FOOTBALL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11580, 16 May 1898, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

The Senior Championship competitions of the Canterbury Rugby Union wore continued on Saturday on soft grounds and in bleak, showery weather. At Lancaster Park Linwood and Merivale, neither of whom had suffered defeat this season, tried conclusions, ’ and last year’s champions proved victorious by seven points to nil. On the same ground Sydenham .played Albion, and after a poor display of football, the match ended in a draw. At Sydenham Park, Kaiapoi beat Christchurch by eleven points to three. LINWOOD V. MERIVALE. Those teams met at Lancaster Park on Saturday, in the presence of a goodly number of spectators, despite the miserable weather. The ground was very soft, and a cold drizzling rain fell during nearly the whole game. Orchard won the toss, and Merivale kicked off against a fairly strong wind. The Blues’ forwards carried the serums and took the play to the Linwood end, but Orchard’s kicking was responsible for putting Merivale on the defensive, ■ and .eventually fording them. A kick at goal by Ward from a penalty placed the Blues’ line in danger, .which was' averted by a forward rush,, headed by Bush and Duggan. A combined .effort to score on the part of the Greens was only frustrated by good collaring, and Orchard’s attempt at goal from a mark by Price was also resultless. A welljudged kick by Forbes relieved the pressure, but a mistake by Morland gave the Linwood skipper an opening, and he was almost over. The Merivale forwards cleared their line, and Dansey made a dodgy run to the centre, where ho came; down. Forbes and T. Phillips went on to the Greens’ twenty-five, and an interchange of kicking between the backs resulted in another invasion by Linwood. After J. O’Brien had narrowly escaped scoring, the Green backs got possession, and a passing run, in which Ormandy, Byrne and Orchard took a hand, resulted in the last-named getting over. Ward failed to convert, and the score was three to nil. The forwards now kept possession for some time, without either teamgaininganymaterial advantage, until along kick by J. O’Brien was missed by Menzies, and a scrum was formed close to the Merivale goal. At last a good kick by Forbes found, the touch-line near the twenty-five yards flag. The Greens, however, were not to be denied, and Byrne, getting hold of the ball from a loose rush, passed out to Orchard, who potted a neat goal. A determined rush by Merivale, aided by a useful kick by Dansey, placed the Greens’ line in danger; but Morland slipped in attempting to take the ball, and the Linwood forwards swooped down on the Blues’ line. Hard kicking, h'Sfever, spoiled a chance to score, and Merivale was forced just as half-time was called. Play in thesecondspellwas very uninteresting, the ball being kept mostly amongst the forwards, and the Linwood backs playing a defensive game. The Blues had several chances of scoring, one mark especially being within easy range, hnt no goal resulted. Each team had a turn at attacking, but no further score was gained, and the game ended in a win for Linwood by seven points (a potted goal and a try) to nil. Mr F. T. Evans was referee. CHRISTCHURCH v. KAIAPOI. This game was played at Sydenham Park. The ground was very slippery, and showers of rain fell during the match. Mr W. G. Garrard was referee. With the wind in their favour, the country team, through the efforts of Barrett and J. Lynskey, soon had the Christchurch team defending, but good kicking, by Middleton, assisted by a capital forward rush, in which Appleby, Ayers and Wilson were prominent, staved off the attack. Yangioni then had a capital chance to score, which he missed through failing to take the ball. The Kaiapoi forwards soon asserted themselves, however, and H. Driscoll heading a rush, took the ball over Christchurch line, enabling Bate to score, Duncan missed a somewhat easy kick. The hall now became very slippery, and accurate handling was a difficult matter, consequently the game became a series of forward rushes. Just before the end of the first spell some combined play by the town team had the Kaiapoi defending, and the ball being heeled out of the scrummage, Lawrence dashed over. Appleby’s kick was a “ poster.” No further score was made during the spell. With the assistance of the wind Christchurch now played up much better, and . the Kaiapoi backs, with the exception of M’Grath, who played a splendid game, seemed unable to do anything with the hall. All the work, therefore, fell on the country team’s forwards. From one of their characteristic rushes, E. Driscoll scored at the corner flag, and soon after Martin, following up the forwards, also scored, and J. Duncan easily converted. With the exception of a fine run along the touch-line by J. S. Middleton and a kick by Appleby, which forced Kaiapoi, nothing of any further moment occurred. The final score was: —Kaiapoi, 1 goal, 2 tries, 11 points; Christchurch, 1 try, 3 points, SYDENHAM Y. ALBION. This match, played at Lancaster Park, resulted in a draw, each side scoring seven points (apotted goal and a try). A greasy ball and a slippery ground prevented anything like a good display of football. Albion kicked off against the wind, but a good return by one of the Sydenham three-quarters fixed play in the Blacks’ twenty-five. The ball being heeled out from a scrum gave Robson an opportunity for a good, though fruitless, shot at goal, and Albion were forced within a very few minutes from the start of the game. Following the kick-out a rush by the Sydenham forwards had Albion in trouble again, another forcedown resulting. Play remained in the Albion territory for some time, when the . pressure was relieved by a passing rush, in which Watkins and Butler were prominent. Sydenham, however, returned to the attack, and Albion were forced three times in quick succession. Albion followed up the advantage gained by the last kickout, and passing between Butler, Archibald and. G. Johnston resulted in the lastnamed scoring a try. Johnston’s kick failed to improve the score. Although for the rest of the spell Albion were almost wholly on the defensive, when half-time was called they maintained their lead of three points. Immediately after the beginning of the second spell Robson obtained possession of the ball from a scrum near the Albion line, and potted a neat goal, making the score Sydenham four, Albion three. Good passim? between the Sydenham backs kept Albion busy defending their line for some time. The ball was, however, gradually worked back to the Sydenham twenty-live, and Butler, after a pass from Watkins, gave Albion a lead of three points by potting a goal. After some give and take play, Sydenham livened up, and the score was equalised by Delian gaining a try. Tregear failed in the kick at goal. By kicks at goal from marks, Albion forced Sydenham twice, but a rush, headed by D. Reese, Cleared the line, and when the game ended the ball was in the Albion twenty-five. The game therefore ended in a draw, each side scoring a potted goal and a try (seven points). JUNIOR FLAG. The team which represented Merivale Second in its match with Kaiapoi Second, at Kaiapoi Park, on Saturday, was not a very strong one, owing to several players being unable to get away, and it consequently was not surprising that it suffered defeat. Under the circumstances it made a very good fight, and when the whistle sounded “ no side,” the Kaiapoi players had an advantage of only three points (a try gained by Mahaki) to nil. Hr J. Nixon was referee. Albion Second defeated Richmond First at Richmond, after a very even contest, by three points to nil. D. Baxter scored a try for the winners. Christchurch Second had all the best of its game with Linwood Second, whom it defeated by twenty points to seven. D. Niven scored two tries, and Walters and Smith one try each, and Garsia kicked two goals from tries, and .one from a mark, for

the winning team. The points for 'Linwood; were scored by E. O’Brien, who was success-ful-with two kibk&afe goal, one friiin.ii. mark* and one from a penalty kick. Mr A. Law*' rence was referee. PRESIDENT’S CUP. The match between Merivale A and Albion B was played at the North Parkon Saturday, and after a very interesting game ended in a victory for Merivale by nine points (Burrell two tries and Matheson one) to nil. Mr C. Taylor was referee. The Merivale B and Kaiapoi teams played their match on the North Park, and a hard-fought game left the Merivale team winners by eleven points to nil. The winning team’s score was made up of tries scored by Fraser, Cockayne and Menzies. Richards kicked a goal from a try. Mr T. Pike was referee. Sydenham B inflicted defeat on the same club’s A team by ten points to three. For the B team tries were scored by Light and M’Phail, and Donnelly kicked a goal from a mark. Osborne obtained a try for the A team. Mr Forrester was referee. Albion A won its game against Linwood Third by five points to nil. For the winning team M’Nicoll secured a try, from which Grose kicked a goal. Mr Hiddlostone was referee. Sumner defeated Christchurch Third by twenty points to three. OTHER MATCHES. A match was played at Eakaia on Thursday between the Eakaia and Ashburton Clubs, and resulted in a win for the former by twenty points to nil. For the winners W. Shannon scored two tries, E. Laraman, W. Harvey and A. Santy one each, and'W. Harvey kicked a goal from a try and one from a penalty kick. WELLINGTON RESULTS. [From Our Correspondent. I WELLINGTON, May 14. Melrose heat Poneke by eight points to nil. Athletic beat Oriental by fourteen points to four, and Wellington beat Petone by nine points to eight.