FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 219, 17 September 1888, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

TISE ENGLISH FOOTBALLERS. ■ MATCH AT NAPIER. (BY TEU3GKAFH. —PRESS ASSOOIATiOif. } Namkb, Saturday. :flta England v- Hawko'a Buy focbball match was played on tho Recreation Ground ;io-day in the presence of several thousand spectator*, who cheered the good play O£ Both sides- The teams were:—England : "Back, Spoakaian; three-quarters, Sfcoddart, Dr. Brooks, Anderton ; halves, .Nolan, Bumby; forwards. Dr. Smith, Sfcimrtj Eagles, Kent,' Paul, Thomas, Burnett Laing, Williams.. Hawko's 15ayi Back, McKay; three-quarters, >Vi Hapo, MclSae, Toku; halves, iaisxoa, Dempaey ; wings, Swan, Morrison; forwards, Childs, Hawkins, Moore, ITlexnmg; Syniqnda- The ground and tho "srsaJbher were splendid. England invaded HaarWa Bay's quarters immediately, and rommsneed passing beautifully, but the ifopior forwards dnn'o them back, Stod.<lErfc made eeveral fine runs, bub tho Sail tot noaar the English lino for some time, . the local wiug>* frustrating all attempts »b relief, and after a long struggle England vnui forced down. After the kick-out, Bmniry'B punfct and Smith's dribbles took ihe play to tho local 25, Stoddart and Anderton trying hard to score, and Hawke'a Bay •yraa forced- Tho ball was rapidly passed from hand to hand by tha Englishmen, but tho fine collaring of Hatvko's Bay prevented £ tsooto. Taka waa eepooially brilliant, bringing down man after man. Swan, Morrison, and Taiaroa carried the play past the cenfcro, whereiii became very fasb, dodging ranu and pnnte by Nolan and Stoddart Wing retorted to by punts by Dempsey and 'Mcßae^and dashes by ToiawKi, S^yan, and Moi'riaon A fino run and kick by Paul, followed by a woll- followed print by Ander ton, invaded the Napiai '25, but Mcßao kicked ba«k. England rushed to fullback, who dropped ou &m ball a^a stopped them ; Wi Hape immediately getting possession dashed through fco the contro, where ho passed, but Nolan intercepted, and running is scored near tho corner. Ho goal wa* kicked. Htoddarb soon after marked, and mod© a splendid pot from tho centre, the ball going beside the posts, and the local men forced. Brooks made a dodgy run to Hawke's Bay'equarter, and after more passm><- Kent potted, but* missed. Tho play now changed "to Che EugiidU quarters, and Spealanan, for England, and Taiaroa, McKae, Morrisson, and Swan, lor Hawko's Bay, becoming prominent. Eagles at last bn^o through the scrum, -and ran fco Napier's 25, Wi Hape and Dempsey driving tho ball back to tho Knglish goal line, ana ends wore then changed. On \^,y being resumed Taku and Taiaroa by fine kicks and rune left tho pUy in tho English end, serum* boine congested on the gcal line. The English forwards cleared their 25, but Trotter picked up from a dribble end ecored for Hawtetf i&y, amid cbeors. Xaku m^is a line kickatabad angle, but failed. VVi Hape failed to return kick-out, but Psmpaay cleared his to bill Anderton Mtthe.play ■c» thrt Hawko's Buy territory., Meßao

punted baols to the eanh'a, and Talaroa d&shed down tho fcouoli Hno to the English 25, Swan dribbling on aad flooring a try noar the corner. Toku kkked a poator from I)he touch line. The oxoitemenb was now intense. Anderfcbn now made strenuous efforts to score, but Taku eachtime brought the ball out of the 25. Wi Hapfe and Taiaroa spoiled eevfiralpasaeai and the ;ball coming t6 the local full back near his line, he puntea straight in the air, and Nolen got it and ran in, and scored a .second, try. ; Paul made a fine attempt, but failed to increase the score. After the kick out, Wi .HapeCaught the reburn near hisownlme, an^amid cheers the ball Was passed |o man after man until well past the centrfe, wherehe threw it to Taiaroa, whombtoddart sent into touch. Taiaroa immediately threw far in to Trotter, who with Morrison dashed to the English line, where a long scrum ensued. Anderton, bya dodgy run and a kick wtich the Hawke's Bay back failed to return, changed the aspect of 'affairs, but Morrison passing from the throw-in to Wi Hope, the latter, who was playing without boots, want at great speeds past the centre. Eagles sent the ball backto the local 25, ©empsey relieving, and a de?perately-fbughb scrum occurred in mid■field. This broke, and Eagles dribbled to Napier's 25, Symonds stopping the rush, and : scrums f6 ilowed in front of the Hap'ier goal, round which; ISTolan dashed and scored his third try. Paul's kick was again unsuccess-' ful, Williams returned the kiok-oub, and ■Taku catching the ball dodged throtitgh to [the English end, where he passed, bub Paul intercepted the ball and punted part of the way back. Swan, in two spurts, again reached the English line, Speakman Returning to the centre. AnoSber bad kick by | Hawke's Bay/s full-back enabled Smith to mark in the local 25, where Stoddarb tried; a place, >vhich just missed the post. Another bad return gave Paul a mark, but this, too, was unsuccessful. Thegame thus ended in a win for England by three points to two, after an extremely fast and exciting game. The features of the play were the splendid passing of the Englishmen, and the screv/ r>.ine of nearly all the team. The nap er i\; •vliidh the backs followed ■their 0 n kio^ tpo, was admirable. All ithe bac a pla; J well, Btoddarb being particularly au .> od.,' Nolan was very smart, scouring all three tries by profiting by their opponents' mistakes. .The'fine dribbling of Eagles, Smith, and Laing was very elfee-! tive. For Napier Taku played magnificently, frequently bringing down the gallery by -the manner in which he graseod isever^l men in rapid succession, or gained" iground withlpng rune or punts. Taiaroa was alsp prominent, and Wi Hape spoiled much passing, while Mcßae was smart. The; wings played brilliantly. Tho Englishmen were entertained at a dinner alter the match, and left by; steamer for the South.