FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 223, 17 November 1888, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

A VICTORY FOR THE NATIVES. London, Nov. 14. The Maori Football team defeated the Hartlepool Rovers by a try and two minor points to six minor points. THE MAORI TEAM IN ENGLAND. The Home correspondent of the Auckland Star supplies the following information concerning the Maori footballers in England ;— THE FIRST MATCH. In appearance there did not seem to be any difference, as regards size, between the Surrey and the antipodean men. An expert declared the colonists were positively small men compared with the Lancashire footballers, and also remarked that the Surrey team were but a second rate lot, and that the Maoris would have had a very different task set them had they met the Richmond club. I ventured to observe that the New Zealanders were still

“ soft ” after their sea voyage, and that it was hardly fair to judge them on that afternoon’s play. I also pointed out that the redoubtable “ Smiler,” who proved a perfect tower of strength to the team in Australia, was standing down. Subsequently’another expert poohpoohed my neighbor’s remarks, declaring that the team playing against the Maoris was a picked one, the best men belonging tob the Surrey, Richmond, St. Thomas’ Hospital clubs, and that if the colonials beat them, they might with confidence face any of the county footballers in the south ot England, OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. The Sporting Life says :—The play of the Maoris was of a very high order indeed. They are adepts at all points of the game, a fine upstanding team, and they will require some beating. The Daily News does not consider the Maoris’ victory a very remarkable achievemcn. as Surrey possesses by no means a brilliant record in the football field. They showed strength, pace, and a creditable knowledge of the game, although not so much cleverness in passing as their friends could have wished. The element of roughness about which some ugly rumors had reached this country, was entirely absent from the play of the Maoris. The Daily Telegraph considers the team play a fair orthodox Rugby game but nothing out of the common. Taiaroa’s dribbling and some neat passing deservedly called forth loud plaudits, as did McCausland’s well placed goal kick. As it stands, the visitors have shown that they possess pluck, dash, and a sound, scientific knowledge of the game and the rules that govern it. The Pall Mall Gasette confines itself to complaining that only six of the 28 80-Called Macris arc aboriginies, and far a« one could sea yesterday, those are half castes. A team tattooed like Tawhiao would have attracted the public. A team which merely consists of muscular colonists without the facial picturesqueness will only draw the football world.

The St James Gazette considers the team have little to learn from the English players except an increase of smartness in dribbling and running. What is most satisfactory of all is that there was no savageness in the native play, and the New Zealanders played with as much good humor and good feeling as Ergliah gentlemen. The Star s&ys the New Zealanders undoubtedly defeated a strong fifteen. The Times says Englishmen are delighted and proud at this evidence that the aboriginal people of New Zealand are taking to an English national gams, and showing remarkable proficiency at it. Most of the London papers have published more or lees flattering notices of the team, and Joe Warbrick has been duly interviewed by the Star, Pall Mall Gazette, etc. An enterprising Richmond bootinaker has presented each of the members of the team with a pair ot new boot?. In the course of a emart tussle in Wednesday’s match, one of the Surrey men had his jersey torn literally to ribbons ■ not a shred remained on his back, He had to seek the pavillion and put on another > the game meanwhile being stopped,