RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 227, 25 September 1928, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

AUCKLAND REP. SEASON.

RECORD OF INCONSISTENCY.

EIGHT WINS, FIVE LOSSES.

Like most other provinces this season Auckland's representative fixtures have shown a deal of inconsistency in the play. Thirteen matches have been played, eight of which were won and four lost. Up to the point at which the interisland and Test matches interfered with the personnel of the provincial side the team's record was a good one. Early in the season Waikato was beaten twice, and on the southern tour Auckland's only loss up to the point indicated was a defeat by a point by Wairarapa. With several players out for the interisland game, the tourists suffered their second loss by four points against Wellington. But it was after the tour that the greatest deterioration came. Stateness after travelling and playing twice a week, with the loss of a man or two in vital positions through injury are given as the cause for the team's lack of snap in its match against New South Wales. However that may be the side was decisively beaten, as it was against Hawke's Bay (at Napier), when three or four of the regular players were absent. Wins against North Auckland and Wanganui were not impressive, and the final match against Taranaki was another loss, the backs appearing to have lost the combination shown earlier in the season. Continual changes in both forwards and backs were a feature of the last halfdozen games. This was partly the result of Palmer, Finlayson, A. Knight, Batty, L. Hook, Falwasser and Butler being engaged in the bigger games on the days of the rep. matches. The season's record is:— V. Waikato (Hamilton), won 30 to 0. V. Waikato (Auckland), won 23 to 12. V. Wairarapa, lost 13 to 14. V. Canterbury, won 12 to 10. V. South Canterbury, won 22 to 14. V. Otago, won 26 to 9. V. Southland, won 44 to 21. V. New South Wales, lost 8 to 19. V. Wellington, lost 13 to 17. V. North Auckland, won 23 to 22. V. Wanganui, won 16 to 3. V. Hawke's Bay, lost 8 to 21. V. Taranaki, lost 3 to 6.