Inter=Island Football. NORTH V. SOUTH. (By Free Lance Special.) Auckland, Wednesday.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 165, 29 August 1903, Page 16

Inter=lsland Football. NORTH Y. SOUTH. (By Free Lance Special.) Auckland, Wednesday.

THE fact of the Noith and South Island match being played on an off day had no effect on the attendance, there being fully ten thousand people present. Asher was absent from the North Island team, having run down to Tauranga to see his people. His absence caused a slight alteration in the back division, Harrison playing three-quarter, and Humphries filling Harrisons position at tun back. # The day was an ideal one for football, and the ground was in splendid order. E. McGregor (North) and M. Wood (South) were the respective captains. * * ♦ The honours were fairly even during the early part of the game, North attacking most, but the forward rushes of the South team were predominant features of the play at this stage. The North secured the ball from a serum, and a passing run between Keirnan, McGregor, and Wilson followed. Wilson cut in nicely, and scored a good try, Kiernan easily converting. Play was up and down the field after this score, and shortly Lavery made a clever run into the North's twenty-fi\e. His forwards earned the ball on, and Given got acioss the line with it in his possession, but there lost it, and Scott, who was handy, registered the opening score for the South team. The second half was all in favour of the Southerners, the vanguard going great auns. Stead snapped the ball up and went over. The North were on the defensive all the time. Wood secured the ball, and after a clever run scored under the posts. The North had now gone from bad to worse, the tackling of the backs being very feeble, as was evidenced when D. McGregor scored his try. He made a clever feinting run right through the opposing back division. The weakness of the Northern backs was their tackling, and inability to find the touch-line with their kicks. * * * Humphries fielded well, tackling soundly, and was a remarkable success at fullback. Wilson was the pick of the three-quar-ters, tackling well, but was placed at a disadvantage owing to a nasty knock he received on the leg during the game. Winiata was a frost at centre threequarter. He was tried on the wing in the second spell, but his tackling was miserable and he never attempted to stop a rush. Harrison was very uncertain. His weak tackling was a surpnse, and he will need to improve to justify his inclusion in the Auckland team on its Southern tour. R. McGregor worked like a Trojan. He did all the stopping there was done on the Northern side, but was too well marked to get far. There is a persistent rumour going round that he will not be able to get leave for the^ Southern tour. His absence from the "team will weaken it considerably. Keirnan opened well, passing out smartly in the first spell. He shows no deterioration in his play. The forwards were beaten badly, piobably due to staleness. They were at their best in the heavy work, but were behind the opposing vanguard in the loose. McDuff was faiily successful as lock. Nicholson and Spenctr were the pick of the forwards. Long was never in the hunt. Gallaher played a fine game on the wing, but Armstrong was very poor, showing no dash. * * * The Southern backs got on some good combined rushes, but generally the ball •was mulled at the conclusion of these attacks. It was noticeable that the scores were obtained by individual efforts. Turtill was a bit weak at full back. His line kicking was splendid, when playing three-quarter m place of Thomson, who hurt his leg. Thomson had no chances to attack, and his defence was never tested. Lavery showed fine form at centre three-quarter, his kicking being excellent. D McGregor was at his best in the second spell. The attacking work suited him, and he worked well in unison with Wood and Stead.

"Wood was in great f O im, and he was very noticeable m the loose rushes. His try was the result of a very tncky run. Stead's display was marked by soundness all through. Harvey put in some clevei line-kicking and smart passing. The forwards were in great nick, screwing the scrums in good style, mainly due to Fanning, who gave a fine exhibition. The new men— Jenkins, McNie and Horgan — showed excellent fomi. Given played a rattling game in the open, and Porteous's play was marked principally with willingness.

Here is a new "spieler" story. Three men passed down the gangway of an inward-bound steamer, and stood on Queen's Wharf a few days ago. Two of them had the appearance of spielers, whilst the third looked like a young and green new arrival. The heart of a

plulantlnopist yearned over the latter, to whom a solemn caution was administered as to the pitfalls of the city, v, ith special reference to the tortuous ways of confidence men. The young man smiled his thanks, and said he was "all right." The next day he visited the philanthiopist, and told a doleful tale of woe, the burden of which was that he had been "taken down" by the two men aforesaid, who had left him nothing but the valuable diamond ring which, he T\ore on his fino-er. He had never been to a paw nshop in his life, he said, and would esteem it a favour if the philanthropist would buy the 1 ring at a bedrock price. The sale was effected. The buyer gave his blessing and some more good advice to the vendor, Mho seemed deeply moved. But. Alas ' the truth was soon out. The ling was bogus, the "young green new arrival" was the pal of the other two, and the good philanthropist had been badly "left."