FOOTBALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6015, 25 August 1887, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

CANTERBURY v. WAIRARAPA.

[Per Press Association.]

MASTERTON, August 24. The Canterbury footballers were driven out this morning around Masterton and to the Te Oreore settlement, where the Maoriß, who have a very good team, played a sort of exhibition match for the visitors.

The weather cleared up this morning, but the ground was covered with, puddles and mud, which materially interfered with the play. Both the Wairarapa and, the Southern men showed a favour to a fast open game, and Borne very pretty rushes were made at times by both sides. There was a good deal of off-side play, particularly by ths local forwards, who waited for their, backs to kick the ball, and they then charged on the chance of their opponents losing the slippery sphere. They did this several times with effect, and made a good deal of ground by it. Their wing men gave them some advantage, at any rate Roberts and Donnelly were constantly foiled in their attempts to kick, and were never able to pass the ball to the three-quarters. In the tight scrims, however, the visitors were the better men, but they did not seem to gain any great advantage from this superiority. Their collaring waa weak, and several times the local players charged right down to the fnll-back (Richards), who played exceedingly well, just when he wa3 wanted, kicking cleanly and never fumbling the ball. The kicking of the backs on both sides was very good. Wilson, Richards, and Donnelly, and C. Perry, Tidy, and Baumber, again and again sent the heavy ball right up the ground. In fact, the kicking was too good, as a lot of time was lost through the ball repeatedly going over a fence into an adjacent creek. Francis, for once in a way, seemed at a loss, and played below his usual form. Mountfort's collaring was the best on his side^ On the whole, after the Canterbury men scored the local team had slightly the best of the game, more often endangering their opponent's goal than being called on to defend their own. Had the ground been dry it was evident from the nature of the play that a very fast and pleasant match would have resulted.

At the start the Canterbury men dashed off with a will, and drove the Greens up in front of their goal, where Francis made an attempt to run in without effect. Another sweeping rush followed, and the Canterbury captain passing to Dow, the latter passed to Hoir, and an excellent piece of backing tip ended in the Sydenham man scoring a try near the touch-line. Franciß made a fair attempt at the kick, but without avail. The Greens responded with Borne dashing play, and following up vigorously broke through all opposition. They succeeded in carrying the ball over the line, but lost it, and the Canterbury men were forced down. Udy, a fine, powerful young fellow, playing threequarter for Wairarapa, made some effective runs, generally ending with a rattling kick, but for some reason in the second spell he was moved up behind the scrims, where he seemed to be of less use. The visitors had rather the worst of the remainder of this spell, but the Greens were unable to score.

At the beginning of the second spell, Udy made things merry by running half way down the ground, and locating the game in Canterbury's quarters for a period. The Beds, after extricating themselves, headed by Bean, got across tho line, and Bethune narrowly saved another score. Very shortly after, the ball was again at the Canterbury end, and Wairarapa, in their turn, drove the ball across the line, and Donnelly very smartly fell on it just in time. There was a good deal of scrimmaging and kicking out of touch, the game being mostly about the visitors twentyfive. Until three minutes before time was called, they contrived to clear their ground, and were stopped in an aggressive dash by the ball bursting. A long delay ensued in waiting for another, and the game did not finally end till past five o'clock. Canterbury thus scored their first and only win of the tour by a try to nothing after a very hard fought game. The Wairarapa team mostly consisted of very heavy and powerful forwards, who would be found able opponents if they only played with more combination. The backs include pome excellent kicks, and in Udy have a man who, with more experience, would be an exceedingly dangerous player. There was a good attendance, and much interest was displayed in the game. The visitors are to be entertained at dinner this evening, and return to Wellington to-morrow, whence they leave for Christchurch by the Wakatipu.