FOOTBALL.

Patea Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 653, 14 September 1906, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

OTAGO (6) V. SYDNEY (3).

The football match Sydney University v. an Otago team resulted in a win for Otago by 6 points to 3, The visitors had the advantage of a fairly strong breeze in the first spell, but failed to make use of the opportunity, and were on the defensive for the greater part of the time. In this spoil Whelan scored a try for Otago. Early in the second spell Sibbald scored another try for the home team, and towards the finish James Hughes scored for Sydney, after a good piece of forward play. The exhibition given by the Sydney players was again disappointing: The players are evidently lacking in stamina, and except for a brief interval in the second spell, when their forwards showed some dash, they were outclassed, and rarely looked like scoring. The defence was weak, and the team lacked combination and energy. The Otago team played fairly well, and but for inaccurate passing would probably have compiled a big score.

MANAWATU (6) V. OTAGO (3). The representative football match' between Manawatu and Otago was won by Manawatu by 6 points to 3. i McKenzie scored for the visitors as the result of a scramble on the line, and Winiata and Skelley for Manawatu. The best team undoubtedly won: TARANAKI (23) v. WANGANUI (9). Though judging by the scores Taranaki very easily defeated the Wanganui representatives, yet it was only in the last fifteen minutes that the manifest superiority appeared. During the first spell Wanganui had rather the better of the game, their forwards playing with great dash over running the local vanguard. The Taranaki team did not play up to the form shown in the Wellington game, and at times the back play was very ragged. In the first spell Craig kicked two penalty goals for Wanganui, whilst the Taranaki score sheet was a blank. Early in the second spell McDonald, after a fine run scored for Wanganui. Then Taranaki opened operations. Hardgraves kicked a penalty goal and shortly afterwards converted a try scored by Ward. From a forward scramble O’Sullivan scored but the major points were not added. From a centring kick Ward got possession and again scored but no goal resulted. Cameron was the next player to cross the line, and soon after Ward and Crowley added to the score, none of the tries being converted. For Taranaki Dive played a very fine game in the backs and was well supported by Hunter and Ward, the last named player displaying great cleverness on the attack. In the forwards Sheahan, O’Sullivan and Whittington were very prominent.

The following is the North Island team to play the South Island at Wellington on the 22nd : Fullback, Dufty (Auckland) ; three quarters, W allace (Wellington), Dive (Taranaki) H. D. Thompson (Wellington); five eighths, Hunter and Mynott (Taranaki) ; half, Roberts (Wellington) ; wing forward, Gillet (Auckland) ; forwards, Watkins (Wellington), Dunning (Auckland!, O’Sullivan (Taranaki) Spencer (Wellington), Francis (Auckland), Seeling (Auckland), Glasgow (Hawke’s Bay). *

The selectors have chosen the following team to represent the South Island in the North versus South Island football match to be played at Wellington on September 22nd : Full back, Stevens (Canterbury) ; three quarters, McGregor (Canterbury) Adams (Otago), Booth (Otago); five eighths, Fryer (Canterbury), O’Leary (South Canterbury) ; half, Burns (Canterbury) ; forwards, Porteous, C&sey, Spiers, McDonald, and Paton (Otago), Pearce (Canterbury); Corbett and Dennehy (Westland), A match between the Manawapou and Waitotara Maoris will be played on the Patea Domain on Saturday. Another team of the Manawftpou Maoris will play Patea HI. Very little interest is being taken in the North and South Island match, and the teams selected is not likely to farther increase public enthusiasm. As far as the North Island team is concerned the absence of names such as Tyler, Cunningham and Smith, presumably on account of inability to play, at once shows the team to be far from the strongest available.