MATCHES IN THE PAST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 177, 29 July 1898, Page 3

MATCHES IN THE PAST.

(By Acta eon.)

Auckland and Wellington ba^e always been- keen rivals in the teotbab field and the records of the matcnes Saved can boast some memorable Snmes It is interesting at the prefect time to recall the various occasfons on which these two rival prov nces have measured their strength on the football field. So far our Southed friends have had the best of us in S contest. Exclusive of to-day's, nine matches'have been played, extending over a period of some 23! years. Only twice have Wellington tasted defeat in 1886 and again last year; and once the match has ended in a draw. The other five games were all annexed by the Southerners. The first match between Auckland and Wellington took place in 1575, when an Auckland team toured the. colony with very disastrous results. |

It was defeated in every one of its matches, that against Wellington being no exception. There were no Rugby Unions in the colony at that time, however, so this match can hardly be called a representative one. Wellington won by 1G points to 1. In those days half a point was scored when a team caused the other side to force , down, and Auckland')- handsome total of one point was gained in this way. Wellington being- forced down twice. Wellington's scof'e was made up of one goal, three tries, and eight forcedowns. The next match between the two provinces was played on tlie Auckland Cricket Ground, in 1880.Welling-, ton won by 4 points to nil, after a very even game. The score for the Empire City was registered by Joe Warbrick, an Auckland boy, who potted a goal irom the field. In 1883 the third match was played, this time at Wellington, the Auckland team being on a Southern tour. The game resulted in. a draw, each side scoring a goal from a try (five points).. I notice that this match is in the 'Wellington R.IJ. Annual' designated a 'disputed draw.' It is surely time that so unsportsmanlike a term were wiped out of their records. In 1886 the two provinces met at Dilworth's Paddock, Newmarket, when Auckland won by four points to two. This is one of the most memorable matches in the history of Aucidand football. A tremendous amount of interest was excited in both towns over the game, and the attendance numbered close on 10,000 people, a crowd rarely seen even now at a' football match in Auckland. For the local team, 11. Whiteside and W. Meldriim each scored a tr}% neither of which were converted. In the second spell J. E. Smith scored for Wellington right beneath the posts, and the most elaborate preparations were made for the attempt at kicking a goal, which if successful would have made Wellington five points. G. Pierce took the kick, and his boot was wiped clean of mud, and laced up again, while the Wellington skipper placed the bajll with extraordinary care. So much time did he take that the Auckland forwards grew impatient and rushed the ball. The placer, however, thereupon demanded a free kick, actually producing a book of the rules to support his claim. The attitude of the crowds during these proceedings may be imagined, and it is not surprising that Pierce grew nervous and mulled the kick, in spite of all the precautions. Bob Whiteside played a jnagnificent game on this occasion. Some of the Wellington players made complaints of unfair treatment at the hands of the umpire, not the referee, and these, though quite unfounded, caused a good deal of bitter feeling in Wellington. The lif tli match between Wellington and Auckland was played in 1889, at Wellington. The home team won by a goal to a try (three points to one), T. R. Ellison, who accompanies the present team as manager, and Jervis being the respective scorers. Jervistry was gained after a great run, which he finished up in sensational fashion by jumping over tlie Wellington full-back, and crossing the line near the comer flag. J. Lecky took the kick, and the attempt was a splendid one, but the ball struck the centre of the. bar and bounded back. Had it gone over the game would have been a draw, instead of a defeat for Auckland. The ground was shockingly muddy at the ;time. In 1894 a Wellington fifteen visited Auckland, and scored an easy win over our boys by 13 points to nil. During this match the players were driven helter-skelter off the field of play on three occasions by heavy showers of hailstones. The Auckland representatives visited Wellington for the next match, in 1895, and again suffered defeat, after a fairly even game, by 9 points to 5. The following year the rival provinces met at Auckland, and once again the visitors succeeded in downing the local men, this time by three pomts to nil. W. McKenzie, the wellknow nwing forward, by a clever piece of dribbling, scored for Wellington. The match was sirigularly like, that of 1889 in .some respects. Absolum essayed a goal from a free kick awarded to Auckland, but, as luck would have it, the ball a.gain contrived to land on the cross bar, and bounded back into play. Had it gone over, this match also would have been a draw. Not the least exciting of the series was tho match of last season, which was played at Wellington on August 21st. Auckland had never yet succeeded in defeating Wellington on the latter's own ground; and indeed in the past 20 years only the N.S.W. reps, and the Native team had done so, though Wellington had often been defeated when ou their travels. Would our boys succeed in breaking the spell this time? That was the all-absorbing question before the game commenced, and naturally this added immensely to the interest. Excitement was keen in both cities, and the residt, a victory for Auckland by 11 points to 4, was hailed with delight by all local followers of the game. The Wellington forwards beat our vanguard, but the play of the Auckland backs was immeasurably better than that of the opposing back division. Nevertheless, up to five minutes from the end Auckland was to all intents and purposes a beaten team. Their forwards were overdone and run over, and their line was constantly in danger. The.score was'a point against them, and like the Romans at the carnival, the spectators were already raising a cry of victory when disaster complete and- crushing fell upon them. The hour had come, and the man for Auckland was there, namely, Smith, dashing, fleet of foot, and untiring, who had been working like a hero; Smith, who came back from Australia foremost of the New Zealand team, actually • scored two tries from the middle of the ground, while the referee, as it were, had the whistle to his lips waiting to call no side. From imminent defeat he snatched a substantial victory for his side, for one of his tries was converted and the score became 11 to 4. And this brings us back to our starting point, to-morrow's \mateh, the tenth of the- series. Will Auckland follow up the success she gained last year, and add another to her modest brace of victories against the sister province?