FOOTBALL. NATIVE TEAM V. WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON DEFEATED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 282, 18 July 1888, Page 4

FOOTBALL. NATIVE TEAM Y. WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON DEFEATED.

Wellington, July 14. A match between the Native Team and Wellington came off to-day in presence Of some 3,000 people, at Newtown Park. The weather was crisp and cool, with a sligh bice/.e blowing, but the ground was very slippery after the rain during List night, though no water lay on the gioundMessis Nicholls and Dumbell were umpires. and Mr Knapp reteree. King captained Wellington' (blue and white), and W. Warbrick the visitors (black). The former won the toss, and played with the sun at his back. The blues were very aggressive from the start, and forced their opponents down three or four times in succession. The forwards kept good command of the ball, and played well together, while the Maoris, did exactly the re\er3e. King twice nearly scored, and Madigan, at fullback, mining a bounding ball, for the third the visitors had us much as they could do to ?a\e a try. The lirst breathing space was aflorded by Gage, who ran &ome distance, and then gave Wynyard a pass, but the latter spoiled the advantage by throwing the ball wildly back. A he.sh rush, however, enabled Ellison to tun close to the blues' line, where he, too, upset expectations by thi owing forwaid. The blues soon carried the game back, and King appeared to have a lair chance, but prelei ring to dribble when he should have picked up, lost his opportunity. From the kick-out W\ Wynyard obtained the ball, and dodged through most of those in front ot him. When nearing the line, however, he throw back, and nobody being theie, the blues swooped down on the ball, and Madigan had all he could do to keep them oQ the line. A responsive charge saw half-a-dozen of the natives in sole possession of the ball, their opponents being caught napping, but Moore came to the 1 e&Clie, and pioking fchp hall neatly from their feet, punted it tar clown the giound. Nome effective passing by Moore and .Robei tt gave Fairbrother an opening, but when within a yard or two of the natives' goal he wae secured by Madigan. Fraser got an excellent chance of running in, but tried a pot and only kicked along the ground. The first spell then ended. ISO tar the play of the Maoris had been been disappointing; their foiwauK weie slow to follow the ball, and slow to get in their places. The passing wab rather wild and there was no combination, neither did they make much use of their excellent backs. Atter changing sides, howexer, considerable improvement was apparent. Madigan came up to threequarter, and W. Warbrick, who had bruised hi" bhouldei, went fullback. This change was for the better, as Madigau played with great spirit, and with hie pale-iaced comrade Elliott did lots of excellent work. The latter had no chances at all in the early part of the game, but he began the second half with a slashing lun, which was stopped by Eraser. His pa-.->, as usual, was wasted, nobody having followed him ' up. Fairbrother made a soit of an attempt to drop a goal ; and \V. Warbrick, in&f-ead of claiming a, mark, attempted to run, and was pinned on the line. From the scrummage that ensued Fraser again attempted a pot without effect. The Maoris were iorced down twice in succession, but then got on a rush, which ended in a loose sciummage near the blues' goal. Thence the ball was kicked into W. Wynyard's hands, and with his left foot he sent it over the bars, and scored first for the Maoris. For a time the local men had all the worst of the play. Gage ran through them, well backed by Elliott, till Sim upset him, and the result was Ellison got across the line, but the try was disallowed by both umphes, on the ground that the ball was dcadwhen he picked it up. Aithui Warbrick followed Gage's example, and running cleverly through his men, the ball was driven over the line. Elliott aud thiee local players had a maul, which ended in fax our of Wellington. Fairbi other extricated his side at la^b by a very good run, and Wellington, playing up with spirit, kept the natrveb ueai their own goal tor som© time. The latter broke away on sev)j oral occasions, but the ball always came [ back, and once Fraser, standing right in ■ front ot the goal, had a very eaby chance ot putting. This was the last openingafforded to the blues, for Elliott cairicd the 1 play past Wellington's 25 Hag, and the I game lemaincd there until time was called, the natives thus being victorious by a goal to nothing. In this spell most of the visitors' backs, and especially Etliott, Gage, Wynyard, and Madigan, showed to much advantage, and the dashing runs of the two Auckland cracks were much admired. There was a noticeable absence among the visitors of that prompt following the ball and backing-up which was a great feature of the Englishmen's play, and in the iii-s b spell especially this threatened on several occasion*, to lose them the game, besides nullifying the advantage gained by any good piece of individual play. The collaring on both sides was ex- j cellcnt, but the passing was wild. The local men dribbled well, and followed up smartly, but with the exception of Fairbrother (who played a first-class game), Kobeitsand Moore, their backs, were weak. This was particularly the case with leo-ard to potting at goal, which is a feature" notoriously wanting in Wellington fodtball. The natives leave tor Christchurch on Monday.