A POINT A MINUTE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 171, 10 October 1927, Page 10

A POINT A MINUTE

Deluge of Tries and Goals In League Rep. Matcl AUCKLAND TOO GOOD FOR BULLER

A RECORD in high scoring was put up at Carlaw Park on Saturday when the Buller League reps were beaten by Auckland to the tune of 60 points to 33. The visitors wer* outclassed, and only a fraction of the 7,000 crowd saw the game out to a finish.

Buller’s besetting weakness throughout the match was the weak tackling of its backs. Lack of fir.ish and knowledge of the fine points of combined play can be pardoned, but not the tackling, which was a disgrace to a sixth grade team. It is more pleasant to turn to the Buller forwards, who saved the visitors from complete annihilation. Some of their ifribbling rushes were very fine, and the pack fought out a losing battle in splendid style. GREAT INDIVIDUAL RECORD Goodall, who played in the interisland match at Auckland, was the best forward on the ground. He scored two tries and converted six—giving hiir, a total of 18 out of Buller’s 33 points. Buller was unlucky in losing so many good men through injuries. McElivee, one of the best of the forwards, had to go ofif before half time, and Thomas, the best back, also received a knock which pul. him out of action. The ground was very hard and had the game been more strenuous, the accident fist would probably have been bigger. A TEMPORARY RALLY At half time Auckland led by 22 points to ten. Buller made a great rally after the interval when the score was 2 22) in Auckland’s favour, but in the closing stages, the Auckland team scored as :.t liked. Only Goodall’s great kicking and fine play saved the team from a football massacre. For Auckland, Beattie (3), List. <3), Gregor:/ (3), Payne (2), Wilson, Wetherill Dixon, Webb and Hutt scored tries. Conversions were made by Dufty (2), Spencer (2). Gregory and Wilson. For Buller, Goddall (2), Cameron (2), Jack, Davis and Burns scored, Goodall converting six tries.

A CRITIC IN THE CROWD His Impressions to a Friend

“Dear Tom, — “It was a toss-up to-day whether we should go out to the Show Grounds to see Ponsonby (Union Rugby) play the World, or amble down to Carlaw Park to join the “great unwashed” in noisy contemplation cf the Buller League team opposed to the Auckland representatives. Finally, being in a lazy mood, we voted for Carlaw. “About 7,000 others were apparently of the same opinion. It was a surprisingly big attendance, considering that races were on at Ellerslie, but the explanation probably is that people haven’t got the money to put on the tote these times. A RECORD SCORE “Now, about this match—it was a wash-out. An Auckland club team would have beaten Buller on the day’s play. The score was 60 to 33 —I suppose the biggest tally ever put up at Carlaw, and Buller’s share of it flattered them. In the second spell particularly they were “nursed” by the Aucklanders, and presented with more than one gift try. “Another game like this, and the noble army of League barrackers—about the; most loyal crowd in Auckland—will be driven to drink or some other equally delirious pastime, as Mr. O. Henry puts it. “In boxing parlance, it was ‘bad match-making.’ I can’t see that Bui-

ler was much to blame— the, no secret of the fact that oL up here to learn. Several of thLT'* players. I believe, were unable the trip, and during the ground was like a board) thet their stock of emergencies. ? manager of the team striDeea 41 trotted on. It was rather f-mn.*? was up-ended as soon as he eor • the game, but he knew the right. t “It was a shame to let Wetherill, Dufty, and Co. loose®*' these youngsters. One thine a w£ League crowd—they may be roiwh, ready, but they are pretty gocd and they cheered Buller on a especially after half-time, when ill West Coasters suddenly jumped score up from 27 —10 to 27 20 i fact, they started ‘cliiacking* GrtxJ Hutt, and ore or two more forcing the pace too hot in the ckSt stages, and rightly so, as ‘PopeH? far too fond of throwing his about among the Bullerites. WISE OLD HEADS “If I were giving any medala on ft. game they would go to Dufty, Wethe ill, and Dixon. These ‘old hu could see that Buller wasn’t too stn»r and that it would be a darned to spoil any good play the on, with the result that whenever ler got a decent movement going tfe obligingly discovered that they w urgent business elsewhere. Not s some of the others, however; tier went ‘all out’ from start to finish. “The feature of the match was Gooeall’s goal-kicking. The hefty BoB«i forward had seven shots at goal, U3i put six of them over. He has aquae way of placing the ball—it was caaw over at an angle of 45 degrees towat the kicker. “Some of the fans have a good sense of humour. Ha Um through the game, when it was otfi. ous that Buller hadn’t an earthly, m of the standites leaned over and huo. cently asked Bill Davidson: *How & you account for it. Bill?* The joke is that Bill was coaching the Eullertetn during the week, but you can’t tin men into All Blacks at a couple rf practices. LIKELY MEN “Auckland tried out a new man« the wing, a chap named Wilson, from Mange re. He is a solic customer with plenty of weight and i»ce, ted may turn out pretty good. His duns were a bit too short for my fancy, though. “Buller had a good wing, too, t young fellow named Thomasi. Heyc in one or two good runs beware he bid to go off, looking pretty grcggy. It* ground was like concrete In patches, and one of the Buller forvrards, MeEl wee, came a frightful ‘buster’ right on his face —anather of the spoil-spor Aucklanders was chucking his weigh: about, it looked to me. 'When MeElwee got up, his face looked lifen underdone roast, yards of skin hariaj been ripped off —more o ? less, course. He was game, though. B< let the Zambuks have a shot at patching him up, and then wort, hack oe again, but he had to give it best * little later. “The crowd had dwindled down tc abot t a quarter of its original stresgli when ‘Porky* Gibbons rang the W for the finish. One thing, the only served to drive home the &■ that Auckland is far and away ahui of the rest of New Zealand at luaff* Most of the crowd who were diaqmkfied after the English trip last jw were South Island men, and twr doesn’t seem to be too many soud*® coming on to take their peaces. Sm the manner in which the tfew Zewj* Council dealt with the trouble in Bj? land was probably the best -hlng Wj 1 could have done. A lot of PW* reckoned they weren’t game to !»»*■ so many good men, but they flMj* and I think it has had e. good «©’• on the game.”