NEW CHAMPIONS ARISE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 135, 29 August 1927, Page 10

NEW CHAMPIONS ARISE

HAWKE’S BAY DETHRONED HEAVIEST DEFEAT IN MANY YEARS

AUCKLAND’S Rugby prestige is raised to a pinnacle by its win over Hawke’s Bay on Saturday. While the fast and elusive backs were instrumental in scoring clever tries, it was the forwards who showed most convincing improvement. Against a heavier pack the Auckland forwards held their own in the loose, and took command in most of the scrums.

IN some respects the Hawke’s Bay! team on Saturday was but a I shadow of the great teams of the past. Nevertheless Auckland’s win was so clear-cut as to justify the inference that Auckland at present would win, and win well, from any team the Bay could send along. In the ability of the two sets of forwards there was little difference. Auckland’s control of the ball in the loose seemed to be better than the opposition’s, but the shock tactics of the Bay spearhead, battering in massed formation, made it very hard to stop. AUCKLAND’S FAST BACKS While there was little between the forwards, there was a vast amount between the backs, and once it was shown that the Auckland pack could hold its own, then the ultimate success of Auckland was positively assured. There was this between the backs —that whereas every one of the Auckland lino was sound, resourceful and dependable, among the Bay backs only Corkill, Yates and Grenside were reliable. Early in the proceedings the Bay skipper, Barclay, rearranged his team. He transferred Rolls from rover to centre, took over the roving job himself, and made Priestley the second five-eighth. How Priestley secured a place in the team must, in view of his poor performance, remain a mystery. Only a mediocre club man—he plays for Celtic, in Hastings—he was hardly that, even, on Saturday, and he was the stumbling block in any attacking movement that the Bay backs instituted. Rolls had opened quite well as wing-forward, though overshadowed by Keene, and his transfer to centre was not a hnpnv move. In his place at rover Barclay made the pace a cracker throughout the first spell, and for a time was the outstanding figure on the field. His remarkable dash and speed were never better illustrated. But he rather faded toward the end. IN DEFENSIVE ROLE Meanwhile the Bay backs were seeing little of the ball, and two dashing wingers in Grenside and Huxtable were occupied almost solely by defence. Grenside had few chances to show the resolute runrfing which has raised him to All Black class, but once or twice ho sidestepped prettily, giving glimpses of delightful trickiness, and lie did an immense amount of defensive work, though Hook beat him badly toward the finish of the game. Corkill was really the only Bay back to add to his reputation. On defence he was magnificent, and his resourceful short-punting was the only glimmering of intelligence that the Bay attack disclosed. Man for man, the Bay backs defended well, but the rapid cohesion of the opposing machine was too much for them. Te Ngaio, who came on near the finish, did well while he was there.| As first five-eighth he was much better than Priestley had been at eeeond. No adjustments of the Bay backs could have withstood indefinitely the whirlwind onset of Auckland. Winning the serums, the Auckland hookers gave McManus chances to get the ball away sweetly, and he covered himself with glory. McManus, Meyer, and Hook were outstanding in the Auckland rearguard, Meyer playing the orthodox first five-eighth game—which, after all, is really the sound policy—to perfection. Only once or twice did he vary his methods, and each time the surprise was effective. A grubber kick and quick follow cut the liny defence like a knife, and late in the game, a lightning blind-side sally sent Hook over for the cleverest try of the match. WANDA’S SENSATIONAL TRY For spectacular effect, however, nothing surpassed Auckland’s opening try. Battling down the far touch-line, the Bay forwards had Auckland in trouble, and Tankard was within a yard of the line. Somehow the Auckland forwards rallied, broke through with clever footwork past Edwards and Huxtable, and Yates and Ratty, Wanoa and Keene, were left with a clear field

ahead. The ball came up into Wanoa’s arms, he looked round for support, and Keene was with him. But the support was needless. Five Aucklanders convoyed Wanoa to the line, and from the shattered defence not a man pursued. No simpler yet more sensational try could

have been imagined in Rugby. Throughout the first spell Hawke's Bay attacked. The amber and black forwards were distinctly on top, but finish was lacking, and two more sensational breaks saw Lucas and Hadley A graph compiled for THE SUN shows that Hawke’s Bay was in Auckland territory for two-thirds of the first spell, but could not score, while Auckland, dangerous anywhere, put on II points. After the spell it was another story. The Auckland forwards, thoroughly on their mettle, began to assume definite supremacy. Heffernan was caught offside. and Berridge goaled. and a momoment later Hook, turning in-field at the end of chain passing. shot through the Bay defence. HOOK'S GREAT DISPLAY His performance on the day raises Hook definitely to the catalogue of All Black candidates. He had a part, either as the scorer or an active factor, in all the second-spell tries. Sheen scored from a pass by Hook, and then Hook kept away from Barclay in a desperate and thrilling neck-an-1-neck race. Spectators had the impression that Barclay could have floored the Aucklander by diving, but apparently

he concentrated on trying to smother the pass, with the result, that Hook was able to roll across with the ball underneath him. The sensational gallop had begun when Corkill mis-kicked into the arms of Hook, who fielded beautifully, on the run. Examining the performances of the Auckland backs, one recollects only a solitary flaw —an occasional bad pass from Berridge to Sheen. Otherwise Berridge played excellently. Lucas, of course, was just Lucas—always alert, and poised for action; Sheen showed his best form, with defence a feature: and Paewai’s crisp fielding made his performance at. fullback notable. Among the forwards, Hadley and Palmer won honours for smart hooking, and Batty for fine footwork. McWilliams shone repeatedly in the loose, and Knight and Cathcart kept the Grammar flag flying in capital style; while Wanoa, who has captured the public fancy, again showed that he is a forward of champion class. BROWNLIE’S EASY DAY Cyril Brownlie, the famous Bay international, had one of his apathetic days. He was not the hurricane Brownlie of the W'airarapa match on July 9, and his moderately industrious performance fell short of reputation. On the day a better forward, and the pick of the Bay pack, was the massive Heffernan, who formerly played in Auckland for the Marists Club. Tonkard. Campbell, and Wilson were three others always in the picture. On the flank of the scrum Keene was outstanding. He harried the Bay backs, making Corkill his special target, and repeatedly was responsible for the collapse of their movements. Altogether it was Auckland’s day. and the score of 26—0 was eminently satisfying to the 24,000 onlookers. The crushing defeat is the heaviest that Hawke’s Bay has suffered for very many years.