NATIVE TEAM V. OTAGO.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 178, 30 July 1888, Page 3

NATIVE TEAM V. OTAGO.

THE MAORIS DEFEATED,

(BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Dunkdix, Saturday,

Tlie first match between Warbrick Native Team and Ofcago took place to-day-The weather cleared lip this morning, and, considering the recent rain, the ground was in good order. Ib was cut up somewhat in the second spell, bub there wore no pools of water upon it. Between six and seven thouand people attended tlie match, and tho crowd was impartial, the natives having numbers of sympathisers. 1 hey displayed a slight tendency to play rougher than is usually tho case between Ot ago and Canterbury, bub the besb ot good reeling prevailed. The local team were the lavourites, but it was thought thab bho heavy ground would favour tne visitors. The visitors were over-matched throughout the game, and though they collared splendidly, the brillianb passing, excellent, lineout, and scrum play, and rushes of the local team, were too much for them. It can scarcely be said that they threatened the local befence ab oil, while they wererepeatedly forced down. The collaring of the local team wasall that could be desired, and McCausland, Madigan, and the other backs could never get away, as they wore at once pounced on. How the natives watched kopgh, the Otago half-back, may be judged by his having no less than four jerseys torn oil ft is nacu. The teams were as follows : - Natives <hl_ck)- Full-baok. W. Warbrick; three-

quarter-baoks, W. Wynyard, _S, MoOaueland, Madigan j half-backs, Gage, Elliott; forwards, liliison, Taiaroo. Wubeter, A. Warbrick, Stewart, Lees, Rene, G. Wynyard, Karauia, Otago (light blues)! Fullback, W. Thomas ; threequartor-baoks, Lynch, Downes, Thomson; half-backs, Croxiord, Keogh; forwards, Anderson, Diamond, Gibson, Hunter, Morris, W. McFarlane, Morrison (captain), Stephenson, Webb. 2dr Williams umpired for the visitors and Mr Drabble for Obago, Mr Wyinka being referee. Morrison winning the toss, elected to defend the northern goal, and the natives kicked off. OIF a re bum by Thompson W. Wynyard secured a mark, and play was kept in the natives' 25. Gtago were passing very wildly. Keogh earned a round of applause by a fine kick, and Downes brought down the house by potting a goal ' from the field. A splendid run by Keogh was almost across, but McCaushmd stopped him. Shortly afterwards Madigan forced down. A fine bib of passing by Downes and Thomson wfls neutralised by a pass forward as the latter stumbled. Flay was quickly transferied to Otago's 25, but a round of applause greeted a piece of magnificent passing by Morrison, Gibson, Diamond and Stephenson, enabling Gibson to get across tho line between tho poets. Lynch, admidst deafening applause, kicked a goal. Score: Otago, 6; Natives, nil. A splendid dodgy run by Thomson, who was collared by Madigan on the edgo of the line, was neutralised by a pass forward to Morrison. A fine dribble by Wynyard saw tho ball in Otago'u 25, but Elliott neutralised the advanbage by refusing a pass. Lynch was well down the line before Williamscdllared him, then Keogh got away well, and passed to Thomson, and the Litter carried bhe ball into bhe native quarters, when Madigan grassed him. A rush by Gba_o forwards, the natives evidently expecting the umpires to ccdl the ball "back, caused McCausland to force down. A mark was obtained by Lynch, \vho?e kick was smartly returned into touch by McCausland. From the line out Ellison got the bail, bringing it to Otago's 25, where Crawford collared him. Some lino passing by Keogh and Thomson resulted in the natives again forcing. McCausland now relieved his side by a smart run, and Gage made a magnificent run, passing all opponents except Choraas, and musb have gob in bad be not looked back, with tbe resulb that Otago's full-back collared him. Half time was then called, there being no alteration in the score.

Tho blacks played up better in the Btarfc of the second spell, and Gage, Ellison, McCausland, Madigan and Wynyard made some brilliant short spurts, but the collaring was too good for these to prove effective, and ail the ground gained was recovered by tho excellent line-out play on the part of the blues, who invariably got on a rush. Keogh, Lynch, Thomson, and the other backs also made good runs, but the visitors made no mistake in tackling. At length Thomson got on a great spurt, dodging and fending eight or nine of his oppon ents, till he was forced into touch at the, 25 flag. A dangerous rush by tho blues followed, and ended in Warbrick forcing down. As soon as the ball was in play it was sent back to the blacks' territory, and a pot shot by Lynch just went outside bhe posts, and the visitors were once more forced down. A scries of exohangoS and a good run by Croxford followed, and the play v/au once more near the visitors' 26 ilafc-. Some passing followed, and the leather wa* sent to Croxford, who had a clear run in, but ho did not take the ball cleanly, and he was called back for hand play. Some combined play on the part of the visitors' backs temporarily relieved the pressure, bub play was soon .back in their territory, and a dribbling rush ended in Thomson kicking the ball over the line, and Hunter falling on it. Thomson's kick was about a foot wide of the post. Score: Ota_o, 7 : Native?, 0. The natives, seemingly in no way disheartened, played well, bub were soon on the defensive again, and Thomson again dribbled over the lino, but Warbrick managed to force down onco more. After the kick-out the natives wore still pressed, and some brilliant spurting on bheir part proved ineffectual. Cage tried dodging in the hope of burning bhe tide. The ball being in touch, and blues slow in lining up, he brought ib into play aud passed to Wynyard, who missed the catch, and before he could recover himself Thomson was on the leather, and running in scored .another try. Ho took the kick himself, bub failed" bo increase the score. Otago, 8 ; Native.*, 0. There were now only some seven minutes left, and play became fast and. furious. Though bhe visitors played up well, and their backs strove hard to clear their lines, the local men kept thorn entirely on the defensive, and the dribbling rushes which followed wore only nulliljed by Warbrick's smartness in forcing down three times within the lost five minutes, as each time the other backs fsilecl to stop them. Time was called with the score at eight, points for Otago to bho natives' nothing. Cheers wore exchanged as the teams lefb the ground. The t haters played a sterling game, and their collaring was very good, but that of the local team was even more effective, as tho brilliant backs of tho visitor?, though well fed, never got a show of making a dangerous run. There was only one really tight scrum, and the superior weight of the visitors enabled them to carry it. Considering the state of the ground, the game was wonderfully fast.