CANTERBURY v THE NATIVE TEAM.
[Bt our Special Reporter.] Fortune, which has smiled wonderfully on followers of the game of football this year, was again propitious as regards the weather on Saturday afternoon, when "Warbrick's Native team met the Canterbury representatives on Lancaster Park. Bright sunshine—a trifle too bright for those who had to play in the face of it —a keen edge in the air. a breeze from the north-east blowing diagonally across the ground, and a turf a little, but only a little, on the sott side. These were the chief conditions under which the game was played. Whilst thus a little improvement might have been made with respect to one or two of them, on the whole the circumstances were to be pronounced very favorable.
From two o'clock the steady stream of people setting towards the Park appeared to indicate the probability of a large attendance. A good dea4 of curiosity was felt, us to the abilities of the Maoris and haLf-castes in the team, whilst the presence of the two famous Auckland players, Madigan and Elliott, was an additional attraction to those acquainted with the fioiugs of the Northern men. It was no •aiatter for surprise, therefore, that, despite the comparatively little advertising of the team that had been done, the attendance should reach to about s>joo. A fairly large contingent of Maoris from Kaiapoi and elsewhere swelled the numbers, and materially helped to increase the volume of cheeriug which greeted any special display on the part of the Natives. The directions given in the Maori tongue to players by this section of the spectat ars and by the non-playing members of t«he team, together with the conversation Ln the same tongue carried on by the p.'oycrs themselves, added in no small degrve to the afternoon's entertainment. Tb c spectators were, on the whole, very inijtartial in their applause, and the cry of " wlnfks" was raisetl aluust as often and .• is vigorously as that of "Reds." Doubtijuss the bulk of those present would have preferred to see Canterbury win, but no ■one grudyed the Natives their victory, and it was received very well. It was anticipated before the match that the play would be very even, "with a slight advantage on the side of the Natives, aiid the fact that the Jocal men bad rsally none the worst of the game, compensated their supporters for the bare defeat sustained on the scoring. The Learns were conducted to the scene of play in drags, and their arrival ou the ground was the signal for a hearty outburst of cheering. The teams selected to play were—
NATIVES. FULL BACK. W. "Warbrick (captain). THREE-QUARTER BACKS. C. Madigan, Ji. Lee. VV. Wynyard. HALF BACKS. ; D. Gage, W. Elliott, t , . Warbrick. FORWARDS. A. "Webster, G. Wynyard. R. Taiaroa, G. Williams, T. Ellison, A. Warbrick, D. Stewart and T. Renne.
CANTERBURY v THE NATIVE TEAM.
Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7125, 23 July 1888, Page 6
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