FOOTBALL

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 486, 28 July 1902, Page 3

FOOTBALL

(By Tolograph—Press Association.) Wellington, last night. About four thousand people witnessed tho Canterhury-Wellington match, which was played in tho Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon. Tho weather was bitterly cold, and heavy rain set in before tho conclusion of tho gamo. Wellington played a good defensive game against a strong wind in tho first spoil, and limited Canterbury’s score to six points, vix., a penalty goal arid a try. Contrary to expectation Canterbury had somewhat tho best of tho second spell, although playing against tho wind and scored another try. Wellington also registered three points, the game thus ending in n win for tho Southerners by nino points to threo. Canterbury outshono their opponents in all departments of play, and their win was a thoroughly meritorious one.

A BIG DRUBBING DOWN. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wanganui, last night,

Tho representative football match, Wanganui v. Rangitikei, was played on Saturday nftornoon, and resulted in a victory for Wanganui by 58 to 8. Several tries woro not converted, Wanganui had 17 points to their credit at th o end of the first quarter of an hour’s piny.

WEST END v. lIULY,

IBy “ Tho AVhistlo.” j

Footballers woro favorod with another porfeet day on Saturday last, but thero was only a handful of spectators at Victoria Domain at 8.80 o’clock whon West End and Hnia started their contost for tho banner. Sharp, Ball, Sherratt, and McCullough woro absent from tho Huia side, their places being filled by K. Thomson, Nepia, Stephens, and Bastable, all promoted from juniors. Hugh Miller was tho only regular member of the West End side who was absent from tho ranks of that club. His place was taken by veteran Bennett, who played as well as over, and notched a try for his side. The teams were :

West End (black): G. Hepburn, Nolan, Wateno, Waitai, Brown, Pounanga, H.

DeLautour, Skoet, Wepiha, Davitt, Williams, Gray, Hewinui, L. Sherrill (captain), and Bennett.

Huia (black and white): K. Thomson, Nepia, Pilcher, Kelly, Burns (captain), To Roina, Osborne, Swann, Ngawini, Stevens, McGruther, Scott, Osborne, Leah, Bastable, and Courtayne. Shorriff won tho toss, and defonded tho Hapara end, which gave his mon tho advantage of playing with the sun bohind

them and a helpful breeze. From tho commencement tho play was fast and willing enough, but there was a complete absence of any combination on either side. Tho forwards monopolised most of tho work, and gavo a fair display. The most notieoablo defects shown by the vanguard on each sido was thoir inability to take tho "ili ' -- tho lip' nd thr -"ed

bull cleanly on .10 lino an, ,ie raggec manner in which many of tho scrums wore packed. The play was fairly even for the first quarter of an hour. Each sido attacked in turn. Kero mado a couple of fino efforts to place goals for Huia from ponalty kicks, and Williams just grazed the Huia posts with a shot at goal, also from a penalty. Watone was the first man to particularly distinguish himself,

Ho made a good run, and wriggled out of the clutches of several Huia men, who feebly’mauled him about the shoulders. When noar tho lino ho passed out splen-

didly to Nolan, and the young West End thrco-quarter took the ball well, and ran over uuopposed, scoring near the corner, Williams landed a line goal. On resuming, play was a good deal fastor, and the ball travelled about smartly in mid-field without either side gaining material advantage. Courtayno distinguished himself by somo effective collaring, and tho spectators accorded him a cheer for tho business-like way in which ho upended Wepiha and Waitai. Wepiha was next to cross the trench. He commandoored tho ball about mid-field, and got on one of his irresistible rushes, bumping tho Huia men, who tackled woakly, out of his way. Ho was like an armoredtrain as ho oareered down tho lino, and the Huia full-back got off the line. Wepiha kept the oven tenor of his way, and crossed the line, amid applause, about mid-wav between the posts and cornerflag. Waitai placod a beautiful goal from a by no means easy angle, the ball sailing fair between tho posts, and about a foot above the bar. This second reverse caused Huia to shake things up ou resuming, and they did so with such effect that they soon had tho ball on tho West End line. They took to passing, and To Reina, Bums, and

Kelly mado desperate efforts to scale tho ramparts. From a lino out on tho blacks’ line, Osborne threw the ball right in to the centre of tho field to Bastablo, who was unmarked, and that player took the ball, and nimbly placed it between the posts. Kero kicked an easy goal. ' Huia 0 points, West End 10, Soon afterwards, tho black forwards broke away well from a line, and swept in a body over tho Huia trench, Bennett scoring. Waitai kicked another fine goal. Thero was no further score in tho first spell, aud tho teams orosscd over with the scoring standing : West End 10 points, Huia 0.

l’ho second spoil opened briskly, and the play was fast throughout. Tho standard of play novor reached a lofty level, but plenty of good individual runs were mado, though some of them were in the wrong direction. The collaring was sound and sudden. Huia had all the best of tho earlier stages, and Kelly scored a try, with a strong run, aftor taking tho ball well from a line-out and beating both Waitai and Hepburn oloverly. Ho mado a creditable attempt to add the major points. This success put new life into the country men, and, encouraged by their ban-ackers, who were possessed of fine, healthy lungs, thoy mado_ things very merry for the Blacks. West End assumed tho aggressivo, and, after a lengthy spell on the attack, AVilliiims scored a i wood try from some wild passing at the | corner. Waitai failed with tho kick. No 'urther score was mado, and West End thus won by 18 points (threo goals from tries and a try) to 8 points (a goal from a try and a try). Considering that it is well on towards the close of the season, the exhibition was not ncarlvoso good as it should have been. West End has practically played tho samo fifteen all through tho season, and should have attained some degree of combination behind the pack by this time. Their forwards gave them the ball almpst from overy scrum, and Poananga got it away well, but there was little effective passiug douo by their backs. W T est End’s strength, as last season, still lies in the forwards. Why this should bo I can’t imagine. They have a strong rearguard, but the men never seem to bo in touch with each other. Both backs and forwards worked hard on tho W'est End side. W’aitai de> serves special mention for his place-kick-ing. The two goals ho landed wero beauties. W’iiliams also kicked well. For Huia Kelly and Te Iteina were the best of tho backs. Besides scoring a try the former put in fine defensive work, and had it sot bees for bis strength is this

department Waitai might have scored on several occasions. Burns and Pilcher a'so did good work, but the latter displayed a tendency to “speculate” frequently —a bad fault. Of the forwards Ngavvini, Osborne, McGruthcr, Bastable, and Nepia worked best. The two last-named were promoted juniors, and on their play should have been in the senior ranks long ago. It is about time that Iluia gave her younger players a chance, instead of trusting to reputation players long past their prime. Two spells of 40 minutes each were played. Mr \V. S. McCredie was referee, and Messrs Hugh Miller and It. Colo lineumpires.

An amusing incident was witnessed during the courso of the West hnd-Huia match on Victoria Domain on Saturday. Soon after p!a,y started, a prominent fiuia official, who was directing the operations of his Club team from a place among the spectators, ordered a player at threequarter to go up among the forwards. This humiliation was too much for the threo-quarter, who marched off the ground with a dignified mien, and commenced leisurely but resolutely to doll his warharness. This nonplussed tho prominent official for a time, but after reflection his native wit eumo to his aid. He strolled over to the offended player, and told him that if ho didn’t immediately go on to the Cold again, and get into tho very heart of tho scrum, that the Rugby Union would “ put him up ” for life, and it was oven questionable if they would removo the disqualification after death. He drew such a harrowing picture of the pains and penalities that would assuredly fall upon him if ho did not play forward that tho player thought it better to enter tho arena again, He did so with alacrity, and played one of tho best games soon on the ground that day. A groat deal of dissatisfaction exists at present in the ranks of the junior players in Poverty Bay. It appears that some timo ago a requisition, signed by a large number of junior players, was handed in to tho secretary of tho Poverty Bay Rugby Union, asking that body to arrange a return match with the Hawke’s Bay junior representatives, who played here a few seasons back. The juniors complain that the local union treated.the requisition with scant courtesy. It seems that tho juniors are prepared to pay their own expenses to Napier, and as they owe tho Hawkes Bay juniors a return match they consider that the Union should at loast show.thorn good and sufficient reason why the team cannot bo sent. Tho men who play on No, 2 ground also complain that tho boundary linos are badly marked, and are in some places altogether undcfioable. I feci sure tho Union will look into these matters, and legislate for the good of their juniors. As I have frequently pointed out, too little oncouragement has been given in the past to junior players in this district, and unless the Management Committee shows consideration to the rising generation of players there is a danger that thoy will turn to other sports for recreation,