OUTDOOR GAMES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 11, 13 July 1914, Page 10

OUTDOOR GAMES.

LEAGUE RUGBY — .«. — ENGLAND v. WELLINGTON VISITORS WIN BY SEVEN POINTS. The long-Jooked-for match against the English League team was played on Saturday at Newtown, and was won by the visitors by 14 poirHs to 7. Therein many of the propheLe were confounded, for they had talked largely of giving away 25 points and the like. There was keen delight among good Leaguers that the Englishmen * had not been able to score a. huge ha,ndful ,of points, for nobody seriously thought th«y would be beaten. The ' fact that tbe Wellington representatives had never had an opportunity of playing in a match as a single combination made their chances all the slimmer, and their work all the more creditable. Not that they' shone as paragons j theirs was merely the wholesome virtue of putting up a splendid fight agaist a team with a great reputation, and holding the advantage of many stones in weight, and of great confidence in themselves. They had the visitqrs thoroughly extended, and they played a fine, clean game. The match aroused a tremendous amount of interest in' the city, and had the weather been finer, there would, no doubt, have been a very much larger crowd. As it was, the change of venue from the Basin Reserve to Newtown Park showed itself well justified. There must have been between six and seven thousand spectators, and that number would have been pretty cramped on the smaller ground. The spectators- included His Excellency the Governor (the Earl of Liverpool) and the Countess of Liverpool, the Prime Minister "(Right Hon. W. F. Massey), and the Mayor of WeDington (Mr. J. P. Luke), who occupied special seats and stayed throughout the match, in spite of the drenching rain. As an 1 exposition of Northern Union football at its best, the match was spoiled by tfye weather. The ground, especially at the sides and corners, was wet and soft to begin with, and the heavy rain which 'fell quickly made it worse. It afforded little foot-hold, and many a man, trying to emulate the hare in doubling, came a cropper and "skidded." The rain began before the match started, and several showers of torrential weight fell; there was all the time a strong northerly wind. The weather had its usual effect upon the' play. • There was little opportunity to display tlie finer tactics, tne personally developed tricks 'which count for a great deal in deciding the trend of a game played under the best conditions. In such circumstances much of the superiority of a really highly-skilled combination disappears through sheer lack of opportunity. What would have happened in better circumstances would possibly havebeen an unpleasant surprise to the Wellington players, ' who though a team of fine players, some of them brilliant performefs, would have found their laqk of finished combination a terrible handi1 cap., Nevertheless the' match was throughout a pleasure to the spectators. There jWjis not a dull moment in it. It is practically certain that a great number of the onlookers had never seen a League game before. It js equally certain that most of them liked it. * They must have been able, too, to appreciate the saying that to play League 'a man has to be at the topof form. One of the hopes of the Wellington League was that public interest in their game might be increased by this match; and the quality of it was such that it probably had that effect; and will have won many new adherents. THE TEAMS ENGLAND. (Red and White.) EuH-baels., G. Thomas. Three-quarters, J. O'Garra, W. A. Davis (captain li, W. Hall, S. B. Houghton. \ Five-eighth, S. Prosser. Half-back, F. Smith. Forwards, W. Jarman, J. Chilcott, J. W. Smales, J. W. Guerin, J. L. Clam-pit,-A. Johnson. WELLINGTON. (Black.) Full-back, F. / Strickland. Three-quarters, B. Whitley, J. Parker, G. Bradley, W. WilsOn. Five-eighth, A. 0. Murdock. Half, J. Barber (captain). Forwards, G. Lawlor, J. Spencer, A. Donaldson, F. Manning, L. Campbell, J. Ashton. THE PLAY The visitors got right away off the mark, and Tushed. over ' the line, but the ball went dead. The blacks quickly followed up, and from a scrum on. the twenty-five, got the ball. Barber passed to Murdoch, and from him the ball went to Parker, and on to Bradley. A tackle brought down the winger, bnt from a return Bradley marked. Campbell attempted a kick at goal, but did not achieve success. The Englishmen took up the running from their own twenty-five, aud with smart passing right across the line to the wing reached Wellington territory. Here, from a scrum, the ball was passed ,by Smith to Prosser to Davis. Houghton on the wing attempted a pasft in without success. ' A knock-on by Bradley endangeredHhe position, but Strickland was able to force. So far the game had ,been quite even. Hall made a neat run, which, however, finished in the middle of the blatKs. and proved abortive. Then came a real bit of League. From the half-way the ball flashed from back to back, Smith to Prosser to Hall to Houghton and back to Thomas, the full-back, who ran in and scored a beautiful try behind the posts. Hie kick at goal failed. England <. 3 Wellington 0 The rain now came /down in sheets and spectators and players alike were drenched. Still the handling of the ball, on the English side at least, was marvellous for such a day. Wellington, with fine vim, rushed play down the field, chiefly by forward tactics and occasional passes. An off-side penalty was given against the Englishmen, and with the kick Les Campbell made a very fair attempt at goal. Then once again the scene changed. The reds opened up a, passing movement in their own territory,, and flinging the ball about with the greatest abandon, to the delight of the crowdj forwards participating^ too, swept forward. Near the Wellington goaf-line the passing evolutions broke down, but Chilcott managed to pick up and score the second try. Guerin made a good but unsuccessful attempt. with the kick. England ... 6 Wellington 0 From the kick-off Wellington temporarily asserted their claims, but when they reached the danger zone the Englishmen were always ready. Bradley, Barber, W. Wilson, and Win! ley were conspicuous at this phase of the game. The lain made the giound and ball slippery, and Wellington certainly showed to marked advantage in loose forward rushes. However, the combination of the English backs was too good, and some fine line-kicking ]?y Thomas sUved

off tho worst of the attack. The crowd heartily cheered the efforts of the men in black. Presently the shower began to clear away and the Englishmen extended themselves. The bouts of passing, brilliant in their speed and astonishing accuracy under such conditions, pleased the crowd immensely. Several times the ball would go from the nuggety half, Smith, along the line through Prosser, Davis, Hall, and Houghton. The excellent tackling of the blacks for a time prevented a score. However, the machine operated like clockwork, and with lightning speed the oval slipped from Hall right out through Prosser and Davis to Houghton on the wing. The speedy outside man cut in and round, outstripping Strickland, and grounded safely in a fair ■position. Guerin just missed the posts with his kick. England 9 Wellington 0 The blacks, greatly heartened by the cheers of the onlookers, gallantly responded, and led by ex-Rugby veterans like Manning, L. Campbell, .nd J. Spencer, the forwards went through the English defence like an old-time Auckland pack. They did not get right through, but England were penalised for infringing the Tules in a dangerous position. Strickland took the- Kick, and put the ball high between hhe posts — Wellington's first points. England 9 Wellington 2 Half-time went 'immediately afterwards. SECOND HALF. The weather improved slightly in the second spell. The blacks were out for glory even in the mud, and they made the pace willing for a whilo. Strickland secured , ground with a well-judged kick, and on the return Bradley marked well between twenty-five and half-way. From within about three yafds of half-way Lee Campbell drove the ball beautifully between the posts — th& beet place kick by far of the day. .England 9 Wellington • 4 This was encouraging, smd both sides went out to do things. The jinglishinen gave a taste of their best. On the one hand Whitley and Jack Spencer, back and forward, co-operated with some useful work. Then O'Garra got away from his own twenty-five, and dodging and twisting, reached nearly the half-way on his own, tuon, teemg further progress barred, droppCa tha ball and sent it along with a dribble. The blackß got back again, and in the rush Donaldson was fended off .w : th a straight arm which caught him under the jaw. The crowd, unused' to such apparently quite legitimate tactics, hooted vigorously. Smales and Clampit_. with tho red pack at their back, carried an effective forward rush, showing what the Englishmen could do forward when they choo©& / that form, of play. Whitley tried to save with a speculator and missed. The reds were now right down on the line, and securing in the scrum nearly got over. Ashton locked away. Then came another fine evolution of the backs, quick as flashes in and out right across the field. Smith. Davis,' Hall, and Thomas were the chief exponents in this ' movement. It was can-ied on by O'Garra on tho wing ami finished in a ecrum near the Wellington line. Here Smith passed to Prosser and Prosser transferred to Hall. The inside three-quat ( ter eluded Strickland and scored the "fourth try iv a position which enabled Guerin to k'ck a goal without much effort. England ... • 14 Wellington ■ 4 From the kick-off the ball came to O'Garra, who skipped away, and made an opening, passing then to Davis and from the captain the ball shot in and out from arm to arm till it came to Houghton. That player was well tackled by Parker, and the , Wellington forwards seized the opportunity to push and dribble their way back \o rmdfield. Bradley neav the twenty-five line took a good mark, and Strickland' attempted a kick at goal and all but succeeded. In the scrum England screwed round and gob away, Smalc and Jarman leading, but the breakaway did not get far. Whitley marked. Campbell's attempt at goal waa poor. O'Garra again put in a great run, but Bradley and Parker with Barber brought the ball back into English territory. The black forwards were well on the move now, and while at full speed charged down a kick by Thomas. There was now nobody to stop them, and Manning might have got over on his awn had he kicked a little harder. There •was a melee on the goal-line when the reinforcements came, and out of this came, by good luck, the ball to Murdoch, who had only a yard to go td score— and he scored Wellington's only try. Campbell failed with a fairly easy kick. England .< 14 Wellington 1 This was the final score, though both gides tried hard. Les. Campbell had another chance from a penalty, but did not quite manage the kick. England retaliated with some brilliant passing, but nothing came of it in. the shape of scores, and thus a good wet-weather game ended — England ... ' 14 Wellington • 7 Mi\ Duncan M'Gregor was referee. MATCHES JELSEWHERE (II TELESRAPH^PRBSS ASSOCIATION.! AUCKLAND, 11th July. The Rugby League matches resulted :- Ponsonby beat City by 5 points to 2 ; North 'Shore beat Newton by 43 points to 2; Graf ton beat Otahuhu by 17 points to 8. North Shore and Ponsonby have each scored 15 points, and will play olf for the championship next Saturday. The positions of the other teams are : — City, 10 points ; Grafton, 6;New.ton, 5; Otahuhu, 3.' The remainder of the English Northern Union team arrived to-day from Sydney by the. Manuka, the personnel of the party being : Clifford (manager), Rogers, Wagstaffe, Moorhouse, Longstane, Sykes, Jenkins, Ramsdale, Francis, Coldclrick, Wood. CHRISTCHURCH, 11th July. Sydenham (22) beat St. Albang (3); Linwood (18) beat Addington (5).