutting in, passed to Ij.vnch. The ball fell at the lattcr's toes, but he kicked over the line, and foil on it. Broil's- kick was again a failure. North Island, 13 points; South Island, 0 points.

Guthrie acorn made a useful run, but nullified it by a wild pass. The mistake enabled the North Islanders to get on a counter-rush, which eventually compelled CiroDii to force for South. Oive-and-lnke play followed. Downing and Young being conspicuous in Ihe Northern forward rushes, and Hasstll and Biggar niosllv heading the- Southern vanguard. ,\t one stage it appeared as if the South Island might even Hie scores, for Scott polled at goal, and I'ohorls, failing to take the hall near the posts. Seolt dashed up, and dived for it, but fell wide, anil Itoberls recovered, and forced. Then a line rush by Ilassdl and .Murray, carried the ball over the line, and Guthrie raced up, but [ Grace managed to force in time.

I'rom this out, the North team had all Iho host of tho play. Wilton scored from tho line-out, but Coleman failed to convert. North Island, Hi points; South Island, !) points. AVitli a few minutes to go, a splendid forward rush by the North team carried the ball over the line, and Desmond and Wilson fell on it together. The hick at goal W as again a failure, and shortly after, "no side" was called with the scores reading: North Island in pis. South Island 9 pts. Mr. 11. E. Card was referee.