FOOTBALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6551, 3 August 1899, Page 1

FOOTBALL.

wej.llng_.on v. Otago. [Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, August 2. ' The weather cleared up, and the day wasbeautifully fine for the. Wellington-Ofcago. football match. The Caledonian.;. Ground' was in a.tfery bad statl^'imd lifter.' a few minutes' play was little better than a'Quagmire. The attendance was large,' between seven and eight thousand being present. The game was made v.ery fast, and, in spite of the ground, was very interesting, but there was no scope for the finer points of the game. Wellington had decidedlv the best of the first spell; Otago gave many opportunities to their backs, but they were missed very badly, much worse . than the state of the ball at first justified. Towards the end of the game the excitement became intense, the Otago forwards playing as one man and beating the visitors more decisively than theyjiad been beaten themselves earlier in flie game, but the dash came too late. Wellington owes its well-deserved win to the dash of individual players, who were never beaten till they lost the ball. Both tries were obtained by the untiring energy, of individuals. Good feeling prevailed, and though some of the players received injuries these were the results of accidents. Lawrie appeared to. have some kind of a fit -when recovering consciousness, after the lapse of some ten minutes. His place was taken by Watson. The teams were : —Wellington (black)— Full-back, E. 0. Hales; threequarters, De Vere, Wallace and Bonar ; halves, Kelly (captain) and Meredith ; forwards, Pritchard, Man_on, M'Quirk, Gigger, M'Ahally, Wylie, O'Brien, Hardham and Adams. Otago (blue) — Full-back,. Wi Repa ; three-quarters, Armit, O'Shea: and Stephenson ; halves, J. M'Donald, Sinclair and -Munro ; forwards, T. Crpss, Farquharson, Given, C. L. Gregg (captain), D. M'Donald, Munro, Lawrie and W. Olson. Mr F. T. Evans (Christchurch) was referee. Otago won the toss, and Wellington kicked off. After some play on the Otago side of the centre flag the Blues rushed the ball up towards the Wellington lines. The Blues were very aggressive till Wallace came through a loose scrum with the ball at his toe, and he carried it right up to the full back. Wi Repa failed to take it cleanly, and in the scramble which followed the' ball went into touch near the Otago twenty-five flag. Hard-Lain . was the next to show out . prominently in a fine dribble, but the ball was kicked into touch in goal. Play was about the centre until a free kick to Wellington was badly, mulled by Olson, and the Blacks swooped down on him. Tlie Wellington backs got the ball from the scrum., but they were unable to keep their feet, aud lost what seemed like a good chance of scoring. A dash along the line by Manson resulted in Otago being forced down. The next feature after the kick out was a fine rush by Giggsr, which was well stopped by Stephenson, whose kick was marked at the twenty-five flag. The ball was placed for Hales, but the kick was successfully charged. Otago's passing was spoiled by a pass forward, and the Blacks cleared their lines. At this stage Lawrie, an Otago forward was hurt, and had to be carried off the field. Play was of a scrambling order" for some time alter resuming, Wellington steadily gaining ground. Then Otago's backs got on a fine passing run, but Stephenson to avoid beingcollared, kicked, and the Blacks were forced for the first time. The kick out was badly mulled, and Wellington was again pressing till Armit relieved. The Blues were now aggressive, but just as they were becoming dangerous a mark' relieved Wellington. Otago still pressed, but Kelly got away from a scrum and ran well. He passed to Wallace, who was only collared in time. A number of scrums followed within a few yards of Otago's line, but when the ball went into touch half-time was called. On resuming Wi Repa hesitated too long, and was rushed, play settling down in the Blues' twenty-five. Hales failed to put the ball over from a mark at the twenty-five flag. Play was of a, give-and-take, order for some minutes, and then the Blues got into their opponents' territory, but the 13511 touching the referee became dead just in front of the goal. Then from a scrum in his own twenty-five Pritchard got the ball. He was* collared promptly and put down, but notlosing the ball he rose and dashed away, followed by Kelly and Bonar. The Otago players were seemingly non-plused ; just as Pritchard was collared he passed to Kelly, and the latter transferred to Bonar, -who scored a well-deserved -tiy, wliich was not converted. Some lively play followed, and Wi Repa failing to reach the touch line, play was on Otago's line. . After some fierce scrums, in which Wellington got the ball every time, Kelly passed to De Vere, who forced his way over the line on the blind • side of the scrum— Wellington six, Otago nil. Some fast- forward play was followed by a succession of marks, and the Otago forwards momentarily invaded Wellington's twenty-five. Relief no Sooner came than the Blues were up to the line, but lost the ball. Armifc nearly got over from a passing rush, ancl the pressure was kept up by the Blues who were rewarded by Cress scoring. Tlie kick at goal waa resultless. As soon as the ball was kicked out tbe Otago forwards in a body charged into Wellington's quarters.-' Pritchard relieved by a splendid run, but the Blues once more came back again. A free kick to Wellington brought no relief, but Wallace getting another relieved a little. The Blues swept once more nearly up to the corner flag, and getting -^lie baVI from a scrum tried passing, but lost ground. A free kick. for Stephenson lying on the ball saw the danger over, and the bell sounded to stop one of the most exciting fifteen minutes' play seen for a long time. For Wellington Kelly, Wallace, Bonar ancl De Vere played a splendid game. Of a brilliant set of forwards Pritchard and Manson were most prominent.