FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6281, 30 May 1881, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

The annual football match between the Civil Service and Town players came off on Saturday, on the Basin Reserve, and proved a victory for the Civil servants, by five touchdowns and one goal to nothing. The play throughout was on the whole good, and it may he fairly expected that, judging from Saturday’s game, any visiting teams to this city will meet with a warm reception this year. Warbrick, for the Civil Service, played remarkably well as half-back, so also did Hickson, as a quarter-back on the same side. The latter player, however, might still improve his play by making more use of his unused hand when running with the ball, to defend himself from his tacklers. Tho teams took the field at 3p m. Mr. Thomson was fclecU j captain of the Town team, and Mr. Camp’ Je q of the Civil Service. It was arranged * >o 'p] a y for two spells of forty minutes each, ’ t ( le servants kicking uphill for the a p e ] q. Campbell kicked < ff, and the h ,9 was t a ken by A. Campbell, who, by a sror rUDj returned rt well into tl’,o field, Dvn* ia g tfie whole of this spell the ball was keyC we fl in the middle of the ground—-the ”L'own forwards, with Thomson and Harris in their centre, proving ton heavy for the C'.ivil servants ; the latter, however, made up for loss of weight in the scrimmages by superior backpiay. Before the first spell ended, Warbrick obtained a touchdown for the Civil Service, the try, however, was not successful. On sides being changed, the game re-opened with some very spirited and fast play, the Civil servants now proving themselves superior in forward as well as backplay. A touchdown was again obtained by Warbrick, another by Hickson, another by Mita, and a last by Kreeft, all for the Civil servants, who, towards the end of the game, had it pretty well their own way. Despite the high score on the winning side, the match was a very tough one, and the utmost good nature prevailed throughout, all disputes being quickly settled by the umpires. Amongst those likely to prove very serviceable in the Inter-provincial teams this year I might specially mention Warbrick as a half-back, Dumbell as a three-quarter-back, Hickson as a quarter-back ; as forwards, Harris and Thomson cannot he excelled for scrimmaging power, while Wright, and I rather fancy Lewis (although his first appearancehereon Saturday) will prove good scrimmagers, and coupled with Mansell, smart at following up. Duncan is a coming quarter-back, but is young yet for a first-class team. There is still room for improvement in scrimmaging. It a back man is collared he business to lie on the ground till both sides have packed round him and made it next to impossible for him to rise, and thus delay the game. The scrimmages are still too tight, loose scrimmaging will give a better opportunity to forwards to score and will make the game more interesting. It is very discreditable to this city not to be able to provide a better ground for the game. I cannot help thinking that the trustees might have con-idered the football community by delaying the improvements till the Newtown ground was fit for use. It is positively dangerous for aten to play on the spare end of the reserve; in fact, on Saturday, one player received a nasty wrench by putting his foot into a hole and falling on the hard running-path, over which it is necessary to play. Cannot something be done to provide a better field 1 If Wellington has no better ground than the present to offer her visitors this year, I can answer for it, that they will go home without playing the match. Touch-Line.