Wellington V. Southland.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7900, 28 July 1904, Page 2

Wellington V. Southland.

[Per Press Association.] Wellington, July 27, The annual -match between Southland and Wellington was played at the Athletic Park to-day in t'ne; presence of 2000 f-pectators. A cold northerly wind blew all the afternoon. This made the passing erratic, and the play on the whole was only middling. The Southlanders played with the wind behind them in the first spell, and for the greater part of forty-five minutes kept Wellington on the defensive. The match however, was virtually lost to Southland at the close ot the first spell, when the score stood three points all, Reid having kicked a penalty goal for Southland, and McGregor having scored a try for tlie local team.

From the kick out m the second spell the Southlanders were hard pressed, but" the excellent work done by Stead and Murphy staved off the attack for a long time. . Some good passing rushes by Wellington were witnessed before a penalty kick against Southland gave Wallace a chance, and he succeeded in kicking a fine goal.—Wellington 6, Southland 3.

The visitors thereafter made great efforts to score, but there was no effective system in their work, and each attack was easily stemmed by Welling, ton. Efforts were made to use the pace of Black, the Southland's fast sprinting three-quarter, but only on one occasion did he come within measurable distance of his opoonents' line, and then he was collared by Dodd. An in and out exhibition followed. Play was '• going easy," when Wallace scooped up the ball from near the touch lino while the Southlanders wore bunched together, and eluded the three opponents near enough to take him, and scored, The try was converted. Wellington 11, Southland 8. Tho last try of the.match was the result oi one of the queerest bits of play seen on tho Park for a long while. The Southland forwards took the ball to tbe Wellington base, wnere a loose scramble ensued in the full-back Spencer kicking high into the wind. Two sets of exhausted forwards chased the ball to midfield, and Southland were gradually worked back on to then; goal-lino where a back kicked high into the teeth of the wind. The ball rose with the wind and was carried baok over the line where Dodd and Driscoll dived for it, the former being credited with the try. The attempt at goal was a failure, and the game ended shortly afterwards- in a victory for Weilington by 14 points to 3. The game on the whole was disappointing. There was plenty of vim in it, but little science and leas brilliancy.