INTERCOLONIAL FOOTBALL,

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 946, 20 July 1903, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL FOOTBALL,

NEW ZEALAND DEFEAT NEW SOUTH WALES.

WELSHMEN OUTCLASSED AT EVERY POINT.

A 1 REGRETTABLE INCIDENT.

By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. SYDNEY, July IS. Fully thirty thousand spectators

(including Lord Tennyson and Ad-. miral Rawson) witnessed the trial of strength between the New Zealand and New South Wales football teams. No alterations were made in the men selected. From start to finish, the local men were outclassed at every point. A regrettable incident occurred a few minutes before the closing of the game. An altercation between Cooke and some of the local team ended in Cooke being ordered from the ground by Mr Pauling, the referee, in the first half, some unpleasantness arose over a straggle between McMinn and Judd, the ball being out of play, at the time.

.THE KICK-OFF. New, South Wales kicked off, and 1 Asher, by a fine punt, sent play in- I to the New South Wales twenty- I five,, hut a free-kick to the local men returned play; to the centre. The New Zealanders then took the aggressive, and fine passing between Kiernan, Duncan, R. McGregor, and Wood then resulted. The latter handed the ball back to McGregor, ] who passed it on to Asher, enabling the speedy Aucklander to put up the first score within five minutes of the. start. Wallace was entrusted with the kick at goal, but his effort to convert was futile. New Zealand had New, South Wales continuously on the defensive, the local men playing without much combination and fumbling frequently when the advantage was with them.' The occasional penalty-kicks produced by the New, Zealanders in their eagerness running round the scrums relieved the tension on New South Wales, but a piece of offside play on the part of a Welshman gave Wood a show right in front of the goal. His effort, however, was a feeble one, and the local men got a fine rush on, but McGregor saved the situation with a timely line shot Then Long removed the scerie of operations to the New South Wales

twenty-five, where Kiernan got pos-

session of the hall and passed it along to R. McGregor, who dashed over the line. Wallace was' again entrusted with the shot at goal, but failed; though he made a fine kick, the ball cannoning off the outside of the post. On resuming, the New Zealanders soon invaded the Wales’ territory. The visitors got possession from a line-out, and all the 'backs figured in a fine passing rush, which took the ball close up to the local goal-line, where White tackled and, secured Asher on the corner, both falling over the line. A live yards’ scrum was formed,

and here Cooke played with what appeared to be unnecessary roughness.

Another forward rush by the visitors was stopped by Burden, hut Manning, the New. South Wales skipper, got off side, and N,ew, Zealand Was awarded a penalty kick, from which .Wallace scored the , major points. ,

The score then stood : New Zealand, nine-points : New. South .Wales nil. ... . ■ :

Just before the first spell concluded, the New Zealanders were penalised in quick succession for off. side, and not giving ten yards, hut no points were scored from them. Play .was next removed to neutral ground, but only for a time. Duncan gaining possession, handed the leather to Cooke, who was •brought down by Maund. The visitors were not to be denied, and the team playing splendidly as a whole, hotly pressed the New. South Welshmen again and" again, and to save themselves, the ‘ .local captain was compelled to force.

.A mighty kick by ! Johns ton transferred play to the, New ' Zealand twenty-five, but ths back division saved nicely. 1 Asher \yas once more beginning to look dangerous, when White threw him out, and the first spell, ended with New Zealand nine points to their opponents’ nil. ■THE SECOND HALF-A BETTER ; GAME. After the half-time spell, McMinn was cautioned by the referee for his treatment of Judd. ,

The second half saw a better game,' tile local men playing together bet-, ter, and from a line-out rush, in which Joyce and Burden were prominent, they carried the play down to the New Zealand line, the visitors being compelled to force down. Time after time the New, South Welshmen charged in New Zealand territory, but Wallace never blund- ' ered, and nullified their efforts every time. From a scrum which ended in a decent piece of passing, Fuller got the oval, and had a shot at 1 goal, but failed, New, Zealand forcing. White was playing a fine game for the local men, and on, several occasions he foiled good rushes, in which Duncan, Wood, and Asher were prominent. Asher, indeed, seemed to jbe a rubber man by the way he sinuously threaded his way through his opponents. From a mark secured by R. McGregor,, Wallace failed to increase the score. Then Kiernan got the ball in the New. Zealand twenty-five and passed to R. McGregor, who: eluded White, and passed to Asher, who attempted his hurdle business in endeavoring to evade Maund, but the latter ■ pulled him down. Nothing daunted, the New Zealanders returned to the attack, and immediately Wood made an opening, from .which he himself could easily have scored, but seeing R. McGregor in close proximity, he generously passed to him, and the latter scored. Wallace kicked the ball from an awkward angle, but failed to convert. New Zealand, 12 points; New South Wales, nil. ' After the kick off, Johnston made a creditable shot at goal, the leather just falling under the bar. The local men returned to the attack, and were gradually pursuing the visitors back, until Asher relieved by a splendid kick down the line. Kiernan was next prominent in a great rush which ended in an exhibition of strength.

New South Wales managed to get possession, and headed by O’Donnell, Moir, and White, removed the scene of play right up to the New Zealanders’ line where Wood got his kick in and saved again. The ball came into the New Zealand twenty-five, but a free kick for handling was awarded against them, and spoiled their chance of scoring. A little later on Manning had a shot at goal off- a mark, but failed. The same player,' a few minutes later, looked like scoring, but overran the ball.

Play worked back to the New South Welshmen’s twenty-five, and here .Cooke was ordered from the field, as previously mentioned. No-side was sounded without any additional score, the New Zealanders thus opening their tour with a win by twelve points to nil.