FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

MOASCAR CUP MATCH. AUCKLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL V. N.P. HIGH SCHOOL. The members of the Auckland Grammar School team, who play the New Plymouth High School this afternoon in a Moascar Cup match, arrived in New Plymouth by the Rimu yesterday morning after a rather rough passage. They were met at the boat by Mr. S. G. Stinith, M.P., and several members of the New Plymouth High School team. Keen interest is being taken in the match, which takes place at the Recreation Grounds, commencing at 2.45 p.m. The teams will be: GRAMMAR SCHOOL. Full-back—Goodacre. Three-quarters—McCrystal, Badeley and

Freeman. Five-eighths—Stewart and Ifwerson. Half—Smith. Wing-forward—McLean. Forwards—Ewen, Gould, Reid, Gemmell, Dunean, Nicholls, and Potter. BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL. 1 Full-back—Taylor. ; Three-quarters—-Foden, Brown and Abbott. ! i Five-eighths—Shaw and Alexander. Half—Brodie, Forwards—Barak, Christie, Palmer, Hooper. 1 Noakes, Drader, Brewster. This team is the same as the one which played Wanganui Technical College here previously, with tte exception that Rickard replaces Patterson (wing-forward), who was injured in the Nelson match. FOOTBALL AT ITS BEST. Says the Auckland Herald, editorially: If among the Invisible ties which unite Brlrish peoples we may count a common love of i sport, then Saturday’s match between New ■ Zealand and South Africa was an Imperial, game played in the true Imperial spirit. Not! only did it yield international football of a i very high standard but—and this was its j greatest recommendation to many thousands 1 present—it was as clean and friendly a game. as any sportsman could plan. Hard knocks; there were, and the pace was 11 fast one 1 from start to finish, but there was no rough > play, no sign of temper, no descent from the code cf il gentleman's game. The visitors i played like the great-hearted athletes they I •are, and if the New Zealanders were on the > day’s showing a little inferior as footballers' they were not a whit behind as sportsmen. ‘ In this respect the game was as creditable • to the spectators as to the teams. Strict impartiality is not to be expected where rivalry | runs high, but. the crowd was fair and even I generous in its attitude to the visitors, thus, creating an atmosphere worthy of the game. • There was no great margin between the aides, ■ hut the South Africans deserved to win. The ! New Zealanders were beaten in tactics and 1 were forced to accept defeat at the hands of a team which, under the conditions of the day’s play, dismayed a flight superiority. This is not to say that the New Zealanders l have not the makings of a superior combine- i tion or that they might ndt have won under j different - conditions of weather and ground. The defeat will serve as a tonic to New Zea- | land Rugby, and whether the third game loses j or wins us tne rubber the standard of play in the Dominion will be all the higher for the visit of so fine a team as the South I Africans at their best have proved to be.