ENGLAND V. OTAGO.

A VICTORY FOR THE ENGLISHMEN. (united press association ) : . Dunedin, April 28. The first match of the English football team m New Zealand came off to-day m the Caledonian Ground. The weather was lovely, a little warm if anything, and the attendance enormous, being between 9000 and 10,000. Or Smith umpired- for the visitors, Milne for Otago, and Wynks.was referee. The Englishmen's colors were red, white and blue. The teams were as England -Full back: J. T. Haslam; three-auarter backs : A. E. Stocldart, ,H. C Speakman.and J. Anderson ; half-backs: W. Bumby and J. Nolan ; forwards : R.L. geddon (captain), W. H. Thomas,. T. Banks, R. Burnett, T. Kent, H. Eagles, C. Mathers, S. -Williams,' A. J. Laing. Otago—Full back : W. Thomas ; threequarter backs: W. Ndel.T. Linch, and 0. J. Davies ; half backs : J. Thomson andl). Simpson ; forwards : O. Beck, A. Gibson, J W. N. Hunter, R. Martin, E. E. Morrison (captain), W. Tumbull; W. M'Farlanc, J. Montgomery, and H. Tresseder. The game was even m the first spell, but- in the second, when it w^s thought the visitors would the a little, they played the hardest game ever seen on the ground, and their combined play, collaring, running, and passing enabled them to have it pretty much their own way. Of individual play then- was little; they all; played as one man, and when one got awaj* he passed r a t once to others if pressed, a^d it was - all done' so quickly that the ball passed through the hands of perhaps seven players or more. They were always oil the ball, and always had it. ! . The Englishmen won the ioss,- ana kicked of, rtHshing the blues for some time. By good following up, apd steady combined play, they cleared the'Jines and carried the ball to half flag/ Bumby passed to Anderson, and that player made a good run until collared by Lynch After some give-and take play, m whioh both sides collared well, Thompson made agcodrun, and the colours a good rash back again. Anderson made a grand run from pass, and wae m touch m goal at corner flag, a maul resulting m favour of Otago, who cleared their lw".s and looked very ranch like scoring, when Bumby again secured the ball and oarried play by a good run to half flag, and again after the throw out. The biues were again preaaed, but eventually cleared their sweaty-fives, and after some give-and-take play m the centre, Thompßcn (for Otago) made a good mo, assisted by Tresseder and M'Farlane, and the colours' goal was ia danger, but afterwards they were given $ free kiok for an infiingrment of the rule 3. Hunter, returning well, caused play to appear agaia m the Englishmen 1 b twenty.fives. Sornm followed sorum m ** quick succession, none of them lasting long. Thompson made a good run, but was called back. Anderaon thengot away for the colors, but was brought down by Davies. Then came a combined; rush by tue bines, when Morrison potted a splendid goal, and O'ago thus drew flrat hood. The blues were pressed agam alter the kick-off. Thompson relieved them by a good run, but StucTdart more than neutralised it a few. seconds after by a still more brilliant one, and was put out of touch just at coiner flag; colours threw out well, and their splendid passing resulted m their scoring a try. Kent took the kick— an easy one— but a good run by Lynch and a jump suooeeded m preventing the score. The Otago men then woke up, and a splendid dribble by Thompson resulted m England being forced down. From the kick-off Nolan made agi&nd tun, and tben Pavies should have scored, as from the throw out he had the ball nicely passed to him, but he milled it* Some give and take play followed, Noel making another good run, which was answered by jjloddavt, \vhp got away several times, but was always collared by Lynch or Thompson. By good play on the part; of the blues, especially M'Farlane, the ball was m the color's twenty-five, and though play swayed back and forwards, jt remained there until half time was called, with Otego's score Saup England's 1. Morrison kicked oft" ioi Otago after a short interval. M'Earlane' s splendid* dribble was the most noiceable event wMc.li followed, the ball goihg over the line, but the kicking was to> hard. The Engli saiaen now commenced. to give a taste pf their duality, and played, harder and rougher. A combined rush| by the colors took the play into the blues'jtvenly live and the Englishmen were detprijiined to score, Their efforts were neutralised £>r gome iiffle by the wwicniw-- --, ' .'. j,.v»vwi ppy oJ

Ljnch, M'Farlane, Morrison and Gibson. Faster and faster became the play, the colors playing into each others hands so well that it was impossible to distinguish individual play. The leather was passed to Anderson, who made a splendid fending ran along the line> and got m at the corner -flag. The kick' by Haslam was a miserable exhibition, and the score now stood'at Otago 3, England 2. From the kick-off, marks were gained by each side, and Otago got the worst of it, as play was soon m their twenty-five again, and notwithstanding their strenuous efforts they could not get it away, the running and passing of their opponents being too good. At last the ball was passed to Speakman, who potted an undeniable goal, and the Englishmen's score was now 5 to Otago 3. A few seconds after the kick-off, play was back again m Otago's twenty-five, the combined play of the colors being beautiful to witness. Once or twice the blues got on way with a dribble, m which Martin and others were prominent, but it was back again almost immediately. Time after time the_ colors screwed the scram aad got away with the ball, and it was evident they would add to their score before time was called, Their play was lougb, ani once one of iher men waß hooted for aoragging Thomson and throwing him into fcouoh awfully roughly.The bluea at length got the ball tip to half-flag, but from the scrum there the colore,,by a rush, took it back, and Speakmangettinganotherpaaßpotted another goal within five minutes ot tirce beirig called. The score now being England 8, Otago 3. From the kick off, the blues rushed the leather inso the color's qnarters, and a good pun by Noel nearly resulted m a score. Throwing the ball ont before a line was formed, the ctrlora dribbled it down the line, although many of them were off side. One umpire held op bis flag, but the leather was not brought back. The blues carried the play out of their twenty five, and here it was when the whistle tounded, and the Englishmen were victors m the first match. The Otago men quite upheld their own m the firat spell, play being aB of en m their opponents' twenty-fives as m their own.-"The goal which was potted was a bit flukey. Andersou secured a try for the visitors, but the place kick was very poor, and did not euh.ince the score. In the second spell the play was very fast, and O'ngo was overmatched at every point, tbe^ vi -ifcora scoring a try, the place kick again being verypoor, and two potted goals, making their score 8.-tovOtago'B 3. The combined play of the visitors waa a great treat, and quite a revelation to &be Otago players and the spectators, as ateo was their accurate passing. Every man appeared to be always m the place where he waa wanted and was of most servioe. Andereon and Stoddarfc are not only fast, but strotg runners, and are only stopped when brought down; Speakman shines m potting a goal from paßses. All the others played co well and so much together that no distinction could be made. The visitors were greatly delighted with the result of this their first game. '