THE MAORI FOOTBALLERS

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 287, 4 August 1888, Page 3

THE MAORI FOOTBALLERS

Dunkdin, Tuesday. The roturn match between Warbrick's Native Team and Otago was played to-day. Tl)o ground was in excellent order, and the weather all that could be desired for the game. The attendance must have been over 3,000. Otago lost Lynch's services at three-quarter, his place being taken by Davey. The natives played three half- , backs, Ihimaira assisting Elliott and Taare. The game was a great reversal of Saturday's form, due to the ground being in better otder. The Otago team appeared to be quite stale, and with the exception of Thomson and Crossford, none of the players seemed up to Saturday's form. Notwithstanding that they were eight to nine in the scrum, the natives nearly always pushed the blues before them, and as the blacks persistently retained the ball, Otago'sscrewing only lost ground. The line-out play of the natives was also better. The backs were tairly even, Thomson and Taare dividing the honours. One noticeable feature of the ■\i&itoi& > clay was the fearlessness with which they fell on the ball when the scrum was breaking and the blues were coming away with a rush. This was done repeatedly, and completely nullified and embamissed the local team, • and it was a wonder that none of those who did it were not stunned. The game was not so if»st as. the Hr&t match, but phiy was. very hard. Ihimaira, Taare, Taiaroa, and Ellison were the mo&t prominent of the visitors, and (Jage and McCausland were | very serviceable with their kicking and running. There was again a tendency to rough play, and the visitors were seldom content to collar and hold, but when they had a man down appeared to think feheir mission was to sit on him as hard as possible, and knock the wind out of him. The action of Madigan in running up behind little Crossford, who was dribbling with his feet, and seizing him by the neck, and then throwing him to the ground, was universally condemned. Those Avho were at the corner flag when Thomson got in in the fiist spell, arc all clcai as to his gaining a try, but as the referee did not see it, ib did not count. The victory of the visitors was enthusiastically received, and they were congratulated upon it by their opponents and others. Between the players the greatest good feeling prevailed. Williams and Drabble umpired, and Rose was referee. Morrison, the Otago cap tain, won the toss, and elected to play with the wind, from the eastern goal. Notwithstanding this advantage, the natives worked the ball up towards Otago's quarters, where at the 25 flag Taare grot a mark. They pressed the blues hard, playing quite a different game from Saturday, and putting in excellent work in the scrums. Diamond cleared the blues' lines by a splendid kick just close to the goal. Play was then about the centre for some time, each side making grand rushes. The Maoris played a hard game, but the ball steadily approached their quarters. After some more hard play the ball was worked back to the centre flag, the natives carrying the scrums in splendid styie, and appeared in Otago'fe quarters for a second, but a rush took it down to the natives' 25, but they kept carrying the scrums, and worked it back to the centre. From a scrum formed Keogh got the ball, and after a run passed to Thomson, mlio was knocked against the corner flag, but grounded the ball. The try was disputed, bub as the refeiee did not &cc it, the blues had to give way. Hard scrums followed, till Thomson speculated a pot, which went wide, and a force-down resulted The scene of the strife was back in the native quarters till McCausland shifted it by a good kick. Tt swayed back and forward, and across, Warbriek and Keogh putting in good work. Eventually from a kick the nati\ e& forced down. In a few seconds after, lime wa« called with no score on either side, fche blues not having availed bhemsehes of the wind, which, however, chopped down fco a gentle breeze. Morrison started the second spell. Play settled down about the centre, the natives having decidedly the best of the scrums, but not gaining ground, the play ranering between the two 25 flags until Madigan, coming ofl a pass, made a grand run till he reached the embrace of Thomas ju«b in the Otago 2«">. After some tough work, a hard kick sent it over the line. Thomas forced down for the fii>t time. The blue* rushed it up to the native quartets, but a coi responding i u<-h, in m hich Taare was prominent, took ib dangerously near the Otago line. Some excellent play on Otago's part carried the ball to the i en tre, Ciossfoid dribbling splendidly until Madigan came up and scragged him, for which he wa< heartily hooted. The fiist real rush of the blues then took place, and carried the loathe* to w ithin a couple of inches of the goal line, when some twelve foiw aids fell on it. The Maoris ny .sheer force carried the oall down and some fine play took place, Thomson making dashing runs. Taiaroa then got the ball and made a splendin run, passing to Ellison, hut Thomas wastheie and collared splendidly. Attcr some icinms close to the line, Ellison got the ball from the line-out, «nd making a desperate rush, just got over. McCnusland took the try. but failed to increase th«j score. Play became very fast after the kick oil. the natives still ha\ ing the bcM. of the scrums. Thomson make the run of the day, but it WAh back again by splended play on the part of Taiaroa and others. McCausland and Wynyard got marks one after the other, and gained some ground. Some fierce scrums th .n took placo in the Otayo quarters, the blues being on the defensive and unable to clear their lines for fully 10 minutes. The blacks tried hard to scoie, I but the collaring was too good, and after im ; exciting time, the whistle sounded, with s the natives victorious by 1 point to ml. j The visitors were entertained at a smoke concert this evening, and leave for Melf bourne •"O-morrow.