THE ENGLISH FOOTBALLERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 143, 19 June 1899, Page 3

THE ENGLISH FOOTBALLERS.

GOOD GAME AT SYDNEY.

THE ENGLISHMEN WIN.

SYDNEY, June 17.

The weather cleared up to-day, and about 20,000 people were present at the football match between the English team and the New South Wales representatives. The ground was in a bad state, the centre being almost a bog.

The English team was as follows:— Back, Martelli^ three-quarters, Doran, Bucher, Nichols, and Adamson; halves, Mnllineux and Cookson; forwards, Stoutt, Garman, McGow&n, Gibson, Betson, Gray, Ayre-fimith, and Francourt.

New South Wales: Back, Bow; three-quarters, Spragg, Shortland, and White; five-eights, Ward and O'Donnell; half, Boyd; forwards, Street, Kelly, Davis, Wheeler, Gardner, Marks, Webb, and Ellis.

The game was a capital one, but at the end of the first spell it was made manifest that there was a lack of condition on the part of the Englishmen. The passing and line-out work was excellent, while the forwards displayed fine dribbling. They drew first blood off a mark by Cookson, for which Martelli obtained a goal by a well-judged kick. In the second spell New South Wales assumed the aggressive, and practically kept the visitors on the defensive throughout. Ward, an ex-New Zealander, was the hero on the local side. The Englishmen frequently relieved by pointing, the local men giving them penalty kicks. The forward play of the local men was at times brilliant, but on the whole it was patchy. Gardiner passed to Ward in the visitors' 25, and the New Zealander cleverly ran in and secured a try. Spragg failed to convert, owing to the difficult angle. Just before time the English made, a good passing rush, but Ayre-Smith had no run in him. As he made a straight line for the New South Wales goal, he was overtaken just in time to prevent a try. The result Of the match was: England, 4 points; New South Wales 3.