INTERCOLONIAL FOOTBALL

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 973, 20 August 1903, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL FOOTBALL

LAST MATCH OF THE TOUR.

AGAINST COMBINED COUNTRY/ DISTRICTS.

VICTORY FOR NEW ZEALAND BY 32 POINTS TO NIL.

By; .Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. Received 7.30 p.m., Aug. 10. SYDNEY, Aug. 10. There was fine weather, and a fair attendance witnessed the last match of the tour, New Zealand v Combined Country Districts. The New •Zealanders were carrying their new tenner. The visitors won the toss, Wood captaining the team. Kiernan got an easy mark within the first few mirutes, from which Wallace made a beautiful kick, the ball just snaving the post on the outside. Play then went back to centre, and the 'blacks rushed into the Country 35. From a rush on the line, in which Kiernan, Wood, and Asher .were prominent, the latter scored. Wallace failed to convert at a difficult angle. New Zealand, 3 ; Country, n». Play continued in the local ground but a mark temporarily relieved the danger, and then Borland and Mair headed a grand rush right down on to the New Zealand mie. The visitors played all they knew to prevent a score, and eventually the tension was slackened by off-side play on the part of a local player, which gave New Zealand a free-kick. The local men were almost continuously on the defensive, hut their good tackling prevented the New .Zealanders getting in. A free-kick to the Country removed play, to the centre-, but the New Zealanders

started a fine rush, Wood finally picking up and passing to Asher, who scored, .Wallace placing a fine, goal New Zealand, 8 ; Country, 0. On resuming, New Zealand again became aggressive, and a passing rush, in which Gallagher, Wood, Kiernan, R. McGregor, and £>. McGregor took part, enabled the lastnamed to cross the line. Wallace failed in ,the shot at goal. New Zealand, 11 ; Country, 0. Mair rushed the ball down into New Zealand ground, and Wallace returned, but play promptly returned and the New Zealanders were forced. The locals secured a mark, and Kenna had a try at goal, the ball falling short. Country at this ti.me were playing a fine game, asnd again compelled tno visitors to force Shortly afterwards, half-time ,was called, the score standing : New Zealand, 11 ; Country, 0. Shortly after resuming, Wood wound up a fine run with a pass to .Gallagher, who got over, but Wallace failed to increase the total.

New Zealand, 14 ; Country, 0. Once the hall was in play again, New, Zealand attacked the Country

lino, but the situation was relieved by, a free kick. After give-and-take play in centre field, a free kick sent the leather down into local territory, and Given made a desperate effo

tto score, being upset just in ■the nick of time. From the lineout,Gallagher .whipped the bjail on to Wood, thence to Stead, and to D. McGregor, who carried it down to the local line, when Gallagher, who vvas. playing a fine game, gave Asher a very fast pass ; but the Aucklander knocked on, and spoiled ,what locked like a certain score. The struggle was (maintained in Country’s twenty-five, and from a fifteenyards’ scrum, Kiernan secured the leather and passed to Wood who in turn gave it to D. McGregor, who potted at goal, but missed. From a penalty kick given against the local men for lifting of foot in a scrum, Wallace made a poor attempt at goal. From the line out, Kiernan passed to R. McGregor, and the •bah went ini yjuick succession to Wood, Stead, and D. McGregor, the latter getting across between the posts. Wallace augmented, and the score read—

New Zealand, 19 ; Country, 0

On resuming, McMinn charged down; he lost the ball, but another New Zealander, Tyler, was handy, and snapping it up, whipped over the Jine. The kick at goal, though an easy one, was missed by, Wallace. New Zealand, 22 ; Country, 0. Play was soon again in the Country’s ground, and a fine rush, in which Stead passed to Wood, then to I). McGregor, allowed the latter to get over, and WaHja.ce scored , the major points. New Zealand, 27 ■; Country, 0. The hall was immediately, back in the local quarters, where McMinn made a great effort to get over, hut once more lost the ball. From a scrum Kiernan, D. McGregor, Wood, Stead, and Asher were instrumental in working the game towards their opponents’ line, when Asher, with a fine feinting run, got over and Wallace kicked a fine goal. New Zealand, 32 ; Country, 0. Shortly after Dix, got a mark, and Kenna had a shot at goal, hut Gallagher intercepted. From a line out Walsh rushed down on New Zealand, hut Asher threw him out. From the line out Wood and Stead removed play down the field, and there it 1 was when time was called, the score standing— : NEW ZEALAND 32 COMBINED COUNTRY ... 0