FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 495, 19 August 1890, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

TARANAKI V. GISBORNE. There was glorious weather on Saturday afternoon for the match between Taranaki and Gisborne, though the breeze that sprang up was rather chilling to be pleasant for spectators, of whom tbero was a large attendance. The usual plan that some people have in Gisborne of deerring their own men was to some extant indulged in before the match, and odds against Gisborne were offered up to five to one, and in at least one case ten to one was given. The Taranaki men, it must be allowed, p’ayed under a great disadvantage, as they only landed shortly after two o’clock, and the mat h was begun in fairly good time. The Gisborne team were—Fullback : 0. Priestley; three quarters: Rua, 8 aiie, Skeet; ha f-bicks: Mau le and Fishery forwards; Boulton, Hutchinson, Lysnar, Loomb, Tuhoe, Nikoru, Hem ; , Marshall, Robinson. Ths Taranaki team ware—Fullback : W. Bailey : three-quarters: A. Baitey, T. Hempton, A. Good; ha’fbacks : C. Bailey, H. Coutt 3 , and Gunthorpi; forwards : Sangster, Major, Pearsen, Livingston, II Herman, W. Good, E. Hold, J. Lamby. For Gisborne Mr T. Morgtn was nominated umpire, Mr Hamon for Taranaki, and Mr Lusk was selected as referee. On taking thrir places in the field, the visitors looked a very strong team, and ware certai >’y much heavier than the local repress itatives. They had no appearance of s a'enesi af:er their voyage, and looked quite as fresh as those whom they had to

THE KICK OFF had no sooner been taken than Gisborne began to show to disadvantage, giving their opponen's a couple of free kicks before they had gained second wind, and the Taranaki forwards beginning with great dash, the fi*st few minutes made things look queer for Gisborne. Bit the local m?n soon woke up to the position of things, and sett'el down fir a hard game. A couple of dribbling rushes were well met by ths Gisborne books, though Fisher at half began badly. A good by Gisborne carried the ball into mid where there was soon an opportunity of seeing how the local men would fare in the scrums. To the general surprise they proved much the stronger, and the close phy prove! to b« juat what suited them best. The visitors showed superiority in heeling ou fc , but ihi Gisborne

forwards were on them very smartly. The .first good run of the day was made bv A. Bailey, but Skeet was one too many for him, and back went the play to mid fl fid. Directly afterwards the visitors made a fine d ihhling rush, and ths ball was again nailed by Skest, who soon made one of his d.- shing runs and amid cheers got witbin the 25yds flag of his opponents. Again there was thi blunder of a throw forward, and though Biulton and Maude exhibited some smart play, the full bick was called into requisition for the first tira°. He took the ball neatly at a critical moment, and landed it well into neutral ground. Here Fisher b?gan to show his real form, first getting a mark which led to the visitors being pressed into their 25yds boondary, Scrummaging followed, and then was seen the prettiest bit of play of the day. Fisher cleverly got the ball from a‘ scrum

and eluding his opponents, whom he bested by pretending to pass tbe ball, he held on coolly until ha had Skeet at. bis hand, and on being charged ha made a gentle throw to Skeet, who was thus left a good chance, and amidst groat cheering dodged in, giving W. Bailey a lightning graz-\ Fisher tried the kick, but failed to convert it into a goak Kicking off again there was Bome very fast work, W, Good, Coutts, and, C. Bailey doing good service for Taranaki, but Staite and Fisher kept 1113 m busy on their own side of tbe centre flag. Through Gisborne incurring the penalty of a free kick against them, the oval was worked into their 25. This gave Rua bid first chance, and he made good use of it, a splendid rurii bring h-aded by Lysnar, with Loomb and Hutchi: - son at hand. During tha rest of the spell L~omb and Lysnar played a rattling forward game. Fron> a return by Taranaki Staife, picking up very smartly, nv.de a run and passed to Skeet, who again bad B in ths 25, after which Rua was conspicuous for his useful work. Play was now much against Taranaki, but they rallied several times, and once had pressed their opponents, when th 3 latter were awarded a free kick, and soon pressed thsm in their turn. Staite, after a good attempt to gain ground within the 25, parsed to Skeet, but A. Good was on the ball with wonderful rapidity, intercepted the pass, and made a lot of ground for his side. He got through right to the full back, and if he had escaped Priestly there would have been an ea y score, but he was coolly waited for and th n grassed as skilfully as could bewi-hed. Gm - thorpe had followed up smartly, but Skeet had got back in time to check the runner up. Home rushes on either side followed, Fisher and Mauds being prominent for Gisborne, Free kicks were here awarded to either side, and some further play of an exciting deserir. tion followed, Gisborne having much the beri of it when time was oilled. Score—--1 point; TaranjUdj nil.

THE SECOND SPELL. During the respite it was evident that the visitors were finding their sea voyage telling on them, for they were much more jaded than tbelocilmen, who came to their pos.tions looking quite fresh. But there was, great determinauon on the part of the visitors, and they began to play with more vigor than ever. Their Captain had evidently taken better stock of the style of their opponents, and there was a great change in their former tactics, Skeet, Rua, and Staite, and others being shepherded by sturdy and fast men on the other side. The visitors allowed no scrums where they could

avoid it, and they went in for a great deal of passing. This soon told on the Ghborne men, who were not brilliant in that respect. The Gisborne line was repeatedly assailed by some clever rushes by Taranaki, Skeet and Fisher generally managing to give relief, while Maude, Loomb, and B olton were showing flue form. Staite did good service for his side by marking the bill only two yards from the line. But soon afterwards Sangster got' a mark at a dangerous angle within Gisborne’s 25. A. G iod took the kick, but wiih no fffeet. Skeet and Rua made a couple of good runs here, and the bill was taken into Taranaki’s 25, but A. Bliley, well backed by Hempton, A. Good, and C. Bailey, Wrta fully afive for Taranaki, and play went into midfield. Lysnar was doing some capital work in Gisborne’s forward division. The visitors made a couple of blunders of d iving the ba’l over the Gisborne line instead of dribbling it

easily. There were some good rushes, an i through Skeet filing there was a critical moment, when Staite cams to the rescue. Several handballs were given at this stage. Taranaki ware hard pressed for a time, but i heir backs did good work.collaring splendidly. Tuhoe, for Gisborne, shone out once, but only onee, while Hemi was conspicuous on one occasion. A combined rush by Taranaki brought the play into mil fi.U, and Bailey made a dashing run, but was laid low by Skeet. Staite, too, was collaring well. A

free kick was given by Gisborne at an awkward place, and the crossbar put in danger. From this out Gisborne was pretty well on the defensive. The visitors’ back players were not well marked, and their fast runners gave a lot of trouble, though the defence was too good for their, A capital rush, however, brou, h the play within ten yards of Gisborne’s line, when Maude and Rua exhibited some fine play. Tne leather was sent ovoi* ths lin3 again through Taranaki’s rashness. This might be reck med a force down, but it was really recklessness on the part of the Taranaki forwards in kicking so hard from that position. After kicking off, the leather was sent back into Boul on’s hinds, O/i

baing kicked it was smartly returned into Gisborne’s 25, and from a scrum which followed, Ljomb got the ball aid a splendid ru-h was made by the Blues. A, good run brought it biok ti Gisborne’s 25, when Smgster got hold of ir, made a g->od run across tbe field, an I passed to A. Billey. The latter was nob watched as he shou’d have been, but Rui went to charge him, from an oblique direction. With Priestly at hand, Bd : oy s run must have been fruitless, but the referee being in the way Rua was too late. B vilcy was thus free to m ike a full tilt at Priestley, wh) ou y his arm, and the Taranaki man had then a clear run behind the goal posts. A. Good was entrusted with the kick off, and ought certainly to have

Ecired a goal, but he took such a time in getting the ball into position that many thought he was purposely trying to kill time, making sure of the goal and giving Gisborne no chance to score afterward< Cries of dissent arose from the spectators, the dissent giving way to cheers, when Good caught tho bvil on the side of his toe and made a miserable failure of what was reg irded as a certain shot at goal. On the kick out again the play became very exciting. Gisborne was bent on another score before time was called, and a coup’e of free kicks awarded them gave some assistance. Rua, b .eked up by Staite, made things warm for Tar.lnaki, and the visitors’ backs commenced to fumble the ball a good deal. Maude, Lysnar, and Bolton showed up well, but nothing further of note occurred before time was called, play being then in mid field, rather in Gisborne's favor. Total Score—One point each.