FOOTBALL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12586, 22 August 1901, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

HAWKE’S BAY v. WELLINGTON [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, August 21

The interprovincial match between Hawke’s Bay and Wellington was played on the Athletic Park this afternoon, and resulted in a win for Wellington by twelve points to three. The weather was fine but chilly, and the attendance did) nob exceed fifteen hundred. The ground was in good order. The game was not of a particularly interesting character. The visitors possess 1 a fine set of forwards, who more than held their own against Wellington, but their backs are rather weak, and to this weakness the Wellington men owed their victory to-day. On the whole the 'Wellington men were not seen at their best. Their play throughout was sluggish, and they appeared to be stale after their exertions against New South Wales last Saturday. The Haiwke’s Bay forwards played a hard and fast* game throughout, and when the tussle was amongst the forwards they had a good deal the better of it, but the Wellington backs were too smart for the visitors, and when they got the ball, the home team almost invariably made headway, Hawke’s Bay won the toss, and elected to play against the light southerly breeze that was blowing. Within, three minutes of the kickoff, Hume smartly followed up a long kick by W. O’Connell, and obtaining the ball before the Wellington full-back could reach it, raced across the line with several Wellington men at his heels, and scored for Hawke’s Bay. D. M’Carthy failed to increase the score. Shortly afterwards the visitors were forced, as the outcome of a pretty piece of passing by the Wellington backs. The home team continued to pen the northerners in their own twenty-five, and eventually smart work by Clandge, Wood, and Slattery ©nalbled the lastnamed to score at the comer flag, bub the score was not improved upon. After this, the Hawke’s Bay forwards put in some capital work, and gave Wellington a good deal of defensive exercise, Wrigley on one occasion just saving his side from a dangerous rush headed by Woodward and Willis. At this stage, J. O’Connell, captain of the northerners, injured his knee and had to retire, Humphries taking his place. The Wellington hacks livened up, and succeeded in removing play to Hawke’s Bay territory, and) from a scrum near the line, the latter were again forced. Half-time was called with play in neutral ground, honours being even. Xne visitors opened the second spell .with a vigorous forward attack, and M’Carthy made a capital attempt at goal from a mark. The Wellington hacks were the medium of some smart passing, principally on the part of Kelly, Wood and M’lntyre, which shifted the scene of play to the proximity of the Hawke’s Bay line, where a free kick relieved the pressure. Kelly obtained the ball near the centre of the ground,_ and after a good run, transferred it to Wood, who, in tillin', sent it on to Wallace. The latter passed near the line to MTntyre, who scored the second try for Wellington. Wallace’s attempt at goal was a failure. After some give-and-take play, Wellington- again invaded the visitors’ territory, and- MTntyre got across the line, but in jranning round to the back of the ‘goal-posts he was ■tackled iby two of the 'Hawke’s Bay men, the outcome being that 'MTntyro was thrown outside the field of play. From the ensuing scrum Adams scored 1 , hut Wood failed a't goal—Wellington 9, Hawke’s Bay 3. The Hawke’s Bay forwards quickly transferred play to the other end) of the field, and Walker crossed the line at the 1 comer, -but was thrown out of -play before he could ground the hall. Again the Wellington backs, -by clever passing, Maced the visitors on the defensive, and shortly before the call of time Wood scored. Ho took the kick himself, hut was unsuccessful.

The Hawke’s Bay team will leave for south to-morrow afternoon..

THE OTAGO TEAM. . DUNEDIN, August 21. . , Casey replaces Adam as full-back in the' football team to play against New South Wales, and White has taken Buchanan’s place at. three-quarter, while Burt will replace Matthews in the forward®.' With these exceptions, the team will be the same as on last Saturday. NEW SOUTH WALES”r. SOUTHLAND, INVERCARGILL, August 21. The weather conditions were decidedly against the New South’ Wales team for to-daiy’s match,. and they failed to score, the game ending Southland 17 points (4 tries and 1 goal) to nil. Rain fell all night, and although the ground was not in the worst condition there was water over a part to which the game often gravitated. A steady wind! blew in the lino of the ground, aud the visitors, wining the toss, took advantage of it, and were expected to score. The local team battled against the wind 1 , quite held their own, and Maley managed, to score a try-. In the second' spell the local men pub up four tries (Jacobs two, 'Bain one and Stead one), from Stead’s try E. Purdue, kicked a goal. It- was generally held that Bain should have been credited with another try. The play of the visitors was much admired, and had the ground been in better order the scores would probably have been more equal. Hughes, Lindsay, and W, A. Shortland did good work in the back division, 0. Shortiand being prominent among the forwards. The result does not indicate the merits of the team,, as the ground was very greasy, but it seems probable that Southland would have won under any conditions. Some of the New South Welshmen who were knocked about in the Wellington match stood out, and the visitors’ strongest team was not in the field. Jacobs, Bush, Maley, Purdue, Stead, and Jenkins were prominent for the home team. The visitors gained golden opinions for their style of play, and the absence of protests and wrangling.