OTAGO’S SPLENDID EFFORT

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 147, 12 September 1927, Page 10

OTAGO’S SPLENDID EFFORT

review such a game is a task that warms the memory with pleasant recollections, shaded by only one regret—that the game could not have been played under dry conditions. What a struggle it would then have been, with the dour sweeps of Saturday’s dribbling sallies exchanged for swift thrusts by two champion threequarter lines! For once the Auckland threequarters met opposition of their own class. Indeed, on the day, the Otago fliers gathered even more honours than the Northerners across the way. They were slightly faster, and by virtue of his magnificent physique and deep kicking, D. Lindsay was at least the equal of the Auckland idol, F. W. Lucas. DRIBBLiNG AS AN ART It was no day for back play, yet both sets of backs occasionally burst into swift, arresting movements. Auckland had much the major share of these efforts, but during the afternoon produced nothing to surpass the great try scored by Peterson, or the speedy dash of Stewart when he shot past Hook for Otago’s second try. There is a suspicion that the repeated passing efforts by the Auckland backs were hardly the right tactics for the occasion. Had the team lost, those who guide its policy on the field would have been open to the reproach that they led the backs to overdo passing under conditions that were unsuitable for such efforts. Not after the first fine try by Hook did the Auckland backs ever look really threatening. On the contrary, they were always liable to drop the ball, and let Otago capitalise the error. In that line of business the Otago men were artists. They revealed traces of what old-timers have regretfully decided is a lost art—the facility to control a ball on a long excursion, and not yield to the abiding temptation to stoop and pick it up. A GREAT QUARTETTE The two sets of forwards were matched with extraordinary evenness throughout the game. But for two men, who kept the ball to their toes, the Auckland pack would have been overshadowed by men who persisted in tactics better adapted to the occasion. The two men were Batty and Keene. Both played wonderful football, and must be bracketed with two Otago men, Sonntag and Hindenach, as the best forwards on the ground. Sonntag, a beautifully - proportioned specimen, made the weight of his presence felt alike in the scrum, in the line-out, and in the loose. He is an All Black forward if ever there was one. And Hindenach, the tenacious Otago University front-ranker, was at the head of nearly all of those raking dribbling rushes with which the Otago forwards repeatedly assailed the Auckland line. When Peterson retired at half-time with a broken rib, the Otago rearguard lost its weakest link. It was Peterson who swallowed a dummy from Berridge and let Auckland get a man over when Hook went across for the first try of the match. And a great try it was. So far was the defence beaten then, and a little later when Berridge again made Peterson look shadowy, that Auckland supporters sat back condescendingly and waited for a cricket score—the cricket score that failed to materialise. KNIGHT SAVES A DRAW

Just how well-matched the teams were can be gathered from an analysis of the scoring. Each side scored three tries, including one under the bar. In both these instances the kicks at goal cleared the bar, but Knight managed to flick the Otago kick with his fingers, and no goal was signalled. Thus did Auckland gain its two-point margin.

Between the forwards there was little or nothing, and the same applied to the opposing fullbacks and threequarters. It was among the inside backs where Auckland was superior, and Berridge, particularly, was better than his markers. Handling the ball with admirable certainty, and restraining an inclination to run too far, he played one of his best games. It was his clever cutthrough -that led to Auckland’s first fry—a glorious effort. A little later he repeated his break, but with such success that he lost his supports, and had no option but to go on and be tackled by Heazlewood.

Next to Berridge, Meyer was just a link in the chain, and in that capacity he fulfilled requirements, though sometimes, among the absent when the Otago forwards were swooning down. TURNING THE ATTACK

The first try to the Southerners came when Lindsay, well out, fielded on the run and pierced the Auckland threequarter line. Running into position on the outside, Webb was ready for a pass, but instead of obliging him Lindsay turned the thrust infield, swung a long pass to Peterson, and sent the fiveeighth over for a capital try. But for Keene, whose onslaughts were incessant, the Otago backs would have been constantly dangerous. But Keene broke up many of their movements. At the head of a drive by the Auckland forward, he caught Peterson in possession, and managed to rob him of the ball when the pair fell over the line. Auckland’s third try came after Otago had taken the lead, a development that was greeted by the crowd with surprising enthusiasm. Stewart, taking a pass from Mitchell who went round the blind side to draw the defence cleverly, put on the second try. Though fifty yards out he set sail for the line with resolute speed. A skip as he was approaching Paewai threw the fullback off his balance, so that though he caught the Southern flier, he could not stop his progress, and Stewart managed to ground the ball in the corner. When Webb had added another try excitement ran high while Auckland’ was striving to recover the lead, Attack after attack was stopped by the gallant Otago backs. Holden, Mitchell, Callander, Lindsay. Stewart Heazlewood went down to Batty Wanoa and company time and a 6lUll ! and in doing so showed the value of that plucky though exacting form of defence. A lapse was due, however, and it came when Lindsay, bustled, kicked a rolling ball instead of trying to pick it up. Rebounding off Cathcart, the ball slithered across the line, and Auckland was once more ahead! It was the last try of the da.y. LINDSAY TAKES THE EYE

Lindsay, otherwise, was an exemplary centre. With safe hands, a powerful kinking boot, and the pace to back his eye for an opening, he is certain to interest the All Black selectors. Similar qualities may earn Stewart a place in the team for South Africa, though the former sprint champion is up against the competition of

BERRIDGE EXPLOITS A WEAKNESS RACING SOUTHERNERS SCORE FINE TRIES AUCKLAND did just a shade more of the attacking than Otago in the match at Eden Park on Saturday, and on that account the two points victory of the northern side was an adequate representation of the merits of the the teams. It was a great match, with Otago just failing in a splendid effort to break Auckland’s remarkable string of successes.

many other tine wingers. One would not be surprised, however, to see this Otago team contribute substantially to the next All Blacks. In Sonntag, Hore, Hindenach and Marslin (forwards), and Lindsay and Stewart (backs) it has men of the right stamp. Webb, Mitchell and Holden were others to impress, but: Holden was hardly up to McManus on the day, though he showed evidence of cleverness in the open, and went down nobly to the Auckland forwards. Even more tenacious was the Auckland half, McManus, whose only fault was a reckless tendency to throw long passes in loose play. Feeding his backs from scrum or line out, he was faultless, but his random tosses from the loose spelt danger, will be suicidal next Saturday if C. G. Porter is on his game. Of the threequarters, Lucas was the best, with Hook very useful, and Woods distinctly unimpressive until late in the proceedings. Behind them Paewai did a difficult day’s work exceptionally well. An occasional mistake was more than redeemed by brilliant saves, and the ex-Hawke’s Bay man’s handling was remarkable under the conditions. If is possible that he underestimated Webb’s pace when the fast Varsity man flew down the line in pursuit of a rolling ball. Getting there first, the Southerner controlled the ball nicely, to outpace Meyer for a try. AMONG THE FORWARDS Cathcart’s fine line-out work was a noticeable feature of Auckland’s forward play. Hunting well together, the blue and white forwards at times gave the Otago backs a torrid time. Batty was quite the pick of the pack, with Hadley. Wanoa and Righton beside him most of the way. Mr. F. E. Sutherland, referee, had no difficulty with a game that was played throughout in admirable spirit. HAWKE’S BAY DRAWS AT GISBORNE GREAT FORWARD PLAY Press Association. GISBORNE, Saturday. The best that Hawke’s Bay could do to-day against Poverty Bay was to run the local reps, to a 11 all draw. The Hawke’s Bay backs proved to be only a shadow of their former glory, although their forwards, led by Morrie Brownlie, played with great dash and vigour. In the second spell, the famous All Black led his men in assault after assault on the Poverty Bay defences. The “Magpies” came within an ace of scoring on several occasions in a last desperate effort to win the match, but the tackling of the Gisborne men kept them out. For Poverty Bay, Thomas and Caulton scored, the latter converting his try and kicking a penalty. Wilson and Corkill scored for Hawke’s Bay, Grenside converting one try and kicking a penalty. VARSITY TROUNCED BY MANUKAU POLLARD CUP ROUND Manukau gave Varsity a decisive j beating at. Onehunga. Having once j established a lead, Oneliunga’s chain- \ pions never looked like being headed. j The teams were: Varsity. —Blakey. C. Olsen. Bradano- i vitch, McLeod, O’Halloran, Stotter, Cash- ! more, Stone, Black. Miller. J. Jenkin, Linton, Wills, Brooker and Colgan. Manukau. —Amohanga, Albon, Tutaski, Lipscombe, Sturmey, Rata. Ingraham, Taylor, Brimble, Satherley, Kahu. Nathan. Grace, Laird, and Howsham. The game was played in a downpour, but despite the rain the ground was in splendid order and the Rugby throughout was fast and exciting. Varsity played much below form. The forwards were in a sluggard mood and i the backs were unable to reproduce ! their best form. Combination was ( lacking and initiative at a low ebb. ' The students went down in a perfectly j inglorious defeat. Manukau, on the other hand, played up to its best form, dominated the game all the time in all departments, and bore all the semblance of winners all the way. On the run of the game the home side might well have won by more than it did—at least three points more had a well-judged tactical cross-kick which Albon touched down not been nullified by a dead ball ruling. Varsity did not cross the home team’s line. Its solitary three points were due to a penalty kick by Miller. That equalised the score, the Manukau captain, having kicked a goal on a lucky second attempt. After that the game simply drifted out of the students’ hands. The home team’s backs, among whom the Maori trio, Tutaki, Rata and Amohanga, must oe credited with splendid, heady games, played a sparkling passing type of Rugby, something rather beyond what the spectators could have hoped for on the day. Manukau's first try resulted from q fine movement that went right down the length of the field, the forwards carrying the ball to the front of the goal posts, where Taylor got across. Having established a lead of three, a fresh breath of determination went through the team, and soon three more points were added from a scrum in the Varsity twenty-five. Sturmey got the ball and delivered it to Lipscombe, who was able to fight his way across. * McLeod failed to take a pass clean, and Albon scooped the ball up. passing to Rata, who scored. This put Manukau nine points up, but it was not long before Ingraham nipped round a scrum on the Varsity line and Sturmey con- I verted. The final points were added by Tay- j lor, making Manukau 20 to Varsity’s 3. The students seemed imbued with the end-of-season spirit. Mr. G. Peace refereed the game. TECH. OLD BOYS BEAT NORTH SHORE The match between Technical Okl I Boys and North Shore on Saturday was t a very even game, but it was not fast, i for the state of the ground and ball was against good passing. There was only one score in the game, Hogg mak- I ing an unconverted try for Technical. ! The Anal score was: Technical Old Boys 3, North Shore. 0. Air. Dudson re- ' fereed.