LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 154, 2 July 1925, Page 10

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

NEW ZEALAND V. AUCKLAND. WIN FOB THE BLACKS. Under conditions which could hardly have been worse the New Zealand League team defeated Auckland at Carlaw Park yesterday afternoon by 1G points to 9. The playing area was a sea of mud in places, and not only did the players find it almost impossible to handle the ball with even a suggestion of accuracj , , but they found the greatest difficulty in keeping on their feet. Under the circumstances a good game of football could not be expected, and the exhibition could not be described as anything better thnn useful practice. The backs on either side had little or no opportunities to show what they could do and what football was provided went down to put a lot of go into their work and combined well. From the work of the New Zealand vanguard it is quite clear that the forwards who leave to-morrow for Sydney are a Kolid lot and they should hold their own with the best the League can produce in Australia. The first score yesterday was registered for Auckland by Singe, and almost immediately the blacks evened matters up when in which Webb, 'wetlierill. Saunders, Dufty, and Parkes took part Monatt goaled. Webb next got ■ across for New Zealand, and at halt time the blacks led 8 points to 3. Early in the second half O'Brien and Gardiner scored and the locals led by a point, 9 to 8, but towards the end of the game Henery twice scored for the blacks, and Mountt converting one, the game ended : New Zealand 1G Auckland 9 Mr. L. Bull refereed and he certainly did not 'allow tlie players any latitude, in fact, he was surprisingly strict considering the state of the ground and the conditions under which the game was played. Any possibility of seeing the New Zealand backs in action befpre they go to Australia was settled by too much whistle. On the New Zealand side Gregory, the full-buck, gave a fine display, but so also did Herewini for Auckland, and he is the most promising full-back in Auckland. The New Zealand backs did not shine, but the forwards were good, particularly Heuery, Carroll, Ellis and, Mouatt. For Auckland Singe was easily the best forward, and had he given similar displays in other games in the past few weeks he would have been in the New Zealand team. Gardiner was the best back, and he, too, only had to show the same form in earlier games-to have had a chance. L. Brown played his worst game this ■ season, but maybe he was taking no chances. The teams were :— Xew Zealand. —Gregory. Brown, Dufty. Parkes, Saunders, .Wcthcrill, Webb, Carroll, Lowry, Ellis, Thomas. Mouatt Hencry. Auckland.—llerewini, Crewthcr. Littlewood, Gardiner, Coin, Hargreavea, Peckhum, Singe, St. George, Mackie, O'Brien, Malloy, McDonald.