Athletics Etc.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 62, 1 October 1891, Page 8

Athletics Etc.

We beg 'to remind our athletic readers and others of the sports to be held on Saturday next under the auspices of the Auckland Amateur Athletic Club and Rugby Union at Potter’s Paddock. The programme is one of great \attraction and variety, and with fine weather should attract an exceptionally large attendance, especially as the object is a very deserving one, viz., to assist the N.Z.A.A. Association in rais • ing funds to send an athletic team to England. l Mr. J.'Halyday, junr., is hon. sec., and that is a further, guarantee that the meeting will be a success. FOOTBALL. FIXTURES. Oct. 10 —Wellington v. Auckland, at Potter’s Paddock — (Association game.) TAURANGA V. AUCKLAND 11. The above match, which was postponed from l2th on account of the weather ibeing too .rough to land our team, was brought ito. a conclusion on Friday last, and resulted in bur team being defeated iby 5 points to 4. Rhodes;of Auckland was an absentee, and A. Tanfield was selected to play in his stead, and did great service ron behalf of the Aucklanders, although it was hardly fair rto the Tauranga team, as Tanfield is a senior representative. Our boys had a fine smooth passage down, and reached Tauranga about 8 a.m. After a good breakfast at the Tauranga Hotel an hour’s punt about was indulged in. A large number c of Maoris and iPakehas had assembled ifrom the outlying districts and Tauranga, was evidently - “ out for a holiday.” The inevitable brass band enlivened the proceedings. Both teams were up to time on the field of play. Mr. J. **?A. Warbrick was chosen referee, and Messrs. Wj George and Armstrong field’ umpires. H. Tanner, having won the toss from J. Breen, started with a fresh breeze to aid him and his men. ! i The kick-oil was returned by J. Tanner to the visitor’s 25. Some fast loose play soon had the oval back to centre, and there it stayed fluctuating for some time till by a sudden rush tbe ambers had it back in blue and white’s territory. Breen punted back, and Airey got as far as Tauranga’s quarter, where he was collared, and the leather was smartly punted back. Cole received it and made a fine run badk. More loose play, and the Tauranga team got on another of their fast loose rushes, till Peace dodging through sent down the field, W. Robin sOh returning well to centre, where a scrum was formed, and a neat piece of passing by Pearce, Tanfield .and Cole followed with advantage till.a long beautiful kick by P. Robinson sent - the ball close to Auckland’s corner flag. An attempt at goal from a free kick awarded to Tauranga went very wide, and Scichbury relieved his side. Tauranga kept making fast forward rushes, which the Auckland backs neutralised by running and punts. Cole got on a splendid dash, getting well into Tauranga’s 25, where Auckland got a free kick which did not succeed. Clark, the Tauranga full back, returned well. Horne, W. Robinson and H. Tanner indulged in some passing, and reached Auckland’s 25. Peace sent back to midfield; but W. Robinson returned, and Stichbury mulling the take, Tauranga rushed the ball oyer, A. Hawa securing it. H. Tanner failed to convert. Tauranga 1, Auckland 0. This seemed to wake . the Aucklanders up, and Cole made himself conspicuous, and was well seconded by a fine kick from Peace, which invaded Taiiranga. Marshall, Gordon and J. Poland headed a fine rush from a line up, the latter getting over the coveted line. Peace missed ‘the place. Auckland 1, Tauranga 1. After the kick-out and a line up H. Tanner got well away until he was overhauled by Breen. Play of a give and take nature followed until a long high punt ?by a Taurangaite caused Peace and Stichbury to collide, and the opposing forwards were on them and J. Hawa scrambled over. Swainson essayed the place kick, which was again unsuccessful. Tauranga 2, Auckland 1. The spell ended without .any further score.

On resuming, Auckland played with more combination. Peace started some neat passing, Breen, Brady and Tanfield doing their share, and Cole repeatedly tried to get through, but the ambers were too strongly on the defensive. From a scrum Peace sent out atTauranga’s2s, and in the line up Williams passed back to Tanfield, who wriggled through, and got fair between the posts. Peace took the place and landed a goal. Auckland 4, Tauranga 2. Auckland by some clever open work kept the ball in Tauranga’s 25, and J. Breen picking up smartly sent it fair over 'the bar, but it had touched a Tauranga man, and was disallowed. Marshall followed up fast and claimed a try,: but no appeal having been made no notice was taken of it. Tauranga now made fierce charges to regain their apparently lost laurels—H. Tanner, J. Tanner and F. Robinson being noticeable—but were stopped by Peace and Tanfield. Fast play continued, in which Airey and Leathart shone, as did also Cole and Robinson. The Tauranga forwards now broke through and sent the ball on to Stichbury, who mulled it, and a fierce scramble ended in J. Darrah securing the try. Burt took the kick, and placed a splendid goal amid great enthusiasm. Tauranga 5, Auckland 4. The Auckland forwards now woke up, and by fast and furious play endeavoured to put matters , straight without avail, and but for Tanfield’s ■smartness in kicking out of bounds behind, H. Tanner would have been in again. The game 1 ended without any further score, in the centre ! of the ground. Tauranga thus won the match ' 'by 1 point, to the evident delight and satisfaction of the large attendance present. The •visitors were most hospitably entertained, and in the evening both teams sat down to a banquet at Mr. Asher’s hotel, which was concluded with the customary speeches, toasts, songs, etc., the principal item being a Maori haka by five The Aucklanders had a fine trip back, arriving at 1 o’clock on Sunday, after having thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The Association players are still practising hard for their forthcoming match with Wellington on Saturday week, for which the match committee have chosen the following team :— goalkeeeper, Mathie ; backs, H. Heather and Chamberlain; half-backs, Hough, Smith and C. Heather ; forwards, Thomas, Blair, Cantley, Evans and W. Heather. Emergencies, Goulstone, Rowe and Hughes. Umpire, C. Gould. . When the Maoris and Pakehas meet in the football field in opposition, an exciting contest is usually the result. A Whatawhata correspondent sends us the following, dated the 22nd September :—“ We had a very exciting football match here on Saturday last, between the white and native boys. The match was the cause of a big crowd turning out to see the play between the two different colours of skin. The whites went through them, with 13 points to nil.” TARANAKI FOOTBALL GOSSIP. (from our own correspondent.) New Plymouth, Sept. 25. The Star Football Club, a New Plymouth junior team, journeyed to Waitara on Saturday last, and met a native team named Ti Ti Rangi, whom they defeated by 5 points (goal from try and two tries) to 3 points (goal from try). The Star men had a regular treat with the natives, who were very pugilistic, inasmuch as every man in the Star team was challenged to rfight. Rough play was the order of the day, the natives setting the example in this respect, and it was a wonder that some of the players came off uninjured. In the scrums the Star men were “ overpowered ” —the reason why I need not state. After the match the two teams settled their differences over a good dinner. Evidently, judging by a par. that appeared in last week’s issue, Jervis, the well-known Auckland three-quarter back, wishes to take all “ the cake ” in the direction of attempting to pot goals in the first spell of the recent TaranakiAuckland match. I have no wish to withhold from Mr. Jervis the honour (?) of missing a pot at goal in the first spell, but at the same time I made no mistake in saying that E. Bayly went close to potting a goal for Taranaki in the same spell. I hope Mr. Jervis won’t be offended 'at my reiteration. .

I had a chat with Lambie, one of Taranaki’s best forwards, the other day, and I was sorry to learn that he was unwell from the resulttof an accident at football. In the match at Wanganui Lambie fainted through an injury to his right side, which was caused by another player falling on him. He felt unwell afterwards, but injudiciously played the same.week against Manawatu and Auckland, •distinguishing.himself greatly in the latter match. Once the excitement was over the injury 'became rto manifest itself, and on seeking;medical advice he was informed dhat some blood-vessdl had burst in his right lung, or something : to ithat effect, and that he would have to take great care of himself in the future -if he wished to grow out of the injury. Verily'the enthusiasm of a footballer is great 1