Inter-colonial Football Match.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 202, 28 August 1886, Page 2

Inter-colonial Football Match.

New South Wales v. Auckland.

The great football _atch botweon the New South Wales visiting team and tho representatives of Auckland was played this afternoon on Dilworth's paddock at Newmarket. The probabilities of the match have beon the all absorbing topio of conversation in football circles for tho last week or two, the pros, pects of tho rival teams being warmly canvassed, and their good and bad points closely criticised by the friends of both sides. Additlonaj interest is imparted to tho contest by the fact that it is the first of the present tour and there is not the slightest doubt that ho eyes of thousands of footballers and admirers of tho game in this and the. neighbouring colonies are,, .watching the result of to-day's play. Good weather is almost indispensable to ensure tb. complete success of a football match, but In this respect there was little to bo grateful for to-day. Tho frequent showers that havo fallen during the last few days rendered tho ground sloppy and heavy, and banished all hopes of seeing any very fast or brilliant play. Thoro appeared to bo a prospect early this morning that the rain would keep off till tho match was over, but showers continued to fall with annoying 'regularity from cloven o'clock until the teams left town, and oven then there did not appear to be a very good prospect of a dry afternoon. It may naturally be supposed that tho unfavourable weather prejudicially sffected the attendance, which was not so large as that at the Auckland and Wellington imatch last Wednesday week. Trains, trams, and 'buses, however, conveyed immense loads of human freight to the scene of the conflict, and many hundreds travcrsod the distance on foot. The opposing teams, attired in their respective uniforms, wore driven out in drags at two o'clock, and reached the ground some time before tho hour fixed for the com-, mencement of play. The personnel of the teams is as follows :—

Sydney (colour, crimson).

G. W. Walker, fullback G. W. McArthur, three-quarter back It. M. Blaxland F. E. Weaver C. Y. Caird, halfback P. Colquhoun J. A. K. Shaw (captain) forward J. Austin T. P. Can--11. Reid P. Small (wing) „ R. A. Warren A. Pearson „ F. Bellbridgo „ M. Shortu3 (wing) „

Auckland (colour, blue and white bars). J. Braund, fullback J. Warbrick (captain) three-quarter back T. Ryan W. Warbrick, halfback J. Poland ~ It. Whiteside ~ J. Arneil (wing), forward W. Meldruni (wing) „ Lindsay „ Wells Spencer ~ Veale A. Stewart ~ Moginio ~ Murphy ~

Wells replaced O'Connor in the Auckland team, owing to the latter player having strained one of the muscles of his fcg.

Lccky wus unable to play at the last moment owing to the death of his father, and A. Stewart, Grafton Club, was selected to fill his place.

The scene on the ground immediately befora three o'clock was most animated. The gr?-d stand was crowded, while thousands of spectators surrounded tho ropes. The Artillery Band, under Bandmaster Hunter, was performing selections of operatic music.