SOUTHLAND v. OTAGO.

Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 42

SOUTHLAND v. OTAGO.

DECISIVE WIN FOR SOUTHLAND. The return match between the representatives of the Southland and Otago Rugby Unions was played on the Carisbrook ground on Saturday afternoon. The match had been looked forward to with a considerable amount of interest, for, while it was hoped that the Otago players would follow up their successes against Canterbury and Wellington by winning the only match of the year that they had to play at home, and thus avenge their defeat at Invercargill a month ago, it was recognised that in the Southlanders they would meet foemen worthy of their steel. The changes which in the last coiiple of days preceding the match were necessitated in the composition of the Otsgo team — Stephenson, Sinclair, Duncan, and Smith, who were, on the sick or disabled list, being replaced by Hunter, M'Ara, Armstrong, and Hobson respectively — hardly soived to detract from the interest attaohing to the match, for while it was felt that the combination of tha Otago tea,>n would inevitably bo injuriously affected it was thought that the merits of the individual players would sufficiently assert themselves during the match to largely counteract this, and that the home fifteen would still be able to hold their own. That they were signally unable to do this, but were decisively defeated by a combination superior to them at all points, shows how much at fault the local judgment was. Whether the conditions under which the match was played — conditions of the mcst unfavourable kind — had any influense on the result can only be a matter of conjecture. The probability is very strongly thai they had not, but in any event such a consideration is beside the question, for football is not a fine-weather game, and the best team is that which can best accommodate itself to the different conditions of groimd and weither that are to be expected during the winter. Certainly there was not much comfort in playing on Saturday. Not only had it lamed heavily on the previous days, but a thick drizzle fell almost continuously on Saturday up to the time of the starting of the match, and the result was that the playing ground was eoaked with moisture, slippery and holding. The attendance, also, must have been considerably affected by the weather, but still there must have been between 2000 and 3000 persons present. Mr F. H. Campbell acted as referee, and had the assistance of Messrs W* 3&UB (Southland) and H.

Harriß {Otago) as touch judges, while the j te*iis were thus constituted : — j Southland. Otago. (Maroon.) (Blue.) Pull Back. St. lb. sfc. lb. H. Rodgers ..10 6 W. H. Mackenzie 12 7 Three-quarter Backs. B. Bain .., ..11 4 A. M. Armifc ..11 6 H. Murphy .. 11 7 J. O'Shea .. .. 11 8 H. Hill .. .. 12 0 T. A. Hunter. .. 10 12 Half Backs. P. Ward .. „ 11 0 A. Mason .. .. 9 W. Stead .. .. 10 8 J. Armstrong ..11 4 P. Fraser .. .. 10 6 W. M'Ara „,, 10 2 Forwards. C. Matheson . . 10 6 W. Farquharson 12 2 W. Myers .. .. 11 10 D. M. Munxo ... 12 0 P. Anderson (captain) 11 7 W. Hobbs .., ..13 4 J. Walsh .. .. 13 0 E. Coady .„ .. 13 6 C.Purdue.. ..13 6 A. Hobson .. .. 11 12 I. Jenkins.. ... 11 7 F. Given (capt.) 12 6 H. Anthony ..13 0 R. Murphy ..14 0 C. Todd .. .. 13 0 T. Cross .. .. 12 12 The Southland captain having won the toss, Given kicked off for the Blues, and H. Murphy returned the ball to Hunter, who dropped it into touch about the half distance. From the scrummage following the first throw in the Redd' forwards heeled out, and their backs gave an early taste of their passing abilities, aud took the ball to the Blues' quarters, where Armit pluckily stopped a forward rush. A free kick to the Southlanders was entrusted to Purdue, who took it at his leisure, the charge being disallowed, but the kick fell short. Hobson, however, to whom the ball went, dropped it, and the Maroony quiokly pounced upon him, and one of them picking up, there was some sharp passing across the field, Which was meb with clean tackling, a few moments of excitement ending with a timely kick into touch by Hunter, but almost immediately afterwards a touch-down was recorded against Hie Blues, Mackenzie kicking into touch-in-goal to save his side. Play went on in the Otago half of the ground, and Purdue had another ineffectual kick at goal from a free, while the Reds' backs again strove to get through with a passing bout, Fraser, j Ward, Stead, Murphy, and Bain all handling i the ball, without, however, making much headway. Taking advantage of some fumbling among the Southland backs, the Blues got past the half-way flag, but their progress was stopped by Rodgers, who marked and punted well down to Armit, the latter return- | ing the ball nicely up the line. The Reds' ! backs gained in an interchange of kicks, and again got to the Ofcago quarters, from which | a chance kick sent the ball to Rodgers, who < I missed it, but recovered well, and got his rel tii' n. A free to the Bluos removed the play past the centre, but, principally in-line work, it came back to the 25, where the Reds' forwards broke away from a loose scrummage, Mackenzie lelieving, however, with a good kick up the line. Slovenly passing by the Blues' backs let Anderson through with the ball at his feet, and Armit failed to field it from him, but in a gymnastic feat secured the ball and gained touch with it. A hard kick by a Southland forward again sent the ball over the Blues' line, a touch-down resulting. Tho ball from Mackenzie's kick out skidded along the ground towards Hill, who speculated, and as M'Ara, on next securing possession, was not allowed 10 yards by the Reds' forwards, who wero off-side, a scrummage was taken where Hill had played the ball, but ■ tho visitors charged at once fcaw/irds the Blues' lins, and Jenkins, picking up in the loo^e, passed to W ard, from whom the ball went on to Stead, and then to Miu-phy. The latter got past O'Shea, and up to Mackenzie, but then passed to Bain, who ran in and scored a try, the main credit of which belonged to ' Murphy. The kick was taken by Purdue, but i though he made a good effort the ball passed outsido the uprights. After • the -kick out Coady followed up well, and charged down upon Bain, but was not supported, and the Southlander eluded him and got in Lis kick, after which Stead made a good dash through the Blues' ranks and made a capital opening, but Anderson, to whom he passed, threw forward, and from the scrummage Armstrong sent the ball to Hunter, who kicked up the line, and Bain was this time promptly grassed, if such an expression -can be applied to his being thrown into a quagmire. Hunter helped his side along with a clever kick into touch in the Heds' quarters, but the Southland forwards swept back in a body, and their rush had become dangerous when a knock-on stopped it. Armstrong, M'Ara, Mason, and Hobson regained some of the lost ground, but H. Murphy, fielding the greasy ball brilliantly, was well under way with a responsive run when he slipped. Good passing by Fraser, Stead, and Ward, out to Bain again, however, gave the Reds a footing in the Otago quarters, whence the play was removed by a serviceable kick by Armstrong, supplemented by good work by R. Murphy. Principally through Ward's exertions the Reds got back to neutral territory, where the play went on for some time with, however, a tendency always to swing back to the Otago end, and eventually Stead picked up and. made a fine dash through into the open, where he threw to H. Murphy, and the latter, taking the ball splendidly, dodged Mackenzie and scored. Purdue again missed with a good kick, and half-time was called a few minutes later. In the hope that the more frequent utilisation of the services of Armit, who had had little to do in the first spell, might produce a good effect the Kaikorai player was in the beginning of the second spell brought up among the half backs, while Armstrong retired to three-quarterback, but the change, not having the desired result, the original positions were shortly reverted to. Immediately after the kick-off the Reds were swarming in their opponents' quarters, and a touch-down came in about a minute. The kick-out was returned by Rodgers, and after some quick passing among the Southland backs, which merely took the ball across the field, Bain cleverly dodged past some of the Blues and kicked out about the quarter-line, where the Reds' backs executed some more faultless passing, and Ward darted .for the line, but O'Shea intercepted a pass in front of the goal and with Armstrong and Armit shifted the scene of operations to mid-field. : A kick by Ward, followed ug by Hill, placed the Blues again on the defensive, but the local lines ware cleared by a couple of free kicks, each taken by O'Shea. The relief, however, was of brief duration, for the Reds' forwards, like their backs, consistently maintaining a superiority over the opposing division, were speedily attacking again, and a faultless passing bout initiated by Jenkins and carried on by Stead, Ward, H. Murphy, and Bain, ended in Ward securing possession for the second time and running in. Though the liry was x>btained right behind the posts, so tha^ the kjok at goal was an easy one, Rodgeira .failed with it. Shortly after this Jenkins placed a. mark for Purdue, who iinsuooesgf ully took a iong • kick at goal, a touch-down resulting. Fol- ; lowing the kick-out the play was .confined to ; the 'Centre for isome time, and was rather un- ■ oTentfuL The passing efforts of th« Southland backs were steams ftf taiUig&oj m what '

had become an uninteresting game in which one side was clearly over-matched, and the players -were with difficulty distinguishable owing to the patches of mud they carried on their faces. In one of these passing bouts Hill had got nearly to the line when he was thrown into touch; another came to an end through H. Murphy knocking on; and in a third Bain was splendidly tackled by Mackenzie. A flash in the pan came in the shape of an onslaught by the Blues' forwards on the visitors' goal, and Rodgera, taking a risk which would have been inexcusable had his side not practically won, carried the ball across his own line, darted behind his goal, and ran out with it on the opposite wing and found touch 40 yards away. Matheson executed some fine dribbling for the visitors, and after Hill had spoiled a good passing display by knocking .on, the Blues, in one of their spasmodic rushes, got well up to the Southland line, which was, however, cleared by a free kick, followed by good work by Jenkins, Stead, and Matheson, who took the play past the centre. A flutter was caused by the Otago backs starting a passing bouF, but Armit was tackled by Hill before he could get off, and the Reds broke away again into the Otago quarters, and the play was right up at the hne when the whistle was sounded, tho match ending: — Southland .. 9 points Otago .. ..Nil There can be not the shadow of a doubt that the team won which, on the day, was decidedly the stronger. The play of the Otago iifteen was intensely disappointing. It is no explanation of their defeat to say that tho changes in the back division had ruined its combination, the plain fact being that if the Otago backs had been ever bo strong their strength would have availed them little when the forwards were beaten. The latter probably missed the encouraging voice of their former experienced captain behind them, but, whatever the cause, they certainly played below form. Such an exhibition as they gave on Saturday was never given by them in Christchurch or Wellington or the Otago team could never have won there. When opportunities came to them some of them seemed helpless to take advantage of them, nnd lie all-round display was not creditable. sturphy, Ooady, and Given worked hard, but there was not much seen of the others. Behind a beaten team of forwards the- Otago backs could not be expected to do much. The majority of them tackled well, but in fielding and passing they compared very unfavourably with their opponents. Mackenzie made several mistakes, and also failed to stop one of Ihe Southland scorers, but on the whole- he did well, and Armit and Hunter did serviceable work. O'Shea was, however, not seen to advantage, and while M'Ara tackled admirably, Mason did not like the defensive work, and Armstrong played beneath club form. The Southland backs gave an exhibition which, under all the circumstances, was not short of marvellous. Their handling of the greasy ball was exceptionally sure, their passing was accurate and well-timed, their kicking was seldom at fault, and they worked together with something approaching machine-like precision. All of them did well, Murphy and Ward perhaps especially so, although it is almost an injustice to the others to individualise, and of an admirable lot of forwards, who beat their opponents in every department of the game, Matheson and Purdue were possibly the most conspicuous. The following are the results of the matcnes between the two unions : — 1887.— At Dunedin: Otago won by one goal and three tries (6 points) to nothing. 1888. — At Invercargill : Drawn, no score. ISBD.— At Dunedin: Otago won by four goals a,a& three tries (15 points) to one try (1 point). 1890. — At Invercargill : Southland won by one goal and one try (4 points) to nothing. 1891.— At Duuedin: Otago won by five goals and two tries (17 points) to nothing. 1892. — At Invercargill: Otago -won by two goals and three tries (12 pointi) io nothing. 1893.— At Dunedin: Otago won by one goal and two tries (9 points) to two tries (4 points). 1894. — September 12, at Invercargill: Southland won by one try (3 points) to nothing. 1894. — September 22, at Dunedin : Otago won by one goal and one try (8 points) to one try (3 points). 1895. — August 17, at Dunedin: Otago won by one try (3 points) to nothing. 1895.— September 18, at Invercargill: Otago won by two goals and one try (11 points) ito one goal (4 points). 1896.— August 8, at Dunedin: Otago won by one try (3 points) to nothing. 1896.— September 23, at Invercargill : Southland, won iby one goal and two tries ,(11 points) to nothing. 1897.— August 25, at Invercargill: Southland won by one try (3 points) to nothing. 1897. — September 4, at Dunedin: Southland won by one goal (4 points) to nothing. 1898.— August 31, at Invercargill: Southland won by one try (3 points) to nothing. 1898. — September 17 : Southland won by three tries (9 points) to nothing.