History at Eton.

“A hard, but clean and friendly game was played on the Playing Fields of Eton between The Iron Duke's Own and Bonaparte's Battlers. The Iron Duke's men looked fit and determined, but Bonaparte's battlers appeared slightly stale after a long campaign on the football fields of Europe. Bonaparte kicked off with the wind behind him and the Battlers opened with a smart attack by the front rankers. But the Duke's team remained steady and defended with deadly tackling and kicking. After fifteen minutes of stubborn attack Bonaparte snapped up the ball at half way and made a smart dash for the Iron Duke's line but was smartly grounded by Blucher. At half time there was no score. In the second half the Iron Duke's red jerseys attacked with spirit and ‘the thin red line’ proved irresistible. Bonaparte's Battlers played determinedly but were out-manoeuvred by the Duke's men. Two minutes before the final whistle the Iron Duke received the ball out of the ruck and dived over the line. The try was converted by the redoubtable Blucher and a spectacular game ended in a win for the home team by five points. The crowd surged onto the ground and, amidst the wildest enthusiasm carried both the Iron Duke and Bonaparte shoulder-high off the field. At a convivial gathering in the evening the Duke toasted the Battlers and complimented them on a splendidly sporting exhibition. Bonaparte, replying, said that the better team had won but he hoped that next year his Battlers would be able to reverse the decision. A happy evening terminated with a chorus of ‘ On the ball,’ sung to the combined tunes of ‘Rule Britannia’ and ‘The Marseillaise.’”

There you are! If this had been thus, Bonaparte, instead of dying on St. Helena, might have lived to play at Olympia.