FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4466, 10 July 1893, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

l/lasterton v, Red Stars,

[BY DAMOCLES.]

The eeoond match this season between the above teams was played on the Park Oval ou Saturday, resulting in a win for Masierton by four points (a goal from a mark) to nil.. The first match was fought in a raping snowstorm, and the second under similar cu'cumstince.l, with the ground one sea of mud. Football, under the circumstances, was out of the question, and the win cannot be attributed as a criterion of any superior play, but rather as to good luck. Nei'her of the teams were representative of the strength of the Club, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that the full fifteen on either side could be urged to " strip o2 " to play on such a slushy ground. The Oval has never been in a worso condition than on Saturday, the recent heavy rains playing havoo with the soft materialtile Park is composed of, great pools of water taking up a good portion of I lie field. It was waring four, o'clock when the opposing teams faced each other, the Mastertonians being principally composed of Maoris, while the Stars 'had to enlist the services of several outsiders, whoso knowledge of the game was not all that could be desired. The Stars were particularly unfoitunatein having a strong second fifteen away in Carterton, and a number of the first were prevented by the floods from putting in an appearance,

Notwithstanding the roughness of the weather, a great number of enthusiasts were present, and the noisy element was in full force, several of iho roughest players coming in for a terrifio amount of "hooting, 1 ' Although this bad display of feeling is unwarrantable on any football held, 1 miißt say thai the excessive roughness of two or three players on Saturday deserved the severest censure, and until this is stopped the public' cannot be blamed for showing their opposition to the practice.

The play was nothing to be compared to the display .in the GrevlownStar match of the previous Saturday, but, of course, this was wholly due to the slippery slate of the ground, High kicking, and fast following, up was the game, and in the majority of instances this came off, the opposing backs failing to take the ball. The heavy weight of the stalwart Masterton forwards carried the day, and the whole body swooping down the field under the ball could not be resisted onagreiisy day. Nothing particularly brilliant in individual play was shown on either side, running and passing being out of the question. No tries were scored in either spell, the only points registered being gained by T. Thompson marking in front of the Star goal in tbe second spell and " Bob" placing au undeniable goal, The best pLiycrs for Masterton were Agnew, who was the best back on the ground, tbe Thompsons, Watson and Gray, whilst for the Stars, Hudson, Hansen, Morris and Wilsone. were perhaps the piost brilliant. Mr 0. A, Pownall acted as referee in his usual fair aud impartial manner,

The cup match for next Saturday is that between Greytown and Masterton, to be played on the Worksop road ground,

Tho aeoond of Masterton has received a challenge from tbe Qouiebush Rovers, and the match will probably be played ou Saturday next on tht* Oval.

The junior oup match between tho seccnd Stars anil Carterton, played on Saturday, resulted after an unusually fast and exciting game, in a win fur Carterton by one try, gained by Hope to nil. The Stars were represented by their full team, and played a slashing game, but the grand forward display of Carterton proved too mtioli for them. For-the winners, Booth, Hope, Nicholson and Cadwaller were the most conspicuous, wliilit Pearce, Renall, Cargill, Galloway and Wrigloy were far and away the best in tbe Stars, The referee, Mr Eagle, did not meet appreciation of the visitors, and seemed lo be determined on the result.

A protest has been lodged by tbe Stars in the Carterton-Star match, on the ground that Nicholson has played for another Union this season. It is alleged that Nicholson played in the Eketahuna-Pahiatua match for the Bush Union cup a few weeks ago.

Owing to the non-appearance of the Masterton second to fulfil their engagement with Groytown on Saturday, the latter kicked off and claimed the match, This places Grojtown ahead for the Oharapionship. Our boys in Australia. The following are the results up to date:— Matches played, 5; won, 4, lost 1. June 28th—Against Parramatta. Won by 8 points to nil, July Ist—Against New South Wales. Won by 17 points to 8. July 4tb—Against 18 Juniors of New South Wales. Won by IE points to nil.

July 6th—Against Northern Dis* tricts. Won by 25 points to 8. July Bth, againat N.S.W, lost by 25 points to 8.

The Sydney Referee Bays:—The formal reoeption of the New Zealand footballers by the New South Wales Rugby Union took place on Wednesday at the Imperial Hotel, Wynyard Square. Mr R. Arnold occupied the chair, there being a large attendance. The Chairman said that there were footballers in the room who would remember the New Zealand team of 1884. (Hear, hear.) The team came here to play a series of matches, but in reality they gave object lessons in the game, for tlie New Zealanders were teachers and the New. South Wales players merely learners at that time. He hoped they had since learnt enough to enable them to resist the New Zealanders more successfully this time, but at anyrate the New South Wales team would go into the field determined to do their best and win if they could. They were always glad to welcome the New. Zealanders. (ijear, hear.) It was nine years since lliey 'h'aJ' had sujlh 'g. viap ap the become more frequent, They bad managed to establish annual visits With Queensland, aud fie trusted that in the case of New Zealand they would become, if not annual, at least biennial. They all looked to New Zealand as t])e Home of Rugby football in the southem' hemisphere,anil' this was only natural, Beeing 'that its olimatio conditions afforded a longer period of the vear to the game, and! greater facilities for fining. He begged

to congrattilate Mr Campbell (manager of the visiting teatn) on the (not that Ina team had ootno under tbo auspices of the combined unions, and lie bopud that the few football bodies , " in New Zealand which, still kept" aloof would see thn wisdom " under thu one central inunflgcnifiiit. He begged to propose tbeir healths, and the toast was very warmly drunk, Mr Campbell, in responding said he did so with groat pleasure, for he felt: that the »velcoine I hey had received was a hearty one, and in the matches und excursions which had been ar- ' ranged here everything had been done to Biiit their convenience, It waa 12 or 14 years ago since Arnold; first exohanged subject of Rugby football, and lioved it wasfrom thiise letters that they had gradually worked down to the actual arrangement of intercolon". ial matohes. At present there was a division amongst the New Zealand unions, but he felt confident that before long those which still stood out would voluntarily come under the one . management with the others. He „ then proposed the heath of the New South Wales Rugby Union, andJiia niendrank the toast,'finisbJlj|PSp with a mighty shout of the Maori battle-cry " Ake ake kea kaha " (For ever and ever fight on). Mr Ellison, captain of the New Zealanders also replied to the toast, and stated that the Central Union in New Zealand bow governed 13 out of a total of 18 unions,

• .The following team will represent the Orientals in their matob against the Municipal Fireßrigadeon Thuraday nextß. Owen, Bennett, Richards, Jaokson, Smith, Cole, Webb, Wellington, Dough ty, Sayers, Warner, Henry, Bowser,- Wickens, Gardner. ISmergencieß—Fellingbam, Pickering,

The following team will represent the Municipal Fire Brigade against the Orientals on the Park Oval next Thursday .'-Fullback; H. Ewington; three-quarters, J, Boagey, C, Effing-, ton, J. Bradey; halves, H. Marsh, H- Bruhtoh; forwards, 0. Mairig, -T.Gilperi,:lK Murray, R.'UcGmre, W. Morriß,fl, Greathcad. Emergenoieß, forwards, F. Wise, H. Hausman, A. Wilton, and D. Jackfon; backs, D. Stone, D. Pickering, and E. Bragging:

The following will represent the Homebush Rovers against Masterton Second on Saturday noxtßaoks Jaro, Hudson, Eeraini, Cochrane, Jimmee, Mini, Pika, ForwardsMorris (Captain), Wan', Caselb.erg, Reri, Dorset (2), MiKenzie, and Hunui, Emergencies—H, Pike, Jano, Alloo, Robinson, Warbrick, Cross, Burns, and Rangipuhi,

The following team will represent Eketahuna in their match against Woodville on Saturday nextUsslior, W. Dowsett, P. Pelling, T. Prcist (captain), Griffiths, Atkinson, F. Morris, J. Anderson, H, Williamß, F. Priest, M. Burke, J. Hoben, Greenwood, Iggulden, Watorson, Eme'r. gencieß, 0, Williams, Merrimnn, Pelling, Woodfield,

(By Telegraph.-—Press Association Wellington, Monday. The Secretary of the N.Z, Rugby Union has cabled instructing tho team not to arrangi any matches for thiß week bo that the men may be able to rest until Saturday when they play Queensland. Ho has also asked the Manager of the team to endeavor to arrange a return match agaiust New South Wales on the day they leave forM, whiohwilibe the 26th or 27 th inst, Referring to the defeat of" our by New South Wales, the W.Z Times writes: The marvellous reversal of form of tho Now Zealand footballers requires an explanation, and it can be quickly found. The men could not stand the strain ot playing five big matohes in about ten days, and the natural result is ' that they have collapsed—thero is no other expression todeeenbo the demoralisation of the team which now, to use a vulgar expressive phase, 1 walks over it. 1 Thore was simply no comparison botween the two teams. One was able to rest the whole of the week,and gathcratrength for the second struggle, while tho other had two severe battles, which resulted in a disablement of several of its best players. The consequence wbb that the few South Welshmen, fresh and 1 eager for the fray' had a Btale, worn out team, and very much weaker as com pared with the previous one, to meot. Under such circumstances the 1 Cornstalks' were bound to win, Another reason for Buch a crushing defeat can be found in tho weakness of the Now Zealand forwards. When tho team wbb selcctod we deplored tho absence of bucli players as McLean, Gray and Watson, and other giants of that order, and declared that too many of tho showy, dashing stylo had been included. Saturday's game provosthat we were right, for we think the publio will agree that tho * Oorn* stalks' would not have boen able 'to smash through 1 a forward division com posed of the material such as' McLtntnflfl and tho others are made of, struggle can be described in a few words. The forwards were run over and 'smashed through' (as tho report tells us), and the backs ondersuch oiroumstances, ss all footballers know, were practically holpleas. Asitwas, they held out manfully, but the heavy work they had gone through told its tale in the end. The consequence was that the defence absolutely broke down, ft is now quito apparent that the team, if it Is to retrieve itself must have rest before it plays again.