FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 866, 5 October 1888, Page 14

FOOTBALL.

THE MAORI TEAM IN ENGLAND. By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. (SPECIAL TO PRESS ASSOCIATION.) London, September 26. The Maori football team from New Zealand have arrived at Plymouth.. London, September 28. Fifty-three matches have ' been arranged for the Maori football team. The first match will take place on Wednesday next against Surrey. ST. PATRICK’S COLLEGE v. EPUNI CLUB. ; The heat for the Junior Cup between St. Patrick’s College and the Epuni team was played at Newtown Park on Saturday, and resulted in a victory for the' Collegians by four points to nil. Early in the .first spell McMahon potted a goal, and later on in the Bame spell W. Honldsworth secured a try. These were the only scores made during the match. The College had the best of the first spell, but in the second the Epunis had the advantage, especially toward the close of the game. The winners throughout played a splendid game, the backs especially. The kicking and tackling of the latter were excellent. The losers played a good game, but their back play was very weak. Mahoney, Houldsworth, Hodgins and O’Shea were the best of the winners’ forwards. McMahon played a brilliant game amongst th 6 backs, aud he proved a tower of strength to his side. Sheedy and Tringham also did well. Jones (who played the best-forward game in the match), Pringle and Death were the pick of the country forwards, and the most conspicuous of the backs was Wooland, who played splendidly. With this victory the College boys take the Junior Cup for the season. PONEKE v. MASTERTON CLUB. The match between the Poneke and Masterton Clubs, which took place at Newtown Park on Saturday, resulted in a win for the town team by six points to nil. In the first spell Mclntyre secured a try, which he converted into a goal, and Sim added another try to the score, after a capital run, inthe second spell. The visitorsheld theirown fairly well in the first spell, but the Ponekes had a lot the best of it in the second term. Several of the visitors' backs played splendidly, J. Perry and PaDi especially, the former play, ing about the best back game on the ground. (an old Epuni player), Hounslow, Pellir.g, and W. Welch were the best of the forwards. Mclntyre, Storey, Reich, and Astiil (forwards), and Roberts, Moorhouee, and Sim (backs) played best for the winners. ENGLAND y. SOUTH ISLAND. / (TER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch; September 29. There was beautiful weather for the return match between 1 he Englishmen and South Island team, which was played th'B afternoon in the presence of between 3000 atd 4000 spectators. The combined-team was not as strong as was expected, owing to.two or three of the selected- Otago players not being able to be present, while the heat told on the forwards, who played with very little combination. Stoddart potted a goal in the first sDell for England, and secureda try in the second, after a magnifioent run. Although the kick was a difficult one, 'Paul succeeded in sending the ball over the bar. These were the only scores made, the Englishmen thus winning by six points to nil... The want of combination among the colonial forwards as well as poor condition was the cause of th6ir defeat. They had more openings than the Englishmen. Harper (Nelson), Downes, aud Thomas played grandly for the combined team, the first named being cheered all the way to the pavilion by the crowd. Stoddart was in brilliant form, whioh is sufficient to say of him. The other English backs, with the exception of Bumby, were nothing oat of the ordinary. ■ ENGLAND v. TARANAKI. (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Hawera, October 2. There was fine weather for the return match between the English team of footballers and the Taranaki representatives, whioh took place to-day. There was a large attendance, special trains from New Plymouth and Wanganui bringing several hundreds of people. The Taranaki team was much the same as that which played before. The few changes that were made, were considered to have strengthened the team. Stoddart scored a try for England in the first spell, and Paul converted it into a goal. In the second spell Anderton secured a try, and Paul potted a goal. Lambie scored the only try for Taranaki, the Englishmen thus winning by seven points to one. The Taranaki men played a bard and fast game, bat they wore clearly overmatched in point of skill. The Englishmen leave for Wanganui to-morrow jr.orumg. (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Wanganui, October 3. The matoli betweeh the English team of footballers and Wanganui was played to-day in the presence of over 2000' spectators. There was a strong wind blowing, which the Englishmen had the benefit of during the first spell. For the most part of the spell the Englishmen bad to play on the defensive. The good following up and collaring of the Wanganui men completely spoilt the back

play of the visitors. Leys secured a try for Wanganui in the first spell. All attempts by Stoddart to get away were spoilt by the splendid tackling djf the local men, and their wings spoilt the attempts of the visitors to screw the scrimmages.. Anderton secured a try for England in the second spell. These were the only scores, the match resulting in a draw. The Englishmen left by the 5.20 train for Palmerston ; from thence they proceed to Wellington to-morrow morning.