FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 946, 20 July 1903, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

KAITI-CITY V. WEST END.

There was a good crowd of spectators at Victoria Domain last Saturday afternoon to witness what was expected to be a keen struggle between tho above Clubs. The weather was fine, and the ground little the worse for the rain of the preceding few days. The teams took the field ~.as underv 1 _Kaiti-City (blue and black): Bussell, Delamere, W. Hay (captain), A. Coleman, Vfylde Brown, Rangi, J. Huy, Ball, Mullaney, Dunning, Bright, Newton, Martin, Hansen, and PulfleC. West End (black): Campbell, Ilodorick, Nolan, Burns, Brown, Poaoanga, Williams (captain), Friday, Wo .iha, Morrissey, Peterson, Somervell, Mauheni, Clarke and Kindor. The game oponod sensationally. HaitiCity defendod the eastern goal, and Martin startod the game with a fine long kick which sent tho ball well heads of the,West End tbreequarters, and before /.they could get back and return the Haiti - forwards, who followed up with commendable briskness, were on to them, causing ' the ball to go out near the West End line. Ball threw the leather right into the middle of the field, arid, after a momentary fight under the posts, that wily old veteran, Joe Martin, snapped it up and was ovor the line in the twinkling of an eye, scoring oloso to ,the posts within a minute of the kickoff. Pufflqt made no mistake with the kiok, the ball sailing fairly between , the uprights.: This sensational oommencomont was loudly cheered by tho Haiti-City supporters. West End, nothing daunted, recommenced with determination, and good kiokiog by Brown, Poanangu, and Nolan shifted play to the Haiti line, only to see it brought back to midfield by tho blue-and-black, forwards, who early showed their cohesion and condition,. After the fint tow scrums West End’s ohaneos of victory appeared , '"(alight, as the Haiti pack BignalJy beat 'their opponents in securing possession of the ball, and it was soon obvious to evon ,/tho warmest partisans of the West End side that tho combined team had a great advantage behind the pack. After some stubborn fighting in midfield, West End were gradually but surely forced back on j their own fine. Nolan, Brown. Poananga,Wepiha, and Morrissey contesting unsuccessfully evory inch of the way. The combination of tho Haiti forwards soon caused tho fight once more to. rage hotly on tho West End line, whero Campbell, in

attempting to repel tbe invaders, got offside, and Pufflot placed a nice goal, bring-Kaiti-City’a score up to 8 points. Even play followed- for a time after this, but it was dearly apparent that West End were . playing far below their true form in both departments, while Haiti City were at tbe top of their game;- The Blue and Black forwards let the ball out frequently to J. Hay, at half, and tho little man got it away smartly in every instance, with tho result that tbe spectators were treated to the best passing display seen for k long time on a local ground. Through the negloot of the Haiti backs to lun straight, Dulamero and Coleman, the wing threequarters, were too often crowded on to the touch-lines, and niany chuuces were thus Iqafi of getting through. For some time it was only u matter of how long West End could withstand the Very soon the inevitable transpired. A splendid piece

of passing between J. Hay, Wylde Brown, and W. Hay gave Bangi the ball, and tbe olever erstwhilo Te Aute man bore down on the West End line in fine style. When almost on the line, and with what appeared a certain prospect of scoring, he most unselfishly shot the ball out to Dolamere; and the tall wing-tbreequarter hurled himself over Campbell, who pluckily took him low on the line, and scored amidst moat hearty cheering, .in recognition of a really first-class piece of combined passing. It was ono of the best bits put on for a very long time, and made tbe spectators wonder why they aro not oftenor treated to glimpses of this standard of Bugby football, Pufllst sent tho ball just outside the upright with tho kick at goul. From this on to half-time even jplay followed. Petorson and Brown wore prominent on

the West End side for good work. The teams crossed over with the scores standing: Haiti-City, 11 points ; West End, nil. The second spoil was more evenly con-

tested, but the play was generally in favor of Haiti City, who added two more tries, one of which . was converted by Pufflet. Had it not been for over-eagerness, and inability to take advantage of the openings which presented themselves, the Haiti soore must have 1 boon largely increased Joe Newton covered himself with glory by making a sensational run from the centre of the held, and scoring near to the posts. Ho showed he has rare pace, and was

loudly choorod. PufUct placed a .goal. Not long before the whistle went for time asorumwas formed near the West End Une. The blacks shot the ball out to their

backs'-'eo smartly that they were taken by surprise, and no one was there to receive it. . Bali came round quickly, and, snapping 4 up the ball, beat Campbell, the full-back, and scored an easy try. No goal resulted. The whistle went shortly afterwards, and Kaiti-City thus won by 19 points (two goals from tries, a penalty goal, and two tries) to nil, Russell, the ,Kaiti-City full-back, deserves a little paragraph all to himself. He hadalotof work to do, and never made a mistake. The clover manner in which he got in his kiok whan-surrounded by opponents called fortlwtitiws on several occasions. / . ; -5.’ It is hard to account for the result*. It was certainly not what anyone expected, Kaiti-City has had a good team all through the season, and great thingf were always expected of them, but'still it came as a surprise on Saturday when thoy played up, to reputation. The backs were reconstructed, add the change was aertainly for the betters; W. Hay took VVylde-Brown’s place at centre thcea quarter, the latter going five-eighth,' while J. Hay went soruin-half. A. Coleman was played wing three-quarter, and Bangi (Tolago and Te Aute) made a clever and useful extra five-eighth. ; Ball did an immense amount of work at wing-forward, and was always about in the passing rushes. Pufflet was promoted from the junior ranks, aod his plaoe-kicking justified his inclusion, while he also played a good, honest game. The forwards surprised everyone by their superiority in the soruuis, while, their work was fu.l of life and vigor throughout. Where all played so well, it 'seems scarcely fair to individualise, but we cannot' refrain , from naming Martin, Newton, and Bright I for consistent enorgy Dunning, an exPonsonby (Auckland) player, made a first appearance as a forward. His work as a front ranker wa3 highly spoken of, but he was suffering from a bad throat, and for a - tinia during the second spell bad to retire. West End’s showing is hard to account for. They have had worse teams in the field, bud none that oyer played so listlessly. Though Williams Jed his men well, and strove to chook the stampede by all the wiles he is master of, It cannot but be admitted that-West End are a muoh stronger side when led by Louis Sherriff. The latter general seems able to get the maximum amount of effort out of eaoh man, and had ho been in oomnaand on Saturday, though he could not have saved his side from defeat, the rout would not have been so utter; Brown, who made a re-appearance after a prolonged spell as the result of the accident he raoeived at the beginning of the season, was the best of the backs. He plays the game in the true spirit, and is never seen to such advantage as when revelliDg in defensive work. Poananga was also a tower of strength, and Nolan kiekod and collared ! well. Boderiok and Burns were out of it r,n the wings. Of the forwards, Petersen, Morrissey, Wepiho, Williams, and Somervell wore the most prominent, though none, except perhaps the first named two, played up to real from. , - ■ P Two 40-minute spells were played. The - ca me was controlled by Mr W. Gibson, " • Sjjnd Messrs A. W. Bees and J; Gibson ’ we re the line-umpires. JUNIOR TRIAL. .A trial matoh was played on No. S A T in-view of the lumor representa fixture hero with Hawke’s Bay or t . iv6 t ls t The teams were practically le S same as selected, and an interestm, th was in favor of the A team, wh, 88 lightly superior. No scores wer 6 IS ball be“g kicked out from thi : , alter each try had been scores Mr W MoOredie was referee, and gav i ,{£ pl»yw» 80faeu89(ul coaching, Man

of tho junior 3 complain that Mr McCredio was the only one of the selectors who gave the trial match their undivided attention. Tho ropresentativo fixture 13 not far off, and tho selectors have little enough time to make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the individual qualifications of the large number of candidates they have to select from. We are pleased to hear that Mr McCrodie has agreed to take the backs in hand as soon as tho final selection is made, and we should like to boo a competent coach, such as Louis Sherriff, offer to fill a similar office for the forwards. Saturday’s trial showed there is fine material among tho juniors, but it is in a crude state as yet, and will require polishing up before we can expect to turn tho tables on the Hawke’s Bay juniors, who so signally defeated our boys at Napier last season.

WELLINGTON v. WAIRARAPA.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. r Wellington, last night,

Two teams were sent into tho country by the Wellington Rugby Union yesterday, one to Wuirarapa and the other to Leviu. Tho first-named was bcaton by 8 points to 3, and the second by 13 points to 9.