AUCKLAND SPECIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 207, 7 September 1901, Page 2

AUCKLAND SPECIAL.

FOOTBALL. (Special to Times.) Auckland, last night. To-morrow afternoon one of tho most interesting football matches of recent years will be played, tho representatives of Auckland province meeting the New South Wales representative team, which is concluding its tour of the colony. It is now several years since a representative team from another colony visited us, tho last occasion being in 1896, when thcQucenslandcrs paid us a call. Tho match set down for to-morrow is being lookod forward to with great interest by all followers of our national game, in spite of the fact that tho visiting team has been defeated by the other principal provinces and by a team representing tho colony. Though the visitors have only won one match (against Wanganui), they havo proved themselves a formidable combination of good footballers. Thero is every prospect of an excellent game to-morrow. The local team, which is a strong one, will be playing their first foreign match this season, whilo the visitors will bo playing their last match of the tour.

Mr.J. It. Henderson, the manager of the New South Wales team, in responding to the welcome given by tho Mayor, stated that Auckland had the reputation in their own State of being a most hospitable centre. As to the series of defeats they had sustained, they were representing their stato under great disadvantages. In their first game, two of their best players were injured, consequently since then they had not been able to play with their full strength. As to the game with the New Zealand team, he was of opinion that had New South Wales had her best team they would still havo been defeated, and he also thought that tho

New Zealand team would havo defeated tho English team that visited Australia recently. Football was never so strong in New Zealand as at the present time. Tho team lookod forward with great pleasuro to the match to-morrow. The manager of the Now South Wales football team is tho recipient of a handsomely-framed photograph of the address presented by the natives at Rotorua to the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York. Messrs Ilono Heko and 11. Parata made the presentation. On the right-hand bottom corner of the frame is the inscription ; “ Kia Tiuai Henderson ; kia ora koo me to opepurei na—ll. P.vkata and 11. O. Hone Hekk, M.li.R.” The translation of tho Maori sentence is : “Longlife, happiness, and prosperity to yourself and players.” Mr Henderson regards the unique,thoughtful present as some recompense for the “ hard luck ” his team lias experienced in matches it has already played.