MAORIS DEFEAT OTAGO.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 168, 18 July 1910, Page 7

MAORIS DEFEAT OTAGO.

FINE DISPLAY BY WINNERS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association." DUNEDIN, Saturday. About 5000 spectators were present at Cladonian Park this afternoon to witness the Maori team play their second game since " they returned from the Commonwealth. The visitors gave a good exhibition, defeating Otago by 17 points to 8, the local team never being in it. Otago had a light nreeze behind them in the first quarter, and the crowd had a glimpse of spectacular football. In the first ten minutes, after some cautious sparring for an opening, Stead picked up beautifully in the face of an Otago rush, and, cleverly slipping past a couple of forwards, flung the ball out to the right wing, and Kaipara, next in sequence of passing, also cutting out his man, left Winiata and Rogers racing down with only one man directly in front of them. As ho was tackled, Winiata gave Rogers a clean run in. The kick failed. Maoris 3 Otago - M 0 The Maoris pushed a second attack home with extraordinary vigour, and after a short tussle Takarangi and Paratene broke through, and though the latter was magnificently tackled the attack never faltered, but swept over all the opposition, and Piki, gathering up the iball neatly from the ground, scored the second try for the Maoris. The kick again failed. Maoris 6 Otago 0 It was fast, hot work, and the crowd was vastly pleased with the visitors' success. Otago turned the tables/ shortly afterwards, and Patterson leading a fierce forward rush right to the Maoris' twenty-live, over-eagerness to clear gave Otago a penalty, and Paton landed a nice goal. Maoris „ 6 Otago „ .. 3 Otago forwards rallied finely, Patterson and (Jasey taking the ball right to the line, but the Maoris reversed the position adroitly, and Stead, swinging round the edge of a loose scrum, passed to Ryland, who ran strongly to nearly halfway. Shortly after, Otago had another shot in nearly the same position, but Paton tfailed (this time. The game steadied half-way through the spell, Otago forwards asserting a dubious sort of supremacy. Presently, though in one, of their tightest corners, the Maoris' backs' ingenuity found a way out of trouble, Ryland slipping round and clearing. A forward rush was followed by a beautiful interchange ol passing between Kyland, Kaipara, and Hall, the latter and Rogers following up fast touched down, but Hail 'had apparently been out of play—bad luck tor the visitors. Stirred by repeated reverses, Otago's forwards made a great Tecovery, and Paton bursting right -away on the line, the blues followed him fast, and in .1 wild scramble Patterson scored, Eckhold kicking a goal. Otago .. 8 Maoris 6 Half-time was then called. Otago were aggressive, opening the second spell, which was marked by very close tactics on both sides. The Maoris soon tired of this, and opened out spectacularly, R.ykrad whipping through from the line-out, running strongly with only Duthie (full back) to beat. Duthie half-stopped him, but he sent a long centring pass to Takarangi and Rogers, who took play clean to the line, and it looked a ten-to-one chance on a score for the Maoris, who carried the ensuing scrum beautifully, and Stead sent his backs away on the left, but Graham just managed to cut off a short pass, and broke up at tack. Next minute came one of the cleanest bits of football of the day. Otago forwards burst through the scrum, but Piki, taking it clean from them, cut out the whole ruck, and Stead again bore down this time on the right wing with the whole of hi 3 backs in support. Running straight, they made ground every stride, and at last Kaipara, passing over the centre's head, gave Rogers a fine try, Duthie just failing to take him. The kick failed. Maoris 9 Otago „ 8 In the third quarter of the spell Otago forwards gathered for a last effort, and carried all before them. Twice they just failed to score, but then the Maoris drove them right back, Patterson bursting through just iv time to stop Stead slipping his backs, but was offside, and Cunningham kicked the goal. Maoris 12 Otago 8 Otago went to pieces under the repeated onslaught, and after a clever rim by Hal!, Takarangi broke through three tackles and scored. Cunningham landed a goal, and the game ended— Maoris , 17 , Otago ...................... 8

The Maoris achieved quite a brilliant success, putting up a clever and remarkably clean exhibition of footbalL The unexpected dash and resourcefulness of their backs, both on attack and defence, aroused the enthusiasm of the spectators, while their forwards -were at times as good as backs, and never let down. Otago's only strength lay in its forwards, >but their superiority quite failed to counterbalance the weakness and slowness of the backs. The game was open and fast from start to finish, and many brilliant movements which were executed by the Maoris' back division made it most attractive. Otago is still lamentably weak in backs, and the form exhibited by to-day's representatives, both on attack and defence, was almost at all points disappointing. The fullback (Dutlhie) was the only one who was anything like a success. The Maori backs dominated the game in a most effective manner at almost all stages. Many of Otago's forward movements, 'through being left to two or three individuals, notably Paton and Patterson, proved quite ineffectual, and were too easily countered. Hall played a sterling game for the Maoris, and the best of the other forwards were Takarahgi, W. Winiata, and Paratene. Kaipara's efusiveness was the delight of the crowd, while Stead, M. Winiata, and Rogers were always dangerous; in fact, the backs as a whole played faultlessly. Air. J. Duncan was referee. DUNEDIN, this day. Saturdays gate amounted to £240. On the form shown, the Maoris will be a tough proposition against any of the Northern Unions.