AUCKLAND DEFEATS MANAWHENUA.

Shannon News, 23 August 1927, Page 3

AUCKLAND DEFEATS MANAWHENUA.

AFTER A HARD GAME. PLAY CLOSER THAN SCORES INDICATE. VISITORS A GREAT FORWARD TEAM. AUCKLAND, August 20 - The Auckland Rugby representatives succeeded in gaining their sixth successive win/ this season by defeating Manawhenua by 17 points to nil, at Eden Park to-day. Heavy rain had made the ground in several places into a quagmire, but in spite of this handicap, the Auckland backs' played bright football.

Early in the game was evident* the visKors were bent on making the match a forward one. To a certain extent they succeeded in this respect, but after half-time Auckland demonstrated its superiority in all departments of the game. Towards the end of the match the visiting backs attempted to open up the igume, but their efforts did not mcCf- with success. The Auckland rearguard was much too clever and the visitors' forwards were held in check by the Auckland vanguard. Tn the first spell, Fletcher scored an unconverted try for Auckland.' and this was the only score in the first half.

Auckland had the better- of '-he second spell and tries were added by Hook, Lucas, Berridge and Wanoa. Berridge' converting one try. About 7000 spectators watched the game.

MANAWHENUA'S PLAY PLEASES AUCKLAND FANS AUCKLAND, Last Night. Seven thousand pairs .of eyes were focussed on the arena at Eden Park when the Auckland and- Manawhenua representatives took the field. The weather at the kick-off was fine and sunny, although the ground Avas well churned up in patches. A light wind was blowing downfield from the Edendale end. The crowd Avhich packed the stands and terraces had been keyed up to a high pitch of excitement oy the sparkling match between the New Plymouth High and Auckland Grammar Schools' fifteens, and they gave the New Zealand champions (the Ranfurly Shield holders) a rousing welcome.

The teams set ou t were as published except that Mullins went centre in place of Hunt, and 'T. Parata too"k the field in the fiveeighth position, but at the interval Dalziell went off injured and Hakaraia replaced him.. During the second half Wrigh t (Auckland) went off hurt, McManus taking his place, and Heatley was replaced by Hammond. The game was one in which the pac e and cleverness of the Auckland backs proved too much for Manawhenua. At half time only thro'' points had been scored, Fletcher putting.the figures on the board for Auckland after a forward scramble near the line.

Manawhenua started off at a cracking pace in the second spell, but they soon faded away, and the fast moving Auckland backs outshone the Shield holders.

Manawhenua forwards played great football In the first spell, male-

ing the Auckland van look like a pack of novices. It was their backs

that let them down, there being few rearguard attacks that were at nil effective.

Made sodden by rain through tlv week the ground had been badly churned up by the New Plymouth High School-Grammar match, which was played as a curtain raiser, and the greasy ball and muddy ground spoiled combined back work by Manawhenua. On the other hand, the combination, pace, and cleverness of the Auckland backs was no t seriously hampered by - the conditions. It was a day when the better team won, although the score (17 to nil) can hardly be taken as an indication of the closeness of the game. On a dry ground it would be hard to say how the game would have ended, bul certain it is that the Auckland backs would have played even/ better football. About llic Players. If there had been a mediooor. Jull-back in place of Williamson Aucklai.d would have clapped on pei haps se\enteen more points. He play ea a fine game, going down in grea stylo to everything tha t came his way His sound and powerful kic'<m;. got. his side out of many a :ms;> oorner, and his solid tackling stopp d many a certain try. On only o\v occasion was Williamson mado to look foolish and then it was <h> Lucas side step that beat him, a side step by the way .that has beater, many a better man than Williamson.

When Roberts, the speedy winget got half a chance he was away lik a shot, but his efforts were few and far between. Once or twice his pace stopped likely Auckland tries, his taeling always being deadly. Mullins, who replaced Hunt at centre at the last minute, played an erratic game. He made several inexcusable mistakes that got his side into a lot of trouble, but he made up for them by his solid work in defence. Now and 'again he flashed out in a, pretty solo run. On the other wing, McDonald, the big Maori All Black, was dangerous, [t was seldom that the ball cam e out to him, and when he shone, it was generally through making play for himself from the loose. The Aucklanders found that he was a hard man to tackle and he often beat thre e or four men before being pulled down.

Doug. Brophy, the star of side, svas a strange mixture of ' brilliance and poorness. His "flair for flashing" through a momentary opening mad' him a man to be carefully watched and after he had made the opposition look silly a few times early in the game, his vis-a-vis, Berridge, madesure of grassing him every lime tlvif he got the ball. Even with Batty, the rover, Badeley, and Berridge watching him closely, he was often able to slip through their fingers and shooaway on a brilliant solo run. Being badly supported, he was soon pulled down. Perhaps it was because of his damaged shoulder that Brophy shirked hard tackling. Time and again he let Berridge clean away. The heavy Maori five-eighth, T Parata, found th e going too solid fo> him and it was rarely that he made himself conspicuous. He was no! frightened to go down at the fec t "f :h e Auckland bustling forwards and it was his sound defensive work that showed his value to the team. As an attacking five-eighth h 0 was useless. It must have been disappointing to W. Parata, the clever half-back to see his excellent work going by tlv board. - Every tinve he got the ball he sent his backs away, but the movements' nearly always broke down N T ow and again, he shot round the blind side of the scrum and got clean away with Brophy in support, and foi these pretty flashes the pair wre cheered by the big crowd. Young Parata stood up to a tremendous amount of hard work when his sid« was in tight corners. The veteran captain and rovei Jacob, played a fine game. He w;u one of the best forwards on the field H 3 opened up the play in groat; style v.hcp he got a chance and led ail •Le Manawhenua dribbling rushes, and ofien smashed an Auckland bacu befor e it had gone past Badeley. Jacob is a top-notch leader and field tactician.

Persson and Tremcwan, hookers, had their work cut out to Iveaf the Auckland pair, who hooked the ball just twic c as often as the Manawhenua duo. Persson and Tremevvan toiled hard all the af;ernoon, and out in the loose they were always handy to the ball.

Coming with a great reputation and being a player mentioned for the trip to Africa, Galpin was closely watched and impressed the fans. Together with Jacob, ho was always at the head of any Manawhenua forward rush, his clever dribbling bringing cheers from the crowd. He is a fine stamp of a forward and played a bustling gam c right through. Payne, who locked the scrum, did his job well. He did not shine much in the loose, but when there was tight work to be done he did not shirk it and battled well. The other breakaway, Crawford, showed that he deserves the reputation he has earned as a brilliant forward. Over-eagerness now and again cost his side a penalty, but he

made up for any mistake 1"/ his fine all-round exhibition, particularly in the second spell, when his side was up against it. In the back rank, Dalziell and Heatley did a good deal of good work They proved to be a pair of bustlers and always dangerous in the loose. Towards the end of the game Heatley had to go off through "mud blindness." It was lucky it was near the end of the game for his substitute was poon There were twenty-four scrums of which Manawhnua won eight, all the rest going to Auckland, while one was undecided.

Of the sixty-five lin e outs, Manx ulnnua carried 24 and. Auckland Kf. \»hilo the-rest were indecisive. Manavvhc.nua were awarded elevcs ■frt-.e kicks against Auckland's eighl. while Manawhenua took five marks and Auckland four. JUNIOR AND THIRD-GRADE REPRESENTATIVES. The following representatives of the Horowhenua lower grades are to makefile trips to Wanganui and to Marton respectively on Saturday next, August 27th:— JUNIOBS AT WANGANUI. Graham , Williams (Shannon), Picard, Flutey, Boss (captain), Steven sen, Goodwin, Dalzell, Debreccny, Farrell, Pratt, McLean, Vertongen, Faire, ilellamore. Reserves—Trotter, R. Broughton, Williams (Foxton). THIRDS AT MARTON. Roe, Waite, Hurren, Smith, Jones. Dempsey, Hartley, >Taylor, Berry, Smart, ' Palmer, -Hobson, Bond, Batt. Field. Reserves —Foster, Broadbelt, Huff. MANAWHENUA v WELLINGTON. TEAM TO MEET RANFURLY SHIELD HOLDERS. The sole selector (Mr J. N. Milliard) has chosen the following players _to train with a view to the final selection of the team to represent Wellington against Manawhenua next Saturday: Backs: Malcolm, Elvy, Ramsoii, South, Svenson, M. Nicholls, Johnson, Kilby, Rushbrook, Lang, Grenfell, Mackenzie. Forwards: Glaridge, Oliver, o'Regan, Emerson, Taylor, J. Shearer, Edgar, Pringle, Thomas, Martin-Smith, Porter, Mcllardy.

RANFURLY SHIELD. HAWKE'S BAY ASKING FOR INSTRUCTIONS. THE ANSWER IS LEVIN. NAPIER, August 20. What is believed to be an indication by the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union that it will not now take the Ranfurly Shield apneal to the Supreme Court was given at a meeting here last night, when it was decided to ask the New Zealand Union for instructions as to 'where to forward the trophy. The decision is taken here in well-inform-ed circles as indicating that Hawke's Bay will hand the shield to the new holders and then let the matter drop.