The WORLD of SPORT

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 187, 9 August 1928, Page 13

The WORLD of SPORT

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

ENGLAND V. PROVINCE.

WIN FOR THE TOURISTS

VICTOR!" ON THEIR MERITS

Quite candidly and frankly one must tay that England defeated the Auckland provincial team on their merits yesterday. The better team won. There is lot the slightest doubt about that. TIM hold that League football has in Auckland was reflected by the fact that there was an attendance of about fifteen thousand people. The public school boys of Auckland were admitted free, and literally attended in thousands— and the "gate"—always of importance on international tours, was large enough to maka the English team's managers rejoice.

. It was not a brilliant exposition of the League code, but it was an exciting game, replete with thrills and marked by occasion bits of play of a very high order. The Englishmen fielded practically a new team compared with the thirteen that turned out in the first Test match, and, truth to tell, they gave a much more convincing exhibition than those who wore the all white jersey last Saturday. In the forwards the visitors had nothing on the six opposed to them, but the English rearguard was much more convincing than the Auckland back division. On the move they gave a very spectacular exhibition, with a maze of ■peed that often had the home side in

* tad tangls, and, but for * fatal want of finish on occasions, mu»t have piled «p ,a much larger score. The Auckland forwards did their duty right well in the Mt scrums, the rack and the loose. Like tfceNew .Zealand pack of the first Test Batch, they went all out in the early stages of the game, and it was small wonder that they tired towards the end. Keen, Hard, Clean Football.

, The .game vu played as it should be. Xfc was keen, hard and clean, and there vu nothing in the methods of either side to cavil at. As a display it did lot rise to the greatest heights, but there were sufficient spectacular flashes of play to illustrate the beauty and potentialities of the League game. As lit the previous game, the Englishmen were puttied with some of the rulings given by the referee—Mr. Rogers, on this occasion—and it is plain that some of the things that pass muster in the Old Land are officially frowned on in New Zealand. There was one particular instance that caused controversy. Dufty, the Auckland full-back, was held up on one occasion by two massive Englishmen right on the line at the corner flag. The home full-back promptly got out of an embarrassing situation by tossing the ball into touch. The referee ordered a scrum in-fleld. One of the English reserves on, the pavilion at once challenged the ruling, and held that a free kick to the visitors should have been awarded. The. point was referred to by another member of the touring team, and he held that, provided Dufty did not throw the ball forward or straight out. and threw it backward, it was a perfectly legitimate thing to do. Here, then, wae an instance of two members of the touring team holding different views on the subject. The writer watched the incident, but from an angle where it was impossible to; say whether the ball was thrown forward or not. Nor was the English player, who criticised the referee, in a better position to speak on what was evidently the vital point. Through some of the ■ selected players being unable to take part, the home team was considerably chopped about at the last minute, but it could not be said that the reserve players vho got a game greatly weakened the original selection. Dufty Again Shines.

It was well for Auckland that Dufty took the field. He was not originally chosen as full-back, but the T»est compliment that can be paid to him is to shv that, without him, Auckland would have been beaten by a much greater margin. Essentially a mail for big otcaaioiiA. Dufty gave a 'wonderful allround disp'ay, and, as in the previous games, ...quite cclipsed the English custodian - ■ In attacking work, it was the swift covering defence of the visitors that wrecked the Auckland hopes. Pcckham played an excellent game at the base of the scrum, but. although the home fiveeighths struggled hard, they never sppmefl to be r" ' • to shake off the steel shackle* of th" "nprKftb defcuce. Amos d'd *onic vcnv ; c>vi«r th'nicrs. ««id with elinive running mad# one of thd Province's tries poss-lb'e. However, some of .the rjiaf-es he handed out to hi« *»]>; were uly dreadluU Hanlou,

in the outer berth, nev6r knew whether the ball was coming at his head or his feet, but, apart from that, the Richmond man seemed to find it impossible to rise to the great demands of the occasion. The weakness in the Auckland intermediate line sadly hampered the Auckland three-quarter line, and most of their lot was hard, stern defence. L. Scott was the most impressive, and has more than justified the chance he has been given in big football. In a subdued light List did well, and Beattie showed rare dash up to the time he was injured and retired. This gave Wilson, the dashing Mangere wing, a chance, but that speedy little player scarcely got a single chance to show what he is capable of.

Hall was the best of the Auckland forwards, and, for that matter, the best forward on the ground. He played with such great form that he looks sure of inclusion in the next national side. Great support came from Moisley and Payne, while the clean raking of St. George in the middle of the front row, meant that Auckland saw plenty of the ball from the set scrums. Two Brilliant Backs. The stars of the English constellation were Rees and Fairclough, the mercurial dash of the pair being the outstanding feature of the English back play. Fairclough is the most dazzling inside back ever seen on an Auckland ground, and his glorious blending of sheer speed, artistry and finesse made him the idol of the crowd. Rees, on the day, was not far behind, and his lightning dash at times cut the Auckland defence into things of shreds and patches. Rosser ran beautifully straight in the centre, while, on the wing, Gwynne went for the line with a boldness and dash that was most impressive. Gowers did. not rise to

the international, plane at full-back, although he played a very serviceable game, and one particular conversion right from the edge of the sideline, stamped him as a champion goal-kkker. The English forwards showed surprising mobility for big men. They were very fast ia the loose, and backed up splendidly* They were a very even lot. Burly Bowman, the fifteen stealer of the touring party, tackled in very robust fashion, Thompson showed undeniable cleverness, and great footwork, while the light thatched Young disclosed surprising stamina, and. Was still going great guns when the others were beginning to tire.