FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 304, 28 May 1889, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

WAIMATA V. GISBORNE.

The above match was played in Captain Tucker’s paddock on Saturday afternoon, there being a fair attendance of spectators. The game was a very good one, and is said to have been the best of the season. The Waimata team were considerably heavier than the Gisborne, but not having previously bad a game together were not expected to shape as well as they did. The teams comprised the following players : — Gisborne—Full-back: Staite; three-quar-ters: DeCosta, Skeet, Lemuel; halves: Murphy and Rees; forwards: H. Maude, T. King,Featon, Lysnar, Johnstone, Hepburn, Crawford, Kiki, and M. Fere. Waimata—Full-back : Down ; three-quar. ters: Snow, Rua, Simon ; halves : Dods and H. Branson ; forwards: Langford, W, Branson, Taylor, McPhail, Nepia, Weka, L. Maude, Cameron, and Straohen. At half-past three, the ball was set in motion by Lysnar, for Gisborne, and was well met by the Waimata players. Little or no ground was gained by either side for some time, the ball being well played in the centre of the field. Simon here relieved the forward players of their work in the scrummage by a fine run, which took the leather well into Gisborne’s twenty five, where some very good play was exhibited by Dods and Snow for the Waimata, and Crawford for the Blues ; the latter’s style of collaring being much admired. The Gisborne, however, feared the safety of their goal line, and a few determined rushes ware made by them, which soon had the effect of turning the tables and placing the ball in the same position at the Waimata’s end of the field. Some close play followed here, but the strength of the country players proved too much for Gisborne light players, who were once more sent back to their own end of the field of play, where the Waimata team looked very much like scoring. Skeet here got possession of the ball and made a fine run up the field, where he was well met by Waimata. Dods having taken the ball into his care, by some very neat passing between himself, Snow and Rua, the latter was enabled to make a good run back to the Gisboxne goal, Thia was followed by a plucky rush by Gisborne, which in a very short space of time carried the Waimata back to their own goal, Where the ball was then forced down, Time was called very soon after the ball was taken out, no play of much advantage to either side taken place. The Waimata captain kicked off for his side in the second spell. The Gisborne met this with some fine play, in which Skeet and Rees were conspicuous; and being well followed up, the ball was very soon forced over the Waimata goal line, and many thought the Giebornites would make it rather warmer ” for the Waimata in thia spell than in the first. Ths latter, however, soon showed that they were not to be so easily managed, as, on the ball being set rolling again, the Waimata played well together and kept, close on the oval, and by a run front their captain it was taken within a yard of the Blues' goal line. Skeet and Bees, well assisted by the forwards, by careful and good passing eventually helped their side out of danger, and moved the oval well into the centre of the field, and gradually into the Waimata twenty-five, where it was played for some time. The only other play of importance up to the calling of time was an unsuccessful attempt at goal, from a mark, by the Gisborne players. At the dose of the game the ball was being played in the centre of the field, no score having been made by either side.

Mr Day acted as Umpire for the Gisborne side and" Mr Mann for Waimata, Mr T. Morgan holding the position of Referee,

THE NATIVE FOOTBALLERS.

The Maori Footballers played the Carlton Club, at Melbourne, on Saturday and were badly beaten by 13 goals and 16 behinds to 2 goals and 4 behinds. It was quite evident that the Maoris were not up to the real points in the Australian game.

The New Zealand footballers heat the Victorian Rugby Union by 4 goals 2 tries to 2 goals. Of the native footballers “Smiler "and Wi Karauria have returned to Napier, and Mr Gage to Wellington, The latter footballer was interviewed in Wellington, and from his remarks it appears that he has not formed a good opinion of the fairness of the English crowds. He says they are rather onesided. They, however, take a keen interest in the game and appear to thoroughly understand it. If the charge was over 6d, however, they would not go to the match. Each club has a very large membership -numbering thousands. As an instance he states that at one match they had about 5000 people, but 2000 of them were members and consequently “ dead heads.” Asked how the team was treated, Mr Gage said they had a very good time of it in some places, especially in Lancashire, where the people were very open hearted ; but it was quite the reverse in others. At one place—Clackheqtou — they had to dress in an outhouse, while their opponents had the use of the best rooms in the hotel.