ENGLAND v. AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2372, 17 August 1899, Page 44

ENGLAND v. AUSTRALIA.

ANOTHER WIN FOR THE ENGLISH TEAM. SYDNEY, August 12. The last of the test football matches between England and Australia was played today. Frequent heavy showers fell while play was proceeding, and the ground presented in places minature lake scenery. NotwithetandI ing the inclemency of the weather there was j a fair attendance of the public. The first i j spell was very even, but, if anything, the ! j Englishmen had the best of it. Considering ] I the terrible state of the ground, there was j ! some brilliant play, in which Bucher, Nic- j ! holls, and Adamson were prominent on the < I visiting side, while Hardcastle, Ellis, and Oobb divided honours among the local men. The spell ended without a score. On beginning the second spell Adamson just missed , placing a goal from a penalty kick from outside the local twenty-five line. The local men I were being continuously pressed, and from a ' line-out Cookson got away and registered the , first score in the match, Adamson kicking a j | beautiful goal. On resuming, the local men j | were again on the defensive, and one of the ; visiting backs, kicking the leather over the line, Busher raced for it and secured a second try for England. Adamson again converted, bringing the Englishmen's score up to 10 points against the Australians' nil. A few . minutes later on Adamson added still further • i to the visitors' score by placing a goal from a penalty kick, and when no side was whistled 1 the score stood : : ! England ... 13 points Australia ... nil | _ August 13. The Englishmen were entertained at a farewell banquet. The Rev. Mr Mullineux (captain), responding to the toast of his health, felt it his duty to speak against anything which the English Rugby Union did not acknowledge as good sport. He had observed deliberate breaches of the rules, such as holding people back when coming away from the scrums, pushing men in the line-out who had not got the ball, and sticking elbows in a man's face in the scrums. He had been told that the Australian remedy for this was to bite men's hands, but the Englishmen had not yet mastered the art of cannibalism. Another thing, and one of the lowest tricks, was shouting after -an opponent for 'a pass. He hoped they would eradicate these blots. Australia possessed excellent players. The visitors had learnt something from them in the ! way of marking the ball and forward play. j