RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 205, 28 August 1913, Page 7

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

_3SB_______ BEATEN BY 15 to 13. AN EXCITING FINISH. Tlie Australian Rugby football team that landed in Auckland on Monday commenced its tour yesterday with a match against Auckland at Alexandra Park, played in the presence of 4,000 spectators. The teams played were as published except that Bilkey replaccl Barrett in the Auckland team. Auckland won the toss, ami played with tiie advantage of a slight northerly brecsse. The v'&ifcoTß-' opening -kick <wafi well returned by Weston to half-way, but a .roe against Auckland enabled Australia to get to the -home 25. Auckland's forwards appeared to better advantage in the loobo thorn the visitors, and they were quickly bock ait tho centre, where Rose opened up a pawning rush from the rue.k, which ended in Stewart getting and kicking to touch nt Australia's twenty-five. Tbe vimrtore were working back, when Wceton speculated hard, and Dwyer was brought down with the ball. A free to Auckland gave O'Leary a chance (from 40 yards out, and he placed a splendid goal. fa Auckland 3 Australia 0 Playing with da*h in the loose, the Auckland forwards were quickly back to the attack. A breakaway by A. M. Wilson had Dwyer bustled, and he kicked to touch within <t couple of yards of bis own 'line. From the throw-out a scnun ("ven-tuat-ed, ami Auckland obtaining. Rocs Kent tlie hull smartly away to Oddes, to "W<_Uon, to Stewart, to McGregor, who scored. O'Leary's kick failed. Auckland ' 0 Australia 0 From the drop-out the visitors made a rally, Tasker ju»t massing a good chance to get away, and play was at midfield. The visitors were now playing a lot to touch, and McMahon failing to quite get there, Macky returned to the Australian twenty-five. A free against Auckland enabled McMabon to get the side-line nt the centre. A miskick by Weston let tbe visitora away, but Gededs fielded, and licating the following forward*, got well away and centred. Bilkey got io the ball on the bounce, and took it ovct the goal-line, but was taokl-wl with it by ~4>wycr. From the «cntm the visitors broke away, but Hall and Macky dribblod back, and, tho latter fielding nt tho line, scored. Auckland _ ._. 0 Australia o Auckland came bock again from tho drop-out, but a breakaway by Wogan took the ball to the sideline near the centre. Hero Bobs again sen. his backs away, ami oJcdd<*, gathering in a bad pasH in great style, sent on to Weston, to Stewart, to ..c(. rejfor, who beat Suttor, but -was brought down near the line | by Wood*. Play contimtcd hero for some time, till McMahon fielded the ball liko a flawh, and ran away from the Auokbnd tucks, nhort-ptwiting over tho full-back's bead- and the line. Carr. following f__t. got tr> -the -ball at the lino, but knocked-on. In the scrum Auckland infringed, and McMahon placed a goal. Auckland 0 Australia 3 From tho drop-oub Australia attacked, till O'Leary, taking, a ran to tho centre ami passed to Weston, to Stewart, to McGregor, who got to the Australian line, but there threw forward, losing a chance. Australia eJoar o_, and good >work by McMahon enabled them to get to tho centre. A free against Hall for cdKtrucfckm lot Woods get touch at Auckland:'* twenty-five Here the visitors attacked, but O'Leary solely and cleverly cleared with a fine kick. A pretty dash by Geddcs looked bad for the visitors, btrt his paa* wont astray, and Australia, resisted: by a mark by Dwyer, cleared. The local pack, -headed by Sellars, rushed play back to Australia's twenty-five. Good line-kicking by Dwyer held the visitors .back past the centre. From the nick Roes worked the blindside to Gcddcs, who got past Carr (wingthrcoquarter). nnd drew Dwyer, but his in-pass to Macky wont to t?ic labtcr's feet, and a great cl_inee\tvas lost, Australia relieving. By judicious use of the aid .-line on the part of Carr and Woods, Australia got again to an attacking position, and from a free McMahon placed at a long-range goal, but the effort fell short, and O'Leary kicked to Carr. wixwe return was sent So touch at Auckland's twenty-five by Stewart. Tho Australians were now showing to better advantage, and their forwards were holding the Auckland pack well in tho scrums. From a breakaway they forced Auckland, and a long return by . IcMnhon from tho drop-out saw play in Auckland quarters. From a scrum near the Auckland line. Wallach snapped the ball nt the side, and dived over and scored. McMahon goaled. Aatoklnnd -. -.-_. 0 Australia 8 The game restarted at tho centre, and the visitors opened up a passing rush, their handling being very crisp, but tho tackling was strong, nnd they did not get far till a free against Auckland gave them the advantage. Tho visiting for- ; wards got away in great stylo, but O'Leary stopped them, and Auckland retaliated, the play being nt half-way when the bell rang. SECOND SPELL. Cunningham set tho ball rolling in tho second half, Suttor returning to the centre. A free to Auckland and they were in the blues' twenty-five. A mark by Macky, and O'Leary punted high, obstruction giving Auckland _ free. O'Leary's shot going wide, and Australia 'forced. McGregor's return bent Wood and_.Suttor, and Auckland attacked, but their handling was faulty aud they were beaten back. Another shot by O'Leary, and the blues retaliated, and had Auckland defending, Weston nearly letting his side down by faulty handling. Macky saved the situation, and play was loose for some time, until Auckland attacked. Geddes, whipping up, sent to 'McGregor, who badly beat Dwyer, and scored O'Leary failed at goal. Auckland 12 Australia 8 Auckland caane again and Geddes made a fine opening, but bis pass was faulty, and a chance was (missed, the visitors shortly after forcing. Australia rallied from the kick-out, and headed a rush Which had Aqjcldand defending. The locals cleared, but the visitors caane again with a passing run and McMahon centring, a score seemed likely, Bruce utving nicely. AacJoUmd again ' cl _*r *_,

and Dwyer [missing let them into the J danger zone. They -tried, a.'passing run, I but Suttor intercepted and raced down | field, being only stopped at Auckland's twenty-five. An Auckland rush, and Ross sent to Weston, to Stewart, to Macky, who scored. O'Leary failed at goal. Auckland 15 Australia 8 Australia rallied, and McMahon had a shot froon a penalty, which went wide, and Auckland forced. Tho visitors were trying to open up the game, but tho Auckland tackling was good, nnd for a spell play was ©yen, and hung a/bout the centre, first one side and then the other getting the advantage, till MoMahon intercepted a piws and running down field sent to Carr, who raced over. MoMalion goaled. Ancklnnd 15 Australia 1.1 The score put heart into the visitors, and they again attacked, a mark by O'Leary puUing them up. They came at it again, but Cunningham breaking through in great style and kicking high, had Auckland in a gowd position. Ihe blues cleared, and another spel.l of even play followed until the visitors attacked and Gcddes, getting offside. McMahon had nnother shot. Auckland forced. The bell rang immediately after. Auckland 15 Australia 13 NOTES ON THE GAME. The game could not be called a brilliant exhibition of football, although there .a 3 picnty of incident. The back divisions of both sides lacked combination, and the pu-yiing ut times was very erratic, one ti-nie ballooning and Jtnother time grubbing along the ground. infringement* were frequent, and it is a long time since a nuiU'h between two reputed first-class teams produced r>o many halts. This took a lot of interest out of the play, for just when a little bit of brilliancy appeared likely, a knock on or oirside would spoil it. Tlie visitors, adopted spoiling tactics throughout, and Mr. Nicholson nllowed their break-aways a lot of latitude. The backs lined up when defending almost parallel with the scrum to smother the passing, and, iv trying to intercept, knocked on repeatedly, which had the effect of slowing the game down considerably. In the heavy scrum work the Auckland forwards bad the advantage, and pot the ball nine times out of ten when their winger put it in, but the reverse was the case when the Australian scrum half manipulated it. The Australians adapted tho old serum formation, three, two, three, tbe half-back putting in tlie -baiil. He stood off the scrum two or three yards, and then threw it bard, after the (manner of tho Northern Union game, and repeatedly it failed lo get past the first man, and came out again at the side. There may not be so much latitude allowed in the South for these tactics, ■which produced a lot of ragged scrapping, especially on tlie blind Bide. In the loose the visitors showed a lot of pace and dash, but the Auckland forwards had a bit the better of the line work. The latter did not, however, pJay up to form, and there was a lack of dash about their movements which has been noticeable in their last two matches. Starting off, Auckland Tattled on nine points, aud a big score wu« but the visitors livened up. and towards the end of the »ceond spoil were doing* tbe better work. The same sort of affairs obtained in the second half, and with a bit of luck tiwy might have snatched a victory. Tho Waiting backs tJiowed picnty of pace, and nipped in beautifully at times, but their passing wan too slow and their tackling was n_so on the weak side. Their principal weakness, however, was the same as Auckland's, no combination between the half and five-eighths. Ta-sker •was very ordinary, and did not work well with Wood, and this was the same with the Auckland live-eighth, Gcddes, and Weston. The latter pair are not suited, for Weston appears to be unable to gauge Geddcs' intentions sufficiently for their work to be successful. Dwyer, who was pronounced by a Sydney w.riter to bo tho best .nil-back in the world, must haivo been a long way below form, for on vesterdny's showing he could hardly ho classed with at least a dozen that have played nt Alexandra Park. His strong point was taking the leather on the full, his ground fielding and tackling wero distinctly moderate, and he compared very unfavourably with O'Leary. McMahon, one of the centre three-quarters, pave a good display, and was the best -back of the side. He made several fine openings, and used his pace to advantage. Forward. Wallach and ■Fa-hoy did a lot of useful work, and are equal to any A-istralian forwards that have visited us. AUSTRAUANS 'WELL SATISFIED. In the evening both tho team... lunched together in the Star Hotel, at a dinner given by the Auckland Rugby Union, at which Mr. .1. Arneil presided. After tbe dinner Mr. Arneil proposed the toast of "The Australian Representative.," remarking that be had seen every N.SAV. v. Auckland match for the last thirty-one years (having played in the first), and the game played tliat day had been one of the most interesting of the series. It had been a fine, fast open game, played ns sportsmen should play it, and -he congratulated the visitors on tho manner in which they had upheld the best traditions of Australian football, and played up when the points were against them. Mr. Morgan, the visitors' manager, in responding, said that he wa<s more than satisfied with the result. In Australia they looked on Auckland as tho champion province of New Zealand, and they bad been told in Auckland that they would be defeated in Auckland by n-bout twenty points. He thought tliat their friends in Australia would be rather surprised when they picked up their morning paper and found that tbe team had lost by only two points. Though every (member of the team had set out to do his best, and he had felt that he had with him the promise of a powerful combination, he had not expected to win any of the test matches. He felt more than ever now that there were great possibilities in the team which, under the disadvantages of a touring team, had done so well against. Auckland, and it seemed to him that it was not beyond the .powers of the side to .pull off at least one, if not. more, of the three best games. THE CURTAIN RAISER. As a curtain to the big game, St. Stephen's JJative School met Three Kings' College, a fine open game resulting in favour of the latter by 10 points to S. For Three Kings', Rati, Murray (2), and Aupori scored tries, Murray and ITsupapa converting one each. For St. Stephen's, Ta.rana.ki scored a try. which he converted, and also kicked a penalty goal. Some of the form shown was very good. Lewis, Paikia, and Takaine being prominent for Three Kings', and WalHace, Toko, Ckndon, and Taranaki for St, Stephen*.

FIATUEES FOR SATURDAY. Following are the fixtures for Saturday next:— SECOND GRADE. Grafton v. Ponsonby.-No. 5, Show •Ground. Iteferee. Mr A. W. Millar. Marist Brothers v. University.—No 4, show Ground. Iteferee, Mr A. C. Gallagher. THIRD GRADE. West find Rowing Club v. City.-No. 0, Show (.round. Iteferee, Mr A. Murdoch. A Battery t. Gmifton.—No. 7, Show Ground. Referee, Mr A. G. Menzles. Henniera.—A bye. SECONDARY SCHOOL MATCIIFy.. FIRST GRADE. Technical School v. Sacred Heart.—No 3 Alexandra Park, Beforee, Mr A. Cliffe. THIRD GRADE. Technical School v. Sacred Ileart.-No J, Show Ground. Referee, Mr E. Donoran. PUBLIC SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL. A GRADE. Rem__rn v. Devonport.—North Shore, at U a.m. Iteferee, Mr A. Murdoch. ' Newton East v. Beresford.—No 2. AlexMen_l._r rk ' " 2 P-m ' Bcferce ' Mr *• U ' B GRADE. Pnil^ S o I* B °rflei<J—No. 5, Alexandra la her Referee, Mr A. C. Oala™..;', 11 ? 81 N »P icr Street-No. 4, Show Ground Referee, Mr T. Marshall «K\_ mi ? nt S J rec _ _.• M »<">t Albert. —No.' _, Show Ground. Referee, Mr J. lukster. C GRADE. Normal v. Mnunjcawian.—No 4 AlexWarr a e_. ark * at 2 P - m ' UofercG ' Mr TF. Mount Jloskm t. Ellerslle.—No. G. Show Ground. Referee, Mr S. Haniil ? an. -.dcndale y, Newmarket.—No. 7, Show Ground. Referee, Mr H. E. r.e Cren Kpßom v. Te Papapa.—No. s, ' Show Ground. Referee, Mr (J, Nlcnolson. OUTSIDE MATCHES. K_.!._ ?£..' af atrJi. Grammar School v. Kings Colic...—>,o. 1. Alexumli-a Tar., 3 p.m. Referee Mr A. Nicholson. ComhlneU Secondary Schools v. Native Colle_;cs.-No. i, Aloxandra Park at 2 p.m. Referee, Mr G. Urlgg. "