LEAGUE’S BIG DAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 49, 20 May 1927, Page 7

LEAGUE’S BIG DAY

Crack Metropolitan Thirteens To Meet in First Big Clash

CAN PONSONBY DOWN CITY?

CITY and Ponsonby! How memories are stirred by mention of Auckland’s two crack League clubs. What the Auckland-Wellington match is to Rugby the annual clash between City and Ponsonby is in League

To-m° rrow is the day of days as as League football is concerned in Auckland. Representative matches may be P la s" ed with an y other teams • u y e w Zealand, but this match causes Jnore excitement than any of them. It is a match looked forward to as the star attraction of the season, and has been so ever since the commencement 0 f League foottall in Auckland. One almost wonders why such should be t he case, but Ponsonby v. City in Leagie football is the same as Wellington v. Auckland in Rugby. Given a fine day on Saturday, the Auckland League can depend on having a record gate. Club form has been so in-and-out to date that it is difficult to get a line on the two teams. But on paper it looks an even break. There are all the indications of a battle royal from start to finish. TEAM PROSPECTS ANALYSED Ponsonby has had only one game this season. Last Saturday the “Ponies” played a drawn game with Newton, but under the conditions ruling too much notice cannot be taken ef this. City, on the other hand, has played two games, one on a dry day and the other in the wet, and has had a better chance of trying out its players, put, again, on the other hand, Ponlonby has practically the same team

is that which won the championship last season, while the City thirteen has undergone a number of changes this season, and does not appear as itrong as usual. L. Brown may not be able to play for City. He is still suffering from a bad hand. If he is unable to take the field to-morrow, he will be greatly mised from the red-and-black’s three-quarter line.

T he fight for possession ~, has a Rood hooker, and uld be a battle royal between nf th! v. d n and Lowry for possession of the ball. A lot depends on the

referee, and what tactics he allows. This is a burning question with the Auckland referees, and has been the subject of many discussions in the Referees’ Association. J. Peckham has this year been appointed captain of the “Ponies” in place of Delgrosso, who has been leading the team with success for many years. Peckham’s merit is beyond question, but in some ways it seems almost a pity that the change was made. Frank has been a great battler for this club, and also a good skipper. His English experience, too, is a great asset. THE OTHER GAMES The Richmond-Marist game should be a very even one. Both teams play a different style of football, and on the two games last week Marist should just about win, but there will not be much between them at the finish. Richmond will miss Campbell, its hooker, for a few weeks, and will most likely have Parkes hooking on Saturday. The club must consider itself lucky to have two good hookers in the same team, as most clubs find it hard to find a hooker at all. The Shore-Athletic game will be played at Devonport. It should be a fast, open game, and Shore will have to put their best foot forward to defeat this improving young team, who are very fit and keen, and will be going right up to the whistle. Athletic is very confident of being able to hold its own with the boys from across the harbour. To-morrow will tell!