FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 19 August 1913, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

RANFURLY SHIELDTVIATCH. TARANAKTS GREAT PLAY. (By Telegraph—Special to Age.) AUCKLAND, Last Night. Alter none years the covevted Ranfuily Shield has been taken out of the- keeping of Auckland, its erstwhile holders. The game was a fitting struggle, for seldom, if ever, has j better play been seen in Auckland than that 'provided by the Taranaki • forwards. They were playing a losing game more than once, but they never lost heart and their tactics were heady all through. Time and again they' made use of the high kicking and the follow up, and more than one of their scores was tho outcome of this manoeuvre. Auckland was completely outclassed and outplayed, and even when, with their proverbial luck, they got good openings, they could make no use of thorn. Tho first | score came in the first ten minutes, when Roberts began a "soccer" rush to the Auckland lino, picked up and got over. The try was unconverted, -Stohr's kick going wide. Then the Taranaki forwards got going again, and simply scattered their opponents left and right. A free-kick for Auckland brought play into the visitors' twenty-fiva, however,' and the ball went along tho Auckland three-quar- , ter lino to Geddcs, who O'Leary goaled, -making the score 5 points to 3. Stohr had in the meantime retired hurt, and Meuli took his place, Hill going up to take Stohr's pkp<? in tljQ line, HiH •flayed a; brilliant game, with al] the ■ dash-of a three-quarter, and indeed, -it -was hard to see why he had ever been played at full-back. All through the remainder of tlie first spell the Taranaki forwards and backs ran over their opponents, even though they did not score. In the second spell Loveridge was the first to score. He played a brilliant game all through, and this soore of his was well up to his standard. . Travelling at a great pace, ho made a clever non-stop run to the line, feinted cleverly, and dived over at ; the corner. Roberts failed to convert, but Taranaki was now in tho lead again by 6to 5. Not content with this they scored, again almost immediately afterwards, when Dewar secured in a loose Tush and dashed through an astonished and impotent team to the lino. Roberts again failed to convert. The tide of battle was destined to be turned once more for the local men got two more tries,(giving them a load,of H points, to 9. McGregor was responsible for the first'.' A long i.un along the side, a "-side-step for Meuli, and he was over. WestohVi.is the other scorer, and he had what wa.s colloquially called a "soft thing/' for., with three other .backs in fin,* for'the.pass, and only one man to mark all four of them, had no difficulty in feinting and running over liimself. O'Leary failed with but Auckland werenow ■'tv&V'points ahead, and things looked Maek for Taranaki. The yellow --jersoyecl men however, never lost heart, awl put a wonderful amount of vigour into the game. Then oamo ! the last and most sensational score of. the game, and it was Hill who was directly responsible for it. He rep ceived, ran a yard or two, dodged. ', O'Leary, then kicked right across to the far line, where all his forwards wore ready. When the ball got there Dewar secured and dived over, and Hawkins converted, making the game safe, and the Shield Taranaki's by-14 points to 11.