LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 224, 22 September 1925, Page 13

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

NORTHERN UNION CUP.

RETAINED BY AUCKLAND

A very small crowd turned out at car aw Park on Saturday afternoon to see A-uckiand decisively defeat South Auckland iv the representative game for the Northern L nion Cup. South Auckland held the trophy from BJ2I until six weeks ago, when the locals regained possession of it. In the nrst spell on Saturday the local thirteen played without either combination or dash. However, they had a particularly strong wind to face, and seemed to be content with allowing South Auckland to have it ail their own way in the first 45 minutes. " nether this was so or not, the Waikato men made the most of the initial spell, and in tne first 25 minutes they had notched 11 points to Auckland's nothing. 1 hey bad much the best of the serums, and were heeling the ball in fine style. The forwards were dashing, while the backs indulged in quite a few brilliant passing rushes. The Auckland team seemed to be nonplussed, as the other side were getting more than their share of the leather. When the Auckland backs did get possession of the ball, laulty passing invariably spoilt their efforts. At half-time the score stood at 11 to S in South Auckland's favour. A lew minutes after resuming Delgrosso landed a good goal from a penalty, and then Davidson scored a try. From this on Auckland simply over-ran the other side, and never gave South Auckland a chance. In tact the visitors did not make more than five or six excursions beyond Auckland's own twenty-five line in the latter half, the game ended: Auckland 3t3, South Auckland 10. Delgrosso played as half-back for the local team on Saturday, and although he was always iv the picture aud was responsible for instituting many good movements, he did not seem altogether at home. List fully justified his Inclusion, and pave a brilliant exhibition. Kirkland and Davidson, the other three-quarters, also being responsible for good play. Rilev and Cole at five-eighths, were both good, and the forwards were all a hard working lot, particularly Singe and Dixon. When will Singe learn to find the line? Aiwavs a player who gives a good acount of 'himself, Singe's work is rather discounted by the fact that he seldom kicks to the line Gregory s work on Saturday was a trifle patchy. All the South Auckland backs gave good exhibitions, particularly Finlav. Hemingway and Davis, the half-back." Hutt was easily the pick of tlie forwards, and F Rayuor was safe at full-back. The latter is also very handy with his right foot, landing four good goals in quick succession. THE STORMONT SHIELD. The first of two games for the Stormont Memorial Shield will be played on Saturday ™ xt ' . .y. n . Maris t Bros, meet Ponsonbv. ine shield is a very fine trophy and was presrnted for competition by Mr. XV J Stormont, who, in order to put the shield into competition, handed it to the Marist Bros. Club, of which the late XV. Stormont was a prominent member. Ponsonbv and City have each challenged and the winner of the Ponsonby-Mnrist game on Saturday will meet City a week later. NEARING THE END. What will be the most successful season in the history of the League code in Auckland is now nearing the end, and the only big attraction remaining on the bill-of-fare is whatever match is staged on October 10, when the Queenslanders return from their tour South. All sorts of rumours are abroad and it has even been stated that there is a likelihood of the Bananalanders being opposed by the thirteen of this season's Rugby players. No doubt this would be a great win for the League code if such did occur, but to bring it about would cost money, as it is hardly likely good Rugby .Union players would come over to League at this late juncture unless some special inducement was held out to them. If a team of Rugby Union players could be got together to meet the Queenslanders it would attract a tremendous crowd and provide something that the public have been longing to see for years. The manager of the Queenslanders, Mr. H. Sunderland, has offered to pit his men against the All Blacks, but there is no chance of the challenge being accepted.