RUGBY FOOTBALL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8750, 4 June 1914, Page 9

RUGBY FOOTBALL

MAORIS V. WELLINGTON LAST MINUTE WIN FOR HOME TEAM. By 15 points to 13 Wellington yesterday defeated the New Zealand Maori team on the Athletic Park, i'here was a good crowd of spectators to see and mark the many deficiencies which Wellington football will nave to make good this year if it is going to match itself with even vague hope of success against teams, of tempered metal. Woffington were, perhaps, lucky to win, though the stars of ill fate attended both sides with impartiality. The gods of the weather, too, were in combination against Wellington. The home players kicked off from the southern end of the ground in the face of a brisk northerly, , and when they returned after the naif-time spell to defend the other goal it was to find that the wind had changed and that a rising southerly was piping in theif faces. The game was good, if to sustain the interest of the crowd is good football. Wellington (as last year) rattled on a good lead before th© Maoris started;' then the latter, in a series of impetuous attacks, overhauled- and passed their opponents, who, however, came again in the dying minutes of the game and made defeat victory by a timely try. When the fates of the game act thus capriciously the crowd is usually'satisfied. ~, ■ , . - After some indecisive skirmishing that followed the kick-off, the Wellington backs set: up an attack that carried them inside the Maori twenty, five before a mark to the la-ttei' stayed the attack. ' From the kick Weilingten returned, and after a short dribbling rush, “Raugi” Wilson took idvantage of the bungling of the Maori full-back and touched down. The -kick at goal. failed. Wellington 3, Maoris 0. The drop out resulted ip a line-out near the half-way, and before long, Wellington, Putting , in. a number of attacks from base, had the Maoris in trouble again. A force paved the path to safety, and a resort to the same process was necessitated 1 a few. minutes later. Thinfi® ware not looking at all promising .tor the woarerp of the filnck jerseys, fol ' the wind behind them was of sufficient force to constitute a big hurdle to Wellington, and yej> the latter pressed. An isolated Maori sortie down field broke'before it had reached the opposing twenty-fiye, ■ and a good line kick transferred the scene of operations to the Maoris' home area. A spirited Wellington attack carried play t© fha goal, where Winiata'. got the leather. Beard was on him in an instant, however, and, capturing the oval, fell across. No' goal resultedWellington 6, Maoris 0. A fast but indifferently - organised attack- by the Mabris was followed by a warm response from Wellington, and, pear the Maori twenty-five, Tffyard sent the sphere along/to J. Ryan, who transferred it to Faire, on the wing. The latter galloped off down the line, cut m, and evaded a defender nicely, and scored. Again the kick at goal—quite an easy one—failed. Wellington 9, Maoris 0. The game had been less than twenty .minutes, .in progress, A momentary breakaway by the Maoris led most people to expect a change of luck for them, but fortune did not remain long enough with them. One dusky player broke away from a scraraffile gear half-way, and with nearly, all 'the field behind him made for thp posts. He was collared, and sent the leather out to the only supporter near him. The latter was within a yard or so of the line when he was grassed and the attack finally stayed. The Maoris made a similar attempt a few minutes later, but it met the same fate, and opened the. way for a sharp retaliation by Wellington. The latter, when in the Maori twenty-five,, worp awarded ’ a free kick, and J. Ryan sent the ball across the bar, but the kick was disallowed, a Wellington man having' apparently been in front of the kicker, A few minute® later another free kick was entrusted by Wellington to Ryan, and he again succeeded. Wellington 12, Maoris 0. Play moved for p. few moments' to the Woffington twenty-five, and; while fiero.a man was charged down and a try to the Maoris seemed inevitable. Hard luck attended'them, however, and an attacker was thrown Out at the. corner just as be was crossing, the line., Haif-tim© arrived soon after,: with Wellington again attacking. Sim came on in the second half, replacing Tilyard, who had hurt an ankle. The Maoris assumed the offensive, but it was some time, before their efforts had any effect. Presently Grace picked up the ball pear the -Wellington twenty-five and mod® , a smart run down field, He: endeavoured to swerve and cut in round Evenson, but the foofhpld. was treacherous and he slipped. Jacobs, arrived along at the opportune moment, hovy§ ve, > picked UP -the ball and romped across Without opposition, Roger?, with a nice kick, brought the score up R? '5. Wellington 'l2, Maoris 6. A succession of warm attacks by the Maoris kept Wellington on the defensive for dome considerable time. Tairoa fol-lowed-up his own kick,, and succeeded m getting over the line, but the try was disallowed because of a f onward pass, . Wellington mad© an ineffective excursion down field, id W ?e----fluent tine that set ip on their failure they were carried back to their own lipe, where, a scrum occurred. From tfiis Tairoa sent the ball out to Rogers, and the latter, after a quick, dodgy run, got over. Tairoa converted the try, and the scores were—■'Wellington 12, Maoris 10. The Maoris kept up the attack, and another serum, occurring shortly afterwards on the ■ Wellington line; lot Vorooe across to place the Maoris in the load. Rogers failed with a long kick at goal. Maoris 13, Wellington 12. Wellington attacked, and maintained the assault for some time without greater reward than seeing their, efforts continually nullified by the brisk interceptions and smart kicking of th<Maoris and their own occasional blunders. P. J. Ryan took a clever marl in front of the Maoris’ goal, but J. Llyan’s kick failed to find the posts. A moment later Eycnseu was cellared when staying an incipient Maori at tack, but he got his kick in, and Beard got the ball in a scramble tha’ occurred for its possession. He g---loped down the line and was , across before a, Maori defender could reach him. The kick failed. Wellington IS. Maoris 13. Darkness was gathering rapidly, when the Maoris, with one minute to go. set out to gam the three points which weald make all the difference to the result. - The southerly piped hard behind them, but the clock set up an insuperable obstacle which they, had not surmqnnted when the final whistle found them still battling impulsively, at the hard-pressed- Web

lington defences in the tom© twentyfive. • Mi W. J. Meredith was referee.