FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 940, 13 July 1903, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

A GREAT mud scramble.

N.Z. REPRESENTATIVES LOSE BY, NINE POINTS.

CHEERING FOR AUSTRALIA’

Per Press Association.

WELLINGTON, last night. The match between the New Zealand team which left last night for Australia and the Wellington Prov- | ince team was played yesterday afternoon, in the Athletic Park, in very heavy rain. The game was purely a mud scramble, and afforded no test of the merit of New Zealand’s representatives, who were defeated by fourteen points to five. In the first spell the New Zealanders played with the wind, and more than held their own, and D. Gallagher scored a try, which Wallace converted. F. Johnston also registered a try for the combined team which was not improved upon. I In the second half the combined I fifteen had all the best of the play,l an-1 scored three tries, one of which .was converted.

SEND OFF TO THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM.

THE VETERAN DUNCAN AGAIN CAPTAIN.

I / (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. The New Zealand and Wellington Rugby Unions entertained the New Zealand football team at a dinnpr I last night, prior to their departure for Australia. There was a large attendance of supporters of the game , Mr G. F. C. Campbell, President of the New Zealand Rugby Union, was in the chair, and among the guests were Mr Seddon, Sir Joseph Ward Messrs Massey, James Allen, and Buchanan, M.H.R.’s. I Mr Seddon responded to the toast of the Parliament of New Zealand,! and wished the team every success. Sir Joseph Ward, in proposing the I toast of the New, Zealand team, said 1 that the game they, had witnessed that afternoon could not be taken I as any criterion of the abilities of the team. . I Mr A. C. Norris, manager of the? team, in replying, expressed the opinion that the team was the best allround combination that had left the colony. The Moeraki left shortly after 8 p.m., in the teeth of a heavy southerly gale and toroents of rain. A large crowd gave the men an enthusiastic send-oif. Mr J. Duncan has been elected as captain of the team, and Mr M. Wood as vice-captain. R. McGregor was chosefn as the third man to act wil(h the captain- and manager as a selecting committee. 1 Injuries sustained by J. Spencer and Wallace were not of a serious character, and they were' able to accompany the team. (

NEW SOUTH WALES DEFEATED, BY QUEENSLAND.

By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. „ Received 7.52 p.m., July 11- - SYDNEY, July 11-

The football match New South Wi,les v. Queensland, was played in wet weatli?r, and was won by New South Wales by eleven points to six.

DEFEAT OF HAWKE’S BAY JUNIORS.

Per Press Associations NAPIER, last night. A football match between the Wairarapa Thursday r Onion juniors and the Hawke’s Bay juniors was played here yesterday, the visitors .winning by, 11 points to fi. KAEH-CITY V. HUIA.

STILL ANOTHEB DEAW. Succeeding generations of footballers will surely recall 1903 as 11 The Season of Drawn Gaopes.” The senior match at Victoria Domain on Saturday afternoon last between Kaiti-City and Buia, after a most stubborn fight from start to finish, ended without a score by either side, and was the fifth drawn game registered during the senior competition this season, and the fourth draw played by the Kaiti-City Club. The looal annals of the game cannot show a season in which the competing teams wore anything like so evenly-matohed as is the oase this year. . Before the banner is won, some great fights must yet take place, and it would be a foolhardy prophet indeed who would confidently name the premier team for 1903 at the present stage of the competition. The teams on Saturday were constituted as follows : ~ , v „ Kaiti-City (blue and black) : Bussell, Delamere, Wylde-Brown, Ball, Beynolds, J. Hay, W. Hay (captain), M. Murphy, Bright, Mullanoy, 8.-K. Murphy. Newton, E. C. Murphy, Martin, and Hansen. Huia (black and white): Symes (captain), Lear, Te. Eeina, Moana, J. Gibson, Cookery, Swann, Wauchop, Sefton, Blair, Holmes, Sherrafcfc, Hatea, Wells, and McGruther. The play during the first spell admits of little description. As is invariably the oase when two evenly-matohed sides meet, the players seemed afraid of risking anything by opening up the play for fear of playing into the hands of their opponents. The ball travelled about the field at a brisk pace throughout the spoil, but it was ohiefly in the way of fast forward rushes and long kicking by the backs. ' KaitiCity, in the majority of cases, secured the ball in the scrum, but the good work of Bright and Mullanoy, the front pair, was often nullified by the men behind them, causing the ball to come out so plowly that W. Hay had no possible chance of getting it away to his baoks. The baoks on both Bides throughout the first spell did the individual work which came their way creditably, though never once did they show anything approaching a decent passing rush. Symes was hoartily cheered for a splendid effort to place a goal from a penalty almost on the touoh-line, the ball falling a few inches under the bar. Tne play was exceptionally fast towards the close of the first spell, and the spectators, judging by their demonstrativeness, fully enjoyed the display. . , The second spoil was as doggedly fought as was the first, and it was not until it was half through that anything in the way of oombined baolt play was witnessed. Te Eeina called up great cheering by taking the ball well from a long throw-in by Kaiti-City, and making a fino run to the coal lino, where Bussell stopped a certain scoro by bringing his man down like an artist and smothering the pass. The Kaiti-City backs opened up, and got ou somo creditable passing. W. Hay played with great judgment behind the pack, and it was no fault of his that the men behind him did not make more of the openings he made for them. Beynolds, J. Hnv Wylde-Brown, and Ball were associated in several passing rushes, but they lacked resource, and Leah. Te Eeina, and I Gibson in every instance either intercepted the pass or brought the man with the ball to Mother Earth, Joe Martin caused anxiety to the Huia supporters on a couple of occasions by sending the ball in dangerous proximity to the crossbar from penalty kicks • Te Reiua made matters sultry for Kaiti-City by boating man &fter man m a good run, and racing for the line, wellbacked up by Leah on the open side Again little Eussell, Horatius-hke, was on the bridge, and brought his man down as effectively as did the old Boman the Lord of Luna, amid great cheering. Had le Eeina sent the ball along to Lear nothing short of a Jbad mull could have prevented a score, J?ky was exceptionally fast towards the close, and excitement ran high among the spectators, (food passing by W. Hay, Ball, and Wylde-Erpwn gave Delamere the ball with a clear rpn in before him, but Wauchop came with a giant stride and extending an arm (which appeared to the excited spectators about four yards long) just managed to seize the runaway threo-quarter by the southern hemisphere of bis jersey, and hang on with a bulldog-like tenaoity. Towards the

close of the game, Te Eeina got away again, and was well on towards Haiti s line before J. Hay wrested the ball from his hands and made off up the field. The referee penalised Hay for not putting the ball down, holding that it had been held a decision which gave rise to considerable discussion among the onlookers. MartiD played with great dash towards the close, and broke away with the ball several times. “ No-side ” was sounded when the ball went out at the centre, neither line having been crossed once during the game. For Kaiti-City, Russell was kept busy at full-back throughout, and not a fault could bo urged against him. It is not too much to say that he saved his side from defeat, as on two occasions at least he alone stood between Mb line and his opponents. On each instance he was equal to the emergency, and added to his already high reputation as a tackier. Ho fielded cleanly, took the high kicks well, and if bo could only gain more ground with his kicks he would be good enough to represent any province. The three quarters Ball, Wylde-Brown, and Delamere, were not given much opportunity to oistiDguish themselves, but what little they had to do was done well. J. Huy and Reynolis were not conspicuous as fiveeighths. Hay was the better of the two, and put in some clever runs at times. W. Hay gave a really good display at half. He stopped many dangerous rushes, got the ball out smartly wben the forwards gave him a chaDce, and kicked and collared in first rate style. The forwards all worked hard, but were not so smart in heeling the ball out as usual. Unless the ball comes out smartly, it is really no use sending it out at all, as the opposing wings can travel round the scrum with the ball

and cither got it away or pounce on the half, and this is what happened frequently on Saturday after the Kaiti forwards had hooked the ball. Though all played well, we liked the .work of Martin, Newton, Bright, and ftfullaney best. For Huia, Syrnes rendered incalculable service with his fine long kicks to touch. He fielded the ball well, and got his side out of some very tight places by smartly fielding the ball from forward rushes, aud getting in his kick. To Beina and Lear put in good work at three quarter, considering they had to make all their own openings. The former made some fine runs, but his selfishness in not passing to Lear on one occasion probably robbed his side of victory. Lear is improving with each game, and is one of the fastest and most dashing three-quarters in the competition. He tackled splendidly on Saturday, and his pace enabled him to cut in more than once, and disorganise tho passing of his opponents. Moana was given a trial at wing three quarter, but appeared as much out of place as a Clydesdale in a daisy-cart. We have before stated that Moana’s proper place is among the forwards, and as Huia were making it a forward game on Saturday we cannot understand why Moana was played threequarter. if. Gibson was safe at fiveeighths, and showed up on defence. Ho had tokoep two places going, as Cookery, the half back, was seldom in his place. Cookery put in a lot of good,work, but he appeared to have a roving commission. Ho was supposed to be playing half, but was seldom to be seen in the position in which we are accustomed to see a halfb

jack occupy. Wauckop and Swanu, at wing forward, were very active, and smothered the opposing half repeatedly.

Of the forwards, who were very slow in getting up to the line-outs and serums at the commencement of the game, Sherratt, Blair, Holmes, Sefton, and Hatea worked the hardest. Mr W. Gibson was referee, while the lines were capably attended to by two oldtime Bugby champions in Messrs Arthur Bees and Bees Jones. Two forty-minute spells were played. On No. 2 ground, Baili-City had a run-away, victory over West End, the final scores reading : Kaiti-City 29, West End nil. The winners had the upper hand throughout, and excelled in every department of the game. It is only fair to state that West End had not their best team in the field, but that does not detract from the fine display given by the combined team. W. Coleman played a fine game, for the winners at centre-three ■quarter, and crossed the line twice. Third and Faulkner also played well for the winners. Mr W. McCredie was referee.