ENGLAND V. AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9154, 8 September 1888, Page 5

ENGLAND V. AUCKLAND.

TO-DAY'S FOOTBALL MATCH. The third struggle for supremacy in the Rugby field between the English team of footballers and the local representative players takes place this afternoon, at the Tramway Company's ground, Epsom. As honours, have been evenly divided in the two previous contests, each side Haying -vtoti one match, great interest is centred in the issue of the present fixture, which is looked upon as deciding finally the question of superiority between the rival teams. The recent losses that Auckland has suffered in her back division of players preclude her from putting as good a fifteen into the field as that which wrested victory from the Englishmen in May last. The team as now finally chosen is, however, a fairly good one, though the selection committee have been considerably taken to task for the exclusion of several players who were thought almost sure to be in the " rep" fifteen. The points in which the Auckland team falls short of the merits of its predecessors are a deficiency of scrumming power among the forwards, and also a weakness in regard to fast scoring men among the backs. During the recent practices the team has likewise shown but little concerted plav, while various little devices acknowledged to be of great service, are rarely if ever practised. No doubt improvement in both these respects will be made in the match but a very widely-expressed opinion prevails that unless the Auckland players greatly excel the form recently shown by them, the Englishmen must—if playing as well as in their previous fixtureswin with something in hand. The following are the names and positions of the players who have been selected to take part in the match : —

England. — Fullback, W. Burnett; threequarters, J. T. Haslam, A. E. Stoddart, Dr. Brooks; halfbacks, W. Bumby, H. C. Speakman; forwards, 11. Eagles, C. Mathers, S. Williams, W. H. Thomas, A. Paul, A. J. Stewart, A. J. Laing, T. Banks, J. Amlerton.

A[.and.—Fullback,T. Brown; three-quarters, R. Masetield, L. Mel drum, T. Ryan ; halves, H. Stephenson, A. Braund, H. Herrold; forwards, T. O'Connor, O. Wells, W. Hobson, R. McKenzie, J. Lecky, P. Gould, A. Stewart, J. Heffernan.

It will be seen that several essential alteration have been made in the English Fifteen from that which played here last. Paul (the fullback) and Anderton (threequarter) have been shifted up among the forwards, while Peuketh and A. Burnett do not play. Stoddart and Brooks, who with Haslam play threequarter, have not yet appeared on the field in Auckland, and will be watched with great interest. The officials who will watch the game will be : —Umpires): Auckland, Mr. J. Arneil; England, Dr. Smith; referee, Mr. T. Mucky. All the necessary arrangements for the convenience of the spectators have been completed by the officers of the Union, and special lines of trams and 'buses will leave town in time for the match. A procession of breaks will start at two p.m., from the Imperial Hotel, and the time for the kick-off has been fixed for three p.m. sharp. The following is the complete list of matches played by the British footballers during their tour :—

1. April 28 : Beat Otago at Dunedin by S points to 3. Speakman dropped two goals. Kent and Anderton pot tries. 2. May 2 : Beat Otago at Dunedin by 4 points to 3. > olan and Banks got the tries. 3. May 5: Beat Canterbury at Christchurch by 14 points to (5. Paul dropped one goal. Anderton kicked two goals off tries. Bumby and Haslam each got two tries, and Stoddart one. 4. May 9: Beat Canterbury at Christchurch by 4 points to nil. Nolan three tries, Haslam one. 5. May 12 : Played a tie with Wellington, 3 points each. Haslam got a try, and Paul placed the goal. 6. May 14 : Beat combined team at Wellington by 4 points to 1. Eagle two tries, Paul placed one goal. 7. May IK : Beaten by Taranaki by 1 point to nil. 8. May 19 : Boat Auckland by 6 points to 3. Seddon and Anderton, tries. Paul, two place goals. 0. May 21 : Beaten by Auckland by 4 points to nil. 10. June 2: Beat New South Wales by 18 points to 2. Eagles, Seddoii, Bumby (3), and Stoddart, tries. Anderton and Paul, place goals off tries. A. Hale scored the try for New South Wales. 11. June t>; Beat Bathurst by 13 points to 6. 12. June 9 : Beat New South \\ ales by 18 points to 6. Brooks, Mathers, Stoddart (2), Eagles (2), tries. Anderton and Stoddart kicked placed goals off the tries. For New South Wales, Colquhoun dropped a goal from the field, and Neill scored a try. 13. June 11 : Beat IS Sydney Juniors by 11 pointsto 0. Anderton. Williams, Speakman, ana Bumby got tries, and Anderton Kicked a goal off his own try 14. June 13 : Played a tie with King's School, past and present. Haslam (2), Anderton (2), and Thomas tries. For the School Rice and G. Hale tries. Baylis placed two goals off tries. 15. June 16 : Beaten by the Carlton Football Club (Australian rules), by 14 goals 17 behinds to 3 goals 7 l>ehinds. 16. June 20 : Beat Bendigo by 5 goals 16 behinds to 1 goal 14 behinds. 17. June 23 : Beaten by South Melbourne by 7 goals 29 behinds to 3 goals 7 behinds. 18. June 27 : Beaten by Maryborough by 4 goals 12 behinds to 3 goals 11 behinds. 19. June 29 : Beaten by Ballarat South by 7 goals 18 behinds to 3 goals 7 behinds. 20. Juno 30: Beaten by Fitzroy by 12 goals 20 behinds to 3 goals 4 behinds. 21. July 3 : Beaten by Port Melbourne by 7 goals 15 behinds to 6 goals 11 behinds. 22. July 7 : Beaten by South Adelaide by 8 goals 9 behinds to 5 goals 9 behinds. 23. July 10 : Beat Port Adelaide by 8 goals 8 behinds to 7 goals S behinds. 24. July 12: Beaten by Adelaide by 6 goals 5 behinds to 3 goals 13 behinds. 25. July 14: Beaten by Norwood (Adelaide) by 5 goals 8 behinds to 3 goals 1 behind. 26. July 16: Beat 20 of Adelaide (Rugby) by 22 points to 3. 27. July 19 : Beat Horsham by 6 goals? behinds to 2 behinds. 28. July 20: Beat by Ballarat Imperials by 4 goals 15 behinds to 1 goal 2 behinds. 29. July 21: Beat Ballarat by 5 goals 8 behinds to 4 goals 8 behinds. 30: July 25: Beat Sandhurst by 3 goals 3 behinds to 2 goals 10 behinds. 31. July 27 : Beat lvyneton by 2 goals 7 behinds to 1 goal 5 behinds. 32. July 28: Beaten by Essendoti by 7 goals 16 behinds to 3 goals 5 behinds. 33. August 1: (Rugby) beat Melbourne Rugby Union V by 9 points to 3. 34. August 4 : Beat New South Wales by 16 points to 2. Tries obtained by Mathers (2), Eagles, Nolan, and Stoddart. Stoddart kicked two goals off the tries. E. Cameron obtained the try for New South Wales. 35. August 6: Played a drawn game with 16 of Grammar School, past and present. Fuller scored the try for the School, and Stoddart for the British players. 36. August 8 : Beat Bathurst by 20 points to 10. 37. August 11: Beat Sydney University by 8 points to 4. Stoddart and Brooks obtained tries, and Stoddart kicked a goal from the field. Colquhoun also kicked a goal from the field for the University. 38. August 14 : Beaten by Maitland by 9 goals to 4. (Victorian game.) 39. August 18: Beat Queensland by 3 goals and 4 tries to 2 goals. 40. August 21: Beat 18 Juniors Queensland by 1 goal 7 tries to 1 goal. 41. August 23 : Beat Ipswich by 2 goals 5 tries to 1 goal. 42. August 25 : Beat Queensland (return match) by 2 goals 1 try to nil. 43. August 29: Beat Newcastle by 1 goal 5 tries to 1 goal and 1 try.

The farewell concert and dance, given to the Miss Flanagans by the Ruapekapeka Social Entertainment Society, on Friday, 24th of August, on their leaving for Kawakawa, was a very successful entertainment. All present appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Mr. T. Hedley being called to the chair, the following programme was gone through in a very creditable style : —Master J. Timperly, song, " The Angry Lad Mr. J. Sprut, song, "Tim Flaherty ;' Miss C. Flanagan, song, " I'll Deck My Brow With Roses (sung in good style); Miss Timperly, song, "111 Hang My Harp on a Willow Tree Miss M. Owens, recitation, "The Lost Mother;" Mr. T. Hedley, recitation, " Who Never Loved Sweet Womankind Master J. Timperly, song, " The Mariner's Grave_ Miss C. Flanagan, song, "Come Back to Erin;" Miss Timperly, song, "The Sailor's Grave:" Miss Howe, song, " The Merriest Girl Out.' Being loudly encored, Miss Howe responded by singing " Bonnie Boy in Blue." Mr. J. Snrut, song, "Jack Donahue;" Miss S. Flanagan, song, "Kiss Me, Mother, Kiss Your Darling;" Mr. R. Grant, song, " The Parting Gift;" Mr. J. Evens, song, "The Belle of the Ball." Being encored, the singer sang two verses of the same song over agam. The room was cleared of desks, etc., to make room for dancing, which was kept up in a spirited manner till 6 o'clock in the morning. Suitable refreshments were served art intervals during the evening. A vote of thanks to Mrs. and Miss Owens, who kindly prepared the refreshments, brought a very enjoyable meeting to a close.—{A Correspondent.]