LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 172, 23 July 1928, Page 14

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

NORTHERN UNION CUP

CANTERBURY OUTCLASSED

\ i i;.\st or 11;Y i;kttixi

Fleet in }.ui -nit and Aucklainl einnjilele] y oute!a--ed Canterbury iu tin 1 lir.'-t in I er-|iru\ lueia 1 League football malcli ol the sea-mi. and won by

tiii ] ■'>i 1 < tn Jii. Tin; faille was pcril-ou-h nciiv 10 ;i debacle in the lina 1 s>l:«gcs. The home team showed that the j League standard of the North is cvi- i dcntly something quite different from the League standard of the South. With | combination, rapid passing, and bewil- j tiering changes of direction, the elcct of Auckland over-ran the visitors to pile up a. cricket score. Jt was a painfully one-sided content. The Aucklandcrs showed genius in ail.ark.yi-t a surprising | fiailty in defence at time.-. Canterbury profited by blemi.-lies to reap a fair retaliatory .-cure, although at least two of their tries were the reward of pure merit, albeit solo endeiivour. There was an attendance of'' nearly 14.000 at Carla \v I'ark. To the majority the game was Irankly disappointing, and interest lit gan to fade long before the end came. The teams were: — AUCKLAND. (Blue and white), lull-back, Diiftv; three-quarters, C. Li-t, M. Wetherell (captain), R. Hardgrave; live-eighths, L. Sea gar, S. Prentice; half. Delgrosso; forwards, A. Clarke,"(l. Payne, G. Hall, L. Hutt, W. Somers, ■). O'Britni. CANTERBURY. (Red and black). Full-back, B. O'Connell; throe-quar-ters, T. Davidson, U. Britenden, R. Bond; five-eighths, I*. Smith, J. Spillane; half, C.Woods (captain); forwards, Henchan, K. Spencej-, A. ( ollio, E. Considine, I'. llanrahan, W. Woodgate. Willi play at midlield, the Auckla.nl backs opened up, and Wetherill, with a brilliant swerving dash, cut the Canterbury defence to ribbons. Drawing O'Con nell, the visitors' full-back, he passed to Dufty, who ran in unopposed, and then 1 added the extra points. —Auckland 5, J Canterbury 0. ' Before another minute had gone A uck- j land forged ahead. List ran strongly on j the right wing, and when cornered passed ( infield for Prentice to go across w ide out. , Tho visitors wiped out two points of the deficit with a penalty, Bond kicking a pretty angle goal. There was some hard scrumming on the Canterbury line. The Auckland f'.rwards heeled to Delgrosso, who cut through and sent the ball on to Prentice to Seagar, who scored in a handy position. Delgrosso converted. With play in the Auckland twentyfive a cross-kick "went to Bond, who made a short dasli and kicked ahead. Wetherill gathered the ball, worked across in-field, passing to Dufty, to Hardgravo oil the left flank. The speedy winger sailed along the touch-line, swerved in-field to beat O'Connell, and then raced away to score a spectacular try behind the posts. Delgrosso missed an easy conversion chance. Auckland 16, Canterbury 2. Bewildered Opposition. In scrambling play near the corner flag that followed a clearing kick was .smothered and Hardgrave, diving for the ball, got a simple try. The Canterbury forwards were carrying the burden of their side, and were retaliating with close dribbling rushes. In another passinb bout larke swung the ball wide to Payne, to Prentice, to Seagar to List. The wing ran strongly, then passed in-field for Prentice to score near the corner. It was a bewildering handling run, which completely chattered tiie visitors' defence. Delgrosso again got his backs going, and crisp handling sent Hardgrave in unopposed. Delgrosso converted, and the half-time ecorea read;— Auckland 27 Canterbury 2 Riot of Scoring. The second half was only 29 seconds old, when the Auckland backs moved ulf. Quick passing sent the ball to Hardgrave on the wing. A couplo of iu-passes followed, and then Wetherill trotted round behind the posts. Delgrosso goaled. Bond made a clever dash for Canterbury, and short punted ahead. He rcgathcred the ball and was snowed under riyht on the line. Spillane was in support, and, diving for possession, scored near the Hag. The kick failed. It was List's turn next. At the end of a passing run, he wandered across near the posts, and Delgroaso did the needful. Clever play by Brittciulen in midficld penetrated the Auckland defence, and support was coining at tho right moment. The attack was held right on the line, but Spillane, coming up fast, lull locked his way past Dufty and scored an unconverted try. The Canterbury backs were now getting more in the picture, and were playing with dash. Jn another attack, Spillane showed cleverness, changing direction, to swing away from a bunch of converging tacklers. 31* then gave a reverse pass, to send Considine across. Spencer converted. Auckland 37, Canterbury J.'s. Auckland came again, List making a dash on the right wing. He passed to ' O'Brien, who returned it, and i allo'.ved the Kingshind man to score as he liked. The piay was getting farcical. From a midficld scrum all the blue backs handled, for Hardgrave to outpace the opposition. Seagar found the props. When tho Southerners were again in mi attacking position, Woods worked bis chain with Spillane and Sfinth, who dropped the ball, but retrieved to go over . l!ie posUs. lie added the trim-

M.ilhi no wan tlio next to score for Can t.Tbi.i v in a. hi illiont individual effort, 1 the live eight Ins fairly Hashing across bo- ' tween tlie Bright intci • pin v liroiijjht the next, j Auckland h o«,iv. Oiil'ty Marled it. anu kJ'"H.v ttiiiishcd it, though O'Brien's «t----t«!Hl|>t to convert was) poor. Auckland ~1 ■ the half-century ui>, 7 Unexpectedly uoaled.

Scalar ami Dufty scored for .Auckland in <|tijek sueccr-sioii, Duftv converting one. wliilc Stciixm got across for Canterbury, i • Council coin erting. Hardgrave got Auckland's farewell try, for Corners to convert. Auckland Ot; Canterbury -JO AUCKLAND REPS. THA.M TO HLAV .SOUTH AUCKLAND. Tlio following team lias been chosen to play South Auckland in tlie leSurn match next Wednesday afternoon: — Full-back: Gregory (Marists). Three-quarters: L. Scott (Devonport), List, (Kingsland), Hardgrave (Xewton). I' ive-eigliths: Seagar (Devonport), Prentice (Richmond). Half: T. Peckham (Ponsonby). Forwards: O'Brien (Marists), St. George (Devonport), Hutt (Ponsonby), Hall (Xewton), Dixon (Devonport), Clarke (Newton). Emergencies: Forwards, Payne (Ponsonby), Jenkinson (Richmond); backs, fseu ttio (Devonport), Hanlon (Richmond).