INVERCARGILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 26

INVERCARGILL.

(Fbom Oub Own Coerbspondent.) The Pirates beat the Orepuki team by a try to nothing. The score of the Pirates would undoubtedly have been much larger had the losers stuck more to the rules. This is the first visit to Invercargill of the Orepuki men, but judging by the friendly manner in which they played, I should think th«y will have no difficulty in arranging matches in the future. A rara avis in the shape of a one-armed footballer, played on the defeated side. The I.F.C. fixture with Riverton collapsed owing to the inability of Riverton to muster sufficient players. This is the third time this season I believe that country clubs have failed in their engagements with the town clubs. It is the intention of the Pirates to send four men up the trial matches on the 21st inst., and and probably the I.F.C. will be represented that day by two men. The Pirates, all forwards, are A. Galbraith, Ekensteen, Cockroft, and Mentiplay, all players of more than ordinary talent. I hear A. lies is the only one the I.F.C. at present have persuaded to attend on the 21st inst., but probably Galbraith and Booth may also be up on that date. The local footballers intend with the assistance of the O.R.F.U. to try and get the N. S. Wales men to pay us a visit, I am sure with a Town and Country team we could give them a good game. A mixed fifteen of the I.F.C. played the Star, a junior-club, first fifteen on Saturday, the game resulting in a win for the Invercargill " reps" by two points to nil. The full-back, I. Howell, scored the try. For the winners, M'Loskey, Heron, Thomson, Pavitt, and Brodrick (2), played well, as did also De Joux Schmoll, Cuff, and Donaldson (2) for the losers. The Pirates journeyed to Riverton where they met and easily defeated the local yiayers by 10 points, five tries to nil. The less said about the place-kicking the better. Cockroft, Mentiplay, Ekensteen, Morrison, and Dalton each scored a try. During the game an incident worthy of record took place. Across the ground and almost immediately above the goal posts, the telegraph wires run, and in case of try at goal, should the ball strike the wires, it is left to the discretion of the umpires as to whether the ball would have gone over the bar. The Pirates' umpire gave it as a try, but the Riverton man

dissented, but allowed the try over again, thus giving the winners two shots at goal, but needless to say they did not enhance the value of the try. This is a fair sample of country umpiring.