AUCKLAND FOOTBALL.

NZ Truth, Issue 59, 4 August 1906, Page 3

AUCKLAND FOOTBALL.

,The • Auckland team placed m- the; 'field 'against Thames .was somewhat" on the weak sMe, but, nevertheless, .sufficient for the day was the strength thereof. i . Kiernan's try was worth the -admission money . and the spectators were not remiss m applauding the half's brilliant effort. ' The game was a gruelling one,, Thames sticking to their worlc like griih death. In fact, there was a time m the second spell, when the city foovs were leading by 6 to 3 that Thames looked as if they were going to win all out. Keating scored a fine r try, but after that one or two splendid openings were muffed, and Auckland, pulling themselves together, assumed the upper hand again and Thames' chance thereafter was like unto the respected Buckley's. How is it that matches at Alexandria Park are never started punctually ? On Saturday again it was half an hour after the. advertised time before the whistle blew. The Union ought to come down m its might on the delinquents, and make somebody or other sit up for this needless dillydallying. Already enthusiastic 'barr ackers are heard declaring that Wellington won't stand a "smell" of a chance against the champion province. We shall' see what we shall see, of course, but meanwhile the players themselvesknow the habitues of wet and windy Wellington too well to be so cocksure of the result. The foPter writer m a contemporary who places Asher" as one of the threequartars for the provincial team, has any amount of asher-ance. Lacks judgment, though. . The team that journeyed to Wairoa underwent the painful operation of being walloped hy 6 points to nil, and folks are saying the gods were merciful to let the^ boys off at that. The piece de resistance to-day is the trial match between A and B teams to enable Gallaher. to select the interprovincial team. . Show games as a rule don't provide the best possible exposition of Rugby, but as there's any quantity of rivalry for the honors at ' stake, some pretty tough stuff may be served up. In the first grade of Soccer the men of Corinth ladled out stoush to the tune of five of the best to the Tabs, latter getting m a couple only. . Tabernacle's hopes for championship have slumped something considerable accordingly. • Another surprise m the round ball business was the wppping of Ponsonbyby the Thistle. This is the latter's first win and only adds point to ;the old saw that you can't sit on a thistle— too long. The selector of the Association team to contest the Brown Shield has, like many another good man before him m the selecting Business, done his best and as a conseqiuence earned any amount _.pf abuse for his pains. The trouble seems to hano- about the hard, cold fact that Mr Dugmore hasn't apparently cared a tinker's cuss about what the position table m the championship competition says.. Whereas Corinthians^ who are fourth on the list, have five men m the Auckland team to ■ contest the shield, Ppnsonby,, who are third, have hot a single (or married) man chosen. Still, Mr Dugmore knows what he's •about all right, you can bet your last trouser button. On the Domain the Auckland exponents of the Australian game ran round their Waihi opponents to the extent of 28 points to 8. The junior reps, had shown their elders and betters how to do the trick, on the same ground, previously. AftfJr 'being slaughtered on the field the Waihi reps, were solaced by their [opponents with a feed and a peep at jMike Joseph's, own particular "Work i Girl", at His Majesty's Theatre. (Their collective opinion is that "of? the field" Auckland Australian players are top-notchers.