FOOTBALL

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1751, 27 September 1905, Page 48

FOOTBALL

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS. SECOND MATCH. ANOTHER GREAT WIN FOR THE * COLONIALS. FORTY-ONE TO NIL. LONDON, September 21. The New Zealand football team played the second match of its British tour against Cornwall at Redruth; and won by 41 points to nil. The score was made up as follows: — Points. Eleven tries ... ... 33 Four goals from triesi ... 8 Total 41 MATCH AGAINST BRISTOL. FORTY-ONE POINTS TO NIL. LONDON, September 24. The New Zealand football team played the third match of their tour yesterday against Bristol. As in the two previous matches they played in England, the colonials had things all their own way. They put up exactly the same score as they did against Cornwall on Thursday. The Bristol representatives were outclassed at all points of the game, and failed to score. The New Zealanders scored nine tries, all but two being converted. The score of the New Zealanders was made up a® follows: — Nine tries ... ... ... 27 Seven goals from tries ... 14 41 The New Zealanders play Northampton on Thursday, and Leicester on Saturday next. On October 4th they go to London to play Middlesex.

WELLINGTON v. MAN A WAT U. A DRAWN GAME. The last football match that Wellington’s representative football team will engage in this season was played at the Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon against Manawatu, and resulted in a draw—3 points (one try) each. Very little interest was taken in the match in the city. There were only about six hundred or seven hundred people present at the contest. The game itself had little to commend itself to the spectators, and the first spell was a weariness to watch. The folloxving are the names of the teams: — Manawatu —Skelly, Scott, Stalker, Furrie, Kinsett, Hewitt, A. McMinn, Johnston, Adams, Ward, Taylor, G. McMinn, McNae, Munro, Galloway. Wellington—G. Spencer, Dawson, Anderson, Ryan, Mitchinson, Ramsden, Hardham, Gardiner, Dodd, Wylie, Alexander, Driscoll, J. Spencer, Gillespie, Manning. Wellington won the toss, and played with a fair southerly breeze behind them. With the kick-off, Manawatu went to within ten yards of the Wellington line, and for a couple of minutes the ball was bobbing about in all directions, as the visitors passed it in haphazard and useless fashion. then they tried to cross the home line with footwork, and very nearly did so. It was just a niece of luck that Wellington

forced -down in a scramble. When the ball came into play again, Wellington drove their opponents back homeward, and from a hard kick the countrymen forced down. That was not good enough for the city, and the black jerseys battled up the heavy field to within striking distance. For a minute or two the opening for a try would not come, but at last the ball was sent away from play in centre field, and came to J. Ryan. With a fine effort, he just managed to reach the ball over the line as he was sent down. G. Spencer failed with the kick at goal. For the remainder of the spell the play was below senior cup form. In the second spell Manawatu opened the game up as much as possible *on the heavy, muddy ground, and, a-s a matter of fact-, they played throughout the spell in manner superior to Wellington, not that tl at is saying very much. Early in the spell the city team saved its line very narrowly on more than one occasion—once G. Spencer lifted the ball to safety with a flying kick just as three green men were reaching for it to score, n The visitors finally scored as the result of a miskick from centrefield by an opposing hack. The ball was taken near the touch-line by Kinsett, and with his foot he centred it again. Stalker got it, and scored near the posts. Ewart failed with an easy kick. With the scores even the game woke up a little. Manawatu struggled hard to get another score, and again and again it seemed as if they must cross, but always Wellington managed to keep the danger out, either by good luck or play. Once or twice, too, the Wellington team looked good for another score, but it did not come off, and the game ended even all.

Mr ‘ Barry, of Christchurch, was referee. THE AUSTRALIANS’ TOUR. AUCKLAND, September 18. Mr Henderson, manager of the Australian team, interviewed, said there was very little difference between the standard of play here and in Australia. On a drjr ground the Australians held their own against New Zealand’s best. With the exception that the Australian backs lacked the essential “cutting” necessary in delivering a deadly attack, they are equal to anything met with on the tour. The forwards more than held their own, and can safely lay claim to be equal to any forward team that lias reached Australia for many years. The form dislayed in the Auckland match was, Air Henderson said, a fair indication of what was expected of them on their season’s form in Australia. If that form had been shown in the earlier matches the team’s record would possibly have been an exceptional one. On the whole, he was disappointed with the refereeing. He did not insinuate that the referees were other than most impartial, but, with a few exceptions, their rulings, particularly on wing-forward play and offside in the loose, considerably affected the games, in one instance completely spoiling the game for players and public. Wrigley (three-quarter-back). O’Brien and Spencer (Wellington) were, he considered, the best of New Zealand’s back combination. Among forwards Dodd and Watkins as front-rankers were easily first. Francis (Auckland) was a player of more than average ability, and Carlson (Manawatu) impressed him as the best forward of all of the New Zealanders he had seen, including those representing the colony in England. Mr Henderson congratulated New Zealand on the admirable selection of players in the various matches. SYDNEY, September 23. At the welcome home of the Australian football team speeches were delivered congratulating the players on the way in which they had acquitted themselves in New Zealand. The manager of the team, replying, said the members had upheld the reputation of Rugby in a manner be thought New Zealand would never foi’get. He considered there was very little difference in the standard of play in New Zealand and Australia. WANGANUI, September ~ 24. Wanganui beat Taranaki by 11 points to 3, after a good game. TARANAKI v. WAIEARAPA. MASTERTON, September 20. Taranaki defeated Wairarapa to-day by 5 points to nil. The ground was very heavy on account of two days’ rain, pools of water being o*n it. With a strong wind behind them in the first spell Taranaki had Wairarapa on the defensive practically the whole spell. Guy scored a try for Taranaki, which Portier converted. In the second spell it was thought that with the wind Wairarapa would wipe off the five points and register a win, but they failed miserably, Taranaki having the best of the spell. There was no further score. In the back and forward departments Taranaki outclassed Wairarapa, and but for the splendid defensive work of Rogers, the Wairarapa full-back, Taranaki would have scored on two or three occasions. Hunter, Potier and C. Burke were the pick of the Taranaki backs, and Guy, Rothery, Hamerton and Crawley of the forwards. Rogers, of Wairarapa, was the best back on the ground. P. O’Leary was the pick of the other backs. Spackman and Wickens were the best of the Wairarapa forwards,

ASSOCIATION. CHALLENGE CUP FINALS. The finals for the Senior Charity, Junior Challenge, and Henderson Memorial Cups were played at Miramar on Saturday. The grounds were heavy from the recent rains, and there were pools of water in some parts. The Senior Charity Gup resulted in the defeat of Swifts by Diamonds by one goal to nil. The gain© was fast and interesting, and there was no score until a few minutes from time. The junior final also resulted in Diamonds beating Swifts by two goals to nil. In the Henderson Cup final, Marist Bros. Old Boys were defeated by Swifts by four goals to three.

SENIOR CHARITY CUP. Diamonds kicked off against the wind, and at once initiated an attack, Reddy and Hodges combining nicely on the left wing. Some good work was done by both sides in mid-field, and then Diamonds drove their opponents back. Hathaway attempted a shot and Woodhams saved. Waddell, who played a fine game throughout, started a Swifts attack, and the forwards got right down to Fitzgerald, who punched, the ball out. About this time Taylor, of the blacks, ricked his leg badly, and Burbush played half for the rest of the game, and Taylor went up forward. Hathaway sent out a long pass to Reddy, who sped down the left wing, but his centre was cleared by Elson. The maroons for a time had the game in hand, and some very good shots were made. Fitzgerald, whose punching was very effective, saved. Anker put in one fine shot, which hit the post on the wrong side. Some good passing by the Diamonds’ forwards took the ball up to Swifts’ quarters. One or two shots went wide, after which White cleared. Twohill obtained possession, and raced nearly three-quarters the length of the field, and ended up with a smart centre. A Swifts score seemed almost certain, but Cotes, when accepting the centre, slipped, and the ball was cleared before he could recover himself. Roberts sent the ball out to his left-wing, where PyeSmith stopped Reddy. Hodges sent in a shot, but Wood hams cleared well. Waddell, after some clever footwork, sent in a couple of good shots, and Twohill sent in a hard shot, which hit the bar. The ball rebounded into play, and Muir failed with another attempt at goal. D. Roberts got the ball from the kick-out, and sent it on to his forwards. Reddy centred well across goalmouth, but no Diamond forward could get up in time to shoot at Swifts’ goal. Three successive shots were punched out by Woodliams. Half-time came without any score. After some play near Swifts’ goal in the second spell, the game was opened out with some long passing by both teams. A long kick by Pye-Smith led to a hot maroon attack but Fitzgerald saved well. Overend kicked the ball on to his forwards, where Hathaway, Hodges, and Reddy got down to Swifts’ goal-line. Reddy, however, shot wide. Another raid into black ground was saved by Roberts. The Swifts did not feed their left-wing enough in this spell, and Twohill was idle for some time. Play became slower, owing to the heavy ground and ball telling upon the players. Suddenly a Diamond attack was started by Burbush. The forwards got right down to Woodliams, who saved very smartly by kneeling on the ball, but before he could recover himself he was knocked through the goal by a trio of black forwards, and Diamonds had scored the only goal of the match. I—o. Swifts made strong but unsuccessful attempts to score after that, and the game of ded ‘in a Diamond victory. Mr W. Auld capably controlled the game.

JUNIOR CHALLENGE CUP FINAL. In the junior final between Diamonds and Swifts, the former won by two goals to nil. There were sheets of water in parts of the ground, and good play waa almost impossible. Accurate cornerkicking at the northern end of the. ground was out of the question. Diamonds played with the wind, and were soon attacking. On the heavy ground their weight told against the lighter Swifts team, though the defence of the latter was excellent all through. About half-way through the first spell, Williams scored for Diamonds, and towards the end of the game Robinson added a second goal. Swifts made some good attempts to score, hut Colpus was too safe in goal. Williams, Reddy, Bone, Robinson, and Barnett played best for Diamonds, as did Robinson, Bethell, Graves, Taylor, and Lowe for the losers. Mr W. Press refereed. FINAL HENDERSON MEMORIAL CUP. S'wifts met and defeated Marist Bros. Old Boys by four goals to three. At the outset Swifts attacked, and were awarded a penalty, which Wilson failed to convert into a goal. Marist Bros, then broke away, and good play by Lowe resulted in this player breaking through Swifts’ backs, and scoring with, a nice shot. I—o.1 —0. This woke the maroons up, and they scored three goals in rapid succession. Meeoh and J. MoLean put in shots, and Wilson scored from a freo kick 3 — l. Shortly before

half-time, Lowe, -who was playing splendidly for Marist Old Boys, broke away, and made the some 3—2. Play slowed down during the second spell, and one goal was obtained by each side. Meech scored for Swifts and Oarruthers for Old Boys. McLean (2), Wilson, Taylor, and Forbes were the best of the Swifts, while O’Connor, Bowden, Gosling, and Bowe played best for Marist Old -Boys. Mr H. B. Swain was an impartial referee. FOURTH LEAGUE. K aiwarra and Petone drew, one goaleach. The Marist School-Swifts and Marist Old Boye-Diamonds games were not played owing to referees not appearing. The games will be played next Saturday.