NEWTON IS BEATEN BUT NOT DISGRACED

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 75, 20 June 1927, Page 10

NEWTON IS BEATEN BUT NOT DISGRACED

SHORE’S BREEZY DAY Lack of finish seemed to be Newton’s trouble in the open and at times spectacular game against Dcvonport, on the North Shore ground. The blacks inflicted a sound thrashing .on the red-and-whites, the superiority of the Shore pack being the big factor in the winning of the match. The soundness of Devonport in defence, and its brilliance ir. attack, had the game in hand almost from the whistle, but Newton plugged away in an uphill fight, game and dangerous to the last. The misfortune of losing Hargreaves in the second quarter, and of two other men in the fourth, was enough to dishearten the stoutest of teams, but it had no effect on the morale. The score of 32 points to 8 was a big one, but the match was no disgrace to the losers. Devonport fielded a strong team, the only emergency called on being Beattie, who replaced Yardley on the wing. Although Newton had that shrewd and hefty threequarter. Dutty, back again to improve its back division about 25 per cent, it was without Little, the nippy wing, whose leg was injured during the week by the fall of a tree. Clarke, also, whose crashing attack would probably have done damage to Shores defences, was still nursing his injuries. Hales went back from five-eighth to the wing. VAN FOUND WANTING It takes a wonderful rearguard to hold its end up when the van is found wanting, and Newton found it an impossibility. Webb had the nail heeled to him in practically every scrum, and he knew liis job. The fast Shore backs dashed out prettily, especially in the second half, gaining much territory with bouts of long high passes over the heads of the opposition. This is a dangerous move for any rearguard which lacks confidence in the slightest degree, but Devonport has the understanding • passeth all interception,” except when

Dufty is handy JTe did the trick very effectively once, and, breaking? through the black pack, got his legs under him and galloped for 70 yards. Devonport had some fliers, though, and they overhauled him when he was 15 yards from the line. tie kicked toward the corner, and Hargreaves failed through lack of pace co put the coping-stone on the effort. Another lone sprint was put up by Dixon, Shore’s snowyheaded forward, in the last quarter. Getting possession from well over the worse side of halfway, he bolted downfield, and, fending off a couple of attackers, finished a brilliant run by planting the leather. The crowd thought this was the best piece of work of the day. and Dixon received an ovation. It was a great run Seagar played a rattling good game, and took the chances offered by the bright half, Webo, whose side-stepping fooled the red-anl-whites repeatedly. La Scott scampered effectively, and landed a good try in the last few minutes, and A. Scott, tl'.e solid centre, was always up when things were moving. All these backs *>f Shore’s are wily men, who have to be well floored before they are inocuous For the losers, MWntyre was heady, and little Morman was not afraid to tackle the biggest of ’em Herewini's swiftness and iiis handling must have given his f-iae confidence. In the second quarter Hargreaves who was no sluggard, went off with slight concussion, but he came back after spell. Toward the finish Somers retired with an injured feg, and Irvine also went off. so that the last two tries were recorded against 12 defenders.