NORTHERN UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 154, 30 June 1913, Page 8

NORTHERN UNION.

AUCKLAND V. CCUNTKY. VISITORS' PLUCKY .^HuWIXG. BEATEN LJV 10 I'OJNTS TO S. I J The iirsi representative mulch of t-he Kugliy l.cague n-ao played nl Victoria I'ark licfoic ;i gaMnTiui nf over :;.i'«ki spcciHtcrs. I'i'he cni|icting le,<iui.« nerc .-. represent.ime linirteen frmu tin- Anckland lseapio and ;i leagues in the Aivkiiilld province. As an exhibition of (lie Northern Union code, the game was not as spectacular ns meat reprewntatire niatcliee, !>;:• it. was always i:> icrcsting. and inwards the end even e.t- ---■ iling. because ot mo nenrncs of the scores. Quite the outstanding feiiturc was the fact thnt although the country players never once crossed Uie line, ilicy brought thciitally within two points of • heir opponents' I'-tal with four lieM goals. All of ihese were kicked by the veteran full-l>ack Liufty, two in the form and two in the second. Auckland crosseil the line on iwo occasions, and one of their was converted, the remaining points coming from a penalty goal. l?oth sets of forwards played up vigorously, lull on neither side was effective combination among Uie ba.Ks particularly marked. Hard tackling by fie visitors repeatedly nipped in the bud passing bouu by the Auckland men.

[ U)VXTi;y v. TOWN. first srt:L.i.. Griffin kicUci oil lor AucUlunci asaitist tbe uiiui. tun mc i>luv auu wunvs "an cue-lieu uy Murj;tiii liayuatu, who goiheieu up suiaruy and i.,.0u-d dowu •lav Auvtlanu twemy-uve \>cl>n i.-iUcKianuj badly beat mo visinug halt-bacU, and opcuiu op a pi-.-uy i.u.-».iJK mmt ua.vtvu mcClymont. Ulakcy. Tobln and < uuk. I'be latter was gras.seu at the twcuty-;lve by the country tliiee-quarU-r (llookUum.i. and lor an tufrineeuieiit in the scrum a free was awarded against the visitors. Webb missc-.l his shot lur goad. Sampson, one of the green and black forwards, was responsible lor turning the tide In favour of tue c ■,- try meu. Ills following up was very tine. I'.iakey tried to open tip for Auckland, but the rhree-quartor men were out of place. The Auckland forwards pressed hard up lo the goal-line, but ovcr-anslety to score cost them a penalty. Sprn.L-uo tool; the kick. and found the line with nice judgment. From a scrum near the visitors' twenty-live iJrillin hooked out cleanly lo Webb, who j;ol his line going In tine .-lyle. but I'.ookhnin, on the wing, proved too solid in defence. and a scrum resulted. Sprague and rickham, with smart individual dashes, sent play to the other end. The green and black forwards carri.-d the scrum against Auckland, ami the backs dashed coalwards. They were hauled up. hut an Auckland man failed to play the ball after being held, and a free went to the visitors. The old familiar cry. "Give It to iMifty:" rang out from tlio country supporters, and the veteran fullback took the shot from well outside the twenty-five. A splendid kick found the bar. and the effort was loudly applauded. I'ountry Leagues -J Auckland it

The country men wore on the defensive for a wlille. until fileeson gntlit-rpri up in the open nutl sent i<. Sprague. A wllil pass by t lji- latti>r gave I'uuk a i hanep t" inter cept. and play was lie].!. Hayward led the visiting forwards Slack to tl,e nttarU, I,in it was of l.ricf duration, as the Ain-kliml vnnnioii came away \>ith a loose rush which inijTlit have bad a fruitful e::rllns had not Frirker kicked 100 llnril nt ilie critical I momont. allowing the full-buck In lli"!d. "I'll" I vh-lting backs now developed effective combination, (ilppKoii ami Sprnguo In , lds espeel ally prominent. Bouktinui nml l'irkham were al«o rtefpndluj: well ou the wlucs. Blakey gathered up at centre, ami. in mm pany with Tol.in. set out towards the line They hustled two or three rncklms. lint ti.e touch-line heat them. Several serum-; ensued in neutral territory, nml an infringement cost Auckland another penalty-kick. I'lacing tlie ball nhout 10 yard? from tlie centre-line. Pufty sent down a fine distance kirk, and brought down the house by s.-or-'iu;. Country Leagues 4 Auckland . .'. 0 The country inrn secured the hall from a serum near the home twenty-flvp, but <;iees..n passed -uilr'ly. and tlie lineks were muzzled. A penalty In Auckland f..r off-s!rl,. play prnrlilini Scalar with a =hot at goal which ho turned t.. -.rood necount. Country League* 4 A uckla ml •_• Wehli indulged In some clever tactics which brought liis siil, from centre lv the vicinity or' tnc twenty-tlvc, au<l ft rstuu with a line bur>t. niiirto lurtlu-r ground Buokhani relieved with n kick, which wa." cleverly marked by fool; just mitside. the twenty-five. He took the kirk. Imt it failed to rise. Haywtml and Sampson seized the opening and. well bncked-up liy the other forwards, went to the attack. A serum saved Auckland, and they screwed it to their own advantage and carried the ball loosely forward, until l'otier saved by marking. A kicking competition now ensned hetween Srngar and Duffy, and another between Blakey .md Pickhnm. the latter ending to Auckland's advantage. Spraguc clpared. but bis kick was marked by Mansill. Thn followed up an-1 tackled solidly. After n scrum near Country territnrr. McClyinont gathered up In tlie open, and the blue and white back line came along with him in taking style. Blakey received, and paused to Tobln. and the later, with nice judgment, sent on to Cook as the corner was reached. The speedy three-quarter elided over and. passing on round, scored near the posts. Webb missed ihp shot. Auckla nd ~, Country Leagues 4 The country team were awarded a penalty for forward play, and Duffy scut dowu a "grabber" from the centre. Mansill fielded, bat in attempting to run too far was grassed. The visiting forwards were down on him in a trice, and Brawnley was in go«d scoring position when a -wild pass to a fellow-forward spoilt tbeir chance. When coming out of a scrum near the twwrtj-flve Seagar got off-side, and Dufty took the freetick. A well-judged kick gave his side a ooe-point lead just as the half-time beU sounded. Country Leagues 6 Auckland 5 SECOND SrELL. For some time after the resumption of play, and before either side gained any special advantage, play hovered about the centre, until Sprague put in au effective cross-country run for the visitors. Cook gathered in his kick, and sprinted dowu the line until bnstled out by Rookharu. linekicking by both full-backs followed, until Morgan Hayward led the green and black forwards in a great .liibblinj; rush, which made the opposition look foolish. The hull had reached the twenty-five before the Auckland backs held the game, hut a knockon gave a free to tlie rural players. Dufty uotrhjed another line jroal. Country Leagues S Auckland j A passing rush from centre by tlie visitors was checked as the result "f smart intercepting by McClytimul. ami from the resulting scrum Webb seiil out a lons pass to his second rive-eighths. The bull went to Cook, who gathered on the bounce, but he was hustled into touch. Dufty cleared with a UlsU kick, and Sprague made his way through a crowd of Auckland backs, who appeared to be in each other's way. Webb got the hall Troni a ten-yards scrum at half-way, and whipped out to McClyinont. the latw-r sending on ti. Hlakcy. This player fumlileil ton lone In receiving, and the visiting hacks soon had the hall at Crass. Cook r<-clved from the scrum, and. after shaking himself free from immediate attackers, attempted to hurdle Bookham. but the solid country wing-man was noi to' be trifled with, and Cook tasted earth. A rooinent or two later Bookham anain proved Cocik'e mn.trr. T h e ether Country winemsn (rlckaua) now came into prominence

by cleverly turning defence into attack and Setting hs kick iv after beating three Auckland backs. Encouraged by their success, the green and black backs came away with a creditable passing bout, set in motion by 1 Gleesou. and participated Iv by Sprague, who sent out a wild pass, which missed Potier. Bookham coming up, gathered smartly on tho run and eluded three or four challengers. Took included. He was pushed arross th* line. :nid a scrum resulted. Wakey seized an opening and passed to Mi-Clymont. who raro.l niTuss-fiehi. with <'ook in attendance. The wing-man was eventually forncred. hut. with great Judgnienf. he passed over to (Jriffin. and the bi" forward scored unchallenged between the posts. Seagnr converted. ' Auckland 11l Country Leagues H Afier the kick-out the Auckland forwards vniuc away with the ball at toe. and. overrtinnlug the defending backs, appeared certain to score, when Manning leil over the ball. Weld, atlcuipteil to get up. but Sheriff was there before him, and relieved. Webb gave Ms harks one or two openings, but they failed U-cause of wild passing. A scrum Infringement by the country men gave Weill, r, Phot at ;-.'.nl from Hie iweutylivc. A tii:c kick just missed by going over Uif post. ; ; markc.l and Weill) kicked out. ;\ K.-riiMi ri snltiii-,-. Webb picked up .irnl snnpj..-,i fi.,- gi.nl. but without result. Urnisliy mai.'c :i l-uisi down the line, which was stu;.[r,i! for rue i, ar ,] ; a .'kling of the b:i.l;s. Webb marked, and had a long shot for <roal. t!-.c bail hitting the bar and rebounding. llayward and Sampson curried ri..-. ball up :it toe. :n:il Westoii mis!:c!c!iml nrar the Aui'klnnd twenty-fly. and stopped play by knocking on. fiJewou got i>iit the defence was too strong. One of the visiting backs marked in n ilangt'rnu* position, hut it was not allowed, anil the rlsltors lost ground in cn!iser;iience. Cook fnunO the lii-e with a gonil ki.'k. anil Weld, was going to the s>ttn<k with his fellow backs when n bell soundeil from the grandstand. In th" belief tint the game was at an end ll.c crowd nisred on rhe Hold. The refcrre. however, called "on with the gnnic"' until dead-ball resulted. I'ntil this 0.-currcd the playing was tco crowded to permit of Auckiand still attacking, ami the scoresAuckland I" I'Oiintry Leagues S Mr r.. Marker was referee.

tup; curtain raiser. Newlun and City lirst juniors provided a curtr.in-r.nlser for the big match, city went to the attack and scored an early try. but their llutter was short-lived. The Newton hacks gut liimy and crossed the line throe times in fairly".ini.-k succession. liefore the end of the first sncll City made several aggressive movements, but their wing men larked the necessary finish and no points v.ere r.ddcd. Scores, '■> to .". After the re sumption or piny City Kept Newton on tbe defensive for quite a while, but failed to take advantage of openings on vital occasions. After staving off the attack Newton made a loose burst, which ended in an easy try. It was not converted. The game ended with the scores: Newton 12. City ?,. SECOND GRADE. Utallllhll bent Nortneote by 7 tioims to 4. Fo.- niahuhu McManus scored a try. while two penalty goals were secured Vy Goodwill and Patten. Two penalty goals were scored for Nortljcote by C.iHanf and Gordon. Both teams played a fast game, and there was a large attendance.

FOURTH GRADE. Ponsnnhy. || pointy, bear North Shore C •I points. For- I'ousonby Spittle. I»av!son and Kills s~..re.!. nnd A.ianin ionverte.l one svrcd fur ana Wallet con verted. SOUTHERN MATCHES. WANOANUI.

Chief interest centred in the League msileli. I.astern lieatinir city by !U to 7 after a tine giiine. SlddolN placed brilliantly for tlie winners WKLLINT.TO.N. Saturday's r<'oilinll matches u:irler !.onc;ie Pile, resulted as ti*l!.»w«:—Arlilt-td- b»n NewtowM. the lending team, by IV iv.;nt« to 11: l'etonc bout Hnii by lit. points to :'. < ANTERIsriIV -\ . NEW ZEAUVN'U. iP.y Tr'psrapb. —!•:••>.< Acsoclaiion.J CHRISTCUCRTH. this day. The following League tram has been eh..<cn to represent Ca:i:erhury against New f.ealand nexi —Kelly, llnnlin,--h.itii. Aslon, Smith. Krusp, Stokes. MatlheWM. IV-.ree. Flaiman. Holtou. Kirkton. Morris. Shanks. canterbury will play Auckland on August n. W.iugauui August 1.1. and Wellington Augii.-t Hi. NEW ZEALAND TEAM FOR HOME. IBy cnhle..-Tress Association —Copyright.) SYPNTV. .Tune

iiti board the Maung.intii which salted for WcMhlCtmi ycMcrday wns the New Zealand eluded a miir 'of '.New Sou'tli "Willi' 'aTd Utipenxlaril.