GAME OF THRILLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 231, 30 September 1929, Page 14

GAME OF THRILLS.

BRILLIANT PLAY BY BACKS. EVENLY MATCHED FORWARDS EIGHTEEN THOUSAND SPECTATORS "(By Telegraph.—Special to " Star.") WELLINGTON, Saturday. Great Rugby .was'-witnessed at Athletic iPark this afternoon, when the annual trial of strength between the North and South Islands took place. Perfect Rugby conditions prevailed. The teams were as published, with the exception that E. Steere (Hawke's Bay) replaced Harvey (Wairarapa). The estimated attendance Tvas 18,000. North won the toss and played against the sun and with the wind. North lost two chances of a score in the early stages, when Minns, finishing a passing movement started by Mill, lost the ball near the corner, and following a concerted forward action, Cooke dummied through the opposition, making an opening for Elvy, who was held up on the line. North sustained the pressure, and success came when Lucas, recovering from the ruck, crossed the line with a brilliant corkscrew run which baffled the opponents. Heazlewood added the major points. North L 5 North : 5 South went to work with a will, but several passing movements were rendered abortive through Lilburne and Strang hanging on too long. In the North 25, an .'infringement by Porter gave Strang an opportunity, and he kicked a fine penalty goal against the wind. North 5 South 3 The reverse had little effect on the North, who returned play to the South territory, where Johnson, with a scintillating sprint, paved the way for Cooke to dash over and score under the posts. Heazlewood converted. North 10 South 3 Following a period of willing play in which the Southern forwards- had the benefit of tight work, South were awarded a penalty, and Strang did the necessary. . - North 10 : South 6 Enlivened by this success, the whites Avent to-it with a will, and from a passing movement initiated by Lilburne, the ball travelled between several of the backs, resulting in Snow-bullocking his ■way across the line under the posts. Strang missed the simplest of kicks. North 10 South .... 9 South backs then gave a taste of their real quality, keeping the northerners I guessing what was coming next. Led by Cooke, Lucas and Elvy, the northern rearguard took up the challenge, and twice went close to scoring, mulling on the line spoiling chances. Minns made an opening for Lucas, who, retrieving a difficult pass, cut in and transferred to Johnson who sent Finlayson across the line. This was a brilliant effort. Heazlewood converted. North 15 South 9 With seven minutes to end the Spell, play become willing, and North were penalised several times for superfluous breaches. On the tick of half-time, South reduced the margin to. one point. From a desperate passing bout initiated by Lilburne, the ball reached Strang, who just got over. The scorer concerted Ms own try. . ~.'.... , ■ North ...... 15 South 14. Strenuous. Play. For the first 15 minutes,of the second spell, South strenuously ' assailed " the Northern line and had all the better of. the *play, going perilously close to. scoring more than once. Then Porter took a hand, and from a scrambling movement, the backs got going? Lucae passing infield to Johnson, who sent oh to Cooke, who outpaced his pursuers and scored one of the most brilliant .tries of the match. Heazlewood made no mistake with the kick. . Nortfr ...a;.,.....;'.."....u* 20 ■■■■■■■ 'South ...V.;'W ( .v;\... v .,,..« 14 Immediately afterwards,- Strang kicked a great penalty goal, making the score North 20,, South 17. Easily the most spectacular score of the match was the try registered a few minutes later by Elvy. Under pressure from the Northern attack, Lilburne ran behind the line and tried to kick into touch, but the brilliant Northern threequarter recovered the ball, and in the face of most strenuous opposition, he twisted his way to victory. It was a wonderful piece of work. The kick at goal was too much for Heazlewood. North ......i ..23 South 17 Subsequent play was notable for some fine breakaway movements by the burly Porter and Batty, but the Southern defence, which usually took the form of attack, remained impenetrable. With eight and a-half minutes to go, South added three to their score by a brilliant penalty kick by Strang from near the lialf-way mark. North 23 South ......i 20 . The narrow margin put both sides on their mettle, South straining every effort to equalise. The task became harder, when from a movement started by Elvy, Lucas used remarkable pace to dash across the line at the corner. The kick at goal failed. North. ..' «*, South ' ~ ".'.'.., . "., . **', . '" 20 TtfS? mi^ te ? 'can'of time scored again. Utilising the blind side of the scrum, Mill sent Porter away on a great gallop. The Northern caXin opened th. way f or Minns?to ffiS fr n fi ;?r e p °° dS kkk did not inc «ase North OQ , South ..., **' go Time was called with South attacking North owed their victory to the brilliant work of the back division, always prominent among whom were Cooke Xiucafi, Elvy and Johnson. The South Island backs failed because of their lack o f combination. The forwards wero evenly matched. .