FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 111, 20 May 1901, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

KAITI V. CITY. [Bv “ Thu AVhistlk.”] K.uti and City furnished the entertainment at Tucker's paddock on Saturday afternoon last, when they met in tho first round of tho competition for tho Poverty Bay Rugby Union’s Senior Banner. There was a largo attendance of the public, including a number of ladies, and the sum of £8 0s 9d was taken at the gates. AVe were pleased to notice tho popular President of tho City Club (llev. Canon AVebb) among the spectators, and came to tho conclusion from the keenness with which the rev. gentleman followed the play throughout the afternoon that he must have been a Rugby player in his college days. During the week the man on the street had hut ono story to tell —the reconstruction of the City team ; and when the men filed on to the field, the chango in the personnel of the City team from that which represented the club on the occasion of their disastrous defeat by tho Iluia fifteen a Saturday or two back was very apparent. A noticeable feature about both teams was the number of oldtime players who appeared in the ranks of both teams, conspicuous among these being AV. Gibson (fivc-oighths), G. Craw ford (half), and ,T. Eaton (wing-forward) on the Kaiti side, and PI. Burns (wing-

threcquarter), AV. Samson (five-eighths), and llecs Jones (forward) for the City. Mr A. AV. Rees carried the whistle, and was assisted in controlling the game by Messrs R. AAC Colo and J. AVebb on tho touch-lines.

Duggan (City) won the toss from Kirk (Kaiti), and decided to defend the town goal, which gave hii men the advantage of playing with a strong westerly wind behind them. Two spells of 40 minutes each were played, and McKollar opened the first by kicking off from tho seaward end, and the return sent the ball out on the Kaiti side of tho half-way flag. The first line-out showed what an advantage the City had in weight and height in tho forward rank, the Kaiti moil appearing mere dwarfs compared with their sturdy opponents. City secured possession from the throw-in, and broke away with a rush, which was well stopped by G. Crawford, and a serum was formed on the quartermark. As in the line-out work, the City forwards asserted their superiority in tho pack. Their advantage in weight enabled them to hold the serum, while the front rankers, Duggan and Davidson, were clover with their feet, and hooked the ball cleanly out to Primrose, who sent it out to Samson, and the latter kicked into touch well into the Blue territory. On the tln-6w-in, some wild passing among the Kaiti backs let the Reds sweep down on the Blue lino, whore some fierce fighting ensued. The play of the City moil up to this stage amply verified our prognostication that they would make matters warm for the Kaiti men. They made things very lively, and had tho advantage in both hack and forward departments. Attack after attack was made on the - Kaiti line, but Crawford, Ngatai, Porter, and Kirk kept up an admirable defence, and held them at bay. Eventually, a foolish kick by a blue forward enabled Glennie to mark right in front of the goal, but, to the delight of the Kaiti supporters, a feeble attempt was made with the place-kick, and the blues forced. Kirk kicked out, and the blue forwards, with Brophy, McKellar, Brown, Newton, Robinson, Colebourno, Bright, and Eaton conspicuous in turn, took tho ball well on to the City quarter-distance. From some loose play, Kirk secured tho ball, and put in a grand, high punt; and Gibson, following quickly, collared Burns on tho City lino beforo lie could return. The referee penalised the latter for not getting rid of the ball immediately when collared, and Ngatai made a magnificent attempt to place a goal from a difficult angle in the teeth of tho wind. In fact, many spectators were under the impression" that a goal been kicked, but those in a position to judge agreed with the referee that tho ball went over the post. Ngatai was warmly applauded for liis fine effort. On resuming the City men, aided by the wind, shifted play down to the Kaiti end, and from this out until halftime had all tho best of the play. Their forwards worked splendidly, and gave one the impression that considerable attention had been given to scrum work, while the inclusion of Primrose (half) and Samson (five-eighths) greatly strengthened the backs. The Kaiti men wore set ft laborious task to stave off the repeated attacks kept up on their line, and, considering tho fiue game tho City team were playing, and the strong wind against them, they succeeded admirably, llecs Jones, Quinn, Duggan, Steele, Harley, Freer, and Dixon put in some fine work among the City forwards, while Primrose, Samson, Glennie, and Burns were conspicuous among the hacks. Eventually the persistency of tho attack wore tho defence of the Kaiti men down, and A. AVebb scored within nice convert-

in" distance. Again the place-kicking was at fault, and no goal resulted. After this rebuff the blues shook themselves together and took play well up the field. Eaton, who was working like an artist at wing-forward, called forth a well-deserved round of applause by some clever play along tho line. Breaking away from a line-out, he beat a couple of men, and put in a tricky little punt overjthe heads of the opposing backs, and, increasing his pace, secured possession again, and got well up the field bofore being thrown into touch by the full-back. But the City soon had it' back again, and just before the whistle I sounded half-time, Quinn scored a clever try close to the posts. Securing possession close to the line, he beat several men by feigning to pass, and slipped over the line. For the third time City failed to place a goal at an easy angle. On changing ends, the Kaiti supporters wore confident that their representatives would top tho score of six points on the slate against them. Duggan set the ball rolling, and City soon had -play on the Kaiti line, where they kept up a stubborn attack for a time. Crawford, Ngatai, Gibson, Kirk, and Coleman cleared the line successively by kicking well into touch, but the attack was renewed each time. Eventually, play was shifted to midfield, where Kirk fielded the hall beautifully,'and set off down the field at racing pace. He put in a hiarvcllous, corkscrew run, in tho course of which he i fended one of the opposing side, jumped ; over a secqnd, wriggled out of the t clutches of a, third, and raced round a : fourth, eventually scoring a brilliant try i after traversing half the length of the l groun,d. He was-deservedly cheeied to

. the echo for his grand performance. Ngatai made a creditable attempt to . convert. After this reverse, City woke up, 3 and were back on the attack again, and t some fine passing among tho backs s nearly resulted in their securing a score, but Samson hung on to the ball at . the critical moment, and no score cventu- , ated. Play had not been long re-started, [ when Porter put in a strong run right • down to the City line, where he was : brought down, and transferred to Brophy, , who had backed up splendidly, and the ' latter walked over, and scored Haiti’s , second try. Ngatai’s superiority as a place-kick put Kaiti two points to the good. From this out to the call of time, condition began to speak, and the Kaiti forwards, who had had the worst of the encounter thus far, woke up, and walked all over their weightier antagonists to the great amusement of the spectators. Their great weakness lay in their scrum work. In not one instance did the Kaiti hacks receive the ball from the scrum, and they will have to improve in this important branch before their undoubtedly fine back division can be utilised to advantage. But they proved themselves good individual performers, and the complete manner in which they swept the strong City forwards out of the way in the last quarter of an hour’s play on Saturday proved of what stuff they are composed. Just on the call of time, Porter again secured possession, and called forth the admiration of all present by a magnificent run through tho opposing side. He was tackled by Duggan, and momentarily lost possession, out recovered himself in an instant, and continued his onward course with the ball at his feet. On reaching the full-back, he kicked hard past him, and was on the ball like a flash, scoring Haiti’s third try, and causiug applause to go up from all parts of the field in recognition of a truly splendid piece of individual brilliancy. Ngatai proved what a really fino place-kick he is by making his third grand kick of tho afternoon, and registering his second goal. The referee’s whistle sounded “ no-side ” immediately after the kick, and a splendidly-fought-out contest resulted in Kaiti leaving the field victors by 13 points (two goals from tries and a try) to 6 points (two tries).

JUNIOR MATCH. On No. 2 ground, tho Kaiti and AVest End juniors were drawn to meet each other. Only seven or eight Kaiti players put in an appearance, and AVest End, who had a strong fifteen in the field, ran over their opponents to the tune of 26 points to nil, when, on the advice of the referee (Mr AVally Howard), tho Kaiti boys “ skied tho towel.”