THRILL OF GREAT RUGBY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 141, 5 September 1927, Page 6

THRILL OF GREAT RUGBY

SATURDAY’S MEMORABLE GAME FIERY ATTACK AND AMAZING DEFENCE GREAT Rugby is not necessarily brilliant Rugby, nor evei, good Rugby. But great Rugby must always possess qualities that stir the pulses, and that is why Saturday’s game between Wairarapa and Auckland was a match in a thousand. Through its changing phases were visible the elements of primitive conflict —the relentless fury o’ attack, and the raw courage of magnificent defence.

TX no sense did the game produce "*• brilliant Rugby in the accepted value of the term.

Not half-a-dozen times did either set of backs complete its movements, sending the ball to the wings—and the ordered, chessboard advances of earlier matches were rarely apparent. SUPERLATIVE SPECTACLE But as a spectacle the game was superlative. Its thrill gripped 20,000 people, who saw Auckland’s repeated attacks foiled by the sort of defence about which legends are woven. The great crowd, packed into the stands, banked round the fences, and stacked in quaintly-mottled tiers on the terraced hillside, yielded to the lure of Rugby that was at times just raw battling, and at others a scintillating combination of speed and finesse, while always it was madly exciting, particularly when a sensational obstructiontry ~ had given Wairarapa the lead — the first time this season that Auckland has been headed. From the beginning it was evident that here was to be no parlour game. Wairarapa had massive forwards in the helmeted trio, Harvey, Reed and Fairbrother, with All Black frontrankers in Irvine and Q. Donald, and a great line-out man in the swarthy Reside.

AUCKLAND CARRIES THE DAY Against such opposition the Auckland pack was fully tested —and carried the day. While the honours in line-outs and scrums were evenly distributed in the early stages—and at certain periods Wairarapa appeared to have command —toward the close Auckland was definitely superior, and the final try of the day was won by what seemed a horde of Auckland forwards, led by Batty, who crashed through all opposition in his break for the line. At the very finish the Wairarapa forwards rallied —rallied as only a great pack could do. lan Harvey, the giant All Black lock, almost burst through on his own, until Woods, the Auckland winger, fastened about his legs and brought him down. Between the two packs the salient disparity was the difference in speed, The Auckland forwards appeared just to have so much more pace. There was once when Paewai, in his own country, foolishly attempted to set other backs going. Setting off across-field at his leisurely lope, he found Harvey too fast for him. and down he went. But supporting Wairarapa forwards were absent, and the cance went slipping by. Had the Wairarapa full-back perpetrated a similar blunder, a swarm of Auckland huntsmen would have been there to seize the chance.

SLENDER FULL-BACK Roache made no such errors. Built on fragile lines, he seems all arms and legs, but gathers a ball —overhead, on the hop, or rolling—with fabulous accuracy. A tendency to miskick is his only fault, and that is counter-bal-anced by his courage. He tackles wonderfully, as when he stopped Lucas. The Auckland centre had broken away,

and when he came to Roache he was swerving all ways. Roache got him, but not before the astute Northerner had passed to Keene, so that a try by Woods resulted. As the two packs were relatively even, it was the Auckland backs who were the deciding factor. Though held for 90 per cent, of the game by tackling that was amazingly sound, they hammered away, and the reward came when McManus caught the defence napping. Drawing Randall Booth, he sent Hook skipping across after the ball had emerged quickly from a scrum in the corner. LUCAS AT CENTRE The Auckland backs were perhaps not quite the dazzling lot with which their admirers are familiar. Mr. Meredith’s reluctance to alter his threequarter line was vindicated by the comparative innocuousness of Lucas at centre. Well-marked by Stringfellow. and adroitly shepherded whenever he flanked his wingers for a return pass. Lucas was able to make only one break of any consequence. It resulted in a try. His line-kicking from penalties was superb. Moved in to first five-eighth, Sheen did a good day’s work, and Berridge, too, was very sound, though he gave Lucas one or two impossible passes. McManus endured manfully a severe

gruelling from the Wairarapa pack, and was excellent on attack, while as the last line Paewai handed the ball flawlessly, and tackled with resolution. Overmuch of the latter commodity was evident when he gathered in Cooke, after Cooke, having broken through the other backs, had punted over Paewai’s head. His progress stopped, Cooke angrily swung a backhander at Paewai’s jaw. but under the extremely tantalising circumstances the breach was perhaps pardonable.

It was certainly no worse than Pae- j wai’s, and the referee’s ruling, though sensational, was perfectly sound. POOR KICKING The try gave Wairarapa the lead, but it was not held long. Berridge equalised with a beautiful penalty goal, the only redeeming feature of a very poor day’s kicking, and Hook, Woods and Batty followed with tries. Keene was the outstanding Auckland forward, with Palmer very clever in the loose, and Hadley always on hand, while Batty played the game of his life. Every man in the pack played excellently, McWilliams doing much good work in line-outs. Individually, for Wairarapa, Cooke was the outstanding figure, though he faded from the picture toward the end. Speedy and clever, he was eager for work, and tenacious in defence. From a sound three-quarter line the dashing Le Quesne showed out. He overshadowed Woods, who was hurt

in tlie first spell. Behind the YVairarapa scrum Hiroti was a model half-* back, sending out beautiful passes to Cundy, who was not impressive, and grubber-kicking judiciously. The Auckland team has now scored 209 points in eight matches, against 21. The remaining two matches are against Otago and Wellington.

AUCKLAND B REPS. BEATEN AT TAURANGA

(Special to THE SUN.) TAURAN7GA, Saturday. A large crowd at the Tauranga JJomain this afternoon witnessed the defeat of the Auckland B touring team I by a combined Tauranga-Te Puke XV ! to the tune of 11 points to 3. j Auckland scored first, the visiting backs displaying pace and dash that leave the combined side a great deal

of anxiety in the early stapes. Fin, work by Loft and Bradanovich enabled the latter to score a try, which Short was unable to convert. Shortly before half time, Mackenzie scored for Tauranga, making the score three all at the interval. AUCKLAND’S TACKLING 'iVEAK In the second half, the lighter Auckland pack put up a great resistanca against the local men, but weak tackling by the backs was letting the side down.

Up till the final quarter, however, there was no change in the score. Then Turner raced through from a line out Tangitu's kick being a poster. I inaily,

Mackenzie clinched the game with a try which Morton goaled, the match ending in a win for Tauranga-Te Puke by 11 points (three tries, one converted) to 3 (one unconverted try).

MANAWKENUA RETAINS RANFURLY SHIELD

WANGANUI OUTCLASSED Press Association. PALMERSTON NORTH, Sunday.

In the second challenge match for the Ranfurly Shield, Manawhenua retained the trophy against Wanganui by 25 points to 6 in ideal conditions. The crowd numbered 5,000. The Manawhenua forwards were again the deciding factor, their fast, solid game disorganising and wearing down the defence. Wanganui fielded a strong set of forwards, who gave Manawhenua supporters many anxious moments. Play was fast and exciting from the beginning to the end. The game in the first spell was more even than the half-time score, 11 points to 3, indicated. Manawhenua felt the loss of Brophy, who was suffering from an injured knee. Darby, Wanganui’s fullback, delighted the crowd with his kicking. For the winners McDonald scored three tries, and Parsons and Tremewan one each. Jacob scored a try and a penalty goal and converted two tries. For Wanganui Leahy kicked a penalty goal and Johnsosj scored an unconverted try.

MATAMATA’S “DOUBLE” AGAINST PIAKO

RE-APPEARANCE OF MACKEN (Special to THE SUN.) MATAMATA, Saturday. In a fast and interesting game this afternoon, Matamata defeated Piako by 27 points to 11. A feature of the game was the reappearance of Macke n, last year's Auckland University captain, who was having his first game sine* an injury about Winter Show time. Playing at centre, Macken displayed all his old form. For the winners tries were scored by Macken, Story and Egan, two each, and Hodge, none of them being converted. Keighly and Hooper eacn goaled from free kicks. For Piako, Biddell scored two tries, Reed ing one, and McLaren kicked a penalty goal. . . In the match between the junior reps., Matamata won by the narrow margin of seven points to six.

WELLINGTON TOO GOOD FOR OTAGO

FAST GAME IN CAPITAL Press Association. WELLINGTON. Sunday. Wellington defeated Otago J in a Rugby match at Athletic Pat” the presence of a very large alten( 7 a by 24 points to 16, after a very*** game. Wellington won by being 1)6 able to stand the great pace* tackling of both sides was deadly. Stewart, receiving from OSS, K«jiijreceived from Mitchell, scored a 1 and try for Otago in the first f tes. Lindsay converted. Otago auja jjv strenuously until seccuessive kic ■ Kilby and Johnson set the tJe on defence. Kilby obtained “° pnfc bJe scrum and kicked through to t) „ Thomas to score. Nicholls fa* l | convert. „ f o rStrong attacking by Wei ling wards and passing among tn - was met by a determined . cba n Johnson got over the line for * _ oll gbt to convert. Passing rushes p o rtf r Wellington again on attacks f [ vert ed to score. Nicholls again 16; The spell ended: — Welling*® - Otago, 13. . the first I Hore scored for Otago jjnd- ! five minutes of the second I sp ’ gcrlJ j»s say failing to convVt. ,7- „ T nn"s followed quickly on Welling j o bnAfter good runs Porter passe cob' .son, who scored a line try. nU gh f° r verted. Then Sou li kicked tb , Svenson to score. Nich ' ttaC ked missed. Both sides th ? n -r4th We* 1 ' in turn. The game ended ** u ington winning by 24 points