FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 934, 6 July 1903, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

MANAWATU v. WANGANUI.

(Per Press Association.) WANGANUI, last night. The representative football match, Manawatu v. Wanganui, was played yesterday afternoon, and resulted in a win for Manawatu by 4 points to 3. Manawatu'was much superior in the first spell, but 'in the second spell Wanganu had matters pretty much their own way, aad had hard luck several times in not scoring.

WELLINGTON v. MANAWATU (JUNIORS).

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night.

The Wellington and Manawatu junior representative Rugby teams played a drawn game. The match was rather disappointing. Attempts at back play were not numerous, and when they were made the result was poor. Though the forwards played a hard game throughout, their efforts were largely discounted by frequent wild efforts to score at inopportune moments. Each side scored a try.

HUIA V. WEST END.

Rain threatened on Saturday afternoon and prevented many people from attending at Victoria Domain to witness the football matches. Great interest was taken in the senior match between Huia and West End, as tho latter had a lead of only one point for the banner, and on the rpsult of the game depended who should head the list at tho end of the third round of fixtures. There was a good crowd of spectators, and tho “ barracking ” during the game was the most pronounced ever heard on a local ground. For the greater part of the second spell, when the play was of a high standard and the excitement was intense, there was one continuous yell from the crowd. Both teams took the field shorthanded, but before long each side had a full complement of players, the sides being as follows Huia (black and white): Symes, Lear, To Reina, Swann, J. Gibson, Cookery, Moana, Wauohop, Blair, Sefton, Holmes, Sherratt, Wella, Ngawini, McGruther. West End (black): Hepburn, Rodeiick, Nolan, , Burns, Balneavis, Poananga, Campbell, A. D. Sherriff, Clarke, Wepiha, Williams, Kinder, Morrissey, Somervell, Peterson. Williams opened hostilities by kicking off for West End from the town end, and Nolan almost immediately showed up with a nice run. Some fast passing between Poananga, Balneavis and Roderiok took tho ball straight across tho ground. Williams carried tho ball some distance along the line, till Te Reina kicked out. Wild passing by the Wost End backs gave the Huia forwards an opening, but Bums fielded tho ball well and put in a good line kick. \Vest End attacked strongly, and Burns made a fine attempt to drop a goal. Nolan returned the kick out with a fine punt to the Huia lino. Huia appeared quite disorganised at this stage; their men wore placed anywhere on the field, and the natural consequence speedily followed. From a scrum on the Huia quarter-mark, the West End forwards gave Poananga the ball. Swann and Cookery came round on him smartly, but the resourceful Poananga bluffed them-by yelling "offside, ’’ and they foolishly stood aside, giving tho West Ender a clear run in, amid cheering. Williams failed with the kick at goal. Shortly after resuming, Cookery punted high from a penalty kick, and the Huia forwards bore down on the blacks in a body,Jaking the ball well on towards the West “end goal. , Moana distinguished himself at this stage by putting in a long kick to. the West End line, and getting down so smartly on Hepburn that the latter was collared right under his goalposts. Huia had pulled themselves together at this stage, and the spectators settled down to watch a battle of the gods. Huia kept up the attack. VVauchop started passing by Bending the ball to Gibson, and the latter sent it on to Te Reina, who knocked on near the goal-line, Immediately afterwards good passing by Cookery, GibsOD, and Te Reina nearly let the latter in at the corner. West End were defending, well, and succeeded in keeping their line intact. Symes had a futile shot at goal from a penalty. West End shook off their tormentors, and some fine kioking by Poananga, Nolan, and Burns, backed up by effective help from the forwards, shifted the scene to tho other end of the field, where a most exciting onslaught was made on the Huia line. After some determined hammering at the Huia door, the ball was worked over the line, and Symes just prevented a score by flopping on the ball in the nick of time. After some fast, open work in midfield, Huia worked the ball gradually down the field, where Symes essayed a kick at goal from a penalty, with an amusing result. The West End forwards charged before the ball was placed, and Symes elected to take a second kick. The kicker, touched the ball a second time after handing it to his placer, and Williams immediately charged. After some hesitation, Williams, to the surprise and amusement of the crowd, kicked tho ball well down the field, and the referee allowed the play to proceed. Lear brought the ball back to midfield, where MoGruther broke away and made a good rqn, but passed badly to Moana, who was well collared by Nolan. Wepiha here thundered down the field, and gave Wells an object lesson on tho injudiciousnes3 of collaring high. Gibson brought the big man down heavily. Fast play continued until half-time was sounded, when the teams crossed over with the score standing : West End 3 points, Huia nil.

From the commencement of the second spell the players hopped off to a lively tune, and Gibson stopped a dangerous West End rush, and put in a long kick to the line. Huia almost immediately sot up an attack, and Te Reina had a chance, but failed to handle the ball accurately at the psychological moment. Morrissy and Roderick cleared their line cleverly, but a fine forwurd rush, in which Holmes, Sherratt, Sefton, and Blair wore prominent, brought it back to the West End line. Te Reina took the ball well from a throwin, and looked a likely scorer till Poananga grassed him. Shortly afterwards Holmes broke away from a line-out, and passed to Wauchop, who quickly made off towards the blacks’ line. He passed well to Reina, and the little Te Arai man dodged over the line and scored amidst thunders of applause, Syrnes took the kick. Williams charged before the kick was taken, and the j refereo blew for a no charge. Williams I was understood to protest against the kick on tho ground that Symes had placed the bull on tho ground. Symes then took his kick, and the ball struck the upright and went over, amidst renewed cheering. Weßt End went off prestissimo on resuming, and the ensuing play was probably tho fastost over seen on a local field. Huia seemed staggored for a few minutes by the fierceness of the onslaught, but soon rallied, and a splendid oxhibiton of fast, open play was witnessed. Morrissy put in a long miss kick in the direction of his own goal, and Lear, came down on the ball at his top spqed, sending it out at the West End corner-flag. A fight raged on the line till Poananga kicked up the field from a penalty. Cookery oame back with a brilliant dodgy ruD, in the course of which he beat several men cleverly and forced his way right on to the line, where he' was borne down by the weight of numbers. Nolan cleverly intercepted a ] pass, and kicked well down tbe field, but a j passing run by Gibson, Te Reina, and Moana brought it back. Soon afterwards j Gibson put in a high pirnt, and Holan and Roderick both tried to mark the hall near | their own line, with the inevitable result. Holmes and Swann bore down on the pair beforo they recovered possession, and Swann snapped the ball up and was over the line in a triee. Great cheering greeted this score. Symes made a creditablo at- . "nt at goal. This reverse served only to stimulate End to further effort. They opened like a whirlwind, ana Huia were kept busily defending a time. Poananga put in some smart dashes and good kicks, while Symes did some splendid kicking for Huia. The play was full of dash and sparkle ; both sides strained every nerve ; and there was one continm ous yell of excitement from the spectators. One particularly briUiant bit at tfiia stage

fairly “ brought down the house.” Poananga got on one of his characteristic runs, and made his way through the Huia men at a great bat. On coming to Lear, Poananga attempted to kick the ball just over the defender’s bead, but the wary Lear grabbed the leather like a conjurer ana made off at a top pace for the West End lino, amid the cheers of the spectators, l who thoroughly enjoyed this clever bit of play. Hepburn stopped the runaway, ana Boon afterwards Morrissey punted high from a line. Symes failed to take the ball on the full, and vainly groped for it several times as it bounced, finally putting the finishing touch to his piece of folly by kicking it behind his own line on the open side, where Roderick streaked over and scored, amidst frantic cheering. All eyes centred on Williams as he essayed the kick from a convertible angle, but the ball passed outside the uprights, and the Huia supporters once more breathed freely. The quarter of an hour left for play was full of incident, the excitement being kept up till no-side sounded. West End were going strong at tho finish, but Huia kept them at bay, though Kinder was just prevented by Symes from winning the match for his side. As fine a game as one could wish to see ended in favor of Huia by a 8 points (a goal from a try and a try) to 6 points (two tries). Two 40 minute spells were played. Mr W. McCredie controlled the game well, whilo Messrs A. W. Rees and R. Colo were capable line umpires. Tho events which transpired at Victoria Domain on Saturday, when Symes essayed a place-kick at goal from a penalty, showed clearly that neither the Huia captain, the West End captain, nor the referee clearly understood the law relating to place-kicks. For tho benefit of players we quote the English Union’s ruling on the point in question : —“ In case a referee disallows a charge, the kicker may not touch the ball after it has been put on the ground. If he does so (1) when the try has been obtained, a kick-out from 25 ; (2) when a free-kiok or fair catch has been awarded, a scrummage where tho mark was made. Tho kicker and placer must be different persons.”

JUNIOR CONTEST.

The junior match, Huia v. <£aiti-West End, was played on No. ground, and attracted a good deal of attention. It was well contested, and resulted in a victory for Huia by 14 points to 6. For the winners, tries were obtained by McCullough (2), Taylor, and Higgs, one try being converted by T. Sharp. For Kaiti City, W. Coleman secured a try, and a penalty goal was kicked by Falkner. Mr J. Eaton acted as referee, and Messrs J. Hay and G. Petersen as linemen.