FALWASSER SHINES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 371, 4 June 1928, Page 6

FALWASSER SHINES

MANUKAUS FIGHTING FINISH

A game that was ragged almost beyond description for three parts of the distance and changed its complexion to give the onlookers their money’s worth in the closing stages—this was the Manukau-City match, in which Manukau came to light to snatch the game from the fire in the last ten minutes.

Manukau unquestionably owed its win to the supreme skill of Falwasser. the ex-Hawke’s Bay flyer, who over the

early stages was so repeatedly dangerous that two or three men had to watch him. This left Watene and Al-

bcij with room to work on an exposed llank. Profiting from the weakness, and suddenly shedding the uncertainty that hitherto hud marred their work, the Manukau backs launched attack after attack, and the team finally got home with a try to spare. City held the upper hand for the greater part of the first half, and Heard’s kicking again delivered the goods. From long-range penalties he sent over a couple of lovely shots, pe A - lect both as to trajectory and direction. A fast-breaking set of forwards, among whom Fell and B. Fletcher showed up consistently, kept the red and blacks on top at this period, in which the Manukau backs were crueliy erratic, Watene being particularly offcolour. Falwasser, on the other hand, shone repeatedly, and in one great gallop he swerved past all the City hacks, including the full-back, before lie was grassed from behind. With City leading 6-0 Manukau worked _o .»n attacking position, and in a scrum on the line the City pack refused to obey the referee’s instructions to give ground. Three warnings went ' nheeded. so the referee promptly said. Free kick, Manukau.” and Rata iioistod the flags. From this point, with City leading by three points.

there was no further scoring until well on in the last quarter, though Manukau lost one or two royal chances from penalties early in the second spell. HEARD’S FINE DISPLAY City was plainly handicapped by the absence of C. Fletcher, in whose place at rover Charters played with enterprise, yet without Fletcher’s skill as a spoiler. The side had suffered a loss, two, through the departure of Wilkinson, with an injured leg, in the first minute of the game. Ellis filled the vacancy, and the backs were thereafter rearranged, with Jacob at first fiveeighth, Kerr-Taylor full-back, N. ifwerson at centre, and Crook on the wing. Ifwerson was responsible for one or two spectacular solo gallops, but on the run of the play City’s best back was Heard, who gave a polished display behind a scrum that failed to give him more than a moderate share of the ball. Toward the end the Manukau hookers, PJrimble and Satlierley, secured an absolute monopoly, and it was this which made possible Manukau’s fiery rally in the closing stages. Watene, who had been erratic in the early part of the game, played great Rugby in the second spell, when he handled as brilliantly as he had formerly been uncertain, and the WateneAlbon combination was responsible for a series of spectacular thrusts. From one of these play swung across, allowing the Manukau forwards to take charge, and from the line-out Satherly scored. By converting this try Rata gave Manukau the lead five minutes from time, but the suburbanites were still not satisfied, and the hard-work-ing Leneham scored in hollow fashion from a rebound of a City clearingkick. Manukau fully deserved its wm 11-6, and its fiery attacks in the last quarter turned the crowd’s sympathies its way. Xeverthless, City’s slump is difficult to understand. It must partly be attributed to Dobson and Ifwerson, neither of whom was sure of getting his man. Taylor, Satherly, Golding and that groat little toiler Brimble, were the pick of the hard-working Manukau pack. Behind the scrum Leneham covered himself with glory—he is a great little tradesman —and at full-back Sturmey, though new to the position, gave a practically faultless display. Mr. F. E. Sutherland refereed.