FOOTBALL DONNYBROOK

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 437, 20 August 1928, Page 6

FOOTBALL DONNYBROOK

English Team Fights Its Way to Victory in Second League Test WILD AFTERNOON AT DUNEDIN (Special to THE SUN) DUNEDIN, Sunday. IN a match, which at times threatened to get completely out of hand, England heat New Zealand at League on Saturday by 13 points to 5. Eight thousand spectators witnessed the game, which was marred by several disgraceful exhibitions of rough play, culminating in Burgess, the English forward, being ordered off at the request of a line umpire.

New Zealand, in the early part of the game, held the upper hand, but before the lirst spell had ended the fast English backs began to assert their superiority. Though the passing of the Englishmen was very often illdirected, they showed better combination than the home rearguard, and were at times brilliant. The New Zealand backs showed out individually, but seldom came away in combined efforts.

Both sets of forwards showed plenty of dash, and the teams secured an equal share of the ball from the scrums. The New Zealand forwards were superior in the loose, however, and very often broke away in clever dribbling rushes. What caused the rough play was not apparent to the spectators, who showed in no uncertain way their disapproval of the tactics employed by the two teams. That ill-feeling existed between the teams became apparent early in the game, and as it progressed the match developed more into a trial of strength than an exhibition of tho League code. At times the players fought openly, and tackled unnecessarily hard. There were numerous arguments, in which players had to be forcibly restrained from exchanging blows, and as the game progressed the friction became so marked that the spectators lost in-

terest in the game, which was too frequently punctuated by stoppages while players argued and fought, or received treatment from the ambulance men. Had Referee Devereaux taken a firmer hold of the game in the early stages, and ordered the offenders off, perhaps the players would have realised their folly,and settled down to play the game again. But it was not until the end was approaching that Mr. Devereaux, at the request of a linesman, ordered Burgess, the English forward, to leave the field. Tie slowly walked off, to the accompaniment of hoots and jeers by the spectators. Before he returned to the pavilion he had to have blood wiped from his face. Spectators who went to the ground with the object of obtaining a true indication of the merits of the League game, *eft with a pronounced feeling of disgust, without being impressed by tho game, in spite of the fact that conditions were all in favour of a first-class exhibition of the code. SULLIVAN BRILLIANT On the English side, Sullivan gave a fine exhibition of fullback play, kicking powerfully, and running up on several occasions to send his backs away. Brough was the outstanding threequarter, and the best attacking back on the side. Ho invariably gained a long stretch of ground before he was colored, and he extricated his side from some tight positions. EUaby in the first half, was disappointing, but made some fine dashes in the second spell. The halfbacks, Evans and Rees, combined well. In the forwards, Elides, Burgess, and Bowen stood out above the others. PRENTICE BRILLIANT On the New Zealand side Dufty, as usual, was reliable, and he too made openings for his backs. Brisbane was very solid, and Scott was clever in attack, but at times weak in defence. Prentice was the best Pack on the side, and made many thrusts deep into the Englishmen’s ranks. Delgrosso, before he was injured, served his side well. Wetherilll played up to his usual good form, while the most prominent forwards were M. O’Brien, Goodall, and Hutt.

Did Referee Lose His Grip on Game ?

DETAILS OF PLAY MORE FIGHTING THAN FOOTBALL Dufty and Sullivan, the rival fullbacks, opened the scoring, both raising the flags in the early stages of the game from penalty kicks. New Zealand had the better of the game in the early stages, Prentice, Scott, M. O’Brien and Goodall showing out in several bright dashes. The first hint of trouble occurred midway through the first spell when a hectic set-to occurred. Bowen and Prentice got a caution from the referee. DELGROSSO CARRIED OFF Then Delgrosso was carried off hurt, and Tim Peckham came on in his place. Following the breakdowns of two English passing bouts, New Zealand swung to the attack, and fine work by Brisbane and Scott saw the latter

score. Dufty kicked a “poster.” New Zealand 5, England 2. England lost a great chance when Burgess failed with a free kick in front of the posts. Then Prentice broke away and nearly scored, but tripped and fell when about to touch down. Play shifted to the other end where, from a scramble, Rees shot over. Sullivan goaled. At half time the scores were: England 7, New Zealand 5. LIVELY SECOND SPELL Fast dashes by the backs on both sides marked the opening of the second spell. Prentice and Ellaby both showed in fine play. Then the fireworks started again, Dufty, Horton and Prentice being cautioned for fighting. Shortly after Horton went off with a head injury and Jim O’Brien followed with a nasty knock on the nose. Then Brough started the English backs going, a fine burst of passing ending in Ellaby scoring. Sullivan goaled well from near the touchline. England 10, New Zealand 5. LINE UMPIRE STEPS IN More fighting followed, the referee appearing to be altogether too lenient with the players. Finally, after a hectic passage near the a line umpire stepped in and insisted that Burgess should be sent off. The referee upheld him and the big front ranker

went off with blood streaming from his face, amid hooting. SULLIVAN BRILLIANT

Both sides attacked in quick succession. Sullivan, who was proving a tower of strength to England, started a fine rush, which ended in Bowen scoring. Sullivan missed the kick. England 13, New Zealand 5. In the final stages the referee seemed to lose his grip on the game. On one occasion half a dozen men joined in a voluble argument, the more hotheaded ones having to be forcibly restrained from exchanging blows by their team-mates. The game ended without further score.

CLUB MATCHES

SENIOR GAMES RESUMED TWO UNEXPECTED WINS After that sting which the Englishmen produced in their play at Auckland, the feature club match at Ca,rlaw Park between Richmond and Ponsonby lacked a deal of dash and excitement. Only on about half a dozen occasions did the usually keen and enthusiastic band of supporters stand up and call upon their vocal organs in loud cheer. Of course, it is not the time for “straight talk.” Club games have been off the map for five weeks, and actual brilliance as League fans have been treated to lately, would be a little too much to ask for. PONSONBY HAD BETTER OF GAME With the backbone (Delgrosso, Peckham and Hutt) out of the ranks of the Ponies' ” thirteen, they put up a remarkably good fight against the youthful Richmond Leaguers, who fielded practically its full team. During the better part of the game Ponsonby certainly appeared the winning side. It had much the better of the attack, and Richmond’s points were gained by flashes-—not the result of tigerish battling on the attack. Ttio two outstanding men in the Ponsonby side were Thompson and Usher. Both of them made some exceptionally fine openings, but on too many occasions did a neat move go astray thorough faulty handling. More practice at lirst and second five-eighth, and Thompson and Usher would be a handy couple. SThey completely shattered the defence put up by the opposing line consisting of Jenkinson and Wheaton, and doing this on so many occasions, Ponsonby should have left the field easy winners. * urther out in the Ponsonby line, Gardiner made more use of his hefty bulk than usual. He proved the scoring man of the day, and besides smashing his way through to score two good tries he concerted two, including the last one, which made the game a draw. Ponsonby’s winger. Letton, who lias shown considerable promise throughout the year, was marked by Taylor, who gave him quite a deal of trouble. During the game, however, Letton went down with a nasty bump of the head i»nd although he carried on pluck'.fry. lie lost much of his usual vim. Taylor was always dangerous and goi away with some nice stunts on the inside, while Swift, on the ot£ier wing for Richmond, although very light, tackled anything and everything and consequently put in some good work both on the defence and attack. Ken Peckham. who opposed Swift, played a good, sc 11 game. ■White, who played half for the Ponies, made a good showing. He appears rather a casual type, but he swooped the ball away from tlie scrum well and kept Thompson busy.

NEWTON TROUNCED

CITY HAS A DAY OUT With four men down at Dunedin doing battle for New Zealand against the Englishmen, a sadly weakened Newton team was trounced by City by 31 points to 5 on the No. 2 area at Carlaw Park on Saturday. City was without the services of Wetlierill, who was also playing in the second test, and Williams, a promising winger from Gisborne way. There was hardly as much between the two teams as the score suggests, but City won, and won deservedly, because both back and forward it could take advantage of opportunities which the red and whites left begging. WARM WORK Tho game was very keen from whistle to whistle, and in the latter stages a deal of unnecessarily hard play went on. Rhodes was ordered off and another Newton forward was warned for having too much to say to the referee. Outstanding among the City backs were Barchard (fullback) and Iverson, the latter having a hand in pretty well every movement. Lawrence, on the wing, did well to score two ries, while Perry and Reynolds frequently came into the picture) Among the forwards, Hamilton and

McLaughlin impressed most, although one and all played right up to form. Towering over all the other Newton forwards was Clarke, the Auckland representative, and by some considered unlucky not to be in Dunedin. Unfortunately, he was not consistently supported by the rest of the pack, so that little came of his tireless efforts. Wilson and Murray were the most conspicuous of a sadly disorganised back line. The totals were made up as follow: | City, 31 (tries by Perry, Hamilton (2), Reynolds (2), Lawrence (2), conversions by Barchard (4), and a penalty goal by Barchard). Newton, 5 (converted try by Clarke). Referee: Mr. P. Rogers.

ELLERSLIE SPRINGS SURPRISE

TYKES SOUNDLY TROUNCED The first match of the season between Ellerslie and Ponsonby saw the newly-promoted team from the racing suburb clinch an unexpected victory by 11 points to 0. Although the Tykes were without the services of Brisbane and Jim O’Briep, who are down at Dunedin, it was not generally thought possible that they would suffer defeat. The game was a scrambling, rambling on© throughout, but there was little between the sides till Ellerslie asserted itself in the , final stages. DASHING FORWARDS i The fast-following forwards Speight, Hemingway and Reid were too much

for the Greens, who seemed to be out of form after a month off club football. The three Crewther brothers, R., S. and E., combined well and were a continual thorn in Marist’s side, while Allen, as a last line of defence, gave a very fine display. Noble, the Marist forward, may not be in the first flight of footballers, but he is never frightened of work, and is always steaming away at it from start to finish. Keenan was the next best of what, on the day, was only a mediocre pack. Gregory at fullback saved the Greens continually, wTiile Moisley spent long enough at centre-threequarter to show that he is not suitable for that position. Sweeney on the wing got few opportunities of using hB. speed, and when he did he was consistently pushed out by Ellerslie. Ellerslie’s points were made up as follow: —Tries by Littlewood, Hemingway and Speight, and one conversion by E. Crewther.