THE RUGBY GAME. SENIOR FLAG MATCHES. Kaikorai v. Southern.

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 46

THE RUGBY GAME. SENIOR FLAG MATCHES. Kaikorai v. Southern.

These clubs opened the season at Bishops court on Saturday afternoon. Perfect wea- ! ther prevailed, and the ground was in beautil ful order. If any members of the Kaikorai Football Ground Company were present, they' must have noted with satisfaction that they I now own the driest football ground in Dun- ! edin. The surface is even, the grass well k«pt,' and the dry, springy feel under foot ■ is extremely pleasant to those who have to play 011 it. The macrocarpa hedge planted 011 the boundaries ha? grown well, and in jyear or two will make an admirable breakwind. The match on Saturday was not of absorbing interest. The local men displayed very mediocre form and lack of training, and as a result they found their defence at times severely tested by the aggressive play of the visitors, who showed considerable dash in tli-s early part of the game. The Southern played j down hill in the first spell, and a few min- | utes after the game started had the Kaij korai ' pretty busy keeping their lines clear, i Olson got a mark in .a very good position for having a shot at goal, but chose to kick forward, and the ball was promptly marked by Sinclair in return, who got his side out of danger by a well-judged kick into touch. I A.gain the Southern brought the ball back, and it went out near the corner flag. Here play was very hot for a, few minutes, and Neil 1 got another mark. This time OLcn took tho kick, and went very near to piloting the ball j over the bar, Kerr forcing down. Play was chiefly co - lined to the centre of the ground j for the re=. v of the spell, varied now and then by the opposing teams making brief invasions I of each other's territory. In the second spell '' it was naturally expected that the Blues would , pull themselves together and put a score to their credit, but their half-hep rted efforts yielded not much else than a feeling of disappointment in the breasts of their supporters. Now and then a decent bit of passing (generally spoilt on the right wing) relieved ' a give-and-take game, and but for the sound woi'k put in by Duncan and Sinclair the i team would have fared badly. Once or twice" they were penned up in a corner, and got out as much by luck as by good play. From a mark Olsoii made another effort to score a goal, but, though the ball went over the bbatr t it had been touched in its flight, i The jubilation of the Southern supporters 1 who thought Olson had scored, was very mii tense for a minute, and deep disappointment ' prevailed when it was perceived that the fates i had ruled otherwise, and the .match termi1 nated : - 2 - Kaikorai ... Nil Southern ... Nil Aleasibra v. Univeksity. This, match was played at Ta-huna Park. I The ground was in splendid order. j Some five hundred people were present, expecting no doubt to see a good exhibition of football, but many went home raiher disappointed, as the pla;y was, on the whole, rather j uninteresting from a spectator's point of I view. The Alhambra kicked off with the 1 sun and a light southerly wind behind them. I The 'Vardity attacked for a few minutes, and thon the Alhambra forwards gradually worked I the ball to the Blue >' twenty -five flag. From : , a scrum the ball was sent out to King, who, i I with a strong run, successfully eluded two or three of the opposing backs and scored near the corner. No goal resulted. Shortly ! after the kick out Wallace, the Alhambra acquisition fiom Wellington, who had been I playing a fine game, had the misfortune to , sprain hit ankle, and was compelled to re tire, the 'Varsity allowing a substitute to fill his place. The game was confined chiefly ! to the forwards, and was fairly even till ju°t j , before half-time. Stephenson made a short run down the line, and then passed the ball I wildly tow irds the centre of the field, where it fell into the hands of a Red, who scored near the po^tf. The try was easily converted. In the second spell play was a little more inj teresting, both teams playing a more open I game. The 'Varsity n.ade strenuous efforts j to score, and White was making a bold bid for the line, when he was heavily thrown, and had to retiie to full back. From' a j &crum near the Alhambra line M'Ara success- j j fully worked the " blind side," Wi Repa scor- j ing near the corner. No goal resulted. Shortly I after O'Shea missed an easy shot at goal j from a penalty. Just before the close the ! Reds attacked again, but without success, and 1 the whistle went, the scores being: — _ Alhambra ... 8 points University 3 points Union v. Zingaei-Richjiond. The North ground was occupied by the Union and Zingari-Richmond teams for their j opening match. The captain of the former team won the toss, but seemed to hand over this advantage by electing to play up hill, and with tho sun in the face. Shortly after the kick-off two passing rushes by the Zingari I backs took the ball into the Union's twenty- ; j five, and the home team were for some time , defending busily. A bad pass by Armstrong I waa missed bj Muuro t and the Colours' for-

wards swept over the line. A cry went up that they had scored, but Adams siicceded in forcing down. The Zingari forwards continued i to beat their opponents, and two marks were I obtained within a reasonable distance of the Union's goal, but neither kick was successful. • ' The ball was repeatedly sent out to the Col- ; ours' backs, but they could c!o little or nothing , with it, and Thomson and Armstrong eventu- j ally removed play to the Zingari's twenty-five, j Here the ball remained for some time, and I the Maroons' forwards, now beginning to cope successfully with their heavier opponents, gave their backs chances which were promptly j • availed of. Tries, the outcome of really good | ' passing runs, were obtained in quick succes- ; sion by Bennett and Whi^e, the -wing three- j ' quarters. Neither kick at goal, however, was successful. From this time right up to the end of the spell the play was very fast, and the ball travelled about a good deal, but the Union i distinctly had the advantage, and nearly I scored on several occasions. The play, during i the first 20 minutes or so of the second spell, ' was remarkable for the fine combination disI played by the Union backs. They delighted the spectatoi-s by the free and accurate way J in which they passed the ball, as a result of ' which two more tries were gained by them, j White scoring one and Walker the other. | I Tho place-kicking, however, was again at fault, j I The Union continued to hold the upper hand, j j but the Zingari pulled themselves together somewhat, and chiefly owing to the exertions : of Hobbs, Austin, "and Fordyce, succeeded in ! 1 preventing _any further score. The game j thus ended-with the score standing at — , Union ... 12 points Zingari ... Nil j Dunedix v. Pievtss. ; I The senior teams of the above clubs played their first match this season on the Caledonian ground on Saturday afternoon. The groiuid ' was in splendid condition, but there was only \ a moderate attendance. The Dunedin (eolj ours) won the toss, and played from the Kensington end. The Pirates (black) kicked off, j and after ihe backs had exchanged a few ! kicks, play remained abouL the centre for some j time. Good kicking by the Colours' backs placed the Blacks on the deter.ee, M'Kay having several attempts at goal from frea kicks , without any result. A passing run between 1 Stalker, Mackenzie, and Bragg took fie ball close .to the Blacks' line, and trie Pirates' fullbnck, failing to take the ball, allowed Bragg, who followed up well, to score near the pests. M'Kay had no difficulty in registering a goal. This roused the Bracks, and for the rest of the j tpell they made things very lively for the ' Colours. Fisher and Gordon hro^e away and dribbled over the line, but one ' of the Dunedin backs forced just in ' the nick of time. The Blacks continued to press the Colours. Kirkcaldy. and Priest heuded a forward rush to the Colours' line, ' where the latter was pushed into touch-in-goal. j Half-time was called soon after. In the second > spell a good deal of -uninteresting- play fol- i lowed the kick-off. From a scrum Stalker ' obtained the ball, and made a good run to | 1 with.;.!, a few yards of tlie Blacks' line, where I ; he passed to Mackenzie, who must have scored i had he taken the pass. Judicious kicking" by 1 M'Leod and Hislop shifted the play to the ' ' centre again. Towards the end the Blacks made strong efforts to equalise the score, bur ' '"M'Kay saved hid side by his long kicks time ' after time. At laat the Blacks were rewarded. ' 1 Hislop, securing the leather from a scrum, whipped it out, and good passing between M'iieod, Sutton, and Matthewson enabled the last-named to score near the corner, but the J/T, wa . s nob conve rted. Mr West sounded I "No side " shortly after, the scores being: — Dunedin ... 5 points Pirates ... 3 points JUNIOR FLAG MATCHES. The Dunedin and Pirated Seconds met at Carisbrook, when a good even game resulted in a win for Dunedin by 4to 3. The .ground ', was very sloppy, and therefore the' game was ! almost entirely a forward one. In the first spell the Pirates scored a try, from which no ' goal resulted. In the second sxiell Cramoncl marked in the Pirates' twenty-five, and COl- i nish succeeded in putting the bail between ! the posts. For Duneclin Watson, Cramond, ancl Morgan (backs), Churchill, Parker, Crisp, ancl Burt (forwards) played well ; while on the PiI rates' side Fairclough and Clark (backs),' and ' Jacobson and Irwin (2), proved themselves ' , tho best of a very even lot. The whistle wns | in the hands of Mr Glover, who proved himself , a capable and conscientious referee, giving every satisfaction to both teams. , j The Zingari-Richmond Second met and de- ; I feated the Union Second at Mon.tecillo by . , 6 points to 3. Tries for the winners were I scored by Wallace and Reicl, and for the ' ' Union by Minn. Besides the above-mentioned Cameron, Hay, Wilson, Eccles, Guthrie, and M'Vicar (Zingari), and Howison, Duthie, and Miller (Union) showed good form. ' The Kaikorai Second met the Southern Second at Fraser's paddock, and a very fast • game resulted in a draw, neither side scoring. 1 The match between Ravensbourne and Port I Chalmers was played . at Ravensbourne on ' Saturday, when the former won by two tries (6 points) lo a goal from a mark (4 points). I A. Low and G. Callon each scored a try for j I Ravensbourne, while T. M'Queen kicked the , 1 goal for Port. • j OTHER MATCHES. ' j The Alhambra Third met and defeated the ! Zingari-Richmond Third at Opoho by one ' potted goal (4- points) to one try (3 point?), ! Myers pcoring for Alhambra. Mr Corbett, as i ' referee, gave general satisfaction. j