A GREAT GAME.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1831, 18 August 1913, Page 6

A GREAT GAME.

TARANAKI'S POPULAR WIN. "SCFjNE' BEGGAIiS DESCRIPTION.* (By Telegraph— Bpcclal CorrefiDondent.) Auckland, August 17. Tho finest match from a spectacular point of view, and the most exciting as to incident and varying fortunes, ever witnessed in _tho history of the Uanfwiy Shield, was Saturday's gamo between Taranaki and A'ucklluid. ilow the challengers won their way to victory ,in the last few minutes, wheal it looked as though thei fates woro temporarily against them, is a, story that will go down to posterity. Quito lilio mo-t pleasing feature of tlio match was the astonishing reception' tlio winners got iu tho'eneniy's camp. All j through tho gamo tlio barracking was

more' pronounced for Taranaki than lor tlio home team, and w'lten the £in<al bellrang: tho scone that. ensued beggars description, cheer alter cheer greeting tho southerners, w'hilo an excited mob «ruslio<L them,- earning tho bulk of the 'players 'oft' tho tiela {-Jlicukkr high to their div-Si-ing room. Altar dressing, as tho players leit for their brake, Mr. Shoahan, chairman of tho eommiltoo of tho Auckland Hug-by Union, called for throo cheers for • tlio visitors, wluch tho cro>vd gave witli heartiness, and tho outbreak could not have been greater 'had Auckland Ixsca the'victors. Wli-oii tho team returned to thoir quarters at th& Koyal lloM, a crowd • of about SCO was waiting to welcome then), and they again received au ovation. Taraiuiki's tprwards wero magnificent, - and they beat tlvo Auckland pack in every department of tho game, especially in line* out work and the open. They showed tremendous dash aud pace, and time attoi time they swept over the lc-r.nl vanguard, a * lot of scores, however, being lost through ovor-eagai'noss. " . The.Auckland forwarus were good in tho heavy work, but they foiled to hold their 6wn when the ball got free, and their loose niches could be counted 011 on© hand. lu the first spell it was hardly any thing but . Ttvronaki, and they swept down the lieklin great stylo. The dcfonco of tho Auckland backs was soundly tested. Iho Aucly land's three-quarter line and iudl-toacK did ix lot of stopping, but there to a weukuess in the five-eighth and c&ntre« half, and they failed to g«t down to lh« ruisiios. This enabled the visitors to opou 'up t'lie play, aud thov threw the ball about in a manner that brought continued apphius© from tho crowd, who ciicered the visitors for their lint) work. i In the second spell Auckland, were ox- ' pectcd to rise to the occasion, but Taranaki maintained thoir fine "form, and witli half the forty-five minutes gone # had rattled on six points and led by nine to five. Auckland then rallied, and their combination, lor about a quarter of all liour was 111010 like their true form than at any stage of the game. Tliey attacked continually, and the backs,,(jolting possession. tries came as the result of passinn runs, M'Grcgor and Weston beinft the scorers, and Auckland'. 1 ) luck appeal"' ed io bo in, for with only about, ten unlit utes to go tho totals were Auckland lli Taranaki 9. Tho visitors were, however, playing it out to tho bitter end, and, coinins down tho field with a combined rush, tho ball was sent to Hill, oil tlio wins, ami'the latter centring, the forwards curried it over with a passing run. Roberts trot possession, and was awarded tho try. Hawkins goaleil, and Taranaki were H to 11, amidst a eceno of unparalleled excitement that was repealed when tho bell rang to ceaso play a Jew minutes after. Taranaki's forwards gained them the victory, .Hid t'lius, in spito of the fact that for' a quarter of an hour prior to their winning rush they appeared to be tiring, civin" main- the impression that the local team'was going to win through sheer lasting 'powers. ' , ' • Taylor, oil tlio wine, was a host in himself,' anil gave a great display of wingforward work. Certainly no better man has been seen in .Auckland for some tij.no and one wonders how ho miss'fd tho Xow Zealand team. Dowar, Hawkins,. Whittington. and Tamu were in the thick of it all the time, but tb:> whole pack »c----serve every credit.. The bad;-, considering the L'hitnee.s they got, were not. up to expectations, and several times they h.vl opportunities that went begins thnmiii want of dash, l.overidgo in particular was a disappointment, but probably 100 much Vi'as cxpc!"d from him 011 account of the reports re ceive;! of his play. Drown, behind the part,-, was easily the pick, and lie did a lot of ivorlr in 0. iirst-rla.sq manner. The Auckland forwards were a long way below standard, and have never •been, seen to less advantage. -The only 1 Kmc they really appraaclu-d y' ,o,r true form was .".lent half-way thviueh the wind "Tell, when tlic.y looked like outstaying their opponents,

MISCELLANEOUS MATCHES. <T>y Tclcsraph.—l'rew A>soci.i tion.l Napier, August 10. A match played between (lie llawko's Hay and Wairarana Juniors this afternoon resulted ill all easy win for Hawke's liay 1 >v 12 to 3. The ground was very slippery owing to recent vain, and showers fell throughout the same. The state of tho ground prevented anytlianff but solid plugging. From a ponalty, Clark kicked a goal during tho first minutes of play.

and thenceforth with the exception of a few occasions tho game was all in favour of Hawko's Bay. Wairarapa played well in tho backs, but wero outclassed. Golding scored an unconverted try for Wairarapa, and Anstis, Clark, and Carroll scored tries for Hawko's Bay, No tries wore converted.

SHIPPING CO.'S MATCH'.

Tho Union Steam Ship Company beat tho Combined Shipping Companice by G to 5. Dcxlcls ami Moody scored tric3 tor tlio winners. Far the Combined team, M'Lean scored a try, which Dnako converted. At tho comclusion of tho match about 150 guests sat down to dinner in the Oriental Bay Kiosk. Captain Chas. M'Arthur, managing director of tho Maoriland Steamship Company, presided. Tho Hon. F. 11. B. Fisher, Minister for Marine, was also present. A lengthy toast list and a programme of musical items were gone through. Captain .Johnson, Harbourmaster, proposed tho toast of "Our United Forces," to whio'h Major E. V. Bcva.n responded. The toast of "The Noit Zealand Mercantile Marine" was proposed by Mr. 0. R. Kendall. Tho Hon. M. B. Fisher responded. Other toasts wore: "Shipping Companies," 'proposed by Mr. Geo. Altport, and responded to by Messrs. C. 11. Turrell and W. Benis.ett; "Tho Teams, proposed by Mr. W. J. Meredith (referee), and responded to by. tlio respective captains. Mr.' W. E. Fuller 'proposed the toast of "Tho Chairmiin." ' * Tho following contributed to tho evening's entertainment:—Messrs. W. Phappg, S. Rankin, S. M. Huttoni H. N. Fletchc-r, li. S. Allwright, and the Orplious Quartet. Mr. S. Rankin played tlie accompaninionts.

A Pctone team of boys beat a dty team on Athletic Park, prior to the representative match, by 11 to.o. • ■

Tho Customs and Marine Deportments defeated tho Customhouse agents by 17 to 3. For the winners, Warring (2), Bnulgeman, Fily, and Waters scored tries, and Martin converted one. Hutchinson scored the loser's try.