INTERPROVINCIAL FOOTBALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6016, 26 August 1887, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL FOOTBALL.

The Otago v. Auckland

Match.

[Spiicial to the "Stab."]

AUCKLAND, August 26.

The Star days the five points to nothing which is the official record of Auckland's victory over Otago on the football ground, is by no mea us an accurate measure of the result. • But for a clear error of judgment on the parti of the Otago Umpire, asad Whiteside's mistake in touching down and bringing it out after Elliott's first try, the score in all probability would have lbeen ten points to nothing. He quite innocently lost his side an easy kick at goal, which would have followed Elliott's toucih-down, by his technical transgression of a formal rule ; and the laat try by Elliott was by a vast preponderance of opinion most erroneously dis« allowed upon £ r .unter's mistaking that that player stepped into touch. The Referee (Henderson), and the Auckland T/mpire (T. Mackay), were too far off to judge accurately. The Keferee did not venture an opinion, while Hunter's spectacles must have obscured, rather than assisted his vision. Two of the Otago players who were not in the match, along with Messrs Chapman, the brother to the Secretary of the Otago Rugby Union, Lindsay, and the Press r^porfcera, all of whom were in favourable positions for judging, are positively of opinion that Elliott kept well within the field of play, and as he touched down behind the goalpost, another easy place kick — is well as the touch down itself— was lost by this disallowing. Hunter himtie'f admitted at the dinner that he might hnve made an error of judgment in respect to this, and we are morally certain that he did co. In the course of his remarks, and in acknowledging the toast of the Otago team, he said he regretted the rosult of the day's play, but the Ofcago team had done their utmost, and accepted the verdict accordingly. As a rule Otago wuld take a beating — (applause) — and ho h ad no doubt that the best team had won. Drabble spoke in a similar strain. He naid the football match that day was the most friendly he had ever played. Indeed, there could not have been a more friendly game; there ws3 nothing whatever to com.plain of, and the umpiring was most satisfactory. If anything, he believed Otago had the best of it. (Laughter.)