SATURDAY'S FIELD SPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1546, 16 September 1912, Page 6

SATURDAY'S FIELD SPORTS.

" SLIDE & SPLASH " lU6BY. OTAGO TEA! WALKED OVER BY WELLINGTON LEAGUE AND "SOCCER" MATCHES.' PEASANT SURPRISE ".OVER BROWN SHIELD.

The Day, the Play, and the Lagoon, Implacably, punctually—like the haunting thing in the Frankenstein legend—. Wellington's week-end drizzle arrived automatically' with Saturday morning. It. wet "the just aud the unjust" impartially for several hours, aud, incidentally, it caused the waters in tho Athletic Park lagoon to rise considerably. When tho Otago-Welliugton Kugby match, which was to have been played on'the dry bed of tho lagoon, was commenced, the water had risen to .such a height that the vegetation w.is barely visible in some places, in fact, it was. totally submerged. However, tho gaino was played,'and, in tho circumstances, it was an entertaining match. About 2000 people (including a strong and rather noisy contingent of Otago supporters), viewed the proceedings with blue faces and chattering teeth.

extra'special efforts to get at least on* score before die bell wont, but they could not manage it, aud the fiual tally, was: Wellington ;... 19 points. Olago nil. ORICNTAL-LYTTELTON. LATTER DEFEATED. A'fifteen representing the LyttoltoU Football Club, winners of the Cbristchurcli President's Cup (third-class), was defeated nt >>«wto\vu Park, on' Saturday afternoon by the Oriental team,, wiuners of the local third-class championship. Heavy rain fell prior to the match, and' continued during .the play, with the result that the ground was very wet and greasy and the ball difficult to handle. The visitors drew first blood, Cain scor--ing'from a forward rush. No goal resulted. Lyttelton, 3; Oriental,- 0. This re-, verse roused Oriental, and the team nttncketl continuously until Hearing the end of the spell, when A very scored as ■the outcome of passing. The try was not converted, and the spell ended: Oriental. 3; Lyttelton, 3. ' The visitors opened strongly in the second spell, but could not increase their score, nnd towards the end of the game Oriental did all tho attacking. .An unconverted try scored by Meredith decided the issue, the game- ending: Oriental, G] Lyttelton, 3. . ' . Mr. K. Evonson was the referee. CANTERBURY'S TOUR, SUCCESSFUL AT WANC.ANCI. • (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) 'Wanganui, September U. The weather was fine for the Rugby' representative match, Canterbury versus Wanganui. A strong wind was blowing down tho field. WiiuK&mii had the. wind in the first spell, which ended without any score. The ploy was very even, nnd was mostly confined to tho. forwards. In tho second half Canterbury got a 'simple try after a quarter of an hour. ■ From a. kick by the visitors, tho ball hit the bar and dropped into the field of ploy. Hutchiuson failed to secure, and Cuba picked ■up and fell over the line. Tho kick failed. Shortly after, Canterbury rushed over,-and through mulling by local backs Parsons .secured another try, which Hassell Tho play from this out was very even. The Wanganui forwards played well, but. the backs lost several opportunities. The game ended in a win for Canterbury by 8 points to nil. It wae. a. very, poor display, neither side show, ingiany approach (o brilliancy.

As Otago's navy jerseys were too near an approach to Wellington's black, tho home men wore blue and white. They were immediately christened "Auckland. , "

As.hinted, the ground bore such'a family resemblance to the famous slough of which tho celebrated Mr. Bunyan ouco wrote, that the best of play was not expected, but the leanis did better than was looked for. .Much to the disappointment of .Otago's,iepresentative partisans, Wellington .won out very easily, and also gave the impression that, had the match been played on a dry day, they would have won out ihorc easily still. Contrary to expectation, the Wellington forwards were more, then a match for the "Scottish" von, and were able to let the backs have the ball frequently. The Wellington backs were far alwve the Otago l6t; and, so, on a good ground, . Wellington would probably have romped home as they pleased.

The Finest Flashes of the Day. , Otago were on the defensive almost right througlumt, but their defence was not weak. Watson, who fielded and kicked quickly, played a line game for Otago as full-back, and saved the score piling .up more. .Lambert's (Wellington's fullback) long punting was another featuro of the match; and 'the goal-kicking of H. Palon aroused a good deal of enthusiasm. H. Paton, by the' way, is an exIHflgo player, and he scored eight points against tho Blues.

Shot after shot was made by the 'Wellington backs to score by passing movements,- but the'unspeakable ball frustrated them almost always. Two of these cll'orts only are remembered, tlio one from which Young scored, ami the one in which tho whole back insicniric bundled tlie leather a* though it were as dry ns a rood board meeting. The latter was by far the finest flash of tne day. But. taking tile gallop, by and large it was spiasli-aml-aliclo Kugby all through.

CIVIL SERVICE. RAJXW"AYS-PUBLIC TRUST. At Mirnmar on Saturday afternoon, the Public Ti'iiai team defeated the Railways tenm in tho Civil Service tournament by 14 points to 3. Until very near the close of the .name ploy vns even, but then the wiriiiors 'jrtit'' dccidodlv the ; tipper hand. .Dingle'scored for Hailways soon after the game, had commenced, and just priov to the. spoil ending , l'uu'cett scored a try for Public Tv.ii-t. .Ryan converted, .the fry,'making the score at half-time: Public Trust, 5; Kail ways, 3. In llio second spell Fairp scored two tries nud Hiddick one for the winners, and the pome ended; Public Trust, 14.points; Railways, 3. Mr. T. Thompson was referee.

An Extraordinary Incident. A most'" extraordinary'"interlude occurred during (ho game. Wilson, tho Wellington forward, dived for the lino, and the referee (Mr. C. Atkinson) awarded a try, but afterwards found that. Wilson had grounded the ball a foot infield.: Tho referee was not slow to admit his error when he recognised it, but, quite properly, adhered to his decision.' Ofago, who seem to be rather accomplished talkers, objected to this course, and crowded round the referee to argue with liiin. t Jlr. Atkinson (old them—they ought have known it—that he could not niter his decision. Still they talked, and in such ft style tlat one of them was on the point of being ordered oil the field. Of course the try was allowed. And—it. seemed like "rubfoiiiff it in"—a goal wr.3 kicked from the. try, and H. l'aton was the kicker.

OTHER MATCHES. (By 'felesrapk.-Press Association.) Palmorston North, September 14. I'cilding won the Maniiwahi- Rugby championship to-day, beating West District by tlirep points to nil. Southern District boat Eastern, by 12 points to 9.

The Teams Engaged. The teams were, as follow:— Otago—Full-back, Walson; throe-quar-ters, Alexander, Cockroft, and Ctithill; live-eighths, M'Bougnll, Kchold; half, Dryden; wing-forward, Casey; pack, Smith, Husscll, M'ponald, Irvine, Douglas, Graham, and Hheehan. Wellington—Full-back, It. Lambert; three-quarters, K. Ryan, A. Evenscn, C. ymini,' ; five-eichths, .T. M'Kcnxic, (.'. Itainsdan; half, E. lioberts; wing-fnrward, ,1. Cunninghams; pack, ■W. Heady, 11. Elliott, A. Wilson, C. Gillcspio, W. 8011, li. I'aton, H. Paton.

fc'omc interesting; games took place between the different Wellington school representatives on Saturdnv morning. The following teams are to ploy off for the championship:—Marist 'Tnsman Street), A and C teams; Marist (Hawke.slone Street), A aud B teams; Thorndon A and T.C Aro.

Marlbarough third-class representatives be/it Wellington thirds b,v i) points to nil. The game, was ployed in the. water and slough of Xo. 2 ground on Athletic Park. The tries for I'no visitors were got by Chandler (2) mid Molloy. Mr. L. Simp* son w;>s referee. H. ilodg.-on, a Jfarlj, borough player, was injured on the jaw, and had to be carried from the field.

STAGE BY STAGE. THE PLAY AS IT HAPPENED. The Wellington forwards rushed play into Otago's twenty-five at the commt'.'icemeut of tlie game, end soon Otago had to resort to forcing. Back Wellington went again, aud a fine line-kick by liamsden put them in an excellent position. Howover, a quick change wn.s at hand. In an I'lidciivour to open up the game, one of tlis Wellington bucks kicked the oval into Unarms of Graham, who was about to tackle him. Graham put in a great run, and the rush thus started was not stopped till play had got to within a few yards of (he Wellington goal. Very soon Wellington were back in Otago's twenty-five, and the backs made very ■creditable efforts to get across, but the imt>ossiblo ball nullified their efforts. 'From"4o yards out erts took a shot at goal. Tho kicker had the ill-luck to slip just as he was about to shoot, and the ball, though excellently directed, went just under the bar. Halfway through the spell, H. Paton scored from a forward rush; aud E. Roberts converted. Wellington, 5; Otago, 0. Shortly afterwards IT. Piiton converted a penalty, thereby altering the board to: Wellington, 8; Olfigo, 0.

A team representing the. Union Steam Ship Compauy's Wellington office staff mot and defeated representatives of the Dimedin office staff by U pointv to nil. in n match played at Christchurcli on Sat> unlay.

A swooping rush by tlio Ot.ic;o rnuguanl drove all ■Wellington, before them, anH the. onslaught was not .terminated until the Wellington lino wa? well in ciuht. Ryan and. K. Kolrevtp, with Uin Wellington forwards behind thoni, took piny back to halfway. Clo?o on time tlio unusual scp.no alluded to above was witnessed. Wollinglon wprn. pressing Otaijo hard near the letter's lino, when 'all of a sudden Wilson shot out of (lie riwk and dived for tho line. In a little knot, in the oovner tho Otngo team, Wilson, somo otlier Wellington players, and thp referee stood and argued; and the. public waited, am-iz'-d. However, a try was awarded, and H. Paton kicked a urr-it goal. Wrilinston. 13: C'taso, 0. TfalM'nio'w.is not lniifr in nrrivimf. mvl tli"n there. driftM around Hie. of Mif> "(ry." It is told above.

flviK n wa? to ro nff with jj bans nt fhe ly'piuniim nf (h° s'fcind spjll. They did not. W»llipeton did.- The own. ins: item was n. fry hv Ynunff.. the Wellington- wing three-quarter, who palloped over aftev a fair oppiiincf h-id rofii mndf for him by the in?id? backs. ; TI. P.imn made a vond--i'fnl attempt to ■vmvert, but j.i'-t- failed. Welliiißlon, 1(1: Otaso. 0.

The next try onme through gmtl work by Jl'Knnsie and Wil-oii. M'Kenzin. -lnshod unv tviti, the oral at his loe, o nd the wakeful Wilson following behind. -When :U'Keii7.io l« f t' tli? leather il w> ri>rricd on by WiUnn. who tonic i! over the line, where M'Keiv/.io immediate. Iv noii'icml limn it. scorin.". 11. Pato'.'s r.tteraft to convert wns anotlmr niuiMially fine one. Wellington, 19: Otago. 0. Before Hi? end camo the l;a°lts slinweiT the riuality iliafr is in them. ?,. BoVpvts nieheil un , th» loatlir-r nnr il<e Ornio twonly-Ovc ni.d pftssrd onl in l!ain-den. from whom it won! on to M'|Ci>nz''e. Tvi'ti--on. and Kyii'i. l!v;ni ;.ll<>mu!ffl to i-.it in. but w ; k blocked, ami uas-ed ii.-«e!d. The rush went very plrwe to ll.r visitors' line, but, il fnilcl. Tlowi-r, it wo--oito if H"> br-t •<>xei'iit'?d iiinvpmrni? n-iijrh hap evpr V«n rlnr« ,WII, s slimv V,H on a slippery ground. Otaga mad? i fc-T