The Football Match.

Southland Times, Issue 4432, 22 September 1882, Page 2

The Football Match.

CANTERBURY V. SYDNEY.

[By Telegraph. J Christchukch, Sept. 20. The football match to-day was favored with fine weather, and was witnessed by 3000 persons. The Sydney team won the match by a goal and try to a try, but during the last spell they were outmatched and three tries were obtained by Canterbury, which were disallowed by the umpires. The Canterbury forwards played a magnificent game ; but the backs were, as usual, rather weak. The local men were not expected to win, but th«re was much curiosity to see how the Canterbury team would turn out, and how they would play the new game they have at length adopted. They played it right well, as itturned out, and the Sydney forwards never had a show in dribbling or scrimmaging with them after the first ten minutes ; but, unfortunately foi the local team, it was just these ten minutes or so that spoiled their chances of winning. Playing well together from the start the Australians rushed their opponents, and backing up beautifully, had scored a goal before the game had well begun, and soon after they got another try through the disjointed play of the backs ; but ever after that they had altogether the worst of it, though one and all supposed the game would easily remain at the mercy of the visitors, The Sydney men were loud iv praise of the dribbling of their opponents, but their own back play aad smartness at collaring were admirable. Their forwards certainly were over matched, but being I active to a. degree they gave few chances of getting through them, and the Canterbury backs scarcely played up to concert pitch . This is still their great v eakness, and apparently likely to remain so. There was a certain amount of ill luck attached to the local men, as twice they secured touchdowns, which no effort of the antagonists could have prevented, and the umpires called the ball back, to the momentary disgust of the onlookers. The Sydney men are noticeably keen in appealing to the umpires, which occu?red at least a dozen times, and there was a shade of regret that these gentlemen were not occasionally a little firmer than they were in yielding to the clamors of the players. The Sydney men wore dark blue, and the Canterbury red and black. For a few moments at {he outset the game was yery even, Canterbury promising very well. Suddenly, however, they fell all to pieoes, their opponents made a rush, and, backing well up, forced the ball down towards the goal. The Canterbury men seemed completely disconcerted ; every man in turn fumbled the ball, and in the end allowed Kaper, backed by several others, to pounce upon it between the posts, where it was easily touched down. It was al! over in a few seconds, and the distressingly bad play of the iocal men brought its own reward, and the goal that Thallon kicked from the try. The Sydney men say that the Canterbury team is the best they have played against, preferring them even to Auckland, and frankly acknowledging that but for

their good luck at the beginning the game would have gone hard with them. They say that all through New Zealand they have had surprisingly good forwards to meet, but, on the other hand, several of the m«n in their ranks who play forward are accustomed to play back for their own •clubs. Great interest is felt by players here in the game at Dunedin, and it is generally considered , that the .local men should have no difficulty in winning on their form in the recent interprovincial match. {' '<' .'■ : - ''.<■'"'