FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 225, 30 September 1901, Page 1

FOOTBALL.

THE FIGHT FOR THE FLAG. WEST END AVIN THE BANNER. [Notes By “The \A t histle.”| The football season was brought to a close at Tucker’s paddock on Saturday afternoon last, when the Huia and AVest End Clubs met to decide who should hold the Poverty Bay Rugby Union’s senior banner for the next twelve months. Very great interest centred in the match, and though a charge of one shilling was made for admission and rain fell for the greater part of the afternoon, thfre was a largo crowd of spectators present to witness the contest. A large number of ladies proved their enthusiasm for the great wintor game by bravely watching tho match from start to finish. The continuous line of sheltering umbrellas which marked tho spectators was a novel sight for a Gisborne ground. The Union wore unfortunate in tho fact that the day proved wet, as otherwise they would have had a record gate. As it was the nice little sum of £lO iis was netted. Tho AVest End Club placed in the field its best team, with the exception that C. Taylor replaced AVilliams among tho forwards. Huia had difficulty in getting a team to take tho field, and eventually kicked off with a complement of 18 men. Tho following were tho teams : Huia (black and white): Symes, Bakor, To Roinga, Ball, O’Connell, McCredie, AV. Taylor, J. Cookery, Swan, AV. Sharp, P. Cookery, Sherratt, Ngawini, Harris. AVest End (black): G. Hepburn, G.

Nolan, Gollop, G. Roderick, Brown, Watene, Skeet, A. U. Sherrill, Wepiha, Ilakawai, C. Taylor, Bennett, L. B. Sherriff, Havitt, AV. Roderick. The game was played in two spells of 40 minutes each, and was most capably controlled by Mr A. IV. Roes, who pleased us better by his work in this capacity on Saturday than ho has ever done before. He had tho men in hand and the ball in sight throughout the whole afternoon. Messrs R. Cole and J. R. Quinn acted as flag judges. L. Sherriff won tho toss for West End, and decided to play from the harbor end, which gave his men the advantage of a slight breeze which was driving the rain along with it. The opening passages of the game, as was to bo expected under tho prevailing conditions, were not of a high class. The men handled tho wot ball badly, and sprawled about a good deal on the greasy ground. One occasionally caught glimpses though of brilliant forward work on both sides which gave tho impression that a great game would have been witnessed had the day been fine. The first spell upset all preconceived ideas of tho strength of tho respective sides. Tho Huia forwards had if anything tho best of tho deal, and it was behind tho pack that AVest End had the advantage. Watene, Brown, and Gollop handled the wot ball cleverly after they settled down to work, and were nearly in on one occasion from some nice passing. A grand forward rush by West End, in which C. Taylor was prominent, took the ball over tho Huia line, but Skeet spoijt the chance by falling on the ball offside. Tho first spell was very even, and the only score was a goal kicked by Symes, from a clever mark secured by McCredie. The kick was a good one, and was warmly applauded. Huia, 4 points ; West End, nil. Tho second spell was commenced in a deluge of rain, and the game had not been long in progress when AVest End gave a glimpse of what the spectators had been looking for in vain up till then —combination. The forwards secured the ball in the serum on every occasion at this stage. Watene here got - tho ball out smartly to Brown, who sent the leather on to Gollop, and the latter passing to Nolan enabled that player to score West End’s first try, amid cheers. Taylor failed with an easy kick. West End, 8; Huia, 4. Wost End came back to tho attack immediately on resuming, and ran ail over the Huia side, which appeared demoralised, though now playing a full team, McGrath having come on after tho interval. From a forward rush, Skeet, who was following up splendidly, scored another try for AVest End, but Taylor again failed with the kick at goal, AVest End, 6 points ; Huia, 4. The kick out brought no relief to Huia, and tho blacks were soon back again knocking at the gates. Symes saved his side repeatedly. His fielding of the greasy ball was perfect, and his kicking of invaluable service to his side. However, AVest End would take no denial, and AVopiha secured tho ball on the lino, and passed out to Gollop, who cleverly eluded the opposing backs and scored close to the posts. Taylor again failed to add the major points. From this out Huia had all the best of it, and kept AVest End busily defending their line. Symes made a splendid shot at goal with a pot, and kicked a poster. Soon after, from a mark by McCredie, he kicked another poster. Huia kept up the attack till the call of time, but luck and sound defence were against them, and AVest End left tho field victorious by 9 points (three tries) to 4 points (a goal from a mark). As we before remarked, the game was little better than a scramble, though West End certainly gave a creditable exhibition for a quarter of an hour after the second spell opened. For the winners, G. Hepburn played well at full-baek. He collared splendidly, and fielded and kicked well. Gollop was the best back on the side, and his work in all departments of tho game was clean and smart. Brown, at five-eighths, did not show up so prominently as usual, but did a lot of service in kicking to touch. AVatene, behind the serum, did fine work, and has improved marvellously since the beginning of the season. He will be among the firstflighters soon. Skeet was head and shoulders above any other man on the side. He is very fast, and worked incessantly. Wepiha also stood out prominently, and got on a few of his characteristic dashes, which resemble miniature avalanches, and carry all before them. The other forwards played well. For Huia, Symes alone stood on the parapet, and defied the invaders. He has never given a better display of allround work. Ball also played_well, and did good work in getting down on the opposing backs. None of the other backs did much, though Baker made a few good runs. AV. Sharp, Sherratt, J. Cookery, and Ngawini were the best of the forwards, The win was a most popular one, and

proves what good coaching and systematic training will do lor a team. In the first round ol banner fixtures, the West End team lost every match it played At the commencement of the second round, L. B. Sherriff was induced to assume the captaincy. He set to work in earnest, and since then the team has never looked back, winning seven matches in succession—a feat of which any club might be proud. The members of the Club have throughout been imbued with a fine spirit of esprit de corps, and deservedly merit the proud position they have won. \y c offer felicitations to the Poverty Bay Rugby football champions of 1901.