FOOTBALL.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10999, 24 June 1901, Page 10

FOOTBALL.

-' : OANTEEiRURY ▼ NELSON. •* The first ihtergrovincial match of the sea-' son in Canterbury'was flayed at Lancaster Park on Saturday afternoon, when the Canterbury- and 'Nefeoa". representative teams met. Although theNveatber was not tctjt pleasant, there was ft-good attendance, the gate-maney , amounting to JBB2 175.. The game was not a particularly interesting on*, and though in the first spell Canterbury only soored 6 points, in the second they in* creased this, number by 21, winning by 27 points (threa goals from tries atad four.trice) to nil. The following were the teams: — Canterbury—Full back, J.. S. Middleton; three-quarters, E. B. Rice, C. Bush (captain), P. Menzks; five-eighths, G. Ormandy; half back, J. Weston; forwards, S. Halliday, W. Do*iglass,'H. Frost, E.Marriner, B. Fanning, T. Cross, W. Drake, W. Blackwell, and H. B. Gordon. Nelson— Full back, H. Bonar; tbree-ouaiters, L. King (captain), W. Smith, H. JRiky; fiveeighths, S. Levkn l half hack. J. Bint; forwitrds. Blenco, Boon, D. McKinley, Palmer, H. Beat, A. Adams, Haynes. J. Johnston, and G. Hunter, ilr F. T. Evans acted as Teferee and Messrs W- G. Atack and T. R. Cresswell as line umpires. Nelson kicked off from tli9 goutli end, and Canterbury at once had the visitors on the defensive Play was confined to the Nelson twenty-five for some time, until & hickv kich by King sent the ball out past the half-way fag. The relief was only momentary, as Canterbury again attacked, and although some good work by the Nelson forwards cleared their lines for a time, the visitors were forced down several times. Finally Marriner and Douglass dribbled the ball to the Nelson line, and .Halliday flashed up and scored. Drake faihd to "kick a goal. A few minutes after a passing rush, in which Middleton, Merusies, a>nd Bush took part, brought play back to the Nelson quarters, and after some scrambling on the line Gordon scored a try, Drake's kick at goal being aga.in unsuccessful. When half time was called, tjfoa ball was in the Nelson twentvfive. At th 9 .opening of the second spell, good work by the Nelson forwards und fast following tip by Bint had Canterbury in trouble, and the "home team were forced down. After the kick out. smart foot work by Drake once more had tie visitors on tho defensive, while, a little later a good opjning made by Weston was spoilt through Halliday fumbling. Give and take play followed, and then a passing rush, between Ormandy, Bush, and Menzies ejid'edin the lastnamed scoring. Wt'ston failed' ■with the kick at goal. Canterbury -still maintained the* attack, and after a series of scrums on the goal-line, Blackwell registered the fourth try. Rice's kick at goal was a failure. A ran by Rice had Nelson again in trouble, and Men7.ics was cjuick to seize an opening, and touched down between the posts, Drake converting the try. The kick-off failed to bring Nelson; any relief, for Ricej following up fast a kick by Bush, secured the ball just as Bona.r was reaching for it, and scored bshind the goal. Drake was successful in converting the try. In the last ten minutes Nelson "rallied, and "kept Canterbury penned in their twenty-five. Just on the call of time, hmvever, the' lvome team's forwards broke away, and Drake, picking Up the ball, outpaced his opponents, and sc-ored a try from which, he kicked an easy goal. The following list shows the result of matches, played bstween thess provinces: : — 1876* (at Nelson), Canterbury won; 12 points to nil. 1898 (at Nelson), Canterbury won; 9 points to 3 points. .

1899 (at Cbristchurch), Canterbury won; 17 points to nil.

l&'ujt (at Ghristchurch), Canterbury won; 27 points- to nil.

*Force-down counting half a point.

Football