Canterbury v. Hawke's Bay. Napier, August 20.

Otago Witness, Issue 1866, 26 August 1887, Page 26

Canterbury v. Hawke's Bay. Napier, August 20.

The intorprovincial football match Canterbury against Hawke's Bay was played to-day on the recreation ground. The day was beautifully fine, and a large attendance of the public witnessed the match. The following are the teams .—

Canterbury : Full back — Richards ; threequarters — Allardyce, Francis, and Wilson ; halfbacks—Mountfort and Donnelly; forwardsBean, Torlesse, Beswick, Huddlestone, Blanchard, Harris, Homer, Mair, and Sutherland. Roberts and Doull did not play as the result of the Auckland match, and Roberts acted as umpire for his side. Hawke's Bay: Full back — Lequesne; threequarters — Warbrick, Reay, and M'Causlahd ; half backs — Gibbons and' Taiaroa; , wings— Paterson and Morrison; forwards— Stewart, Robson, Jameson, F. A. Kennedy, Veaity, Saunders, and Trotter. Logan acted as umpire, for Hawke's Bay, Potts, an old Canterbury man, being referee. I

Warbrick was captain of the local team, Francis acting in a similar capacity for the visitors. Canterbury, with the sun at their backs, kicked off, and it was seen from the start that both teams meant to force the fighting. Canterbury waa very aggressive, but for the first 10 minutes the game was about equal, and consisted of little else than a series of keenly-contested scrummages. Warbrick got a mark, but the ball was smartly returned by Allardyce, after which Canterbury slowly but surely forced the play into local quarters. Taiaroa relieved his side, but Beswick by a good run across pushed the Hawke's Bay back' out. A rally' brought the play into the centre of the ground. Some smart work was done by Allardyce, Francis, and Mouutfort for Canterbury, and Veaity, Hobson, Gibbons, Trotter, Jameson for the home team. A series of hard-fought scrums resulted in play being taken on to Canterbury soil, and from a pass mulled by Francis and Allardyce, Warbrick secured the ball and did a splendid piece of dribbling, and this being well backed up by Taiaroa, Hawke's Bay gained considerable ground, Francis just saving his side from a force down. The scrums were now in Hawke's Bay's favour, and from one of these Taiaroa got the ball and ran in cleverly securing jthe first try. Warbrick took' the kick and landed a neat goal. iJpon the ball being brought out Canterbury rallied and carried tho play into their opponents' territory, smart work by Warbriek, Gibbons, Saunders, and Percy being counteracted by Wilson, Allardyce, Francis, Donnelly, and Mountf qrt. Some tight scrummaging turned the balance in Hawke's Bay's favour, and after some brilliant rushes, in which Robson, Trotter, Jameson,- and Veaity were conspicuous, Canterbury was forced down twice within' a few minutes. A. dashing coup by Watson relieved his side a bit, bub a further rush by Hawke's Bay forwards took the ball back to the Canterbury twenty-five, and a mull by Richards nearly gave the local team another try, the danger only being just averted by Francis as half-time was called, the play being then clo«e to Canterbury's goal.

On play being resumed, it was seen that each side were to " wake up," and the crowd of cheering spectators promised themselves a football treat. They were not mistaken, the second spell of the game being the hardest and fastest seen in Hawke's Bay for a long time. The game was chiefly confined to the forwards of both) sides, all playing as for dear life, with the backs hovering around waiting for and taking advantage of each chance. All played well, and to mention all who took part in the rushes aud scrums would be to recapitulate the names of all the players. For a long time play was kept in the centre of the ground, a rally that gained a bit for one side being succeeded by an answering rush that recovered the lost ground. At last, from a smart return by Wilson to Warbrick, Moir got the ball and managed to secure a try. Francis essayed the kick, but no goal resulted. The ball was quickly in the centre of the ground again, and was there for a long time, the Hawkes'Bay forwards being splendidly supported by their backs. After a severe tussle the visitors began to lose ground, and a run by Morrison resulted in one of the prettiest bits of passing ever seen on a football field, the spectators cheering enthusiastically. Morrison's run was in the face of quite a bevy of his opponents, but he made about 30 yards and passed to Jameson, who gained a little more and passed to Paterson, who in turn passed to Taiaroa. The really brilliant piece of play was prevented from resulting in a try only by a determined da9h by Beswick. The play at this stage was exceedingly fast, the Hawke's Bay having the best of it, and in spite of most determined efforts Canterbury was forced down. From this time out Hawke's Bay seemed to grow stronger, and to play with more dash, the visitors having to fight hard on the defensive all the time, and at last, from a scrummage, Morrison made a good run and secured another try for Hawke's Bay. AH

.the local forwards were now ( playing well .together," Robson,- Trotter, Jameson, and Saunders being most conspicuous, and from a scrumnikge gottheballand cleverly secured a try right behind the goal post. Warbnck took the kick, an easy one, but no goal resulted. Upon the ball being kicked' off Sutherland and Blarichard made a desperate rush up the ground, and before the field seemed to know what was the matter the ball was close to the Hawke's .Bay goal, though at the corner of the ground. ,But it was of no avail, Hawke's Bay set to work to force the visitors back^. and were slowly getting ,them towards the centre of the ground when time was called, the score standing: Hawke's Bay,!five ' points ; Canterbury, one point. After the conclusion of the match the visitors were entertained at dinner at the Criterion Hotel by the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union, a most pleasanteyening being spent. Mr Lambie, agent for the Union Stieam Ship Company, kindly delayed the departure of the boat so as to allow time for the dinner to take place.