RANFURLY SHIELD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 919, 12 September 1910, Page 4

RANFURLY SHIELD.

RETAINED BY AUCKLAND. AN EXCITING FINISH. . (By Association.) September ■ 10. The final Kanfurly Shield match of the season was. -played here to-day between the representatives of the Canterbury and Auckland Rugby Unions in glorious weather, and before about 10,000 people, the game resulting, after one of the most; exciting finishes witnessed here, in a win for Auckland by 6 points to 4.- In the first spell, Doell potted-a fine goal for Canterbury, and there-was no further score uutil, ten minutes from time,, when Harrison scored for Auckland, O'Leary missing an easy kick. The. Auckland'forwards wore playing a desperate game, ..arid about-a couple of minutes beforo time Wylie ;scored hoar' the corner from "a forward rush. The Auckland 'forwards wore very rough at times,, and the visitors suffered,. Bain having to leave the field,, while quite a long'.stoppage was occasioned, through Hutchins' being hurt/ ''..'•

■/•'.;■ .'':; The Teams. / The teams were as follow:—Cautery bury (colours, red.and black): Full-back, Doell; three-quarters,' Guthrie, Gray, .Mitchell; -, five-eighths, Hutchings, Cleary;: •half-back,-'' Taylor; /; wing-for-ward, Murray;. forwards, : Hasell; Bain,Shadbolt, -Oram,.- Humphries, .Daily, A uld --" : .:- ' : -;""-: : ""."'..

Auckland-(colours, blue and white): Full-back, ; O'Leary; three-quartora, Harrison, :'Walker, Wolfgram; fiveeighths, Magee, Power.; half-back, .Ot-tersen;':wing-forward. Hall; forwards, Tyler, Sellara, ■ ilaguir«; ■ Cunningham, Francis,' Hay ward, Wylie.

A Lively 'Opening. ■■■ There .was: practically no wind,'•'and the sun was not: very 'bright! when the teams'- lined.'out at twenty■'■;' minutes' past three. Canterbury wun the' toss, and after the.exchange'of cheers'moved over to defend the western gbai; with, the,sun behind.. .The play from kick-off went.'into touch -at centre, and from the throw-iii ". the. Canterbury backs, tried-some passing,'- but,'the Auckland forwards. tackled ..well,' and stopped 'the rush;,. ■' '.'Auckland _' forwards " broke through, and'the Red.and Black backs replied'with some, nippy runs. 'Then, the 'Auckland forwards got to work, and- Wylie made a great dash /,.down to touch, and..'a score looked certain, but,he, passed;.wild, and tfclie.chance was; lost.':,; The forwards;' aided by : the. : backs,. 1 kept up the pressure,, and play hovered about the visitors' twentyfive fpr> some time: Once Murray made an .opening, - and -carried the ball fifty yards down, field at a great .belt,- but O'Leary relieved a .dangerous situation by'.booting.'back.' .The 'visiting backs were showing a lot of dash.at this stage. .From an; attempt by the Canterbury, backs to open up. the play, Wolfgram' ■ fielded smartly at midfield, and-gettinn into,<.his stride ' quickly, cut through the 'backs, and,'■••boating. tho full-buck, raced, to i-tlio line with .a clear field Guthrie .came across field and downed..him.-, a .couple 'of."yards' frdm the line.; .Play .worked 1 across the posts from' the throw-iii, and 'Auckland made many attempts', to., scoro,, -hilt, Canterbury V;defence' was -sound,' and play hovered at midfield'for sorno'time, with a.'. Jot •■ of,•■' close forwai;d' 't . work-., goi ng, on. ,:Mitchell, made 'a great ■■run'being sent. : iiito touch'by O'Leary in; the'cornier; line-oiit' Hayward .came away;rwith a, 'great dash,- but" his; kick -.was too'' hard,i,a.u'd-;tPoell 1 :| into touch.; : ; From ■ the -' play.. put. ■" Bain • was prominent ill V loose rush: aud waa- Hurt in the ensuing tackle: Canterbury wore now' ; having'the best of : the play which ,was keeping iri Auckland's . half.; : Taylor .cleverly' worked' the silly -sido of;'the scrum and' then.•Auckland's pack- bioke through and Cunningham found 1 himself cloai.of v the visitors' backs, but he passed;forward atid.another chance was thrown away. .From the, scrum, Cleary broke,-'away:-and;-play was ..carried right tp/Au'dkland's' twenty-fivft... A fine line:.' .kick. l by O'Leary isaved;, the',,situation, and, for a wh.ile.;play,li.oyered in neutral territory; with the Canterbury forwards getting the'better of-their opponents. •Auld led 'a'fast' riisli from inid-fieldand play -went: into touch .ten yards from' Auckland's, line. : " Hall and . "Wylie relieved '; the. situation and ■ .then a fine run .by' l Guthrie .was only stopped in time; ,;~Fromv.the line-out; Murray set his backs, going arid Gray : looked Jilcely to; get;over, but Walker caught'him and stopped what, looked'like a v certain score.,,' In the ensuing. • play Shadbolt was temporarily disabled. Gray" shortly after .cleverly found the lino :near: the corner.Vand:' from"' the play-out Ducii potted a .splendid goal- pist before; the gong'souaded for half-time. ' ' :

;,, Canterbury ........'.../../.,...' .4. ;.:;//......./......;,;. '0;, ;; ;■: The Second Spall. / ' ■ ;;7f here/was/rip wind or .sun when Oram kicked off-, for: Canterbury; in. the second spell. v-The ball was. brought .'back from tho kick-out and: from the scrum Canterbury secured and :Taylor shot out to; Cleary .'who'made a . great -run.... which, finished.'.in! touch,, two;yards from the goal-line.'/ From the scrum. Francis and Hall broke. through arid, carried play to. centre, .- where < Mitchell; secured and .sent.; to Walker. ; The .-'.latter fumbled and; Humphries ;'.downed him. Tho; Auckland, forwards packeU. round .and relievedthe. situation.. Play was then.carried to -Auckland's twentyfive,;, where .'.Walker .found, touch a yard from. the comer:. From tho ' line-out; Canterbury got; relief; (by : a free-kick. Auckland kept up the attack, an iricident being a. delay occasioned, through Bain ..being hurt and retiring. Shanks went on in his place. Play; had. hardly resumed, when; a 'long -/stoppage was made on account of Hutchens ' being hurt. The Auckland team at this stage was playing a shocking game.': A duel of kicks found Auckland backs wanting, and the'forwards' come to, the rescue, Francis and Hayward : leading tho rush. The Auckland forwards were now making matters very willing aiid-play .was ragged. ; The visiting hacks at this stage wore playing safe and using touch at, every, opportunity. Tho crowd were now gotting wildly excited, and when the .Canterbury backs set/up an attack the excitement-was. inteuse. Canterbury kept the play in the Auckland half for, some time, but it gradually worked into tho visitors' half. The Auckland back's now made: some dashes, but the Canterbury defence was sound. Interest - in the game was , becoming and a great deal of hard play was indulged in. From out of tho-ruck at centre Hayward broke through and made a fine opening. Ho passed to Francis, who sent to Harrison. The latter,- taking a bad pasn oleverly, dashed for the lino, Ho cut in-field, and, beating four Canterbury men, scored near the posts. O'Leary failed with an easy kick. ■ : .:■'' Canterbury- 1 -..' 4- ,'• Auckland 3 ; From'the play outthe Auckland pack played with,- tremendous, dash, and carrying play■''down-field, tlio Auckland hacks secured, and Harrison got across at the. corner. , The ball was- called back, and from the scrum Francis almost got over. Canterbury got temporary relief, but tho Auckland pack oamc back, and from a forward rush Wylio scored. The kick at goal 'by Magco from near touch was good, but resultless, and the game ended amid tremendous uproar, with the scores: Auckland ft Canterbury, ■•■•-._ i , Mr, A. Campbell was referee.