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Otago Witness, Issue 2373, 24 August 1899, Page 42

The succession of victories won by the Southlanders against Otago in the last fivo matohes came to an end on Saturday afternoon, when the local team pulled off a fairly easy game by 12 points to 5. The attendance was again very large, and the ground in good order. The weather looked threatening at the outset, but fortunately held up throughout the afternoon, and a light south wind prevailed. The game was not unusually interesting, and Otago's all-round superiority

made it somewhat onesided. It is safe to say that it was only the stubborn defence of the Southland • backs that saved their side from having a good many more points against them. Little fault could be found with their tackling, but whenever they got away with the ball their passing was almost invariably smothered by the Otago forwards. The passing of the Otago backs, although hardly as brilliant as that displayed in the Canterbury match, was again of a high order, and the Blues' forward play was superior all round to that of Southland. Mr F. H. Campbell acted a? referee, and the touch judges were Messrs Manson (Southland) and W. H. Haydon (Otago). The following were the teams: Southland.— Full back, H. Rodgers (10.0); three-quarters— H. Hill (12 6), T.. Maley (11.10), B. Bain (11.4); halves— W. Hanna (12.3), W. Stead (10.0), P. Fraser (10.0); forwards— W. Myers (11.11), L. Murphy (11.8), I. Jenkins (11.8), E. Purdue (13.6), W. Jude (11.6), V. Metzger (11.10), H. Anthony (12.5), P. Anderson (11.5). Otago.— Full back, Wi Repa (12.8); threequarters—A. Armit (11.4), J. O'Shea (11.8), G. S. Stephenson (12.5) ; halves — J. Macdonald (13.11), W. Sinclair (H-S), J. Duncan (12.6); forwards—T. Cross (13.5), W. Farquharson (12.8), F. Given (12.6), C. L. Gregg (12.6), D. M'Donald (13.0), D. M. Munro (12.4), K. Murphy (14.0), W. Olson (12.6). Southland won the toss and decided to play against the wind from the harbour end. Stead returned Murphy's kick-off into the touch on the Otago side of the half-way flag. A good passing rush between Macdonald, Sinclair, Duncan, and Stephenson set things going, and the last-mentioned player was collared in the Maroons' twenty-five. A scrum followed the throw-in, and Stead getting the ball made a good run, and passed to Hill, thus removing the play back to half-way. Continuing the attack, Melzger got away with the ball. Bain made a fine run, taking it down the touch-line, where it was kicked out near the Blues' corner flag. Otago then rallied, and the forwards, with Gregg and Murphy in front, took the ball back to half-way. Soon after this, Macdonald marked, and Sinclair following up obtained possession and passed to Stephenson, gaining more ground. A few minutes later a scrum was formed in the Southland twenty-five, and as it was breaking up Murphy got the ball and was very nearly through. On being collared, he passed to Munro, who was stopped within a yard of the line. A scram followed, and the Otago backs got the ball. From Macdonald it went in turn to Duncan, Sinclair, and Armit, and the latter ran in and touched down near the corner flag. Hill had bad luck in slipping and falling, otherwise he mieht have succeeded in bringing ilown Armit, and averting the score. Macdonp.ld was entrusted with the kick, but no goal resulted. 3—o.3 — 0. On continuing, the Ota^o backs again set a passing rush in motion, and the ball went through the hands of Macoonald, Duncan, and Sinolair, when O'Shea failed to take it, and, Maley intercepting, kicked into touch balf-way. Play in the centre followed for a few minutes, and then the Maroons' backs gave a display of passing. Fraser got the ball, passed to Stead, who sent it on to Hanna, but Maley failed to take it, and the Blues, seizing the chance, came on with a rush, and put Southland again on the defensive. Play in the Southland twentyfive was warm for a few minutes. Maley got a mark that might have relieved, but the ball waa brought back for a sorum. Macdonald displayed too much celerity in getting it out, and Southland got a free kick, but a feeble effort took the ball into touch about 10 yards further down. Off -side play by Munro gave tho Maroons another chance of respite, and U>is time Stead found the touch-line with a kick that sent the ball out about half-way, "laser , Hanna, and Hill put in a pas?ing rush ivilhout gaining much ground, and then Jen'cins got away; he passed to Stead, who managed to get a long way away from his other backs, and was collared on the other side of the ground. Maley got in a hard kick, which was marked by Wi R«pa. Macdonald and Gregg followed up and rushed the ball down to Rodgers, who mulled it, and it was kicked out near the corner. From a scrum 15yds out Sinclair got an opening, and was nearly through, but was brought down about a yard from the line. Another scrum, a«d Macdonald got a similar chance, which he utilised by scoring. O'Shea made a poor attempt at an easy goal. Otago, 6 ; Southland, 0. Rodgers kicked off, and from a scrum the Otago backs brought the ball down to the Maroons' quarters, where Macdonald made a long pass to Gregg, who waa in front of the Southland goal. Finding his way blocked, he passed to Cross, who might have scored if he had been able to take the ball. A scrum on the line followed, and the Southland back« getting the ball, Stead obtained relief for his side uy forcing down. The respite was only temporary, and the Blues again pressed the visitors in their twenty-five. Maloy marked in front of his own goal, but his kick was feeble, and Macdonald obtaining possession passed to Olson, who clung to the ball, although he might easily have passed. Stead and Bain then took the ball down to half-way. Macdonald, Sinclair, O'Shea, and Stephenson brought it back, and the lastnamed was pushed out near the corner flag. Macdonald again cost the Blues a free kick for taking the ball out of the serum, but Hill only gained a few yards. Stead, however, came to the rescue, and with another of his brilliant runs, "on his own," took the play down to half-way. Just before half-time Southland were penalised, and the ball was placed for Wi Repa. His kick was more powerful than accurate, and yielded nothing. Jude opened the second spell with a kick that landed within a yard of the Otago goal line, and Wi Repa forced. A fiee kick to the Maroons gave Rodgers a "pot," and the attempt was good. Wi Repa lacked out, and Bain marked half-way. Crops returned, and the Maroons' backs passed the ball across the field. The Blues' forwards then worked it down to Rodgers, who made a poor defence, and the ball went into touch near the corner. The Maroons worked the ball back to safer ground, and play centred for some minutes. Eventually Stead and Bain got away, and the latter made a good run. When he found his progress blocked he kicked, and was following up, with a good chance of scoring, when he was deliberately blocked by Stepbenson. The free kick — that was poor compensation for what appeared to be a very ungenerous action — brought littl* relief, and a forward rush by the Blues took the ball down to the line, where Farquharson scored. Olaon gave another illustration of the Otago team's misfortune in lacking a reliable place kick. Otago, 9 ; Southland 0. Give-and-take play ensued, and finally Wi Repa forced down as a result of Jude kicking over the line. Good passing by Macdonald, Sinclair, and Duncan shifted the play to the Southland half, but O'Shea stuck to the ball too long. Duncan came to the rescue, passing to Stephenson, and that player found the touchline at the Southland twenty-five. More passing by the Blues gave Stephenson another chance, but Bain was equal to -the occasion, and brought him down. A minute later and Stephenson got the ball from Macdonald.

and made a fine run, which resulted in his scoring the best try of the match. The kiok at goal was an easy one, but, almost needless to say, it yielded nothing. Otago 12 ; Southland 0. Uninteresting play followed about the middle of the ground. At last Southland got a penalty kick in a fairly good position, and Jude essayed to score, but without avail. Play again centred, and then Southland made a final effort. A hot five minutes' work in the Otago twenty-five ended in Hanna. getting awa}'. He made a short run and kicked towards the centre of the field. Wi Repa did not field the ball well, and when he gained it he found his opponents charging him. He ran behind the Otago goal line, and when collared lost the ball, so that Maley scored an easy try between the posts. Taking the kick himself, he added the major point. The bell at once rang, and no side was called with the score : Olago ... 12 points Southland 5 points As already mentioned, the Otago forwards excelled themselves, and if special mention is made of any,' M'Donald first claims consideration. He played a brilliant game from start to finish. Gregg, Murphy, and Cross also put in splendid work. As full back, Wi Repa, who did not have much to do, generally found the touch line, and was apparently safer than in the match against Canterbury. But the manner in which lie allowed Southland to score the try would seem to indicate that he is not resourceful when he gets into difficulties. Armit played his usual dashing I game, to the delight of the spectators, and has probably graduated into the best " gallery man in New Zealand. As centre, O'Shea was a failure, and his taking of passes was, with a few exceptions, weak, and it is doubtful whether he could not be improved upon for next Saturday. Stephenson's "play was a vast improvement on the form he showed in the Canterbury match, and showed that when he likes he is the right man in the right place. The way he scored his try on Saturday was worthy of being placed alongside of his best efforts in interprovincial football. It is a pity that he should have marred the effect of his good play by a wanton act of obstruction, which, perhaps, prevented Southland scoring. Whether Bain would have ecored or not is still being argued out, and possibly will form a topic of conversation in football circles till the Taranaki match displaces it; but- it should be remembered that if Bain had had a clear run he would still have had to reckon with Armit, who was clohe up, and is one of I the hardest men to get past in the Otago | team. Macdonald played a fairly good game, • but it would be a great improvement in his play if lie could get the ball away from the scrum quicker, and yet bear in mind that it is generally not worth the candle to pick it out. Sinclair played his visual safe, consistent game, and Duncan showed good form. For Southland, Rodgers. at full back, was painfully weak, and showed nothing like the form that on previous occasions he has oxJiibited to the honour of his province. Bain showed that lie could run like a deer, but he is only dangerous when the ball is put into his hands and he is given a clear start. Maley, who was put into the team as substitute for Murphy, played a fine game ; and Hill proved remarkably good on the opposite wing to Bain. Hanna played a capital game, and his tackling was unusually good. Ha brought Duncan down in fine style. Stead put in an immense amount of work, but his chief fault was that he got too far away from the other backs, and when his progress vr?s Mocked he generally found himself in the midst of a sea of Jilue forwards, and never a friendly Maroon Jersey at hand. Fraaer got the ball | away in a nrst-oia-=.s style. The Maroon fori wards, compared with those who won matches I for Southland in former years, seem to have j deteriorated sadly, and the policy of the | Southland Union in putting forward a lighter class of men is a mistake. Anderson, who has represented Otago in five or six representative matches, showed that he can still keep pace with the best. Purdue, who donned the interprovincial jersey for the first time this year, fully justified his inclusion in the team, and others worthy of mention were Murphy and. Jenkins. The following (able show.-! O results of the matches between Otago and Southland representative teams, from their initiation up to the present time : — 1887.— At Dunedin— Otago won by 1 goal and 3 tries (G points) to nil. "• 1888.— At Invercargill— Drawn ; no acore. 1889. — At Dunedin— Otago won by 4 goals and 3 tries (15 points) to 1 try. 1890.— At Invercargill— Southland won by 1 goal and 1 try (4 points) to nil. IS9I. — At Dunedin— Otago won by 5 goals and 2 tries (17 points) to nil. IS92.— At Invercargill — Otago won by 2 goals and 3 tries (12 points) to nil. | 1893.— At Dunedin — Otago won by 1 goal and 2 tries (9 points) to 2 tries (4 points). 1894.— September 12: At Invercargill—Southland won by 1 try (3 points) to nil. 1894.— September 22: At Dunedin— Otago won by 1 goal and 1 try (8 points) to 1 try (3 points). 1895.— August 17: At Dunedin— Otago won by 1 try (3 points) to nil. 1895. — September 18: At Invercargill — Otago won by 2 goals and 1 try (11 points) to 1 goal (4 points). 1896 —August 8 : At Dunedin — Otago won by 1 try (3 points) to nil. 189 C —September 23: At Invercargill—Southland won by 1 goal and 2 tries (11 points) to nil. I 1897.— Auguat 24: At Invercargill—Southland won by 1 try (3 points) to nil. 1897. — September 4 : At Dunedin — Southland won by 1 potted goal (4 points) to nil. 1898.— August 31 : At Invercargill— Southland won by 1 try (3 points) to nil. 1838.— September 17: At Dunedin — Southland won by 3 tries (9 points) to nil. 1899. — August 19: At Dunedin — Otago won by 4 tries (12 points) to 1 goal (5 points).