THE BATTLEGROUND FOR THE FIRST TEST Wairarapa Escapes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 381, 15 June 1928, Page 10

THE BATTLEGROUND FOR THE FIRST TEST

Wairarapa Escapes

Auckland’s Rugby Challenge

Series of Important Fixtures

IT was obvious teu days ago that. il' Wairarapa won the Ranfurly Shield from Canterbury, the Wairarapa Union would not be anxious to meet Auckland as soon as its teaiu returned from the South. There should therefore be no surprise in the final arrangement whereby Auckland s match with Wairarapa will not. whatever happens, be for the Shield.

yyTHETHER or not the Wairarapa Union has been doing a little “side-stepping,’’ the Auckland Union has shown exceptionally fine sporting spirit in waiving its right to challenge. Should Wairarapa lift the shield it will find its strongest challenger removed from its path by Auckland's decision. Auckland meets Wairarapa on Wednesday. August 1, the day after the Wairarapa team's return from the South, and it is quite on the cards that the Northerners will win. Auckland beat a strong Wairarapa side at Auckland last season, though only after a great struggle, and if the Auckland backs rise to last season's heights the team will this season be formidable on any ground in the country. Whether Wairarapa will return from the South with the shield is problematical. The confidence of the team’s supporters is said to have suffered a severe jar at Napier, when the young and almost untried Bay pack had the Wairarapa forwards battling hard, for a good part of the proceedings, with their backs to the wall. ABSENT ALL BLACKS Canterbury, of course, is unlikely to be as strong as it was last year. Four

backs of All Black calibre take a lot of replacing. So do such forwards as Burrows, Scrimshaw. and Alley.

Apart from the matches on tour, thstrongest attraction in August is tlvmatch against New South Wales, to be played at Auckland. As the visiting team will include several of tnWaratahs, it should he a big draw lor the Rugby public. There is a whole crop of match*-' • be played in September, including oai against Xorth Auckland for the slnek* if Auckland holds it, at Auckland on September 1, while a team will pb at Thames the same day. On September 8 Auckland will, meet Wangany at Auckland and Northern W airoa *- Dargaville; on the 15th Auckland v - **• meet Thames Valley at Auckland, ana Hawke’s Bay at Napier. For the Affixture the A rep team will go straiS' - down and straight back. A propose that it should visit Wairarapa tor shield matcli at the same time is - feasible. The last representative maw at present on the schedule win played a week later, against Tarana*at Auckland. From the list traversed above » apparent that Auckland has a season ahead of it. Not only is it a season, but also it promises to ‘ exceptionally interesting one, t .a keep interest alive until the \e . match has been played.

- - Auckland doe* - meet Canterbrn until August 4 and In the nieij time Walrarm* Otago, and South Canterbury have had a cut &• the shield holder* Wairarapa is the most likely of the>challengers, Otago next. But Auckland, on la*.-, year's form, is undoubtedly the most formidable chalk:) - ger of all. so if Wairarapa lifts the shield it is certain that the Wairarap-, Union will not be anxious to repeat la*: year’s experience, when its tenure othe shield was little better than a nir.-r days’ wonder. If Canterbury still hole.? the shield on August 4, then a battle royal may be expected, with Auckland striving to lift from the plainsmen thtropliy it has not held since Taranak. bore it away in 1913. From the tone of discussion at recent meetings of the Auckland Rugby Union and from the union’s ready cGmpliancwith Wairarapa’s point of view, it ma> be inferred, however, that Auckland Is not wildly enthusiastic about regaining the shield, and this inference may bi regarded as fact. Several members of the union, while realising that the shield is a great attraction from the box office point of view, consider it brings with it embarrassments that offset its advantages. The Auckland Union is not in linancial straits. Like any other institution it could do with more kind* but it does not want to acquire a bigger bank balance at a sacrifice of the welfare of lower-grade football, which was one of the dangers seen when Auckland held the shield before. In the case of Hawke’s Bay, when* the shield did an immense amount of good, the union there was not at all strong financially. But though it held the shield long enough to establish startling records, the union there probably just got rid of it at the right time for the ultimate good of the gann in its district. As far as Wairarapa is concerned, therefore, Auckland will be satisfied if it can secure the honour and glory of beating that unquestionably fine team upon its own ground. It is practically certain that almost the strongest team available will be sent on tour, the only leading light who is at present doubtful being McManus, Fortunately there are other good halfbacks in Jeffries, Wright and Carter The Varsity man has only to give on* or two more displays like that of last Saturday to be in direc t line for selection. Bush is another Varsity claimant for representative honours, while Macintosh, if available, may be invited to make the trip. Apart from the tour, the next representative match on the programme is the return game with Waikato, to be played at Auckland a fortnight from tomorrow. Three weeks later the next home representative game will be played against Thames Valley'. The touring programme begins on August 4. and lasts until August lithe separate matches being:—August 1, Wairarapa: August 4. Canterbury August 8, South Canterbury (at Timaru); August 11. Otago (at Dunedin• ■ August 15, Southland (at Invercargill); August 18, Wellington. MATCH WITH WARATAHS .Meanwhile the competition match*' in Auckland will be deferred until the rep team’* return, and Pollard Cup matches will probably be played dui ing its absence. It is the Rugby Unionintention to pursue the second round of the senior grade competition as far as possible, so it is perfectly reasonable to sup»pose that more match?' will have to be played after the representative team’s return.