FOOTBALL. THE ENGLISH-OTAGO MATCH.—A DRAWN GAME. Dunedin, September 23.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 302, 26 September 1888, Page 5

FOOTBALL. THE ENGLISH-OTAGO MATCH.— A DRAWN GAME. Dunedin, September 23.

The match between the English footballers and the Otago representatives was played to-day on the Caledonian Ground, about 3,000 being present. The weather was rather boisterous, a strong wind from the north-west blowing all the time, at an angle of the ground, from corner flag to corner flag. The game ended in a draw, neither side scoring, and, singularly enough, the Englishmen had rather the best of the play in the first spell, playing against the wind, while Otago had the best of the second under similar circumstances. The game was not particularly interesting, and as an exposition of scientific Rugby play was far from good. The visitors, instead of depending on real play in the open, displayed every tendency to secure advantages by little petty dodges in the line-out play, and in various other ways fortign to tto game usually played here. Theso

trumpery little advantages were very irritating, and cries, Qf "Play the game, England! were frequently raised. Although the game was a hard one, good feeling prevailed, and the spectators were impartial. One or two players were sightly hurt, but from the manner in which they played immediately atterwards, it was evident there was more made of slight collisions than was at all nece&sary. The teams were as follow : — England : Fullback, W. Burnett; bhreequurtet s, Brooks, Stoddart, Speakman ; halves. Bum by, Nolan ; forwards, Eagles, Williams, Thomas, Kent, Paul, Penketh. R. Burnett, Stuart, and Laing. Otago : Fullback, Thomas> ; threequarters, Lynch, Dowries, Hope ; halves, J. B. Thomson, Croxford ; forwards, Anderson, Hunter, Sontag, Morrison, Stephenson, Torrauce, Webb, Wright, and Norris. Mr Majoribanks umpired for Otago, and Dr. Smith for England, Mr Wyinks being referee. Morrison won the toss, and elected to play with the wind. Paul kicked off, and play settled in the centre, where, after some loose play, a series of passing runs took it close to the Otago lines. No sooner did the blues (Otago) clear their lines, than the Englishmen, by a series of passes, again threatened to score — Nolan, Bumby, and Sfcoddart being very prominent. Thomas relieved his side, but the Englishmen still had the best of the game, some very good passing being shown by their backs, though occasionally some were thrown forward, through making too much allowance for the wind. Morris headed a good dribbling rush, which took the play to within a few yards of the visitors' goal line, and a scrum being formed England touched down in self-defence. After the kick-out, Morrison headed another dribbling rush, which ended in what was regarded as a try, but the umpires called the ball back for hand play. This seemed hard lines, for to many spectators Morrison appeared to only ground the ball and start to dribble. The play shifted to Otago's quarters, Nolan and Stoddart making brilliant runs, but the collaring was always equal to the occasion. Sontag, Stephenson, and Morrison relieved their side and carried the play to the other end, where good work by Lynch and Croxford ended in Downes having a pot shot at goal, which went wide, and England forced down. Some fine play by the visitors' backs, in which Stoddarb was conspicuous, resulted in Otago having to force down. When half-time was called, the play was on Otago's side of the centre flag. Considering that the visitors had more than held their own, with the strong wind against them, the result of the game appeared to be a foregone conclusion, especially as the wind blew stronger than ever, and rain also fell. It soon became evident, however, that Otago's defence was quite equal to the assaults of the Englishmen, and the wonderful play of Morrison and particularly of Stephenson among the forwards, and Lynch and Thomas among the backs, was, when needed, quite on a par with anything exhibited by the visitors. Long kicks always took the play into Otago's quarters, bub the blues' forwards carried it back again and assailed their opponents' line. Several times scrums were formed close to the local men's lines, from which a score might at any time resulb, bub bhe scrum was always quickly shifted, and if the local players, when they got into their opponents' territory, had nob indulged in passing, which, through the strong wind, lost ground, it was probable that they would aye scored. Lynch, Thomson, and Croxford played well but for bins faulb. More long-kicking brought, bhe play again inbo Otago's quarters, and they were forced down three times in quick succession by speculative kicks at goal, which, however, did nob go near the bars. At lengbh bime was called with no score on either side, and the game ended in a draw. Stoddarb and Nolan were particularly prominent among the visitors for their grand runs, and the forwards all played up well, Eagles being very conspicuous. Lynch, for the local team, did an extraordinary lot of work,kicking,running,and collaring without makingamistake. Stephenson andMorrison, of the forwards, were always on the ball, and, with Sontag and Morris, made some dangerous dribbles. Hope, who had been brought from Invercargill on bhe strength of his play against Obago last Saburday, was a sore disappoinbmenb, bub he was nob in his proper posibion, which is centre-threequarier, bub, from nervousness or some other cause, he could neither kick, run, nor collai\ Although there was a good deal of appealing, the utmost friendliness prevailed between the players. If the South Island Team is able bo play a combined game on Wednesday, it is considered bhey ought to win the mabch.