FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 99, 6 May 1901, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

HUIA v. CITY. i A REVERSE FOR CITY. [Notes by “ The Whistle.”] That the game of Rugby football still possesses as great .a fascination as ever for all classes of the community was strikingly exemplified at Tucker’s paddock on Saturday afternoon last, when fully 300 people assembled to witness the first contest for the Senior Banner, under the auspices of the Poverty Bay Rugby Union. The fact that this was the first contest between the newly-constituted clubs under the district scheme inaugurated this season by [the Union undoubtedly added greatly to its interest. The afternoon was beautifully fine, and the Union are to be congratulated on making such an auspicious commencement’of the season. The sum of £4 Is was taken at

the gates, and this sum, I am informed by a Union official, is highly satisfactory compared with the takings for club matches last season. The match was advertised to commence at 3 o’clock sharp, but it was close on 3.30 before the players filed on to the field. I hope that in future the Union will insist on the matches being commenced punctually to time, and that the various clubs will assist the Union in this matter by seeing that their players are ready to take the field at the advertised time of starting. Some difficulty was experienced in securing the services of a referee, but eventually Mr C. Taylor was prevailed upon to accept the position. It was decided to play two spells of 45 minutes each. Messrs W. Howard and A. Hepburn controlled the touch-lines. At 3.80, Duggan led the City men on' to the field, and Caulton soon had his team facing them. ■While watching the men forming a preliminary scrum or two, it was interesting to note the personnel of the respective sides. Representatives of those old, historical adversaries, Turanganui and •Gisborne, were to be seen forming up shoulder to shoulder with old Arai players, and it took one some little time to get accustomed to the new order of things. The new colors of both clubs were very striking and effective. The City men wore tho familiar red and black hoop jorsies, but the effect was somewhat marred by some of the men wearing scarlet and black. The Huia uniforms were greatly admired, and consisted of an all-black jersey, with a broad white hoop round the body and arms.

The referee's whistle cut short those observations, and Duggan, who lost the toss, and had to play against a slight breeze, kicked off from the seaward end. Leah took the ball well, but foolishly ran instead of returning into . touch. Ho eluded a couple-of City backs, and got well up the field before he was neatly collared by Holland, and penalised for hanging on to the ball. Duggan put in a fine, long punt, but Symes found the line near the twenty-five flag with the return. In the lino-out which followed, the forwards on both sides wore conspicuous for fumbling, and a scrum was the result. Shortly afterwards, a loose Huiarush took the ball down to the City line, where hard kicking spoilt the chance of a score, and Steele forced. Duggan kicked out well up the field, and Leah started a run on securing possession, and sent tho ball to To Reinn, who put in an effective punt, which gained a bit of ground. J. Gibson socurcd tho ball-from tho throw-in, and sent it out smartly to Baker, who was tackled by Duggan, and Cookery was penalised for off-side play in tho loose play which followed. For some considerable time after this a period of intensely uninteresting play followed, consisting of badly-formed scrums and wretched linoout work. Apparently no method or plan was adopted in tho formation of the scrums, and it was quite impossible from the manner in which the men formed for tho ball to como out to tho backs. Tho whistle hero was kept going incessantly, principally for hanging on to tho ball and for off-side infringements. A visitor from the Old Country, but just landed from tho Mararoa on Saturday morning, inquired at this stage of tho game with a porfcctly

serious face if the game under progress were being played under English Bugby Union rules, and no one was surprised at the query. However, towards the end of the spell, the game livened up somewhat, and a fierce attack was kept up on the City line. Duggan, Freer, Steele, Dixon, Holland, and, in fact, the whole of the City team, kept up an admirable defence, and attack' upon attack was staved off. Eventually, a loose Huia rash, in which both backs and forwards had a hand, swept the ball over the line, and M’Grath scored a brilliant try by snapping up the ball in the midst of three or four City men, who were evidently deciding who should force. Symes made a weak attempt to place a goal. Shortly after the game had been re-started, Symes put in a high" punt from near the centre, and Leah, who possesses a fine turn for speed, had Steele, at full-back, before he could return, whilS Symes, who had also followed his kick, snapped up the ball, and scored a well-merited try. Tuhoi failed with the place. Huia 6, City 0. The game was fairly even, and was confined to the centre until the whistle sounded halftime.”

The supporters of the City were unanimously of opinion that their men would turn the tables in the second spell, and this was .the general belief of those present. How shall I describe the second spell'? One of those marvellous reversals in form took place which are now and again seen on the football arena. After 'playing an obsolete game for the greater part of the first spell, the Huia men wakened up suddenly, and gave one of the finest exhibitions of a fast, open game ever seen locally. Several alterations were made in the City team, and one or two in the Huia. From the very commencement of this spell, it could be seen that the Huia game was going to be a fast and open one. Play had not boon long started when Gibson initiated one of the prettiest bits of play seen during the afternoon. Secm-ing the ball after a scrum, he beat his man, and sent the leather out smartly to Ball, who transferred to Leah, tho latter sending it on to Ngawini, who passed beautifully, and at top speed, to Cookery, who put the crown on this magnificent bit of work by scoringbetween tho posts. Symes placed a pretty goal. Huia 12, City 0. On resuming, the City men put some life into then- work, and Duggan, Freer, Beatson, Dixon, and Davidson were mainly responsible in working the ball down to the Huia line, where Glennie was awarded a try, after a loose rush. Duggan failed with tho kick. From this out to tho call of time, there was only one team in it. Tho Huia players one and all exerted themselves to make the game fast and open, and how well they succeeded the sequel shows. Caulton worked his side like a general, and he and Biddell (an old Wanganui man) whipped tho ball out time and again to the backs like clockwork. Ball, Gibson, Baker, Coclcery, Te Beina, and Leah were a powerful combination, and handled tho ball beautifully. Time after time, a passing rush of these players, in which Swan, Ngawini, Biddell, and Caulton would take a hand, would sweep the ball right on to the City line. From one of these Baker scored, and the kick at goal and subsequent play was about the funniest thing, I should imagine, ever seen at a senior match. Symes essayed the kick at goal, and the City men charged before the ball was down. Instead of waiting until the defending side had retired behind the touchline, the ball was placed, and Symos kicked it against the players who had not retired after the first charge. From the re-bound, the zeal of the players was so great that they re-started play without waiting for the kick-out from the twentyfive mark. An appeal to the referee brought forth an instruction to proceed with the game, and the ignoble spectacle was witnessed of players in a senior contest transgressing an important

law which every schoolboy has at his fingers’ ends. Exactly the same thing happened at a later stage of the game. The Huia men seemed to improve as the game progressed, and, despite tho herculean efforts of Duggan, Steele, Morse, Freer, and Quinn, who all put in good defensive work, the score slowly and surely mounted. Biddell sent the ball out from a scrum to Caulton, who sent it smartly along to Swan, who got into his stride quickly, and raced in untouched at the corner. Caulton failed with the kick. Shortly afterwards, Gibson gathered the ball beautifully from a hard kick along the ground, and shot it out to Caulton, who sent it back to Gibson, and the latter, instead of sending it out on the open side to Baker, who was closely watched, whipped it back again to Caulton, who was quite unmarked, and who got away splendidly, and, after a strong ran, passed to Baker, who scored, and placed an unmistakable goal from the try. From this out, the light began to fail, and the game concluded in semi-darkness. Just before

the whistle sounded “ no side,” Gibson, Baker, and Ball indulged in some passing, which ended in the latter scoring a fine try, which Cookery failed to convert. Huia thus won by 25 points (two goals from tries and five tries) to 3 points (a try)-