THE INTERPROVINCIAL FOOTBALL MATCH.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1416, 29 August 1878, Page 3

THE INTERPROVINCIAL FOOTBALL MATCH.

[By Telegraph.] [KBOM THS]tfOKBBBPONDENT OP THE PRESS.] L Dunedin, August 28. The football match between Canterbury and Otago, which has been looked forward to with such expectation by both provinces, came off this afternoon, on the Caledonian Ground, Kensington. Owing to the late rains the ground was in a very sloppy condition, and no brilliant play could be expected on either side. About 11 o’clock this morning there was some doubt expressed as to whether it would be possible to play at all, as it was raining hard, and there did not appear much prospect of its clearing up ; but the strong wind blew the clouds away, and about half-past two the sun was shining brightly, and it continued fine until the end of the match. The following were the names and ; positions of the players. Canterbury—Hammer sley (captain), Chapman, Lewin, Milton, D. Potts, Tavender, Bolton, Jacks, Fields, and Jones, forwards; Hammerton and G. Potts, half backs; Verity, three-quarters back; TTn.TniU.fin and Reeves, backs. Otago —Thomson (captain), Mills, Wyncks, Turton, McKinnon, Robb, Holland, Westenra, Nichol, forwards) Rose and A. Cargill, half backs; Sweete and Murray, three-quarter backs ; Allen and McLean, backs. Umpires, Messrs Neilson and Sleigh; referee, Mr Inchlie; timekeeper, Mr Dixon. The Taranaki not having arrived in time, Baker was unable to play. Hammersley, winning the toss, of course took advantage for the first half-hour of the half gale of wind that was blowing right up the ground. Thomson kicked off, the ball being well returned by Milton. The first scrimmage was formed in the Otago twenty-five yards, It was soon evident that Otago, when playing against the wind, intended to keep the ball in the scrimmages, as much as possible, but they were not able to force the ball out of their twenty-five yards, and it was nothing but a series of scrimmages from the beginning to the end of the first half hour. Otago was, however, compelled to touch-down once in self-defence. In the second spell Canterbury had the wind in their teeth, and they adopted the same tactics as their opponents, keeping the ball in the scrimmage as much as possible. Rose, with a long punt, sent the ball well into the Canterbury territory, and Mills followed up well, the scrimmage was formed close to the Canterbury goal line, but the Reds were on their mettle, and Hammerton, with a brilliant dash, took the ball safely to the touch lines, Spon after this Otago forced Canterbury to touch down, and after that there was nothing but hot scrimmages until the end of the halfhour. Canterbury again getting the wind in their favor, soon had the ball in the Dunedin 25 yards, and Hammerton even got in behind the line with the ball in his hands, but unluckily let it slip, and so missed his chance of getting a touch-down. In the last halfhour Dunedin did their utmost to score, but Canterbury played even better than they had done in the preceding half-hour, G. Rotts especially distinguishing himself by making a magnificent run down the touch lines. When time was called the ball was pretty well in the middle of the ground, and so one of the hardest fought matches ever played in New Zealand ended in a draw. From the beginning tp the end it was entirely a forwards game, the backs hardly ever touching the ball. The Canterbury men were somewhat heavier than Otago, but for all that Otago well held their own in tight scrimmages, but in loose ones there was no comparison, Canterbury being much the best. As regards the half-back play, it is really very hard to tell who had the best of it, Rose, Cargill, Hammerton, and Potts, all playing so brilliantly. Cargill being such a tiny fellow (Bst 41bs), of course brought down the gajlery. Verity played well as three-quarter back, but the ground was too slippery for Sweete, who $d not play quite in his old form. The Ijaoks hud really very little to do, and even that was done badly. This was evidently the weak point of both teams. Amongst the forwards, those who especially distinguished themselves were Mills, Hammersley, Boltin, Wyncks, Turton, Milton, and H.Jottl.