DETAILED ACCOUNT OF MATCHES AND TOUR. London, November 3.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 325, 15 December 1888, Page 3

DETAILED ACCOUNT OF MATCHES AND TOUR. London, November 3.

THE BURTON MATCH. One of the New Zealand team, writing Lo me from Birmingham anenb the Burton-on" , -Trent match, says: — "The match we played at Burton was the prettiest I have seen, or rather taken part in, for many a Saturday afternoon. The game was ex* ceedingly fast, and the kicking of the backs superb. There were also several very long , runs made by both sides, which 'were, of course, highly appreciated by the crowd. The cheering throughout was most cordial, and quite impartial. Amongst our backs, Keogh perhaps played the cleverest game, and Gage was as usual reliable. Oar new full-back, Nehua, was not a success, and will in future play in "a different position. Madigan hurt his leg at the beginning of the match, which z'endered him slower than he would have been ; yet he, nevertheless, managed to do his side yeoman's service.'' Amongst the forwaids Taiaioa and, of 2om>o, Ellison, wete specially conspicuous. "Taiaioa made a smart, dodgy run early in the game, which nearly enabled Ellison to get over the lino. Later, Elli&on made a splendid run from the line-out, and, after dodging the Burton halve-, tlneequarters and full-backs, got o\et the lino and scored a tiy, from which McCausland placed a neat goal. Our opponent* con- J tisted entirely oi gentlemen. They played I a strictly fair game, and the umpiie and | referee were all we could wish. McL'ausland j ■was, owing perhaps to a bad cold, scarcely as brilliant as usual. It is> earnestly to hi hoped he will not lay up during the tour, as his Joss would be simply irreparable. ' Smiler' was also too seedy to play at Burton/

THE BURTON BANQUET. In the evening the Burton club entertained the visitors and sundry local notables ut dinner. ISIr S. E\ershed, M. V., occupied the chair, supported by Mr Scott, Mr Roe (M.P.), and others. After the cloth had been withdiawn, and the usual loyal toasts duly honoured, the chainnau in a highly eulogistic speech pioposed " Our Isew Zealand Uuests. Mr McCausland, in responding, said by what they had seen that day they had been convinced that their team had yet a good deal to leain. That day's game had been far away the best they had ) et played, and he hoped all their future contests would be played in the same good spirit He expressed regret that time would not pei mit them to again meet in friendly rivalry during the pre>ent ' visit (cheers). Mr Scott next submitted " Success to the Burton Football Club,'' and in doing so said from what he had heard he believed the Burton public weie satisfied that they had had a good game. That was t the sixth match they had played, and he had no hesitation in saying that it had been the most pleasant. They would very much have liked to have won, that he would not deny (laughter), still he hoped their '• boys'' ' would go on a^ Miey had begun, and en- ' deavour to hold than own, and when they lost, to take a beating m good pail. He, •was sure the Burton pubfic would admit; that their '* boys "' played a good-tempeied 1 game, and that they could" play football j (cheers). They had played to a certain ex- I tenl at a disadvantage, as »they were moie J or less suffering from se\ere colds. Theie J was no doubt they hud been defeated by a i team that would hold its own in any \ part of the United Kingdom (oheers). I Other toasts followed : Mr Scott, later in i the evening, proposing the referee and umpires, and eulogising the former's conspicuous impartiality. Theieupon one of the Burton team caused aome sensation by I , good-naturedly remaiking thai if the j leferee had seen what he (the speaker) j saw, the Maoris would have ocoicd another try, aud might have won the game. No one j seemed to know precisely to what this gen- ( tleman referred, but everybody agreed he j meant to bo nice. Songi followed, and of j the Kew Zealanders, Messrs Scott, Gage. , and Ellison were requested to '• oblige," j and distinguished thetn&eh e» vocally. As 6he evening waned, the joviality and gcodfellowsbip increased. Eventuafiy, the Buiton boys escorted their guests to the station, and after bidding them farewell, with cor dial expressions of goodwill, and many iegrets that a return match would be impossible, gave three lusty cheers (cordially returned by the Maoris) as the train rolled off for Birmingham.

THE TEAM'S DOINGS AT BIRMINGHAM. During their stay at Birmingham the New Zealand footballers u ere overwhelmed with hospitality. Amongst others a local solir i- j tor, a Mr Tyndgll, entertained several of the j principal members of the team at a large dinner-party, whilst the balance were honoured guests at Day's Music Hall. One morning they visited the Birmingham Mint, and another inspected a laige foundry. All day long, too, our hospitable citizens were inviting them to " liquor up ; ' indeed, how to avoid the constant lushing, without giving offence, has so far been one of the niosc difficult problems the New Zea lander. 6 , have had tosohe f .suggested they should consult a doctor, who for a consideration would doubtless certify that l ' excessive lubrication of the larynx" (more especially w ithsuoh beverages as "four-'arf,"' Gladstone claret, and Cape sherry) would not improbably be attended with serious inconvenience in the abdominal regions ot the .stomach, or, if this com- I plaint did not &uper\ene, the New Zealander& might suffer from undue cerebral excitement, producing duplex vision and unstable extremities, which would be very bad for them. Mr Scott excited much hilarity on Saturday week \>y appearing at Edgbaston wearing a blue ribbon. He had ribfe, as we feared, joined the Army in despair or put on the badge in self defence. Ie was only a steward's badge. I hear the Mo&eley men excuse their roughness on the ground that they had heard the New Zealanders played viciously (a gross libel) against Kent, and they wished to show them that Englishmen could be nasty too if they liked. A sopiety paper calmly alleges that all New^Sealanders play i-oughly, so much so that when the English team were playing a .match at, Wellington last summer, the captain of thd visitors remarked to the Wellington captain, "Is this ..football or a free fight? We don't mind whether we take you >on afe one or the other, but «'c should like to know what is intended."