FOOTBALL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17634, 26 May 1919, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

OTAGO v. MAORI PIQJnPEERS. The match between Otevgo and the Maori Pioneer Battalion team aroused tho keenest interest, aud th<xro wore <U>out 6000 people prcsaat at Garisbrook on Saturday. Tho ground v;as in first-ckies order, and there was not a breath of wind. 1410 itaaria gave a stirring haiea, wliich was received) "with cheers, before entering on the more serious engagement of the d'ay. According to affrangement, neither side played a wing forward. . Maoris wore a sturdy lot, but, acoondmg to a returned eoldi&£, weire not as good & side as when they played in Franco, The backs did not field the ball too well, though they were quick to recover from -any mistakes, and their passing was hardly started before 1 u kroke down. On. the line-out, however, they quite dominated! the Otago forwards, and their captain (ECall) generally threw the hall well into play. Their scrum work was rather ragged, and their forwaard dribbling work also lacked combination. When they huvo played together a little more they s k?uld, however, prove a very powerful side. U.he Otago forwards, one and all, played a great game, though they, too, as might rraturtiUy bo expected, lacked combination. r X*ho hacks -also put up a, 6olid game, although Stevenson, the full-back, was rather uncertain in his play. He, however, is but a youth, and it is understood! was suffering from a broken bono in the foot. Holmes, too, at times, did the wrong thing when he got the ball. Ihe gamo, taking it all round, was a fine one to watch, the play being full of incident.

The 'Maoris opened from -the Morning ton end with a strong attack on the Blues' line, and Vercoo, .who took the place of Private H Hmgston, tried to. bore through from a scrum. Good play by DcUuiey and. Hutchison (who played as a "rover") took the ball to the centre flag, and from a throw-in it went across the field to tho opposite wing, O'Connor finishing up a strong run by throwing back, when collared by 'Wilkensom,. to MacKereth, who scored a clever try. Stevenson made a good, but unsuccessful, kick at goal. Alapu and CanroU showed) out for tho Maoris, rC. nOX a , Bain headed a couple of daslimg Otago rushes. Holmes stoppled a return by the Maori full-back (Edwards), but shortly after nearly got his side into trouble by run. nmg across the field in trout of his own goal. Kogeis, five-eighth, who played woll all tlirough, lost a good chance for the Maoris by throwing forward, and then Wilkenson, a very fast wing three-quarter, secured a pass and scored at the coiner. No goal resulted. Ilie Maoris BtlU attacked, ana the ball went into touoh-m-goaJ. • Shortly after Hutchison, picked up in Otago's twenty-five, and. made a dashang jmky run, giving Holmes the boil at tho centre Holmes set off, but was pulled down by /Wilkcneon, who came over from pie opposite wing. The Maoris were breaking through the scrums, and had Otago penned in their twenty-five, but Delaney relieved the pressure. From a line-out on the t/a.versham side the ball camo across field to Holmes,, who was favoured with a lucky bou-noe Ho mode a great run along the line from the Otago side of tho oentie, badly beat the full-back (Edwards), and scored a great try amidst loud cheers. The, goal kick failed.

Opening the second half, the Maoris drove OUigo back to their line, but the Blue forwards worked the bali to the centre: From a loose scramble MockereUi picked up and passed oiu to O'Connor, who streaked along It®, 1 ? e '. a dozen opponents, and ® good position. The goal kick Hutchison made a cßashin<* M te ' * n<i a scrmn - was formed n the BLicte Imo, but Ayhana came away ww a tC ICe p,wt bK P la ? hy Teurupu Blacks ,_ m a good position, but Hutchison again broke through and stopped £T mS - • • by Stevenson md T?™ Ho3me l m 0ta ®° twenty-five gave Rogers a chance. Ho threw out to Hal 1 , nf 1 No Z™ l Suited. Be o g, the Otogo half-back, was doing a lot rL S T^ g i showed up in another run, but lost tlie ball when crossing tho line. Sim and a M aori forward had a great race for the ball which both missed when near the Ota go line, and another Maori missed ati easy score by knocking the ball out iiutcnison onoe more dashed through with » jinky run, and the Maoris failed to improve matters with a couple of shots at goal frou. free kicks. Knox, Hutchison, and Perry showed up, and then Hutchison secured the ball at the centre and <~ent out to Holme® who bustled over et the corner, but was ruled against by the referee. In the concluding stages the gAiae becamo ragged, and goto or tho players quite forgot about the arrangement regarding the abolition of wing forwards. Scores: O ta •• •' 9 points. Maoris .. .. 6 poi^ 'Mr G. M'Kenzie was referee. SCHOOLS' MATCHES. The Macxuxbew llaad School team played the Port Chalmers School team at Cardsbrook op. Saturday as a curtain-raiser to theOtagoMuori Battalion match. The Mac&ndrew !Road fechool l>ad no difficulty in winning by 17 points to nil. A. Kindley, M'Groth. (2), and 1- rocter (2) eooredl for the winners, Haaelwood converting one of the tries. Mr "Wallace was referee.

Mosgiel (9) boat Musselburgh (ml) Kensington (15) beat George Street (3) Arthur Street won- from Albany Street bv dotault.

RUGBY LEAGUE.

REPRESENTATIVE TEAM ENGAGED.

AUCKLAND TEAM BEATEN.

(Psx Usttzd Press A.asociiTios'.) AUCTCTiA ND, May 25. A trial match "between the dominion representative team to tour Australia and th-j Auckland Rugby League team was played yesterday, New Zealand winning by 25 points to 19. Auckland was by fax tlie better t-eam oji the day s play, and was unlucky to lose. The representative team showed littlo combination, and. won on individual play. Por New Zealand If wot son scored tire© .times converted throe, and kicked two penalty goaJs. Waddell and W. David&cn also scored tries. For Auckland Davidson scored two tries, and Cknke, Pullan, an<l Sutton scored', a try Castl&s and Francis converted a try each.