LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 102, 3 May 1927, Page 14

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

BRILLIANCE OF BROWN. WETHERILL AT HIS BEST. Somebody once stated the obvious, and got the credit of being a sage—that a game is not won until it is lost. Never was an example so eloquent as that enacted at Carlaw Park on Saturday, when the cream of the League was paraded in brilliant autumnal weather to open the 1927 season. The magnet that drew a crowd of 14,000 was Auckland v. New Zealand, an Auckland divided for the occasion, as the baker's dozen—the baker's dozen that used to be—was composed of local players who have had the opportunity of adding polish to their abilities after sampling the intricacies of the code on the playing fields of England. The game recalled a meeting at the en d _of last season when Auckland administered a crushing defeat to the New Zealand side, and just to prove that it was neither a freakish nor fluky victory, they again triumphed. It was a game of thrills, spectacular, sparkling with lively incident. Looking a beaten side at one stage, Auckland set about the task of recovery and swiftly achieved it; in the fleeting moments of play there was a sensational finale, one <1 those swift changes of fortune which makes the Rugby League game the fascinating spectacle that it is. Until near the end, when the New Zealand side began to perceptibly wilt under incessant pressure, there was particularly very little between the two teams. The forwards were fairly well matched, scrum honours were even, and the respective backs had a fair share of opportunities. A patchiiess—perhaps inseparable from a first game—was often in evidence when it came to handling the ball, yet on occasions the combination was excellent, and the backing up was in accordance with the best traditions of the code. The New Zealand backs disclosed a much sharper thrust than the Auckland backs, and occasionally they showed the spectators something new when play was near a sideline; the nearest wing threequarter quickly junctioning with the intermediate line to help to make the all-necessary extra man when the final transfer came.

It was evident that the Home tour has improved some of the tourists. Gregory has returned with added versatility. He gave a display that was flawless, and often ran his backs into position. He eclipsed Hanlon, although the Auckland fullback played quite well, and was never seriously at fault.

Brown was the outstanding wing threequarter in the game. He is another

t greatly improved player, and now has the surehandedness that is so necessary for the Hank man gifted with exceptional pace. He showed amazing quickness off the mark, and a meteoric elusiveness, blended with opportunism, to grasp the shadow of an opening and go through List, the Auckland centre was very brilliant in attack and his sharp burst of speed, allied to straight running, often penetrated deeply into the New Zealand defence. On the day he showed to greater advantage than B. Davidson, perhaps for the reason that the latter, for want of real chances in attack, was in rather a subdued light; perhaps also for the reason that the Aucklanders know the Davidson-Brown collaboration of old, and saw that they got but few chances to function. Yet Davidson is the ideal type of centre—self-effacement in the inter-, ests of his side.

The star of the two intermediate lines was Wetherill. He was at the top of his form, elusive and artistic, and repeatedly he wove a sinuous way 91 will-o'-the wisp fashion through the New Zealand-inside backs. Kirwan also shaped well, with entwpri— and initiative, V.

Peckham gathered in all the halfback honours, purveying good passes to his clientele, and showing a fine burst of speed from the scrum. On the day he outclassed Webb and Delgrosso, who functioned in turn in the key position for the tourists.

The Auckland pack was a splendidly balanced sextet with an elan, mobility and sustained dash that triumphed in the end. The tourists' spearhead was a rather quaintly-arranged organisation, including Gardiner, Dufty and Parkes, who were best known last season as backs. Burly Gardiner revelled in his new role. \\ ith the ball he was an exceptionally hard man to stop, and he gave some of his opponents a lesson in regard to the futility of affectionate clasps at an opponent's neck, in preference to the low tackling. Parkes has become a real forward, and was always prominent, but Dufty played in a way that conveyed the impression that he would be much more happily placed in his accustomed position at fullback. Those who expected the tourists to reveal something new in connection with the code, after metaphorically rubbing noses with the English and, Welsh elect, must have felt disappointed, but possibly they will find consolation in the knowledge that in Auckland League play has been lifted to a very high plane, and the only real task for the future is to keep it there.

Summed up, it was the superior team work of the Auckland forwards that carried the home side to victory. For the New Zealand side there was only one possible epitaph—they were beaten by a better team.