NORTHERN UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 179, 29 July 1913, Page 8

NORTHERN UNION.

UAWKE'S RAY BATTLERS. The Hicsske's Bay League, which for the third year in succession set itself the task /in Saturday of lift-ing the Northern Union Inter-PTOvine'ial Challenge Cup, sent ils team to Auckland under something of a <!oud. An inter-club match had iv be postponed on the previous SaturdiiY on account of the smallpox ncare. and leading members of one of the learns concerned threatened to decline the trip to Auckland with the representative team unless the match was gone on with. The League officiate adopied the praiseworthy course of totally ignoring the threat, ami further, of sending to Oisborne for five men to replace the malcontents. Some of the latter are said to have repented, but too laxe. The Gitiborne quintet reached Anekland on Thursday, and the Napier men arrived by the Main Trunk train the day before the match. Never before had the two sections played together.

Another little source of worry was that Manning, their captain and star representative playeT, was rendered jathjer iweak (through .influenza. Still the rad-and-white stalwarts kepi smiling, and it. was n-frt. until after the match that the foregoing facts transpired. How pluckily and at times even brilliantly. they fought for the cup, several thousand Aucklandere will readily testify.

Consequently it is. not snrpr-ising that the visitors left—the Napier men on Sunday night and the Gisborae men today—well satisfied ■with the cordiality of their reception. "Wait until next season," -were the parting but significant , worde of the teams popular manager (Mr. List). The. game was quite the -best of those played by representative teams here this season, a fact which has already been made clear in these cohmme. For three ; parts of the match the visitors combined effectually and it was only in -the later ! stages that superior condition of the defenders enabled them to bolt. It is rather interesting to note that the bolting commenced after Ifwerson had been sent from centre three-quarter ■to replace Reke at fire-eight, also that it was the brilliant North Shore ba«k who took tie biggest chare of the scoring movements. Perhaps no -warmer tributes have been paid to Ifwerson tlian those which were volunteered to the ■writer by some of the Hawke's Bay visitors, good sportsmen that they are. Manning spoke of him as the cleverest second-five-eight he has ever seen and also said ±ha± no footballer could wish for a better man to play with. It will be remembered thart ■the two played together as five-eighte in the New Zealand team which recently returned .from AnstraliaAnother clever little player in RaturdaVs match ■was Gender Smith, who must" be credited with having quite outshone the local half-back. This :s t»e same. G. Smith who went to Australia with the first New Zealand Leagne team. He did not prove a star then, but the lessons of the tour and his subeeqnervt coaching muet -have been taken -well to heart. He is hardy, versatile, and prompt m action and feeds his backe in the manner so essential to the faster League game. His exhibition was the best seen by Northern Union followers in. Auckland' since. Halloway played here last year. Also of outstanding merit was the forward play of Johnson, who was all the time on "the ball, and led his side in one of the most popnlar scoring movements of the day. His solid tackling was also a feature. Each time Johnson has come to Auckland he has fougnt consistently for his league. The challengers produced a stylish full-back in Neil McArthj. He is etill in hi 3 teens, and with a little more ot the self-reliance that comes with repre sentative experience should develop into a prominent League player. He is something -like the New South Wales full-back, Hallett, both in build and methods. Manning is his mentor.

Manning displayed much cleverness in side-stepping and swerving, but was obviously lacking in his usual daeh. This is accounted for by the explanations above. Of the C.isborne men, the bwt was W. Smith (five-eighths), who displayed a rare turn of speed and considerable chisivener*. The Morrison brothers (three-quarters) showed up well, especially the centre man, his strong point being defence. While there is little io cavil at in the Auckland forwards, it must be. admitted that the backs do not combine effectively. Saturday's five-eighths (Carla>w and Pike) broke down badly in concerted movements, and, as already stated, Webb was not convincing at half. Time and again, when the ball waa heeled out to him. he ran into the. ecrtim whe.n a smart pass out would have placed hie backs in good scoring position, and in other ways also he? stuck too much to the orthodox Rugby stylo. This cannot be the etyle which the New Zealand League's selectors are looking for in anticipation of the test games ajrainet the coming New South Waled team. On the whole, the red and 'white backs displayed a bettpr knowledge of the fast, snappy Northern Union game than did the blue rearguard. A readjustment would appear to be desirable. XELSOK'S UjI.SSJON. The first South Island League to send a team in quest of the Northern Union Cup will be Nelson, Their men are to demonstrate their claims on Saturday next, and by the sanguine tone of recent letters from "Hopland." it seems probable that the battle will be of a stre.nuoue nature. The team is expected to arrive on Thursday morning for a preliminary practice in Auckland. Wellington play for the Cup on the following Saturday, and Canterbury do likewise a week later. Subsequently the New South Wales team play two matcher; in Auckland —one against the Provincial League, and the other against New Zealand. A GENTLE REMINDER. At the reception to the New Zealand Universities team by the New South Wales Rugby Union, Mr. Perry, the manager said "that they were tke third team to % isit Sydney from New Zealand, and they would play otraightcr football than at least one of the others." Commenting in the "•Referee" on the incident, a sporting writer states:—"l am sure the New Zealander would nui intentionally do an injustice to anyone, though injustice to fcid countrymen who play the League game has been done. Professionalism in football hiu- no attraction for mc. But when we find men playing the game in the finest possible spirit, it is the duty of the Prese to say so. whether the players be amateurs or otherwise. Thr latest Xew Zealand League team to visit Sydney has never been stirpa«werl in the matter of clejin '■ Foolba!!. and in the i?p;rit of its play, by any English. Australian, or New Zealand team, be k-s st&tue what it may— representative, 'Varsity, or Schools— which hat visited Sydney in the Jaet -20