AUCKLAND V. CANTERBURY. RESULT: THREE POINTS EACH.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 217, 27 August 1887, Page 2

AUCKLAND Y. CANTERBURY. RESULT: THREE POINTS EACH.

Auckland Aug, 17. A short and concise descriptive account of the football match between Auckland, and Canterbury appeared in our third edition yesterday -afternoon, but the importance of the event and the universal interest manifested in it justify a full leport, which we accordingly present to-day. '' he teams were as follows : — Canterbury. — Fullback : Richards. Threequarteis : Allardyce, Fiancib (captain), Wilson. Halves: Donnelly, Roberts. Forwards : Sutherland) Moiv, Berwick, Harris, Homer, Torlesse, Bean, Blanchard, Dow. Auckland :— Fullback ; Lubk. Tlueequarters : Whiteside, .Madigan. Halves : Con way, A. Braund, Elliott. Wing men : Arneil (captain), Wooller. Foi wards: O'Connor, Lindsay, Lecky, Twiname, Keefe, Marshall, Poland. The weights were given in our last issue, and it i*-. unnecessary to repeat them. Francis won the toss, and elected to deiend the northern goal. Accordingly i\vneil, at , % > precisely, kicked oil", with the ■wind against him. The return was a low and- weak punt, from which Wooller got a mark. WiJson next received the ball, and punted out of bounds on tho further touchline. A packed serum followed the throwin, and the hall being heeled out, A. Biaund picked it up and parsed to Elliott, •who in turn passed back to Madigan, but the <-!rafton back had not gone far before ho was thrown by Francis close to tho touchline. Some scrummaging 1 ensued, and then Donnelly getting the bal! punted with ; good judgment well down the field, but-, VVlntes.de anticipated the onward rush of the forwards by a leturn into touch, which saved half the distance made by his adversary's punt. The throw in led to a close- j packed scrum, in which for a moment Canterbury seemcl to have the idvantage, but the opinion had hardly time to take shape, when Auckland lesponded with an answering z'ally that equalised matteis. The balf went out on the Canterbury side, and Donnelly picking it up punted down to A. Braund, w ho w as collared cie he could do anything with the leather. Auck]md now showed up to advantage. O'Con'ior and Lindsay came away with the ball, and thtn Aineil getting it p-issed with promptitude to Conway, who was speedily collaied, and tho oval Vent out of bounds. After tho throw in Elliott cleverly took a lotion p,i?s and started oft. Finding lie was be=eij he passed neatly to Whiteside, and this player, getting close up to the goallirc. V- 1^ 0^ to who, although tackled, -ruck determinedly to the leather, and, closing the goal-line \\ ith it, touched down. The ivniphe-, however, pionounced u a hand ball, and for that reason called it back. A. Biaund reached the ball next ■fi om the on Canterbury's side of the .jO, and punted down to 25. Canteibuiy responded with a rush which A. Biaund stopped in good style. Another scrum, and then the ball was heeled out to Elliott, who made a capital run, fending so strongly thatlw oof theSouthemcrsmcasuied their length on tho turf befoie he was held. The Canterbury forwards next came away with the oval, but Madigan, picking it up Sinaitly from their feet, made a good inn befoie he was brought down. The AucUlandeis were now on their mettle, and A. Biaund, parsing cleanly to Whitonde, %a\u the ciack speelcrtheoppoitunity he wanted S ioce<.=fully fending the opposing backs, ho Kin aton"" the neaici touchline and fell over the gout line at the corner Hag, amid cheers, scoring fiist blood for Auckland within ten minutes from the start. Auckland, 1. Canterbury, 0. Arneil took the hick at goal and made a good attempt, but allowed rather too much for w indage, and the ball in consequence went a little wide. Francis kicked out and Ameil made an e'rerh/e return. Fiancis punted in res\onse, and Whiteside returned into touch near the 50 Hag. Auckland forced the packed scrum which followed, and Canterbury dribbled the leither back, when it went into touch. A. Braund obtained a jnark from the throw in, and Francis returned well down the field. Wooller started on a dribble, bat the opp f-ing foiua.ds followed suit, whereupon Whiteside kicked into touch li-^bt acrci the ground to the further or Manukau side. Loose scrummaging went on for some moments, and then Donnelly seeming the ball parsed l acidly back to Wilson, who, fumpling in his catch, was held by the Auckland forwards before he could profit by tho pass. Donnelly again picked up the ball from the scrum, but it sipped through hi- linger.-, and Elliott at once pounced upon it, but was collared by Roberts as he was getting away with it. Donnelly, who was now signalizing himself by cdert play, obtained a mark, and fiom Arneil's return Robots also mraked. Lindsay went oft' v ith a diibble, but the ball had been knocked on, and was therefoie called back. A hard kick by Beswick along the ground drove the ball HO to Mndigmij who stumbled in picking it up and was immediately thrown by the Southern hea\y weight just inside Auckland's 25, m hich was now invaded for the fust time. The Canterbury forwauls heeled out from the scrum to Donnelly, who passed back .sharply to Francis (the dreaded pot shot), but the latter mulled his pot at goal, and Lusk forced down. Arneil kicked out and Donnelly wade an effective return. Lusk punted high, and Madigan seconded the ctloit with ashoitiun. Fiancis kicked into touch, and fiom the nc\t scrum again received the ball at tho hands of his eve.i-attcntivo henchman Donnelly, but was held before he could use it. A packed scrum ensued, in which the Auckland forwards, by sheer strength, foiced their opponents before them, Roberts dodged round and picked up the ball, only to be at once embiaccd and held. Auckland broke away with a good dribble, which Francis .stopped by picking the leather up and punting out of bound.-. Tho play was now in neutral territory A. Braund checked a )u.-h, and Auckland then made a charge, Madigan finishing it with a short run and Whiteside with a kick along the giound. Allardyce returned the ball, and A. Biaund marked. He kicked y/ell, and Arneil, failing to hold Allardyce, the latter punted right down to Lusk. The forwards followed up well, and Lusk, instead of returning promptly, allowed himself to be thrown with the ball in his own 25. Beswick came through Hie scrum, looking dangerous with the ball at his toe, but Whiteside picked up smartly, and punted out of bounds. Marshall, Wooller, and Elliott, by a last piece of dribbling, brought tho play back to neutral tcnitory, and an answering rush by Blanchard and Berwick was slopped by A. Braund. Harris and Bean next broke ay/ay, but A. Braund \s body again covered the oval. Tho Canterbury forwards began to evince a decided penrhant for offside play, and in the .scrums they continually erred in this respect. Auckland, on tho contrary, was sadly neglecting her backs, who again and again Gould have been utilised to signal advantage. Wilson on the other side secured the ball by a long pass, and brought it to Auck-

land's 25 flag, whenc^Svithoy.ltwiji^^p'Hi ifc still furfchei' ahead, bub being 1 oft' sida he was called back. Lindsay started to dribble, but Sutherland picked up and passed neatly to Francis, who,, from his position in front of the Auck-' land goal, made a quick and successful pot shot. Canterbury, 3; Auckland, 1. ! Donnelly received the ball from the kick outy but was very smartly collared by Wooller bofore he could make his return. A. Braund stopped a rush; and .Roberts punted along the touch-line. Auckland's rush was neutralised by a first-class punt from' Wilson. A. Braund stopped a rush, and then Roberts, getting the uall from the scrum, passed dexterously betwoon hi 3 leg to Donnelly, who puntod along the touth-line close to Auckland's 25. Lecky came away with a brilliant display of dribbling, but the ball had been handled, and after making good piogross, he was called back. Twiname and Wooller took up the parable, and also gave a creditable display of dribbling. Roberts made a run and passed to Allardyce, who went down befall Whitesido. Wooller got off with a dribble, but Francis picked up and punted into touch in Auckland's 25. After the ball had leturned to play Madigan received it by a punt from Donnelly, and, stopping too long (.0 dodge a man, lost his chance. The play verged nearer the Auckland goal-line,, but Marshall and Wooller headed a rush back, and Donnelly punted out of bounds. From the throw-in Donnelly marked, and Wilson took a place kick at goal,, but the attempt was wide. Arneil forced down, and then kicked out. Francis's return was mulled by the alertness of the Auckland forwards. A dribble by Beswick was stopped by Elliott, and A. Bcaund picking up trom the scrum made a good long punt into touch. Lindsay broke through the serum, but was stopped by Robert-3, who punted to Madigan, and the latter made a weak return. Kecfe next camo away, and then Wilson by a screw punt .sent the leather well down the field! Wooller and O'Connor went off with agood combined rush, and passing to Elliott, tho latter reached Canterbury territory before he was giassed. A kick iorwaid by Braund allowed Wilson to punt back,, and a neat bit of pacing between Lindsay, Conway, and Whiteside followed, but Whitesido had no chance to get away. Woollor and Lindsay in capital style dribbled the oval into the Canterbury quarter.-., where \\ ilson stopped them, and Lindsay got a severe kick on tho shin*. The ball leoeduJ, and then ensued one of tho clovereat incidents of the match. Elliott, taking a pass at the centre flag* ran down in tii st- class st>le to Canterbury's 25, and parsed to Madigan, v\h© ran on and passed again to Elliott. The latter, though tackled by three or foui hands, stuck to the ball, and, falling close to the goal-line, rolled over and over quickly as thought until he touched tlawn beyond tho lubicon. Auckland, l 2 ; Canterbury, 3. Lecky took tho kick, and only missed the goal by a couple of yards. Half -time was called immediately afterwards. Auckland had the v md in their favour in the second spell, but the advantage thus given them was not a very great one. Allaulyce kicked off for Canterbury, and Wooller retui ned by i\ lonjj low punt. Wilson kicked into touch at the half-way flag. A scrum was formed from the throw-in, and Auckland bioke through it with the ball in front of them. It was passed to Whiteside, and he got away amidst cheer.*, and made a grand run to the Can tei bury 25 flag, whoie he Mas collared by Fiancis. Some fast open play followed, and the smart combined play of the Canterbury forwards removed the scene of play to neutral tenitory. Several of the rods.' foi wards improved matteis for their side still further by a pretty dribble, but Elliott picked up the ball at an opportune moment and mado a good run. His course was, however, across the Held, and he lost ground rather than waincd it. He was run into touch at tho Auckland 25 Hag. The scrum formed from the throw-in was a hard-fought one, and Canterbury got through, their foi wards centiing well on the ball, which they brought tlnough at their toes. Braund was down upon it" in the twinkling of an eye, and inth-j scrum that followed the Auckland forwaidrf were more successful and canied their opponents before them by sheer strength and determination. Roberts got tho ball, and by a judicious punt into touch gained several yards for his side. The Cauteibury forwards again played up well, and charged dow n into the Auckland territory, but Whitesido was too smart for them, and relieved his side by a long punt. Arneil, Twiimmo, and. *J4ndsay foi lowed up, and by a capital display of foi ward play took the ball right down to the Canterbury 25, where their rush was stopped by Blanchard, who brought tho play back to the centre flag by a judicious kick into touch. Another scrum was formed from the throw in, and again Auckland got the best of it, but several of the Canterbury men got away on what threatened to be a dangerous dribble. Braund was again too quick for them, and to their evident modification dropped on the ball. Tho Canterbury men showed some bad form by their rough treatment of Braund in their desire to compel him to move from the oval, but he stuck to it pluckily till his own forwards were around him, and the crowd cheered him. Canterbury started off on another rush, and this time Whiteside cleverly threw himself on the ball just in time to prevent it from passing him. Canterbury had the best of tho forward play up till this time, but Auckland now began to pull themselves together. Three successive scrums were broken by tho blue-and-whites, and in the third, O'Connor, Twiname, and Arneil made a capital charge, and followed it up by a nice dribble which gained some ground. One of the Canterbury thiee-quarters relieved the pressure on his territory by a high punt, and Braund marked. Again some of tho Canterbury men endeavoured to tako advantage of him, and sought to bounce him out of his mark, and Whiteside and Lecky interfered on his behalf. Tho umpires allowed the claim, and Braund punted to the centre flag, Richardd returning the ball. The Canterbury forwards folloAved up underneath it, and gained a lot of ground by a combined rush. Sutherland passed very smartly to Roberts, who was collared. Canterbury were on the ball again in a moment, and Allardyce dribbled beautifully into the Auckland 25, when he was again stopped by Braund, who fell on the bull very pluckily. A moment later, Allardyce brought down upon himself the displeasure off the spectators by some very barefaced off-side play. The game was kept in the vicinity of the centre flag for some time, and Donnelly might have assisted his side had he chosen to kick from a heel out. He, however, essayed to run,and was promptly collared. Homer got through a scrum, and gained some ground for Canterbury. Auckland now began to show up again in the forward play, and Marshall, Lindsay, and Wooller wero conspicuous. Lindsay was cheered for a splendid dribble, which was stoppod by Richards. Whiteside immediately afterwards got the ball, and evading the Canterbury backs, got over ,the goal line and touched down behind tho posts. Tho ball was, however, called, back. The play was now in the Canterbury quarters, but a

itifcftcls to the centre $ug. Here one of ti&e Canter&wry backs ma«D» a pretty drop kkk, and Luete picked up tt&e Wl. He had am easy chan«© to kick, bwfe Jtoade the stupid mistake of running, and! was collared, and* Auckland lost considerable ground by hi* mistake. Immediately afterwards he had a/ free kick at the' same spot, and punted. Ono of the- opposing forwards ' touched the ball as it rose, and knocked it aver the touch - lino. Tho play was now getting uncomfortably close to the Auckland goal, and desperate efforts were made to change the- scene of warfare into safer ground. The Aucklanders were evidently afraid that' Francis might repeat his goal-potting exploit, and he was watched very closely, ami any attempt at passing on the part of the Canterbury backs was followed by an Auckland charge. Conway brought tho play back near to the Auckland 23 lino by a very good run, but he did not pass till he was collared, and then to ono of the opposing team. Moir and Hornor availed themsolvos of this opportunity to effect a good dribble, which took the play within J 0 yards of the Auckland goal line. Canterbury then charged pluckily, but an injudicious kick sent the ball over Auokland's* goal line, and Arneil securing it, Auckland was forced down. His kick-out was a poor one. The ball dropped into the arms of Moir, who was in the centre of the reds' forwards, and he marked in front of the Auckland goal, and a distance of about 30 yards from it. Wilson took tho kick for a place, but Whiteside and O'Connor charged down and stopped the bull when it was rising. It was fortunate that thoy did, as tho direction of the kick was good. Two or thrco packed scrums were formed in Auckland tenitory, and from one of these Roberts passed to Francis, who had a pot shot at Auckland's goal The spectators were breathless with excitement for a moment, and then gave expression lo their feeling© of relief in a cheer when they kuv the ball passing, harinles^lj' beneath the bar, but between the goal posts. Canterbury had shone biilliantly in the forward game up till this time, but in tho play that i olio wed they were wholly eclipsed by the Aucklandcrs. Our men were stimulated to renewed efforts by tha fact that the time was rapidly slipping away,, and they woro still a point behind in the .scoro.and they played with a degree of courage, dash, and combination that must have fairly astonished the visitors At all events,, it kept them very busily employed. With the ball in neutral territory, Marshall and. Whiteside took it down the field \\ ifch a splendid lush, and a score seemed certain. The spectators cheered vocifeiously, and Auckland made two determined charges into the Canterbury 25, and on both, occasions Francis sa\ed the visitors. Comyay a:id Madigan then took the ball well into the Canterbury tenitory by good run.?,, Madig.m especially fending, well. The ball went into touch, and from the throw in i cached Arneil, who was on the outer wing* He ran a few yards, but was m danger of being collared. If. be had passed to, Whiteside,, who was behind him, the result \KOuld have been, a ceitain f ajy, but he made a pot shot at goal. The kick was a wretched one, the ball rolling, along the ground.. Canterbury was forced down again. From the kickout, laisk returned with a good punt, and Francis sent th.9 ball back into touch. Auckland again charged brilliantly, and Kobeits stopped, their career, but our men woxc not to bo denied* and once more they were oft with the ball before them. Again they were stopped, and tho ball returned. Conway tlxeu got away with it, and made a very determined run, but finding him&elt obstructed, ho passed to Whiteside,, who missed it, when Conway again secureJ the oval, and with a dashing run carried it across the boundary line, falling on the ball, and securing the third try tor Auckland amidst enthusiastic cheering. The kick was entrusted to Lusk. It was a good attempt, but a yard or two wide of j the mark. The scoio was now even, i Auckland (three tries), 3 points. Canterbury (1 goal), t3 points. Immediately after the ball was kicked off Allardyce gob a-vv ay with it, and made a grand run. He succeeded in eluding all our men with the exception of Lusk, who grasped him by the back of the guernsey, and threw him into touch at the Auckland 25 flag. Auckland now broke through one scrum after another, and shone to great advantage in the open play, at the same making strenuous efforts to score. The Canterbury forwards were overmatched, and no soonev did ono of their backs touch the ball than he was charged and borne to the earth. The scene was one of the utmost excitement. Once, tho reds got the ball into Auokland territory, and Wilson made a shot at goal, but the ball only reached the, Auckland full-back. He punted and the ball was returned to the forwards. A scrum was formed, and the Aucklandors opened out to make way for Tim O'Connor, who tore along with a heavy stride with tho ball under his arm. He passed the Canterbury forwards and half-backs in fine style, and the spectators cheered him to the echo and were frantic with delight. Wilson made straight for the runner, but Tim put Out his ponderous arm and swept the active three-quarter out of his way as if ho had been a child. Again the spectators cheered and threw up their hats. Riohaids, the full-back, was the last to tackle him, and O'Connor also fended him, but in doing so stumbled and fell over his prostrate foo. The others closed over him in a moment. Tho play during the few minutes that followed was very desperate, and vacillated between Canterbury and neutral territory. The Aucklandors gave their opponents an exceptionally waim time of it, and if they had had a good pot shot behind the scrum, might have scored more than once. The attempts of the Aucklandors to increase tho j score further were, however, fruitless, and the game resulted in a draw as stated. Had the Auckland men adhered to the system of scoring that has heretofore prevailed hero, they would have won the match by three points. The ground was cleared within a few minutes after the play ceased, and the majority of those present walked into town. Both teams were loudly cheered along the route of their drive into town.