NOTES ON THE THAMES-WAIKATO MATCH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 184, 4 August 1900, Page 4 (Supplement)

NOTES ON THE THAMES-WAIKATO MATCH.

Saturday's match showed what a dangerous scoring team the Thames are when their opponents' defence is not up to the mark

Mcl'ike was clean out of form and was never prominent, Pike being- by far the better man on the clay, and playing- a real hard game all through. Malcolm Bnckland was in his very best form and was the finest back on the ground, and that is saying- a good deal when McGregor and Riley were also playing and in their best form. Many critics on the Thames consider that Buekland is superior to McGregor. He certainly is a far better man than he was last year.

McLean's kicks at goals were good ones, but the strong, puffy wind upset all calculations, and time after time, when the ball seemed certain to go over the bar, the wind carried it away.

Wood, at half, showed his usual strong defence, but at times he seemed very slow in getting the ball to his backs. He was, too, considerably hampered by Douslin, the wing forward, who did not attend to his own business enough, and several times got in Wood's way.

There is something wrong with the Thames pack. They pushed the scrum all right, but did not get the ball out when they got it, which was fairly often. McDufi played a great game, but he must be more careful about keeping on side. Three times he incurred the penalt}' for off-side play. In the open all the Thames forwards were good, and they kept the pace going right to the end. By the time the Auckland match comes off they should be in the pink of condition. Swindley was prevented from playing by an injury received the previous Saturday, and Dick McGregor injured his foot and will be unable to take part in the trial game next Saturday. It would be a serious thing for the Thames if these two were unable to appear against Auckland next week.

The members of the Waikato representative team returned home by train at midday yesterday (says the Waikato "Argus"), after a very pleasant trip. They speak very highly of the treatment they received at the hands of the Thamesites, who were most hospitable. The beating was a terrible one, although those who witnessed the match say the game was not nearly so one-sided as the scores would lead one to suppose. The forwards played a real good uphill game, and held their own much better than anyone expected; but the backs, from which we anticipated great things went to pieces, and when once the ball left the pack the team was at the mercy of the opposing backs, who appeared to romp in without opposition. On arrival at Hamilton the members of the team were met witha sight which but for its underlying- vein of humour would perhaps have had a somewhat depressing effect on them. Some youthful wag had traced out a nice white cross on a black back-ground, bearing thn inscription: "In memory of the Waikato footballers what got made mince meat of on Saturday at Thames."