First XV. Matches

V.C. v. Melrose. Lost 11—0. Our men were in great heart after the win against Wellington on the previous Saturday, and gave probably their best all-round showing of this season. Till within fifteen minutes of the finish there was no score, but by that time the Melrose forward "tactics" had completely worn down the lighter opposition, and three tries were scored in quick succession. "Melrose stand or fall by their forwards" as the admiring cry of the sporting writers so often has it, and when it comes to a question of winning at any price without much regard to the ways and means of accomplishing that object, we should imagine that they are unparalleled in this or any other city.

V.C. v. Poneke. Lost 14—0. Poneke were strongly represented; Wallace was again selected and appeared to earn his place. College were shorthanded, and on a wet ground were quite out-played by the opposing forwards.

V.C. v. St. James. Lost 29—0. The fact that the flower of our flock were absent in Sydney and several more were injured, making it necessary to take the field with ten juniors, must stand as an extenuating circumstance of this awful rout. St. James's backs played an excellent open game, throwing the ball about with a most reckless disregard for the chances of unexpected disaster which might so easily overtake any team which held our heroes too cheaply. Providence was with them this time.

V.C. v. Southern. Lost 8—3. "An even but essentially uninteresting game" vide Evening Post. Southern scored at the start while we were a man short, and again towards the end of the day. The middle game was all to our advantage and several chances were narrowly missed. Curtayne scored nicely from a line-out.

V.C. v. Wellington. Lost 9—3. Our team was strengthened by the return of the Sydney contingent, and as Wellington were burning to avenge their former defeat, a tight game was expected. However we quite failed to reproduce our form of the first match and suffered defeat as above.