OTAGO v. SOUTHLAND. A WIN FOR OTAGO.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 57

OTAGO v. SOUTHLAND. A WIN FOR OTAGO.

SERIOUS INJURY TO AN OTAGO PLAYER.

THe return match between Ofcago and ■ Southland representative football teams took place at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday afternoon in the 1 presence of about 5000 spectator?. 1 The weather was fine, with a fr-esh no'rfh-eastf j?ly 'breeze. The game itself -was well, wprtb,. witnessing-, but interest m , at was to' a largo' extent marred by one of ( those infinitely, .regrettable accidents as a result o£ -which *W. -Bailey, an Otago forward, now lies-in-a ori.tioal oondition. at the Hospital, having sustained an injury to the Spine. "The unfoifomate incident occurred shortly before the end of the first spell, when play • was- hat in front of Otago's goal, and Bailey apparently had the- misfortune to fall,' witfy several others on top of him. In the scramble prevailing at the time, the incident could not be clearly witnessed, but there is no suggestion of saiy rough play. Play shifted, but Bailey

was found to be unable to vtee, having lost the use of Jiis lower limbs; and Dr Macphcrson being promptly in attendance, the injured man was carried from the field and taken in the ambulance to the Hospital. Tfio incident threw a erlcom over spectators and players, recalling the melancholy coincidence of A. Armit's fatal and similar injury received just six years ago on the same ground in the Otago-Taranaki match. Play was naturally suspended for some time. The teams were as follow : — SoiTTHLiirD. — Murphy, Morton, Bain, Giller, Reid, Grace, Burgess, M'Nie, Hughes, E. Purdue, C. Purdue, Ryan, Laing, Clark, Jcnildns. Ot.vgo. —Kindley, Macpherson, Beimel, Gilray, Eckhold, Adams, Sing, Spiers, M'lntyre. Bailey. Thomson, Shccban, Fitzr.atrick, Low, and Portcous. j Southland winning tne toss. Otago kicked off against the wind, and an exchange of 1 kicks favoured neither team. Adams earned a round of applause by picking up neatly and sending the ball into touch m time to stop the progress of the Southland forwards, but a moment later Reid found the touch-line in the Blues' twentyi five. E6khold regained the lost ground, but Kindley gofc into difficidties when the leather came back to him, and Morton next getting possession, .some brilliant passing among the Southland backs followed, the result of which was that Morton, having com© acrcss, received the ball again from Giller, and. scored near the corner flag. Reid's kick at goal was resultless. Otapro came away with a strong; rush, and Eckhold kicked into touch in the visitors' twentyfive. The Ofcago forwards battled right up to within a yard of Southland's line, where ( a 'free kick being awarded the • Blues, | Adams had a shot at- goal, which the wind just diverted,, from its proper course. The Blues continued to attack, till hard kicldng by the Colours took play back to half-way. Some pretty passing between Bennet and Macpherson followed, Adams unfortunately knocking on. Hot play continued in the visitors' twenty-five, Adams and Macpher6dn putting in excellent line kicks, and Thomson and M'lntyro some good forward work. Then the heavy Southlanders rushed the leather back to Otago's territory, smothering Kindley'S return, Gilray putting in a very timely run and kick into touch.. Good kicking by the backs on both sides ended in a return by Macpherson striking a Southland forward, the ball rebounding towards Otago's line, to^ be snapped up, however, by Eckhold, and lent into touoh well up the field. Again the Southland forwards worked play back right to Otago's line, where Burgess missed a chance, and Gilray broke throujjh the attack with the ball "at his toe', and sent it out near half-way. A long kick by Morten forced the Blues down, and Otago again forced a moment later, -as a result of ov-er-hard kicking by the .visitors' forwards. 'Passing by Southland ended in the stoppage of .play for a [ moment while Bain was set on his feefc again, and a long pot at goal by Murphy was very near being successful, just going to one side of the uprights. Gilray cut .off a pass in time to avert a dangerous yush, and Murphy Lad another shot at goal; which fell, short, the visitors' .pressing Otago - hard' ,on tfeeir line, and testing the defence of the local men very severely. It' 'was at this stage that Bailey was injured, and play stopped for about 10 minutes. On resuming some pretty passing was seen among r the Otago backs, particularly JJennet, Macpherson, and Adams, and the latter being collared, his pass went into the hands of Hughes, who kicked hard down the field. The spell closed with a force- , down by Otago at the corner. With a forward short, Olago were not expected to do much in the second spell despite the advantage of the wind. Expectations were, however, agreeably disappointed. Shortly alter ihe resumption of play a kick by Adams was followed smartly into Southland's twenty-five, and Eekhold getting possession passed 'to Bennet, who scored a particularly fine try on the corner. Adams failed to improve tlra score. A great rush by the visitors' forwards took play to halfway, and from a mark by Eckliold Adams had a placo-kick at goa-l, but the distance was too groat. Burgess was responsible for removing play into Otago's twenty-five, and hot play ensued in front of Otago's goal, till Eckhold got in a longluck that relieved the pressure. From a clever mark by Bennet, Adams again placed at goal from halfway, but the ball fell short. Gilray got possession, and the ball was subsequently "handled by Porteous, Bennet, and Macpherson, the last-named ending some pretty play by a fine run, being collared just on the line. Reid then broke through the attack, and took play almost back to Otago's twenty-five, where Gilray saved. Murphy fumbling a long kick 'by Adams, low spoiled his return^ by fast followinn-up. Jenkins was mainly instrumental in play which, following- on a rush to halfway by the visitors, menaced Ofcago's line, but Kindley marked, and put in a good lino-kick. Th? non-award of a •mark when Gilray fielded the ball and the local backs waited for the whistle, gave the Maroons a chance, and they looked dangerous till, from a free kick, Adams sent the ball into touch at halfway, and a moment later* a, long kick by the same player forced Southland down. Gilray next centring" in Southland's twenty-five. Murphy's return was charged down, and the Otagp. forwards swarmed over Southland's line.- M'lntyre ecorinor in a scramble. Adams just failed with the kick at goal. Porffoous.mado an opening, and Bonnet got over the line again, jus), failing to touch down. Hot play followed on the visitors' line, Clark relieving by some good dribbling work. Good play by the local backs ended in Murphy's being collared in his own -twenty-five, the ball going into touoh at the corner The Blues quickly lost the advantage, however, and play came to their end, whore Jenkins marked a kick by Adams, and Eeid placed at goal without success. With a minute or two to go Eckhold kicked high to Murphy, who failed to get on to the bail quickly enough, and Giliay picked up smartly and, beating a man or two, scored in a good position, Adams converting the try. Very Hot piny followed, a good but just unsuccessful pot at goal by Kindley being the final incident of the game, which thus ended : Otago ... 11 points. Southland 3 points. The game itself was fast and open, and a great improvement on the CanterburyOtago match. Otag-o's win was very meritorious, especially in view of the superiority asserted in the second spell, when the farwards, who. were from the beginning a, good deal outweig-hted by their opponents, were playing a man short. Under the circumstances the Otago forwards could not be expected to get the ball in the scoon-1 sp&Ut but they played a rattling game in

the loose. As a combination the Oia.no backs were decidedly belter than tho Southland rearguard, and tho local men worked well together, and were generally dangerous when they got the ball and got a fair chance of passing. The Southland backs were good individually, but their attack was week, their only really brilliant piece of work resulting in the one try secured by the visitors. The Southland forwards played a hard game, but did not show much pace. Kindley gave a fair display as full back for the local team, though his fielding was erratic at fh\st. The threequarters and five-eighths all played too well for discrimination, though Eekhold >s perhaps entitled to a special word of praise for his defensive work; and King played his usual sou id game behind the scrum. Of the forwards, Porteous, Low, Thomson, and M'lnlyro were particularly prominent Murphy, the Southland full back, fielded and kicked in fine style until the latter end of the second spell, when he was decidedly bustled. Morton's try was a clever piece of work, and he played a sound game generally. Bain got few chances, but Roid played a good game at five-eighths. Burgess, behind the scrum, was less prominent ihan usual. Of tho forwards, Jenkins, O!ark, the Purdues, and M'Nic wore conspicuous. Mr J. Williams made r,n efficient referee.