CHRIST'S COLLEGE v. OTAUO HIGH SCHOOL.

Otago Witness, Issue 972, 5 September 1889, Page 27

CHRIST'S COLLEGE v. OTAUO HIGH SCHOOL.

The seventh annual football match between teams representing Christ's College (Canterbury) and the Otago High School was played on the Carisbrook ground on Saturday. The weather was splendid, the light breeze, that came in spasmodic puffs from all quitters of the compass, affording nd appreciable advantage to either side. The ground was in excellent condition, and in fact everything was favourable to a good display of the garae. The attendance, which was rather small when the play was started at about 2.15, increased steadily during the afternoon, and finally attained very respectable proportions. The teams were constituted as follows : — Christ's College. High School. (Black and White.) (Blue,) FULL BACK. FULL BACK. A Nalder. G Stephenson. THREK-tJUABTBB BACKS. THREE-QUABTER BACKS. W C H Wigley J N Uweu P T Winter N Owen H X Murphy. J Taiaroa. HALF BACKS. HALF BACKS. F Crosby W Fitchett T Upton. W Gran. FORWARDS. FORWARDS. J F Buchanan J M'Brearty W Q Ivens II O Boydell G Tolhurot J Heenan T H Beswick T X Herd X S Holl M O Henderson D Matson O L Mandl L Wood W M Macdonald W D Perry G H Bundle P Herring. E Webster. The umpires were Messrs Gifford (Christ's College) and A V Smith (High School), and Mr J H Chapman was referee. The captains were Wigley (College) and M'Brearty (High School). The High. School boys, with the memory rankling in their minds of two successive defeats (for each of which they were themselves largely to blame, owing to the over-confident way in which they played), were understood to have determined this year to retrieve their lost laurels, and, although the Collegians were by no means friendless, the School team were most fancied, and the result in the end justified the anticipations. From the start the local boys, who wore interprovincial colours, had the upper hand. They played .much better than they have done in any other match this season, and although a good many mistakes were made by them, they lost nothing by them. It was in their superior combination aud condition chiefly that their advantage lay. The best evidence of this was afforded by the fact that during the latter part of the game, when their team was virtually reduced to 13 (Macdonald having had to retire altogether owing to an accident, and Oran having to retire to the position of full back, where he was able merely to hobble about, so that if his services had been required, which they were not, he would have been useless), they were more than able to hold their own. The passing of the School backs was a little, but not much, better than that of their opponents, but the play of the individual members of the back team was vastly superior. J. Owen waß the hero of the game among the backs. His speed and dodging powers caused great trouble to the College team, and some of his runs were very brilliant, recalling the performances of his distinguished athletic predecessor, J. B. Thomson, at the school. Fitchetb was perhaps the next ?)eat, although Oran played very well and pluokily. Taiaroa made a couple of very fine runs in the second spell, but in the earlier part of the game hiß play was weak N. Owen, though not brilliant, was fairly safe, and Stephenson, atter fumbling a lot at full back, did good work at half back. On the side of the College, Wigley waa the pick of the backs. He is a powerful and fast runner, and a fine drop-kick, and he proved of the greatest value to his team. Winter appears to be a fine kick, but beyond this he did not do much, and Murphy played in a clumsy manner, although he was evidently the beat tackier among the College backs. Crosby and Upton played with considerable pluck at half back, but their efforts were nearly always smothered, and Naylor was a fairly efficient full hack. Of the forwards, on the School Bide, Macdonald was facile princeps up to the time of his retirement, and his best supporters were Heeaan, M'Brearty, Mandl, and Bundle. Of the College team of forwards, Matsonwas most conspicuous. Poßsessed of a rare turn sf speed, this player waa always on the ball and Lite splendid following up and effective tackling frequently gained considerable ground for his team. Buchanan, Perry, Herring, and Wood were, perhaps, the best of the others.

The visitors played for the first spell from the pavilion end, thus having the sun behind them, itheir kick off was well returned by Fitchett, but Buchanan was conspicuous in carrying the ball up to the Blues' twenty- five. Winter, however, fumbled a pass, and the School team speedily had the play back in neutral territory. J. Owen, by a couple of dodgy runs, and Norman Owen, with a useful kick into touch placed the visitors on the defensive, but some reckless passing by the Blues, and quick following up and,dribbling by the Blacks, enabled the latter not only to clear their lines, but to remove the Dperations to the Blues' twenty-five. The ball was gradually worked back to the centre, and Macdonald and Heenan carried it on to the Collese twenty-five, where their progress was stopped by Winter, but the ball being kicked on hard, the visitors forced down. Wigley's kick out was returned by Cran to Winter, whose effort was a feeble one, and although Upton made a game attempt to relieve his Bide, the Blacks bad immediately afterwards to submit to another forcedown. Matson, by smartly following up the kick out, prevented Pitchett from returning the ball, but after a few scrums in midfield Macdonald dribbled into the College quarters, where some neat passing and running ensued between the two Owens, Taiaroa, and Macdonald, none of whom could, however, break through the defence. A free kick was given to the School, and the ball was placed for Fitchett, whose kick at goal was ineffectual, the ball passing outside the posts. After the kick out, the fa'chool team, with Cran and Bundle most conspicuous, kept up the onslaught on the College lines. Wigley obtained the ball on a fair catch in front of his goal, and adopted the dangerous expedient of marking it. The still more unusual and dangerous plan of having a place kick in such a position was then followed, Winter being entrusted with the kick. The wind carried the ball almost at a right angle Into touch a few yards from the goal line. After the threw in Macdonald obtained the ball, and running through the College forwards dropped at goal— the first attempt in his life, it is said, that he has made to drop a goal— and had the satisfaction of seeing the leather rise straight between the posts, 3 points being thus scored tor the School. Perry's kick off resulted in a force down. An exchange of compliments between the backs left the ball in the centre, where ie remained for some time. The play waa rather uninteresting, although good runs by J. Owen and Wigley evoked some applause. Eventually Webster, from a free kick, cent the ball into touch near the Blacks' twenty-five, and Taiaroa and J.;® wen carried it on in front of the goal, where it was secured by Fitchett, who emulated Macdonaid's example and dropped a pretty goal. The kick out was badly returned, but J. Owen relieved his lines with a good run. The

Blues, with Heenan and Macdonald in the van, dribbled the ball up to the College twenty-five, and a puut by J. Owen sent it into touch, near the line. From a scrum immediately afterwards Heenan came away .with the ball at his toe, but could not get through, and Macdonald then made another pot shot. The ball this time lacked elevation, but hit the post and bounced back into the field, a scrum been formed almost on the line. The visitors were granted a free kick and the ball was kicked out to ] Fitchett, who passed across to J. Owen ; and the latter ran through his opponents in splendid style, scoring a try amid great cheering. Fitchett failed to enhance the score. The College players, who now appeared to be losing heart, were next forced down twice in rapid succession. The play then centred in neutral territory, until a good kick by Wigley put the School boys temporarily on the defence. Taiaroa with a good run, however, got past the centre, and his efforts were seconded by a good .combined rush by titchett, Webster, and Mandl, who were not stopped till they were in the College quarters. Wigley kicked into touch near the line, but Perry improved matters by a subsequent kick to the quarter distance flag. The ball was then passed out to J. Owen, who made another Bplendid run and then transferred to Cran. The latter got oyer the line and was mauled, but had the advantage. The kick was at a difficult angle, but Fitchett made a beautiful attempt, the ball striking one of the posts.' Half time was then called, the score being : High School, 8 points ; Christ's College, ml. After the customary respite. M'Brearty kicked off, and Murphy returned the ball. The play that followed wae in midfield, until Cran with a clever' piece of dribbling, and' M'Brearty and Cran with serviceable runs, transferred It into the Blacks' quarters. Nalder was tackled almost on the line, and two or three of the Blues almost got across, but a force down was the result. After some interesting play that ranged between the centre and the College quarter-distance flag— Macdonald , N . O wen , Stephenson, Matson, Wigley, and Winter oeing the chief participants in it— Cran made a fine run almost up to the College lines. He passed well, but the ball was not taken, and a scrum ensued, from which Mandl and M'Brearty dribbled over the line, a force down resulting. After an exchange of kicks Boydell broke away from about the centre and passed to M'Brearty who made a run up to the College line. The School captain might have got a try himself, but with praiseworthy uiioelfishuess he made " assurance doubly aure," paaaing to Macdonald who scored near the touch line. ii'Brearty with a splendid kick converted the try. Perry kicked out and Taiaroa returned the ball into touch near his own. twenty-five. J. Owen, picking up the ball beautifully, cleared hi» quarters, and Cran made a nice run past the centre. Wigley, getting the ball passed to him by Winter, retaliated with a strong fending run along the line, and Murphy lent his assistance with anotner run, but their efforts were unavailing, for Macdonald headed a capital rush up to the College lines. Perry replied with a fine run, which was applauded, but the Blues returned to the attack. A splendid pass let J. Owen away, but he was brought to grass near the line, and Murphy regained some ground for his side. Macdonald then dribbled the ball finely across the line and fell on it. sustaining as he- did so a severe iracture of the collar bone, which, of courao,. caused his retirement for the rest of the game. This was for the School as Cran had just previously been hurt, necessitating his place being taken by Stepheneon while ha went full back, M'Brearty failed with the kick at goal. After some play in neutral territory, Matson had the ball placed for him from a mark and kicked high. Following up his kick in fine Btylc he recovered the ball himself and carried it over the line, where he was mauled by Stephenson, and a force down was the barren result— hard lines for the College, for Matson really deserved the try. After the kick out the play hovered about the centre till a nicely concerted dribbling rush by the Blue forwards swept away all opposition, aad M'Brearty scored. The kick was an easy one, and J. Owen safely negotiated it The School team, though practically two short, continued on the offensive, and a fine pass placed the ball in the hands of Taiaroa, who made a dashing run round the Blacks', but unfortunately allowed himself to be pushed against the fence behind the goal, and the ball thus became dead. The 3 play was for a short time in midfield, but J. Owen obtaining possession, made a brilliant run through the opposing ranks and scored behind the posts. He again registered a goal from the place kick, and " no side " was then called, the score standing i High School. 18 points ; Christ's College, nil.

The following are the results of the matches between the institutions since their inauguration :— 1883— At Dunedin : College won by a try (2 points)

to nil. 1884— At Christchurch : College won by two goals

one try (11 points) to a try (2 points). 1885— At Dunedin : School won by one goal one try

'6 points) to nil. 1886 -At Christchurch : School \t on by two goals two

tries (13 points) to nil. 1887— At Dunedin : College won by two goals one try (7 points) to one goal one try (4 points). 1888— At Christcbureh : College won by a goal (3

points) to a try (1 point). 1889— At Dunedin : High School won by five goalß three tries (18 points) to nil.