FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 151, 8 July 1901, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION. AN IMPORTANT MEETING. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, last night. At a meeting of the Managing Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union, correspondence was received relative to the matches to be played in the colony by the New South Wales team. Auckland guaranteed L'ldo, and agreed to pay local expenses in connection with the match. The Otago Union will give net gate receipts, and will charge the New Zealand Union 20 per cent, of the gross takings. The Wanganui, Wellington, and Canterbury Unions agreed to hand over to the New Zealand Union the net proceeds of their respective matches. The Queensland Union wrote that the scheme for an interchange of visits by colonial teams was inequitable. It suggested that there should bean interchange of visits by a combined Australian team and New Zealand team, and visits from Queensland and New South M ales of teams abandoned. It was decided to suggest that a conference of Australasian referees be hold in Wellington during the visit of the New South Wales team. It was resolved to ask all affiliated Unions to furnish the names and qualifications for a New Zealand representative team for a match against New South Wales at 'Wellington on August olst.

WEST END, 6; CITY S,

[Notes by "The Whistle."]

A moke unsuitable day than Saturday last for indulgence in outdoor recreation J of any kind could scarcely bo conceived. At o o’clock in the afternoon, the thermometer was down somewhere about freezing point, and a bitterly cold sou’wester brought occasional showers along throughout the remainder of the afternoon. Nevertheless, quite a number of enthusiasts, including many ladies, braved the elements to witness the game between j West End and City Clubs, which commenced at Tucker’s paddock shortly after I) o’clock. Neither club had its strongest team in the field, and each included a number of juniors. Erekana was absent from the back division of the West End team, and his absence was greatly felt, while C. Taylor and A. D. Sherrill were absent from the forward division. Featon was given a place in the forwards, and played a hard game throughout, but he lias a bad habit of getting off-side, which was the means of inflicting numerous penalties against his side. Glennie, King, and Davidson were absentees from the City team, their places being filled by Tveson, Webb, and Paltridge. Iveson, who played last with a Marton club, made a first appearance at Tucker’s paddock in this match, and struck us as being a more than average player. He played an honest wing-forward game. Ho is fast, kicks well, and is not afraid of work, while his throwing-in from the lino was the best we have scon this season. L. Sherriff won the toss for West End (black), and played with the wind from the harbor end. Duggan kicked off for City (red), and Brown ri turned the ball to Samson, who mulled badly, but recovered possession, and sent the ball to Clarke, who found the line at City twenty-fivo with a big punt. From the throw-in, the black forwards shifted play dangerously close to the City lino, and Potaka was in the act of dribbling over the line when a black farwavd got offside, and Samson cleared the line with a nice kick to touch at the quarter-mark. Burns, from a mark, and Duggan, from a penalty, shifted the scene of operations to the other end of the ground with good kicks. From a scrum near the West End twenty-five mark, the City forwards gavo Samson the ball,.and he dodged cleverly round, and got well away down the line, but L. Sherriff intercepted his pass, and kicked out near the centre. From the throw-in, the blacks swept the ball with a good foot rush to the City quarter-mark, whore Brown kicked out. On resuming, Featon took the ball when about thirty yards offside, and had a pot at goal, and Duggan sent the ball out well past the centre from the ensuing penalty. From the line, Rees Jones came through, but was unsupported. Shortly afterwards, Wepiha broke away from a line, but was gamely tackled by Samson, and scientifically upended. A fierce attack was then made on the City lino, and play' for a time was fast and oxciting. Brown, Watcne, L. Sherriff, Wooirigbt, Wepiha, Potaka, and Hakawai each had a dash at the line in turn, but the City men put in some grand defensive work, Steele, Duggan, Iveson, Quinn, and Burns being especially prominent. Eventually, a free kick to City brought relief, and Duggan averted the danger with a fine, long punt to tho centre. Watcne gained some ground with a mark, and Brown made a fast dash at tho City line, but Zachariah intercepted tho pass, though ho could not get in a kick. Tho attack on the City line was renewed, and Wepiha opened tho West End account by making a clever, dodgy run through tho opposing backs, and scoring about midway between the posts and the corner flag, amid applause. Featon made a good though unsuccessful attempt to convert. On resuming Burns and Wateno exchanged long kicks, and Sherriff broke away from the next line, and passed well to Wepiha, who was nicely collared by Samson. The black forwards again became aggressive, and got on one of their characteristic dashing rushes. In attempting to stop this, the ball rebounded from Burns, and Jones was penalised for getting offside. The infringement took place directly opposite the goal, and Featon sent the ball between the posts with a really fine kick, amid tho cheers of tho West End supporters. On resuming Duggan, Iveson, Quinn, Dixon, and Paltridge shifted the play to the other end of tho field, where it remained for the greater part of the spell. Samson, Zachariah, Duggan, Iveson, and Quinn tried hard to cross the line, but the West End defence was good, and there was no further score in the spell. For some time before the close, City kept up a hot attack on the black line, and Samson,. Zachariah, and Burns got on some passing, but they lacked combination, and never really looked like scoring. Considering the strong forward sides both teams had, we were greatly disappointed with the forward display all round. The men marked each other well on the line, and we could well understand that it is somewhat difficult to take the ball cleanly while being bustled by a burly opponent ; but the scrums were very badly packed. We heard the referee threaten to penalise Potaka for not putting the ball promptly into tho scrum on one occasion. From where we stood, there was nothing to be seen but a network of legs, and we could see no opening largo enough to let the ball through, but Potaka managed it somehow'. The second spell was very even, and neither side managed to score a point. Freer came out shortly after the spell started to assist City, who played a man short in the opening spell. The play was not of a high standard, but the men worked hard, and tired perceptibly towards the close. Duggari, Steele, Iveson, Quinn, Samson, Zachariah, and Burns put in good work for City, while L. Sherriff, Wepiha, Ilakawai, Potaka, Brown, and Watene worked hard for West End. Duggan’s punting was of great service to City, while Steele made one great rush from full-back which took the ball from one end of the ground to the other, in the course of which he collared a couple of men, but recovered the ball in each instance, and was onlyprevented from scoring by the opposing full-back dropping on the ball before him. Some amusement was caused by' Williams, who made a sensational run after the line flag was up, in the course ol which he must have broken ten seconds, and who grounded the ball between the posts at the other end of the ground, but returned a sadder and wiser man. Several heavy showers fell during the progress of the second spell, and the intense cold and wet made matters anything but pleasant for the spectators. Two spells of 40 minutes each were played, and the game was controlled by Mr W. S. McCredie, while Messrs C. Taylor and C. J. Hamilton acted as line-umpires,