THE LEAGUE CODE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 236, 5 October 1926, Page 12

THE LEAGUE CODE.

FIRST TEST MATCH. A CLOSE GAME. "Unless the scrummaging methods of <;he New Zealanders show a vast improve merit I shudder to think what will hapDen to them in the Te9ts." This was t.h» summing up of a prominent English football critic a week ago. But he was not alone in his opinion, and others predicted a thorough beating for the visitors when they stepped on to the field on Saturday at Wigan, against the best thirteen England could put together. In the face of such criticism, we in New Zealand could hardly hope for victory, and at best we looked to our men to at least give the Englishmen a "go." Well, England winning, the critics have reason to be satisfied, but from the cabled account it would seem that, while the visitors were outplayed in the first spell, there was a complete change in the second half, and at the finish J. Parkin and his men were hard put to it to win by eight points. Apparently the New J Zealanders rose to the occasion when the outlook was distinctly black, and with England leading 20 points to 5 at halftime, it was a case of "write your own ticket" about New Zealand's chance. From the bare details to hand it would seem that the forwards played hard, solid football, and particularly was Avery in the spotlight. The disappointing feature about the match was the poor attendance ot 14,500. When the 1907 team played the first Test at Wigan the attendance went over 30,000, and it is hard to realise that with the New Zealanders now at Home possessing the "ashes" only 14,000 should attend to see them. Why, in a small town like Auckland there would be as many and more at Carlaw Park to see New Zealand oppose Queensland or' New South Wales, and the attendance at Wigan on Saturday was only on a par with an important club match in Auckland. Meet York To-morrow. Accepting the play of last season as a guide, the New Zealandere to-morrow meet their hardest club team to date, when they line out against York. The latter figured twelfth in the list of 27 teams at the end of the season, and had a better record than Halifax. As Halifax was good enough to beat New Zealand by 19 to 13 we may expect York to prove a tough proposition. Record to Date. The record of the New Zealandere to date is as under:— Against. Result. Score. Dewsbury .... Won 13—9 Leigh Won 23—16 Halifax Loet 13—19 Rochdale Won 11—9 Barrow Won 19 —16 Wliines Won 15—5 Flret Test Lost 20—28 Points for, 114; against, 102. The Scorers. It is always interesting in connection with touring teams to note the scorers, and seven matches have now been played by New Zealand. Avery easily heads the list of try-getters with seven (21 points), and then follows Davidson with three tries (9 points). Mouatt, Gardiner, Herring, and Brisbane have notched two tries apiece, while Carroll, Parkes, Desmond, Delgrosso, Brown and Cole have scored once, Dufty and Mouatt are running close for the honours at goal-kick-ing, Dufty having sent the ball over the bar_ and between the uprights ten times, while Mouatt has done the same on nine occasions. Mason has placed two goals. NEARING THE END. What will without doubt prove the most successful season yet enjoyed by the Auckland Rugby League is nearing the end, and another fortnight will just about see the finish. On Saturday next the attraction at Carlaw Park will be the challenge match for the Northern Union Cup, when Auckland will be called upon to defend the trophy against South Auckland. The following have been selected to represent Auckland:— Backs.—Rayner, Wade, List, Littlewood, Riley, Prentice, L. Scott, T. Peckham, Cleaver, Wetherall. Forwards. — O'Brien (Devonport, Townsend, St. George, H. Scott, O'Brien (Marist), Payne, Clarke, Hutt, Dixon. All players, if available, are requested to notify Mr. Asher at once. Training has been arranged at Carlaw Park for this evening and on Thursday, at 7.30. NOT A "SCHOOL" GAME. Mr. Frank Murphy, headmaster of the Parnell District School, writes:—"l wish to corroborate the statements made by Mr. A. Murdoch, headmaster of Otahuhu school, in his letter appearing in your sports column last week, on the subject of football in the primary schools of the Auckland district. As a matter of fact the Rugby code is the only one adopted in my own school, directed by the mastere, and played by the boys as a school game. It seems that one or two supporters of another code of football a week or so ago picked up, away from the school, a sufficient number of boys to make up a team, and induced them to play against Otahuhu on a Saturday afternoon, but no one i has any claim to call this a "school" game, for the schools, as such, take no refponsibility for it in any way.