"Run like hell!" shouted Simonds from the touch-line. He was standing on
the masters' side of the ground, just in front of the Chief's wife. But
he was past caring about social etiquette. All he wanted was to see the
House ahead once more. "Faster, man, run--oh, damn!"
Just on the line the ubiquitous Livingstone caught him up, and the pair
rolled into touch. If, as some say, there is nothing much finer to watch
in football than an uphill fight, then the Thirds of 1913 was most
certainly the greatest game ever played on the Lower. Lighter and slower
than their opponents, the House kept them on the defensive for the rest
of the afternoon. Collins was a splendid sight, his hair fell in a
cascade over his eyes, his nose was bleeding, his jersey was torn half
off his back, but he did not care. His feet were everywhere, and anyone
who got in his light was sorry for it. Turner, with the thought that he
was the cause of Wilkinson's try, fought heroically. Once when
Williamson, a Claremont's forward, began to dribble, he rushed into him
sideways and with a "soccerbarge" knocked him flying into touch, and
took the ball back inside the twenty-five. It was a great fight. But no
one can strive successfully against the will of the gods, and certainly
the stars in their courses fought against the House. Ten minutes before
time Livingstone, who had been systematically starved the whole game,
got a pass about the half-way line. He was the fastest man in the field.
No one could touch him; he made straight for the corner flag, and scored
amid the tumultuous applause of Buller's. There could be no doubt about
the result now. Before the eyes of Jones-Evans there rose a prospect of
eternally treating outhouse men to muffins. Mansell swore violently.
"The Bull" walked up and down the touch-line beaming with delight.
Simonds was silent.
"Well, you men," said Richards, "we've been beaten, but by heaven we'll
shove them the last few minutes. Go for them, tooth and nail."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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