AUCKLAND V. NORTHERN WAIROA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 197, 19 August 1895, Page 3

AUCKLAND V. NORTHERN WAIROA.

A WIN FOR AUCKLAND.

Our Thames football friends have not altogether taken kindly to the idea thab their representative match this year with us will be againsfe what; they consider to be tmly the second best team wa can produce. When they understood that the match' would take place on the <31sb inst., and the le3t (?) fifteen would by then on their Southern tour, they agreed to ask the Auckland Rugby Union to postpone the match until such time as would admit of it being played againsb nothine tbufc the very' best team the Union could pu'fc into the field. The Thames Union may have been perfectly justified in making tha request. Their repa. certainly played an excellent game against ours last year, and t\hey, no doubt, have much reason to believe they would do well against our very best fifteen. Bub it may be as well to remind them t.bat Auckland can easily select two fitfcee.^s of very much the same strength, as the two matches already playsd by what is considered by the Thames Union as only the second best fifteen, againet Taurariga »nd Wairoa, will show. The latter was played ab Epsom on Saturday, and if the forwards did noo prove to bo as competent as the spectators in sympathy with the local team would have liked, the play of the backs^ generally would fully warrant the assertion that they were even a superior eet to those doing battle for the province in the South. To this, of course, should be added the fact thab one of the backß and the most; serviceable one too, Gage is really a member of the team which will take part in the Southern matches. Being in Auckland with the intention of leaving on Monday to overtake the team, he was csked, and he agreed, to play in. tohe place v (J. Bay. The game resulted in a win for, Auckland by 20 points to 15 (6 tries, one of which was converted, to 3 tries, one converted, and a potted goal). From the commencemenb to the finish the game was most interesting to tho onlookers, as the high and close scoring will show. In the first spell Wairoa played the better game, keeping their opponents well confined for most of the time to their own territory, bub could score only 7 points to their opponents 8, while before half the second Bpell was over Auckland had increased their Bcore to 20 points, with Wairoa's unchanged. After that, however, the visitors repeated some of the fino play ehown by them in the b'rab spell, and when the bell rang eventually their score had increased to 15 points.

Auckland's success was due principally to the fine play of the backs, of whom the most deserving o£ mention are Gage, .Roberts, and Elliotb. Gage's play alone would have made the game well worth seeing if the play of all the resb had failod. Though nob successful in scoring, he waa responsible for some of the mosb serviceable play his team could have been assisted with, and which often resulted in tries by others if nob by himself. In tackling, passing, running, and kicking his waa an astonishing performance. Roberts also proved a moat serviceable ally to the Auckland team. This player scored •three triea out of the six. One waa the result of one of the finesb runs it could be possible to gee on the football field. He certainly made a few mistakes, especially in defence, bub taking his play as a whole, it wfes a tine exhibition; and why the Selection Committee overlooked his claims to be included in the team sent) South must be past comprehension. After Surraan, Wynyard and Gage, he, as a three quarter, is head and shoulders above the resb, "patchy" as he is. Full-back Smith played one of his disappointing games. Ho-played brilliantly at times, and saved his side several times by some neat work, bub he simply gave his opponents two of tie tries they gob, by kicking foolishly when he waa either on or behind his own goal line. One time the ball struck an opponent, and the other it went straighb up into the air. Elliott played a careful, scientific and useful game. He was one of the few players on the ground who always eeemed to have his wit? about him in whatever position he was placed. If everyone of the Auckland backs played with the same judgment as he did, the visitors would have been In sorry straits. One of Auckland's tries waa obtained by him right behind the posts, as the result ot a run from the 25. The other two backs, Breen and Caradus, also put in some very serviceable work. The former scored a try, and the latter, as half, was responsible for a great deal of the fine passing which took place amongst the Auckland backs. Of the forwards the most useful were Williamson, Gallagher and Freeman, who all played first class games. The firstmentioned scored a try. Bab the rest were a poor lot. In the acruma their opponents beab them almost without exception, while their combination and following up were alike conspicuous for their continual absence. Nearly all of the vieitore' forwards, on the other hand, played splendid games, characterised by good combination, •effective, charging, and generally good scrum work and open play. Of tneße the mr>Bb serviceable were Baker, Barker, C. Molloy and Matthews, each of whom pub in a lob of useful work for his side in both spells. F. Wolloy, Leonard Kitching, Woollams and J. Smith also proved most useful men. C. Molloy and Woollams scored tries. Wibh regard to the backs, E. Phelao, as half-back, and A. Smith, as fivei eighth, are worthy of special credit for their Rood all-round play, while Butland, Lionel Kitching and Harrison, three-quarters, gave their opponents a lob of trouble during the game. The potted goal was obtained by A. Smith.

Taking the play of the visitors as a whole, we would venture to assert that it augurs well for the success of the tour fchey are entering upon. Their chief deficiency iain their passing, which is not clean nor frequent enough ; but in other departments of the game, kicking, tackling, etc., they are more proficient than we should have expected.