FOOTBALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1931, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

EXCELSIORS V. COBDEN.

The senior game took place on Cass Square on Saturday afternoon, and ) resulted in a draw, three points each, Excelsiors score being a penalty goal kicked by Stevenson, and Cobden a / try by Birehfield. Both scores were ‘ made in the first spell. ; ‘ There was a light drizzle most of the time play was is progress and the ground was heavy and wet following heavy, rain earlier in the day. The play throughout was a most disappointing nature, the handling, after making all allowances for a wet and heavy ball being .‘at times atrocious. Perhnps the worst offender among the two teams was Davidson. His attempts at passing were of a shocking nature, unworthy of ; a new must less one of his reputed class. Passes rolled along the ground time after time, let his team mates down badly, all through the game, -while his attempts at kicking were not much better. His opposing half Garing, on the contrary, gave one of the best exhibitions on the ground and was continually in the picture In the first half Excelsiors attacked for nearly all the spell, but they could do nothing right, and , though their efforts at passing failed badly time after time, they did not change their tactics. About the only • time Cobden got to the Excelsior line in the first spell they went over the line near the corner to score. Excelsiors < continued to attack, and though Mar* tyn had two shots within fair range, he could do , not and It was not till near half time that q penalty in front of the posts was given to Stevenson who piloted the-ball well between the uprights. The second half was of a more even nature, but the play was of an extremely poor nature, the greasy ground causing the players to loose their foothold, and there was. nothing of a fin.f';' ished nature, many openings by both sides being missed. The play was ! jV : mostly confined to the forwards, but whenever the hall went, out to the ' X backs a let down resulted, and no one stood out in particular for any continued success at handling. Ultimately after' both sides had nearly had scores put against them, full time was called with the scores even, and this was a syery fair position of the game, as neither side deserved to win. Mr D. Heenan was referee.

■RIVALS V. • BLAKETOW'N. On the B ground at .Victoria Park, Rivals. tinfeated . Blaketown by 14 points to- nil. Play - had been m progress only about ftwenty minutes in the second spell, ..when it was decided to abandon . the ggame. : The match was thirty-five mintittis late in • starting. Mr ■W. Pring was referee.

This game was played in a cold southerly and driving -.rainy United won by 6 points (two tries by Baldwin) to 3 points (a try by Buchanan). ' T/ 2?'BULLEB BEAT . MAORIS. ~ w PREVAIL. c r ...v • ' Telegraph—Per Press Association) v 'o\ ■ ,— — / ... . WESTPORT, August. 29... * On a, greasy ;field in, drizzling rain, Buller (the Seddon . Shield holders) maintained their unbeaten recprd for the season by. defeating the Maori touring! team by 8 points to 7. . ■ "The Buller forwards vyere the deciding factor in "the- gaine, more than holding their-own with the opposition, while the- backs, though not brilliant in attack, played.,a; magnificent " defensive game, tackling the fast-moving’ Maoris with great, determinaiton. : Gobda.ll opened Buffer's score in a race over the, line and a- dive for the ball. Later Holder; with a brilliant run, cut out Ruru, and sold the dummy to McDonald, •••to> score a pretty try wide but, which the same player converted. Thp Maoris set up some vigorous passing runs, hut vigorous tackling by Buller backs and a difficulty m handling the greasy ba!U nullified their efforts. Eventually they , were rewarded with a try, scored by Brooking, : following a line out, but -Ruru failed to convert, and the spell ended 8 to 3 in * Buller’s favour. f On resuming, the Maoris, with, a good breeze behind them, set up a series of attacks on Buffer's line, hut time and again the local forwards came up the field with sweeping rushes, which the visitors found difficulty in. stopping. Inside halfway Morrison dropped for' goal, the referee giving him the decdsion, although the general opinion seemed to be that the ball dropped just under the bar. Maoris .7; Buller 8. ' '' > I

/ For the rest of the game, the visitors tried hard to open .up, the play, and they made some brilliant dashing runs, but the Buller defence was sound, and at’times defence was changed to attack, but without an alteration of the score, Buller thus winning by 8 points to 7. ,

For the visitors Manihera, Brooking, Leach, Jones and Ferris (forwards), and Watson, Ruru, McDonald and Hoihaia (backs) were outsanding; while of the locals McNeight, Goodall, Grogan and Gardiner (forwards) and Holder, Griffiths and Graham (backs) were the most prominent. N.Z. TEAM TO PLAY AUSTRALIA. CHRISTCHURCH, August 30. The "following team has been selected to represent New Zealand in the Test match-against Australia, at Auckland on. Sepember 12:— Full-haifpt: R. G. Bush (Otago). Threb|quarters: N. Ball (Wellington), C. J. Oliver (Canterbury), G. F. Hart (Canterbury). Five-eighths: H. T. Lilburne (Wellington), W. A. Strang (South Canterbury). Half-back: M. Corner (Auckland). Wing-forward : F. Solomon (Auckland) . ' Hookers; A. I. Cottrell (Canterbury), E. Jessup (Wellington). Lock: E. R. G. Steere (Hawkes Bay). » Supports: G. Purdue (Southland), D. Max (Nelson). Back row : W. Batty (Auckland), T, Metcalf (Southland). Emergencies: Back, J. I). Mackay (Wellington); forward, G. D. Anderson (Hawkes Bay). CANTERBURY'S WIN. AGAINST AUSTRALIANS. CHRISTCHURCH, August 29. Canterbury defeated the Australian Rugby touring, team at Lancaster Park to-day by 16 points to 13. The game was started in cold, overcast weather, but the ground and ball were dry. Half way through, a light drizzle began, and it continued, still light, until the end of the game. The visitors showed excellent form—better than Canterbury—but the luck of the ;" play was against them. , The Australian forwards were heavier, man for man,' and they won most of the scrums. The backs handled be'tter, and generally were faster, than Canterbury. Australia led s —o at halfr time, and deserved a bigger•" lead, for the Canterbury team had •not settled down-, p the first half. After this the score seesawed, and was 13 all, until some minutes ,before the cal) of time Australia were penalised frequently for lifting in the scrums, and Roberts profited by one 'bf these infringements to put Canterbury .ahead with a penalty goal. The Australians were attacking hotly when time was called. The .teams were ;• — Australia:—Full back, Ross; threequarters, Hemingway, Cowper, Tow- <***»; Palmer; five-eighth, -Malcolm; forwards,. Cerutti, Bonis, Blair, Judd, White, Perrin, Palfreyman and Clarke. Canterbury (—Roberts • Hart, Innes, Williams ; Oliver, Day; -lullan; Andrews, Cottrell, Pease, Simpson, Kearney, Manchester, King and Sweeney. Canterbury won the first few scrums; but their efforts to open up play were smothered, and play settled in Can 7 terbury. territory. ’ There was a thrill when, from a . scrum three yards from

the Canterbury line, a Canterbury man pass to Day, whose clearing kick was smothered by Hemingway, and the ball bumped over the line. Fortunately Roberts won the race for the ball, and forced.'". The referee kept a " firm hold on the game, and penalties were fairly frequent.- From one of these Robert.!.

I’us't- failed to goal. The first" score came from beyond half,.way.. The Aus 7 traffan hacks secured from a scrum and Primrose, running across the field, outstripped the opposition, ~ and gave iCowper a straight run down the field. 'When he met Roberts jb-e gave the ball to -Towers, who scored unopposed. Ross goaled—Australia' 5 ; Canterbury nil. .

■ Canterbury made valiant efforts to equalise the scores, t but the visitors won most of the scrums, and gave the ball- to their backs, who proved a much more dangerous attacking combination . that the home side. One

movement,, which bfoke down a-fc the Canterbury 26, was perhaps the most spectacular of the match. Malcolm

set his'backs going on the bund side, and Towers brought in a group of the forwards in an excellent bout °f passing, in which nine men handled at speed and with greatest sureness. ' Canterbury met a stout defence in their efforts at attack, and never until near half-time did they look /like scoring. ;It was a fine dashing rush, but Towers rescued his full baick from a tight corner, and the spell ended with the score s—o in favour of Australia. In the second spell a few nondescript rushes put Canterbury on attack early, and they kept up the pressure. A alty relieved, and the Australian forwards charged after the kick. Towers carried on, and a score seemed certain, when Hart dashed across to find the line. The Canterbury forwards now improved greatly, and at the end of a forward struggle in midfield, King broke away and passed to Mullan, who (Roberts goaled.—Canterbury 5, Australia 5.

Soon afterwards, .vlullan passed from a scrum to Day, who drew the defence and passed to 01’ver, bnll on to Andrews and to Innes, \who scored. ißoberts goaled.—Canterbury 10, Australia 5. ' v. In a great scramble, Bonis scored for •Australia near the corner, and a magnificent kick by Ross evened the score again.—Australia 10, Canterbury 10. Again the visiting backs moved off brilliantly. Towers cut in and passed to Hemingway, and the winger ran xovujd behind the posts. Ross missed

the easiest kick.—Australia 13, Canterbury 10. Canterbury evened with a penalty goal by Roberts, when the Australian forwards lifted in the scrum in front of the goal posts.—Canterbury 13, Australia 13.

The final score came from a penalty awarded to' Canterbury in front of •Australia’s goal. 'Roberts’ kick was safe.—Canterbury 16, Australia 13. With a few minutes to go, Australia attacked fiercely, -and were almost across several times. WELLINGTON V. OTAGO. WELLINGTON, August 29. After a fast, exciting game, Wellington defeated .Otago at Athletic Park to-day by 13- points to li, the difference in the points being the conversion of one try. Each side scored. two tries, and a penalty goal each was kicked, by Nicholls for Wellington, aud by Souter for Otago. Nichon’s converted both of Wellington’s tnes, but Souter missed with one kick

Throughout the game was played at a great pace. The Wellington backs played a better attacking game than did Otago, and were usually more dangerous, especially after the ball had got out as fur as the centre-three quarter, Page, and the wingers, Mackay and Ball. Otago had a slight advantage in the forwards. Wellington won the toss, and the kick off the Otago forwards took part in two short runs, and were attacking for some time, and, until a long kick by Pollock relieved. Barry and Jessep were prominent in n counter rush by Wellington forwards, but it was not long before the Otago men were back again In Wellington's terri* tory. About fifteen minutes from the Btart, both sides threw the ball about in great -style, and play flashed from one end of the field to the other. Just before halftime, after Otago had been attack persistently, a liine-out was j formed close to Wellington’s line. Otago secured, and after short passing between the inside backs, the ball was given to Cavanagh, who scored. Souter converted, and half time came with Otago leading, s—o. Three minutes after the second spell opened, Wellington was given a penalty in a handy position, and Nicholls goaled. Only a few minutes later, Wellington hooked from the scrum at halfway, and Coman sent the ball along the line to Mackay on the wing, who beat the opposing winger, Robilliard, and centred. The ball went over the Otago j line, and. after an exciting scramble for the ball, the other Wellington winger managed to foree a down not far from the dead ball line. Nicholls converted. For some time play was fairly even, with the Wellington backs showing up in several attractive movements. Near ,ha If way, however, Otago forwards got away, and R. Allan, Simon, Hore and R. Allan, again handled in an excellent short passing rush, which ended in Allan scoring. Souter hit the post with the kick. The game was 'ldayed”'at“nn'”'even« pace from the kick off, aud both full backs were called upon frequently. After a period of indecisive play, Price made a great opening, and set Nicholls, Lib burue and Page going in one of the best movements of the match. Page had a clear run, and sprinted to score in a handy position. Nicholls converted-’ Otago replied with a forward movement, which eventually took play to the Wellington line. Reid and Mackay cleared temporarily, but Cavanagh and Souter were prominent in rushes which brought play back to the 25. Ther e Otago was awarded a penalty, and Souter put the kick over, The final stages were exciting, each side playing an open, fast game. Otago could not score again, however. The refereee was Mr R, J. P-aton.

WELLINGTON COLTS WIN. DANNEVIRKE, August 29. Wellington Colt's 24, beat Daimevirke 12. HAWKES BAY V. MANAWHE-NUA. NAPTER, August 29. In a game which was fast in- the first spell, but somewhat dull in the second half, Hawkes Bay to-day defeated Manawihenua by 13 points to 10. SOUTH CANTERBURY Y. NORTH OTAGO. TIMARIT, August 29. In the return match played to-day. South Canterbury ’defeated North Otago by 38 points to 10. The winners were In great form in the first half, and despite a greasy -ball, made the game fast and open. The ground, in the second half, out up badly, and play was confined to the forwards. Rain fell throughout the match.