THE LEAGUE TRIALS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 160, 8 July 1926, Page 11

THE LEAGUE TRIALS.

COMBINED BEATS AUCKLAND.

A POOR GAME

Any possibility there was of the match between a combined team and the Auckland thirteen at Carlaw Park yesterday providing a good exhibition of fast, open football, was settled by the utter selfishness of the players on the Auckland side. Particularly so was this the fault in the first half, when every man on the side appeared to be playing on liis own, and endeavouring to score his way into the New Zealand team. The win of the Combined team by 28 to 21 was deserved, but had Auckland thrown the ball about even to that degree which obtains iii club matches the scores may have been closer, but the football would assuredly have been brighter. Try after try was lost through the selfishness of the players, and the worst offender on the ground was Delgrosso, who was playing at half behind the Auckland pack. Xo doubt he saw a lot of the ball, but he kept it to himself and absolutely starved his backs, which was not giving them the chance to show out that they were entitled to, and if all half-backs did the same the selectors would be in a fine fix trying to get a set of backs together. Maybe half-back is Delgrosso's proper place in a team, but there are a dozen others on the side, and he placed his backs in the position he would be in if his forwards did not rake the ball occasionally. There were two players on the ground who stood out above the others. One was Mouatt, who was on a pedestal by himself, and was probably the only forward up to international standard. The other to give a fine display was Menzies of the Waikato. Wherever the play was he was, and his following up and tackling stamped him as a player in the first flight of League forwards. He has only to show up again on Saturday and he should be one of the first men selected to go away. Tho Auckland pack was a distinct disappointment, and there was not a man in the half dozen as good as O'Brien of Marist Brothers, whom the selectors passed over, but who figures in the A team for the curtainraiser next Saturday. The backs on both sides were disappointing, and it is evident they are not so good as their showings in club football would suggest. Eckhoff, who figured at five-eighths, instead of fullback, was more happy in his new position, and another good game by him on Saturday will cause him to be considered by the selectors. The selectors have no easy task in front of them to select 14 backs, and their final decision after Saturday's trial will be awaited with interest.

FINALISING THE SELECTION. SATURDAY'S TRIALS. The final trial matches In connection with .the selection of the League team to tour Britain will be. played at Carlaw Park on Saturday, when Probables will meet Possibles, and A nnd B teams wJOI play a cur-tain-raiser. The teams are .as follow: — PROBABLES. Fullback: Dufty (Auckland). Three-quarters: Sanders (Canterbury), Desmond (Wellington), Llttlewood (Auck-Five-«ighths : Klrwan (Auckland),. Webb (Auckland). Half: Wilson-Hall (Canterbury). Forwards: Vivian (Canterbury). Carroll (Wellington), Herring (Auckland), Mason (Canterbury), Singe (Auckland), Avery (Auckland), captain. POSSIBLES. Fullback: Gregory (Auckland). Three-quarters: Hlckey (Otago), Davidson (Auckland), Brown (Auckland). Five-eighths: Brisbane (Auckland), Riley (Auckland). Half: Delgrosso (Auckland). Forwards: Menzles fSouth Auckland), Tallentire (West Coast), O'Brien (North Shore. Auckland), Thomas (Otaao), Devine (South Canterbury), Mouat (West Coast), captain. A TEAM. Fullback. Raynor; three-quarters. Mansill. Wilson, jun., Parkes; five-eighths, Vorrath. Lewis: half, Cleaver; forwards, O'Brien (Marist). Hutt. Avery, Payne, Clarke, Bass, capain. B TEAM. Fullback. K. Scott; three-quarters. Wade, Gardner. List; five-eighths. Prentice, Ecskhoff; half. Poison, captain; forwards, Thomas, Townsend, Gieson, Stormont, Douglas, Dixon. Players will meet for training at Carlaw Park this evening.