FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 746, 23 June 1904, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

(By

“Scrutator.”)

The concluding games of the first round of the District Championships on Saturday, gave rise to better and more interesting games than have been seen this season. On both grounds there were large attendances of the public, who for once and away were rewarded by witnessing two very even struggles for supremacy, and in each case the .supposed stronger team was defeated. * " * *

Ponsonby defeated Newton by n points to 9at Alexandra Park. The game all through was very keenly contested. The close of the play was very •exciting, some exceptionally sharp work .being shown. With ten minutes to go, Newton led, but Carlaw got across and put Ponsonby ahead, and directly afterwards Francis kicked a penalty goal. Just before the whistle went, H. Howe got on the PonJsonby line, but Eaton failing to convert Newton were defeated as above. * * * * It was generally expected that City would prove too good for North Shore, but this was not so, the seasiders winning on their own ground by « points to 3. The victory places them ahead in the district competition. M * ♦ ♦ Grafton proved too good for Parnell to the extent of 10 points to nothing, which is not such a severe drubbing as .Parnell have been accustomed to receive this season. Several juniors played for 'Grafton. SECOND FIFTEENS. Ponsonby v. Newton : Ponsonby won Ijy 3 points (a try) to nil. THIRD FIFTEENS. Ponsonby v. Newton : Ponsonby won by IT points (three tries, two of which were converted, and a goal from a mark) to nil. SECONDARY SCHOOLS COMPETITION. Grammar School beat Sacred Heart by 16 points to nil. St. John’s beat prince Albert by 22 points to nil. • St. John’s 11. v. Prince Albert 11. : Drawn, 3 points each. At Christchurch, Albion beat Christ.church by 12 points (a potted goal and two goals from marks) to 3 (a penalty goal) ; Merivale 7 points (a goal from a mark and a try), beat Sydenham, nil ; Linwood, 16 (two goals and two tries), beat Canterbury College, 3 (a try). * * * * The Dunedin matches resulted as follows : —Kaikorai and Southern played a drawn game (neither side scoring! ; Union beat Alhambra by 5 to nil ; Pirates beat Zingari by 3 to nil ; Dunedin beat University by 3 to nil. Southern are now leading for the championship. THE BRITISH TEAM V. NEW SOUTH WALES. There were 35, 000 people present on the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday to witness the first match played between the British team of footballers .and New South Wales. This represents the extreme holding capacity of the ground. New South Wales, which was beaten a few days before by Queensland, is evidently rather weaker than usua this season, and it would appear that the winners of the light-nlue jerseys were simply outclassed by the visiting combination. The teams were composed as follows British team : Fullback, StangerLeathes ; three-quarters, Morgan, ■O’Brien, Gabe, and Llewellyn ; halves, Hulme and Bush ; forwards, Bedell-Siv-right (captain), Harding, Edwards, Bevan, Swannell, Crowther, Trail, and Saunders. New South Wales : Fullback, Verge ; three-quarters, Wickham, O’Donnell, F. Futter, and V. Futter ; halves, Mani ng

and Eaker ; forwards, Burden, Clarken, White, Wright, Murnin, O’Donnell, Butge, ard Harris. The cable giving particulars of the play states that the visitors won the toss, and with a strong wind at their backs made things lively from the jump, Bush picking up from a scrum and potting a beautiful goal. Superior linekicking, kept New South Wales on the defensive, and wearying spells of this were relieved by occasional clever play, wherein Wickham and the brothers Futter were most prominent. Unselfish combination, ably assisted by Gabe’s, Bush’s, and Morgan’s lightning sprinting, brought the Britishers’ score to 12 to nil when the first spell ended. Early in the second spell the visitors placed another goal to their credit, chiefly the result of fine sprinting on the part of Bush, Gabe, and Morgan. At this stage Wickham had a shot at goal from the half-way, Gabe relieving. The local men were now showing improved form, and kept the visitors at times on the defensive. The Englishmen were penalised, but Wickham failed to convert, and the local men were evidently tiring, as their tackling became very weak. Verge had a shot at goal, but failed, and the Britishers later on easily increased their score by two goals, O’Brien adding one and Bush the other, the game thus ending : Great Britain 27, New South Wales 0.

It is evident from the foregoing result that the team which has journeyed from the Old Country is a much stronger combination? than the one which was captained by the Rev. Molineaux. To have a chance of successfully coping with the visitors, this Colony will require to leave no stone unturned to obtain the most representative team possible.

Te Ante College played the Sydney Combined Great Public Schools last week, the game being drawn, three points each. The play on the whole was disappointing, the visitors’ passing at times being not up to the mark. 'the game was very evenly contested throughout, no score taking place during the first spell. On resuming Tuati secured a try in the corner within a few minutes, but the angle was difficult, and Erekana failed to convert. Then a penalty was awarded against the visitors, from which Gardiner vicked a beautiful goal, equalising the scores.

On Saturday, Te Ante College played another draw with the combined Sydney Schools on the Sydney Cricket Ground. Possibly the team are getting a bit stale, but they did not show to the advantage expected. They won the toss, and, with a strong wind at their backs, attacked in fine style, but good work on the part of the school forwards kept play at the half-distance for a lor time. Te Ante team was penalised for offside play, but Colwell failed to convert an easy chance. More scrum work, wherein the local players showed to advantage, resulting in Te Ante again being penalised, but the kick at goal was fruitless. The visitors, by good combination, worked the ball to the schools’ 25, where, from a penalty, Erekana dropped a goal. The balance of the first spell saw the visitors several times hard pressed. The second half opented with the visitors being penalised, but no goal resulted. The

schools continued to attack with great vigour, and by clever work managed to score. The kick at goal was unsuccessful, leaving the scores equal. Play Was afterwards pretty even, neither side gaining the advantage.

Queensland defeated New South Wales in the return match by 11 points to 7. From the even scoring in both games between the rival States, fit i's eVident there is little to choose between them.

The “Daily Telegraph” thus describes the first appearance of Te Aute footballers in Sydney “The Maoris, brown and shiny, sturdy, alert, hut still anxious and looking spick and span in their red and black jerseys, revealed in their first entrance to the field the same organisation which they afterwards showed in the game. The trimbuilt, smart-looking lads from St. Joseph’s College, bunched together, awaited their opponents on the lawn, and greeted them with a single hearty cheer. Not so the Maori, who loves display. The keen-eyed half-caste boy Pini led his warriors on to the field in Indian file, the line umpire, Kingi Tahiwa, following with a Maori implement of war in place of a flag. The team marched in this fashion to the back of the goal they were going to defend. Then the air was split with the cries and invocation of the Maoris for strength and courage to overcome their foes. The antics of the natives were distinctly queer, representing the onlooker a strange combination of the past and the present. One second their arms were extended, their eyes dilated, their feet were stamping the earth as they fiercely invoked the spirits ; the next they were down on their hands and knees performing evolution’s that are common to the Ethiopian shuffler. It was entertaining-, however, to the 7000 or soon spectators, who keenly enjo v <d this strange beginning to a football match. But this was mildness compared to the war dance they performed as they left the field. Kingi Tahiwa with his implement of war, to which were attached a few kiwi feathers, squirmed and wriggled, and yelled in front of the band of victorious football warriors, in? a most excited manner. ‘Ka mate ! Ka mate !’ he shrieked. ‘Kahore ! Lahore !’ the team responded, and so the fairies w-ere thanked.”

At the Association game Corinthians beat Tabernacle by 7 goals to nil.

Corinthians defeated W.Y.M.I at Kingsland by <• goals to 2.

The following are the Association trial teams to play at the Domain on Saturday, the 25th inst., with a view to the selection of the Auckland ■ members of the North Island eleven to meet the New South Wales representatives :— White Team : Edmonds (Thistle), Ritchie (Thistle, captain), Cowan (Corinthians'), Ritchie (Corinthians), Meldrum (Thistle), Stevenson (St. John’s), Clark (Corinthians), J. Dacre (Shore), Hilford (Thistle), G. Flenderson (Thistle), Smith (St. John’s). Emergencies, Bellamy and Clark (Tabernacle) . Blue Team : Dugmore (Corinthians, captain), Wright (Shore), Reed (Tabernacle), Walker (Thistle), Yates (Corinthians), Owen (Tabernacle), Fleming

(Shore), Foreshaw (Corinthians), Sale (Corinthians), Whitehead (Corinthians), Gibson (Thistle). At the Australian game Austral Feat Victoria on Saturday by 54 points (6 goals, 18 behinds) to 33 (3 goals, 15 behinds).