League Rugby

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 740, 13 August 1929, Page 14

League Rugby

HUNTLY City (Auckland) paid Huntly a visit on Saturday last. and it was "some game," as our American friends would say. It was a titanic forward struggle, and Huntly owed its win to the vanguard. Time after time the Auckland i‘orwards broke away with raking rushes, and they took some stopping, the City backs having plenty to do in defending their lines. Mr. R. T. Hii? was referee. The game was well worth watching, and was one of the best seen on the local ground, being hard and fast, without any semblance of the rough stuff present. As evidence of the hard play in this, and the preceding game between Huntly Juniors and Rotowai‘o (which was drawn), the services of the St. John Ambulance Corps under Superintendent G. Green had a busy afternoon. no fewer than ten calls being made for their services, the most serious case being that of S. Clarke, of the City team, who received a bad cut over the eye, which necessitated stitching by Dr. R. C. Macdiarn‘i. VVatene (City) received a nasty knock just after the start, and was playing under a heavy handicap, his arm being practically useless. Jones, Geo. Rayner, and Paki were absent from the local side, but Stan Rayner made a reappearance. Though not yet up to concert pitch owing to an en—forced spell, he took his brother's place at fullback with credit.

Broughton, threequurter, and Knight half, two promoted juniors, came through the ordeal in a. very pleasing manner. Knight was adjudged on the day the superior of the two halves, but it has to be remembered that Shortland was behind a. beaten pack, and Knight’s work appeared better in consequence, though the latter and Broughton must be commended for good play. They certainly made good. The Huntly trio, Stephenson, Thnms, and Trautvether, were brilliant, and they must go into any representative team on their present form. The former's hooking was superb, He got the ball nine times out of ten in the scrums. To be beaten. by 22 to 13, the visitors were not disgraced, for their play was upset by casualties and subsequent dis‘organisation. ' ‘

Of the other individual players for City, Hadley, Brown, and Bax-chard, in front, were hard toilets. Perry, Barchard and Watene, till hurt, were about the pick of the backs. For the winners, Smith and Whorskey behind, and the previously mentioned trio in the forward line, were on their own, and Mason was always in the picture.