Convincing Victory

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 123, 15 August 1927, Page 6

Convincing Victory

Auckland Downs Taranaki

Fine Form Back and Forward

Wright and Butler Prove Themselves

BEATING- what was regarded as a powerful Taranaki side by 23 points to nil the Auckland Rugby representative team on Saturday put up a performance that stamps it as one of the outstanding sides of the year. _ The team played inspired football, and the pace, resource and cleverness of the backs offset the pronounced strength of the Taranaki’s forwards.

(By THE SUN Special 1 CONCEDING Auckland every credit for a wonderful display, it must yet be noted—and the fact is generally acknowledged—that the Taranaki form was too bad to be its best. The home side took the field without a half-back, a singular circumstance. Just before the game it became known that Lynskey, the chosen half, would not be available, and a series of S.O.S. calls, for another half, was at once circulated. “BILL MOREY WANTED” None could be found, and finally the officials displayed on the score board a huge chalked notice, “Bill Morey wanted,” Morey being one of the discarded candidates for the half-back position. Unmoved, however, by the mute urgency of the appeal, Morey failed to appear, and finally Tiplady, an emergency threequarter or wingforward, went on behind the scrum. He made a desperately bad’ job of it. Little else could be expected from a player who was unschooled in the niceties of half-back play. He is, at best, little more than a schoolboy. It is only a few months since he played for New Plymouth High School. Tiplady’s utter failure was thrown into relief by the brilliant display of W. Wright, who behind the Auckland scrum performed so ably as to suggest that Auckland’s half-back problem has been solved. Getting the ball away smartly, and varying his attack well, Wright stamped all his play with the unmistakable imprint of quality. TEMPERS ON THE RAW Raw tempers were exhibited at several stages in the match, and the referee (Mr. F. J. Eggleton) might have been a shade firmer. There were sultry exchanges between some of the Auckland backs and the Taranaki skipper, H. W. Brown, who allowed a fancied grievance to concern him more than the game, but there could have been nothing worse than the deliberate punch which Knight, the Aucklander, planted on Robinson’s jaw, so injuring him that he was compelled to retire at halftime. Hohaia was given a sample of Kpight’s fond embrace very early in the game, when the crowd murmured, indignantly, and a moment later came the punching incident, which provoked sustained roars of protest. At this early stage the Taranaki forwards were conducting telling excursions into Auckland territory. Ward and Dean were prominent among the marauders. Two feet from the touch-

eporter, New Plymouth.)

line, in Auckland territory, an attack broke down at Hohaia. Instantly Lucas pounced on the ball, threw it in to Sheen, and the centre drew a man before passing to Anderson. In a flash the defence had been pierced. Hook had sailed over from the other wing, and . completed a paralysing move by waltzing across under the bar. AUCKLAND GETS THE BALL The phenomenal success of the Auckland hookers was notable throughout. At times they got in back to Wright like a bullet, and the improvement must have been partly due to Wanoa’s work as lock. He held the scrum as tight as a wall, and toiled like a galley slave into the bargain. Realising tlieir difficulties, the Taranaki forwards instituted fast breaking tactics, but still could not stop Wright from whipping the ball away. From an early scrum lie sent Meyer, Berridge and Sheen away, Sheen selling a dummy that completely stranded Brown. Again the defence was riven, and Sheen galloped to Petty, with the obliging Hook outside him, so that again there was a simple try, Berridge converting.

Despite Auckland’s eight points, Taranaki held a distinct territorial superiority in the first half. The difference was that Auckland was dangerous from any part of the field, whereas Taranaki’s thrusts, even when the forwards were driving through in a yellow avalanche, lacked the polish that brings points. Butler, too, was proving rock-like. After Hohaia, on one occasion, bad shaken off Lucas, he gathered the Maori winger and lifted him bodily into touch. Butlers immense pluck, in diving resolutely to every rush, and the unfailing enterprise with which ho followed every kick through, to tackle valiantly with a plunge to the ankles, captured the fancy of the Taranaki crowd. TARANAKI BACKS POOR Such sterling firmness was in contrast to the painful hesitancy of the Taranaki backs, who in the second spell began to wilt perceptibly. Even the Taranaki barrackers saw flaws in their idol when Brown persistently sought to intercept, instead of tackling. Johnston’s ineptitude prompted amazement that he had ever worn an All Black jersey, and Owen, a rotund and cherubic individual, was simply not of the required class. After Robinson’s retirement Sturmey came on, another big man. At this stage the respective wing-forwards, and the respective threequarters, were exchanging pleasantries. Brown was palpably guilty of tactics not approved by lovers of fair play. Acci-

dentally or otherwise, he finally managed to effect Sheen’s departure from the field. Anderson, also, had struck trouble — things were hecticin the loose scrum? —and retired witl bruised ribs. Wood.a n d McDonald were the new arrivals.

Anderson, before bis departure, gave a great exhibition of forward play. He was conspicuous in the line-outs, and worked like a beaver. As the game progressed the Auckland pack got more and more of the game, though at no stage could it be said to have mastered the amber pack. McWilliams showed a rare turn of speed in supporting Hook, who leaped high to gather a miskick from Owen, and then sprinted thirty yards before he was tackled by Petty. A try resulted, and other grand tries were scored by Lucas and Meyer, Berridge converting one try, while Sheen drop-kicked a clever AUCKLAND’S BEST PACK No change could be suggested in the composition of the Auckland team, back or forward, so well did it acquit itself. Fletcher, in the back of the scrum, was another dashing forward. On one occasion he charged twenty yards, like a bull, through a mass of opponents. Knight showed himself to be a slashing forward, who can afford to keep his head, and Hadley was right up to form. Individually the backs were all sound, with Sheen particularly impressive at centre. The genius of Lucas delighted the crowd, and Hook’s three tries were a reflection of his anticipation and pg.ee. If the form shown was any criterion, none of the Taranaki backs is up to All Black form. Brown made some nice dashes toward the end, but he was generally colourless. Petty, at fullback, was easily the pick of the bunch. Ward led the forwards in grand style throughout, and Young, a fine front-ranker, was as good as any. Kivell worked hard, and Walter was a useful rover, though not as good as Keene on the day, while he was grotesque when he went behind the pack as the last-resort half-back.