MATCH v KENT.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7215, 28 November 1888, Page 6

MATCH v KENT.

An enormous crowd witnessed the third match, which took place on October 10th at Blackheath. It was confidently expected that the hitherto triumphal march of tbe colonials would receive a decided check, as Kent was represented by a very powerful team. At the last minute, however, the home fifteen was weakened by the absence of the ex-Cantab and Irish International, Le Fanu, and it was not until the game had been in progress some.ten or fifteen minutes that a substitute was placed In the field in the person of Randall, Kent till then playing one short. Tbe weather was pleasantly warm, with scarcely any wind blowing. The Sportsman gives the following account of the play: — The colonists first defended the goal nearest the pavilion, Ellison kicking off on their behalf at 3.45. Hubbard returned ■ the ball, after which some loose play was i witnessed in the vicinity of the centre line. Then arose a cry of " He's off" as Christopherson, receiving the ball smartly from Rowsell, was seen bearing down the wing, but his career was eventually cut short. After Wynne had made a fruitless run (the ball being ordered back), Rowsell effected another smart transfer, this time to Hubbard, who took the flght well Into the Maori territory. The visitors were gradually forced to act on the defensive until Christopherson made a splendid drop at goal, having the mortification of seeing the ball glance back into play from the right haud upright. After this j fiiece of terribly bard luck the Kentish lues were invaded. Mitchell stopped one ngly rush, but Keogh directly after got possession and made a fine run, though he

possession ana maae a tine rim, though be dropped the ball just as he was being tackled by the heme defence., Elliott however, picked up, and Keogh again obtaining possession, secured the first try for the Maoris after about ten minutes ! play. McCausland took the place, aby no means easy one, but managed to. convert the try into a major point. After this reverse the -play waxed fast and furious, Kent attacking in force. Rasnley gained & lot ot ground with a capital drop-kick, ■which was followed by one of ttoff hardest "scrums* of the day In the vicinity of the " twenty-five " flag. Play after this continued close to -£be. visitors* goal-line. and ended in Hubbard getting over close to touch-in-RoaL Christopherson essayed the place, bntthongh a fine attempt, it did not prove successful. Upon resuming the last named again looked dangerous, but lost a good opening by the ball being: passed to him too low. Elliott relieved | wir.h a ran dnim the richt wine and. thea i

play for a few minutes slackened. A free kick by Mitchell was charged down, while a fair catch by McCausland also availed naught, tha only item recorded being a minor to Kent. Just before half-time Rashleigh failed to stay one of the visitors' rushes, and the ball was carried over line. Hubbard and Christopherson both made further attempts to secure it, but Arthur Warbrick managed to touch it first, and thus was credited with a second try. This time, however, the New Zealand captain failed with the place kick, the ball striking the post, as was the case with

Christopherson's drop earlier in the game. The referee's whistle then sounded the interval, New Zealand leading by a Koal and a try to a try. • Wynne , restarted the game for the county, Madigan replying. Mitchell put in a good drop kick, which caused Kent to assume the offensive, and the ball was taken rapidly down to the Maoris' goal line, bat only a touch in goal was registered. Minors were now obtained in profusion. A good kick by Madigan made Kent resort to safety tactics, to which the visitors had to respond as the result of a drop kick by Christopherson. The Maons next crossed over and pressed hard for several minutes, bat Kent just managed to save themselves and touched down. A farther attack nearly resulted in scoring, as Webster ran down and was only just collared in time by Rashleigh. A scrummage in front of the Kentish goal followed, out of which Elliott obtained the ball and tried to drop at goal, but made a mess of a very palpable opportunity, and Kent touched down, thereby fivlng the visitors a lead in minor points, ine play by Mitchell and Hubbard next took the ball into the visitors' half, and for the remainder of the game it rarely travelled into the home quarters. A movement started by Longinotto, in which all the three-quarters had a hand, was frustrated by Christopherson badly muffing the ball and letting it slip from his grasp, and only a minor was added. A race over the goal-line by Spurling and KeQgh, in which* it seemed any odds on the former gaining a try, was spoilt by his kicking the ball against the boundary, rendering it dead, while another good pass by Hubbard to Christopherson ended in the latter failing in a plucky attempt to drop a goal. Just at the finish the Maoris assumed the offensive, but nothing else was recorded, and when hostilities ceased the New Zealanders had won by a goal and a try to a try (curiously enough exactly the same margin as against Surrey at Richmond the previous Wednesday), Kent having the advantage of six minor points to four. Appended will be found the names of the rival fifteens :—

New Zealand—W. Warbrick (Matata) (back), D. Gaze (Poneke, Wellington), E. McAusland (Gordon, Auckland) (captain), and C. Madigan (Graftoa) (three-quarter backs), J. Keogh (Dunedin), C. Goldsmith ("Taare")(Hawke's»Bay>, and W. Elliott (Grafton, Auckland) (half-backs), T.Ellison (Poneke, Wellington), G. Wynyard (North Shore), Arthur Warbrick (Matata), W. AndersonJThames), H. Lee (Riverton), A. Webster (Hokianga), R. Taiaroa (Dunedin), and W. Karauri (Hawke's Bay) (forwards). Kent—W. Rashleigh (Oxford University) (back), W. G. Mitchell (Richmond and Guy's Hospital), G. H. Hubbard (Blackheath), and P. Christopherson (Oxford University) (captain) (three-quarterbacks), E. F. Rowsell (Kensington) and A. D. Longinotto (Kent Rovers) (half-backs), Norman Spurling (Blackheath), H. M. Kandell (Guy's Hospital), E. G. North (Oxford University), R. D. Budworth (Oxford University), Ei H. Wynne (Cambridge University), A. F. V. Wild (Kent Rovers), H. tr. Thompson (Kent Rovers), M. Bowley (Queen s). and M. Hewitt (Queen's) (forwards). Umpires—Messrs L. Stokes (Blackheath, past President of the Rugby Football Union) and G. Williams (Poneke, Wellington, N.Z.): Referee—Mr A. Budd (Blackheath, President of the Rugby Football Union).