THE FOOTBALL MATCH.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 958, 13 August 1878, Page 2

THE FOOTBALL MATCH.

AUCKLAND V. WAIKATO. There was a large crowd upon the football ground on Saturday, and many ladies were present, t® see the match between fifteen of Auckland and the same number of Waikato men. The Aucklaud team was a light one, but the men Avere in capital condition, played well together, and as lithe as cats, makup in activity what they were deficient in weight. Waikato also had not many big men on the ground, but certainly some, and notably Jas. Wood, E. B. Cox, Nick Hunt, and one or two more, were as lithsome as the Auckland men, and were able, though they could gain no decided advantage, to keep the ball well up to the Auckland Goal, and find the Auckland backs plenty of work. It was arranged that force-downs were not to count, so that Waikato making three force-downs in the course of the afternoon, was none the nearer to a score. The nearest approach made, was a disputed touch-down splendidly made by W. Ring, but disputed by the Waikato m«n engaged in frustrating it. Both sides were positive. An appeal to the umpires, Messrs Cussens and Sandes, was, however, rendered impossible, as those gentlemen were on another part of the ground at the time. We may, therefore, say that the game was a drawn one. Both sides played well and very evenly throughout.

After the match, the two teams returned to Hamilton, and, with several visitors, sat down to dinner at the Hamilton Hotel. The dinner was every way worthy the host and hostess, who always spare neither trouble nor cost i" the entertainment .of their guests on such"

occasions. The chair was occupied by Mr Jaß. Hume, and the vice-chair by Mr C. Laishley. After the usual loyal toasts had been proposed and drank, The yice-Chairman, in a neat speech, proposed the health'of the visitors, coupling it with the liame of the Captain of th e Auckland team—Mr Henderson. He had played and witnessed many matches, but never saw one conducted in a better spirit or with more good humor. He hoped the contest between Auckland and Waikato would become an annual insfcii! tution, and that he should have the pleasure of meeting them as guests on future occasions. Mr Henderson, on behalf of the Auckland team, thanked those present for the toast, and the hearty reoeption that had been acootded them throughout thei.i visit. To many of them it was their first visit to Hamilton, and they had had a most enjoyable game. Disputes were almost inseparable from football matches, but the match of that afternoon was as free from such difficulties as any he had ever played. He had looked for defeat as certain to the feather weights which he had brought down with him to contend against foe stalwart men of Waikato, but, thanks to the way in which his team had worked, they had saved themselves from defeat. There was great difficulty in .< .getting: a'team to travel'from home, or he might otherwise have brought one which would haye beaten Waikato. One matter for congratlation was, that the match had been free from all accidents. Football , haa many accidents to answer for, but after all it was not so black as it was painted. Its enemies took every oecasien to speak against the game—even to ascribing to football lately the death of a I child, 'ran over by a coach containing members of a football' team. All manly sports had some element of danger in them, but this gave them the zest which with Englishmen only made them more populari He hoped to see the Waikato team in*Auckiand next year, and trusted there would be a revival in the game, which had somewhat languished of late. It was thought earlier in, the season that an Auckland team would have visited the , Southern provinces, but they had not been able to arrange it. Next year, he hoped to send a team which would be victorious throughout 1 the colony, and retrieve the disaster of 1875, when Auckland got drubbed all roond. Mr Henderson then proposed the health of the «. Waikato Team," coupled with the. name of it's Captain—Mr Jas. Wood. The Waikato team,, had afforded them much pleasure to-day, although doubtless by this time some of his men were smarting about the shins. The toast was drunk with honors. Mr J. Wood, in returning thanks, said that after the cordial way in which Mr • Henderson had proposed their health, he felt quite sure they had forgotten all the kicks which had been pretty evenly distributed by both sides. It was the first, time he had held the position of Captain of a team, and it had afforded him matter 4£?g>leasure and for congratulation that ', his team had pulled through, so well as they had done, for they had never played together as a team before. They had worked well, however, and, though he said 1 it, he thought they were deserving of every consideration for holding their own against an Auckland team. Football up here was dying out, but he did trust Waikato men, in future, would muster for practise more often than they had done, and that next year they would, have a team worthy of the district to send down to Auckland. Mr Wood then proposed the game of football, which was drank with all the honor. The Umpires, the ladies, the Press and the host and hostess were severally drunk and duly responded to, after which the company devoted themselves to a more genial phase of cpnvivality, breaking up, however, as early as half-past ten o'clock.