FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 964, 10 August 1903, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

CANTERBURY DEFEATS WAIRARAPA,

Per Press Association Christchurch, last night,

The first representative football match of tho season was played hero to-day, Canterbury v. Wairarapa. The weather was fine, and tho ground in good order. The visitors’ forwards played about equal to tho local mon, but their backs wero hopelessly outclassed, showing very poor defence. Canterbury woro attacking almost all the time, winning by 28 points (a goal from a try, two from marks, and five trios) to nil.

THAMES DEFEATS KARAN3AHAKE

’(Per Press Association/) Thames, last night. Thames defeated Karangahake by 5 points to 3. HDIA v. HAITI-CITY.

Never before in the local annals of the game has anythincr approaching such a close and interesting struggle for tho senior > premiership of the district been witnessed as is tho case this season. The fifth and final round of fixtures was entered upon at Victoria Domain on Saturday afternoon last, when a large crowd of spectators attended to witness tho match between Huia and Kaiti-City. All tho conditions wore favorable to a firstclass display of Rugby football. The afternoon was beautifully fine, the playora were performing under the eyes of the senior selectors, a great deal depended upon the result of the match, and the large crowd of spectators heartened the representatives of both clubs. Kaiti-Oity had their very best team in the field. Indeed, such a galaxy of talent had they to choose from that in the original selection no places could be found for such sterling players as G. Reynolds, Ball, Rob and Ralph Murphy. At tho last moment Reynolds replaced W. Hay, the Kaiti-City captain, who had strained an arm at practice during the week. Huia took the field with the conviction that a defeat would put them out of the competition. Their members had trained hard during the week, and Huia fit and well is always a side to be reckoned with. W. Sharp was included as full-back, and Hatea, hero of a hundred fights, was seen towering among the forwards when the black-and-white representatives took the field. Tho teams lined out as follows :

Huia (black and white)W. Sharp, Te Reina, Symes (capt.), Lear, J. Gibson, Cookery, Swann, Wauchop, Sefton, Blair, Hatea, Sherratt, Holmes, McGruther, and Moana.

KaitiCity (blue and black): Russoll, Dolamere, Bangi, A. Coleman, WyldeBrown, Roynolds, J. Hay, ,M. Murphy, Mullaney, Newton, Dunning, Dwyer, Bright, Hansen, and J. Martin (capt.)

THE PLAY. Kaiti-City won the toss, and played with a light breeze and a strong sun behind them during the opening spell. Symes sot tho ball moving from the town end. Delamero failed to take tho ball from tho

kick-off, but recovered himself and kicked to Te Reina, who returned to Rangi, and the latter marked. The Huia, forwards early gave evidence that they were looking for work, and came up the field with a determined, foot-rush, but J. Hay checked them effectively and smartly sent the ball out at the centre. McGruther did some smart work, and put in a long kick to Coleman, who picked up and passed to J. Hay. The latter kicked straight down the field, and Bright, Murphy, Mullaney and Dunning thundered down after the ball, but Te Reina smartly cut across, fielded the ball finely, and put in a line kick which called up applause. An exchange of long kicks betwoon Gibson, Coleman, Te Reina, Delamere and Sharp, ended in tho Huia full-back being applauded for finding tho line with a well-judged punt which gained a lot of ground for his side. More long kicking followed, but Russell found the line at the centre. Gibson secured smartly from a scrum, ( and smartly screwed to the line, well inside the Haiti 25. Haiti then shifted play up the field. Cookery was penalised for picking the ball out of a Bcrum shortly afterwards, but Dwyer s shot at goal was fruitless. Sherratt secured the ball under tho bar, and foolishly attempted to run out, instead of kicking. He was collared in front of the posts, and a good chance was lost by a Haiti man getting offside. Symes kicked straight up in the air, but Gibson secured from the ensuing scramble, and cleared his line with a kick to centre. Haiti now commenced to open out the play. Wyldb-Brown passed out to Reynolds, who made a good opening and sent the ball on 'to Rangi, who lost a likely chance ,by mulling the pass. Reynolds came at the Huia line with a strong run, and passed well to Delamere, but 'Gibson tackled the latter and caused him to lose possession. Symes snapped the ball up and ran to the centre, where he kicked out. Mullaney next showed up with a fine dribble down the line, but Sharp stopped his progress and averted the danger. The Haiti forwards came at the line in a body, but a hard kick near the line allowed Huia to force. Hay soon afterwards passed out to Reynolds, who failed to get rid of the ball when collared by Gibson, and was penalised. Wauchop got in front of Symes kick, and a scrum was formed. Some good passing was here put in by Haiti backs. Hay sent the ball to Reynolds, who gave Delamere a good pass, but the latter failed to take it. A|ain Hey shot the ball out to Rangi, 1 the Haiti back's fingers seemed all thumbs, and another mull was the result. Lear and Wauchop cut in ana shifted play to the centre with footwork. Haiti were not to be denied, however, and a fine passing rush was initiated by their backs. Wylde Brown gave the ball to Reynolds, who go awav and passed to Delamere, who sent it on to Rangi, and the latter, closely attended by Delamere, raced through the FT'd backs and charged straight at the kU.back (Sharp), who alone stood Huia fu ‘- tbo line, with all his nt It aVeared as if nothing bnstlos up. Iti a t . M „ reven t a score, short of a miracle com.- P freauently but «nothing happens mord £ than that which is considered " his -; -“ 0 siblo ” a sago has remarked, nnd the un expected happened here. The front presented by Sharp appeared to nonolus tho two Haiti three-quarters, wbo made a series of ridiculously short passes on coming up with the full-back, and enabled the latter to successfully keep his line intact, amid the dismay of theJKaiti supporters and tho frantic plaud ts of the HMa sympathisers. Huia quickly cleared their line, but M- Murphy came back with astro” run. Ho lost tho ball when near the Huia lino, and Wylde-Brown snapped up the ball and ran over the line and scored the simplest of tries. Them did not appoar to bo a Huia man in 9i D k" Dwyer made a weak effort at goal. HaitiCitv 3, Huia 0. Haiti bad rather the best of tho play on resuming. Sharp stopped a dangerous-looking foot-rush by Br’obt and Mullaney. The ball cannoned off the full-back, and Gibson snapped it up and kicked out at tbe contro. Some gieat rushes were hero put in, and eventually Lear secured possession and made a strong rn“ up the lino. Russell attempted to stop him, but tho feather-weight suffered as a result of tho impact, and was knocked nut for a time. Symes made a good shot at goal from a penalty. Newton, DunDing, Murphy, Bright, and Hansen were nrominent in a fino concerted foot rush, Which took play right on to the Hma hno. Horo Hateo cleared his line in a style reminiscent of his best days, and took tho ball right to the centre with a powerfulfonding run. Gibson stopped a fast forward rush, and kicked out at the coDtre. Lear put in a big t 0 peJatnere, who called up applouce I }'J zpaking a gigant c, S-Toot P reply to the Ike well past the centre. Moaua, who was playing by far his best game of the season, next broke away from a line, and left a train of prostrata foes in bis wake before being thrown into touch. The play hero was very exoiting and fast. Symes had a shot at goal from a free kick. The ball fell short, but the Huia forwards swarmed \n front ot ti o posts like bees, and Haiti were lucky in forcing in the nick of time. Joe ?lartm headed a fins forward rush, which looked promising, till Sharp effectually blocked it. Sefton followed up ft kick by Symes smartly, and got down on Russell before be could return. The ball went out at oaß tre, M half-time Bounded.

Tho Huia supporters wore jubilant at the form displayed in the first spell, when they were facing a strong sun and tho light wind, and were confident that tbeir team would win with these advantages in the second spell. Wauchop and Hatea were tho first pair to_ distinguish themBelves on tho resumption of play. The two big men came down the field with a grand foot-rush, and carried play right on to the Kaiti line, whore the blue and blacks had a busy time defending. A glaring offside infringement gave Symes a shot at goal. He made a fine kick, the ball striking the upright, and rebounding into the field of play. A scrum was formed under the posts, and the Kaiti men, m their eagornees to stop the passing, came round too soon. Symes made no mistake this time, and steered the ball over the bar. Huia 3, Kaiti-City 3. Newton and Bright were associated in some good foot work. Cockery dodged cleverly round a scrum, and got well away. He kicked to Reynolds, who had taken Bussell’s place at full-back. The latter failed to take the ball, which went out near tho Kaifci line. Some exciting play followed. A Kaiti man kicked the ball hard along the ground. Lear raced round, fielded the ball finely, and made one of the most sensational dashes at tho line we have ever seen. He went at his top speed, and jumped high in the air on coming to Reynolds on the line. The burly George tossed him aloft as from the head of a polled-Angus bull, and the aerobatic Lear came down on his head a foot from the line, apparently not a whit the worse for his serial flight. In the fight following, J, Hay, in attempting to clear his fine, kicked the ball against the forwards, and Coleman just beat Leah in the race for tho ball, and forced. Sharp did some fine rush-stopping on resuming, and was frequently applauded. Holmes and Blair did a dashing foot-rush down the field, and took the ball right on to the Kaiti line. From the line-out, Moana secured well, and made a great dash at the line. He left a gap behind him as wide as tho Milky Way, and hurled himself on the ball over the line, amidst thunders of applause. Symes took the kick at goal. Several Kaiti men, apparently ignorant of the law ro charging, were standing over the line, and the referee, on appeal, disallowed the charge. Mullaney, seemingly unaware that "no charge ” had sounded, raced out to stop the kick, but had to crestfallen. Symes then took his kick, and placed a good goal, amid renewed cheering. Huia 8, Kaiti-City 3. On resuming, tho play was of a high standard. Kaiti-City immediately became aggressive, and their backs got on a-mag-nificent passing rush, Reynolds passed out to Rangi, who made a splendid run into the Huia country, where he was shoved into touch. Some amusement was caused by the play following. Hay threw the ball in at the wrong place, and the line-umpire still kept his flag up. Several of the Huia men, noticing this, ceased play ; but tho Kaiti men and the referee went on with the play, aud a fierce onslaught was made on the Huia line, one or two of two of the Huia men fighting like demons to repel the attack. Eventually a Kaiti man got over. Then the referee’s attention was directed to the fact that Mr Rees’ flag was still up, and all they had striven counted not a farthing’s worth. Back they trooped to the flag, and play went on once more. Another brilliant pioce of passing was seen. Hay got well away, and transferred to Reynolds, who sent the ball on to Rangi, and the latter threw away a score by passing wildly forward to Delamere, who crossed the line, but was recalled. The play was now exceptionally fast. Hatea, Wauchop, Blair, Holmes, and Sefton made a fine dribbling rush, which took the ball right on to the Kaiti line, where- Wauchop and Holmes in turn made dashes, to get over. Murphy took the ball beautifully from a throw-out, and made a strong run to the centre. The play got faster and still more exciting as time wore on. Newton made a fine run and kicked, which gained fully forty yards for his side, but Sharp soon sent it back with a long punt. Cockery was given the ball from a scrum, and kicked down to Coleman, whom he got down on before he could return. Russell, who had resumed his place, stopped some dangerous rushes well. Blair, Holmes, Sherratt and Swann went down the field with a good passing rush, the men keeping well together, and the passes being short and smart. Mullaney and Bright retaliated and took play back to centre. Holmes, Sefton, Sherratt, and Wauchop got on another passing rush, which completely took the ball through the Kaiti side. It appeared as if Wauohop could have dropped on the ball on coming to the line, but he kicked too hard, and he and Holmes raced after it till it crossed the dead ball line. Kaiti were playing a splendid game, and their forwards were working like heroes; but it was all to no avail, The whistle went for “ no-side,” and Huia were returned victors by 8 points (a goal from a try and a penalty goal) to 3 points (a try). Mr McCredie controlled the two 40minute spells in his best style. ’ We understand that the Kaiti-City Club has lodged a protest against the win scored by the Huia Club against them last Saturday. The grounds of the protest are that the referee awarded a try to KaitiCity when the line-umpire’s flag was up, and consequently he hail no power to alter his decision. The English Rugby Union has ruled; “ A referee once having given a decision cannot under any circumstances alter it.” It will bo remembered that on the last occasion Huia won a match (against West End), their victory on the field of play was turned into a draw at the council-table of the Rugby Union through an error in law on the part of tho referee. It will be hard lines on

the Huia Club if a similar fate overtakes them in the present instance, as on both occasions they fairly won tho matches on the play. Though a club has a perfect right to protest against a wrong ruling in law by a referee, we think there is something wrong somewhere when occasions arise so frequently as has been the case this season. No one like 3 a protest; there is too much of the spirit of " win,

tie, or wrangle ” about them. The playing field and not the council-table is the proper place to decide which is the best team; put so long as referees are not thoroughly conversant with the laws of the game, so long shall protests continue to be lodged.