FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 603, 3 September 1909, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

'~ ,TAEANi!KI,(6),; AUCELAND'.(3)..'..'.' . . ' (Dy Tolseraoh.—l'rcoi Amnclatlon.i New Plymouth, September 2. Taranaki " defeated Auckland'■ to-day by 0 points- (two tries) to 3 points (penalty .goal). Taranaki's.backs were quite 'superior to! Auck-, land's,, but ,wcrb . handicapped, owing, to few. chances coming from scrums. ,On ,tho, whole, .however.. . Taranaki's forwards, held Auckland •safe! . Auckland's . safety lay,'in ' keeping, the ball away from the local rearguard,; and this they strived throughout to insure. Early-in" tho .game the play grew fast and.furious,.and ex--oite was intense as. the Taranaki men' threatened the Auckland line.' ' Some tight'work among the forwards let the ball' out to Mj-nott, who lost it, but' Stohr' cut in and 'kicked to •Murray. Sullivan \followod close* and carried operations well within the .twenty-five,' where 'the'ball' went out from the serum." Webb got it, but- was overturned, and the- Yellow for-' ward* charged down, on Miller, '.who got in a pretty return to the lino. Siillivah'aiid Tamu were breaking through repeatedly/ but the visiting forwards handled'the ball like a team'of backs, ami. Sullivan cut in at the head of a nico ■raoyement'that Nicholson headed, and-got the; ball out to Dive, who made a strong run up tho,line, fending.off : several opponents before get--ting.rid.of the ball, which travelled across the ,field per,medium . of /Stohr/Cameron, and Sheahan, who took his pass oh tho wing,' and seemed'to'have a'score certain'. 'His luck was put, however,'and ho fell with'ah Auckander over him just short of the line..' Auckland, presently attacked/strongly,, and their' forwards beat tho • referee . completely, with a .-whole' series of .'undeniable "offsido' tactics. ■In. ,;a subsequent -attack-..'.'• the Aucklandyanguard_again , took charge, .and. bustled. pixon.. Wilson, evidently intending to centre,, kicked over the line, however,, and Taranaki' was. glad to, force in order-to.ease-the pressure. .'From a free-kick soon after,' Francis landed.the ball on the;cross-bar. Tt bounced •on the .right side forhiin, and Auckland ■registered, their first' score just as tho spell was' exactly half way through. Auckland;' 3 ' points,laranaki,.nil. Taranaki now took a'turn 'at attacking/and -Mynott secured and cut through the-.ruck- like, a .flash, getting the. ball: -in amongst-, tho' forwards,; who on to nearly halfway, whero Smith picked up, passed to,.Stohr; The latter, even with a lame leg, made great pace up-field; Sheahan backed him up, and was in time to .take the :pass;' then Cameron cam© up'on the outside liko-.a flash, and,..-taking the pass' from Sheahan at full speed, cut-alongside; and'just'reached the lino as; Kcnwick reached him.; Cam.o'ron took the kick, but failed* to -increase--the';score."'. This is' said to.be- the. .finest, try scoreduby .-the Taranaki representatives -.this season.. -Tara-; naki, 3 points; Auckland, 3'points. The spell.closed witlieut further score. ■'..- ' -;-...- ■ When; the teams again took ■ the' field;'it> was seen that O'Sullivan had disappeared from the •ranks of .the home team, having been'ordered by -the'- doctor, to .desist, owing' to injuries. -Stohr, too," was to b*'limping badly ashe took his place on'the'wing.'-'Both teams, took- matters.' along at a.'less lively pace', than :hadS been set, in: the :first half, but play was 'still'.- hard,'- strenuous,- and interesting. -; Some ,way, through .the ,spellv,Thurston--.whipped the .ball;-from the scrum to Mynott, ■ from; whom it • v?ent toCamero'n, Dive and Stohr, the lastrnamed -centring in /amongst.the.lforwarde.,.-.The' field, ing. of. the; opposing; side .was too sure,, however, as'.'it .had been 'all "through, the match, .arid. Winder.';forced. /Taranaki . : was.riot.'to bo denied. - ; .Thurston' again passed from a scTamble to/Mynott, who cut in/and passed to-Stohr, whd'.nar'rowly.missed scoring; '-The next-"essay wasmore'sticoessful.:-;.Mynott'- : pickedupin'front of . the goal, ; arid, there.,was,a-.big, chance, for, the veteran to unselfishly-"played ;the g'amo;", passing oyer the: heads of Cameron and his forwards to.. C, Sheahan'::: : The/latter' •made-a few yards, arid : w'as' then 'jbfried on' the'outside'by .Cameron, wh'6 received the ball just as. Sheehah' was blocked./arid ;fell' over 'the' line with- it,':n-stchin,g the''winning, points, /"

> g&me.' . '.-The'''. Auckland team.'arrived- by thb,Main Trunk' of; Mr.'R. Takle, treasurer: of.the Association.." ■ The visit.ing. team, has been njially selected asfollows:— ■Goal, C. Bennett; full-backs, J.' Borthwick-and' Ji Shewgolt; halves, J.. Seatb, A. Marshall, and A. J.Droko; forwards, ff. Whittle, R. Gardiner, W.'Forshaw, E.' V. Sale (captain), and.T. •Mikklesen.' " Reserves: J. '..'.Webster and A.. Dayies.: Mr; H. GV ; MayeF'Will bo*,referee, and Messrs.-,E." C.:Haytoh and: G.V Speed'linesmen. In the curtain-raiser;' Scott "and' D. Roberts' are not playing, and' their- places will,be' filled by -A. Johns9U;and : ,Guise.i, :;•.,:>•.-; ,-/ '/:••.:■ Owing to the lack,of a quorum, -the meeting of tho New,-Zealand Rugby Union,'called' for'last'evening,' lapsed,' there: being present:'—. ■Messrs. R. Isaacs,' H. Kelly, G. Lusk, and J'. ;Laughton. ■ Mr.''- Perry went south with the Wellington representative team, and' Mr. N.' Galbr&ith was absent through illness.''. ■■'";-"!