RUGBY FOOTBALL

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 209, 4 September 1928, Page 13

RUGBY FOOTBALL

REPS. , ONE POINT WIN. NORTHLAND NARROWLY BEATEN. INDIFFERENT FORM. The narrowest of margins—a eingle point—lost North Auckland their game against the Auckland representatives at Eden Park on Saturday. It was a game that became interesting towards halftime and wildly exciting near the finish. The blue and whites won, but the scaics might easily have turned the other way. For the last five minutes of the game the Northlanders, playing as hard as in tho first quarter, penned the locals on their line, and it was only as no-side sounded that Paewai got in a clearing kick. Auckland were clearly not at their best and they welcomed the final whistle. North Auckland opened the scoring with an unconverted try, but Auckland equalised a few minutes later with a penalty goal. Another penalty gave the visitors the lead before the teams changed. An unconverted try by the locals again brought the figures level, but a try and a conversion put Northland five points up at half-time. After the breather Auckland took complete control for the greater part of the third quarter, rattling on fourteen points— four tries, one of which was converted — before the Northerners got a try which was not converted. A penalty goal to Auckland and a converted try to their opponents made the scores 23-10 at the start of the final session. Thence to the end North Auckland played up spiritedly and another unconverted try took them within a point of Auckland's total, but, try as they would, they could not wipe off that single point deficit. The closing exchangee were chockful of excitement, with Northland striving hard to get the win and Auckland playing ail out to hold their advantage. It was a hectic session, but the blue and whites' defence was sound, and so it was that they did not have to taste of defeat two Saturdays running. But it was a narrow ■have.

As a combination the Auckland side showed to better advantage than on the previous Saturday, yet they disappointed their followers, and failed to exhibit that last-moment superiority that for some seasons has been expected of local reps. Paewai was distinctly below form and displayed an unusual weakness in defence, particularly when he failed to down Wilkinson, who came right at him. His fielding, though, was invariably sound. Minns, resting a sore foot in view of to-morrow's fixture in Wellington, was missed on the wing, but the choice of Olsen to replace him was not an unhappy one, the Grammar player and ex-rep threequarter being up to his form of three years ago, sound in defence and determined on attack. To Hook fell the task of really making the back play,

and he demonstrated what might have been done a week earlier had he taken his place •gainst New South Wales. Falwasser did one brilliant piece of work that brought a try, but otherwise was a sore disappointment, his attempts to tackle high being usually ineffective. Jeffries did more in defence than when it came to aggressive movements. Jenkin played well up to form, and Carter was sound without being brilliant. In initiative he was overshadowed by Shortland. Of the forwards L. Knight was most prominent, foiling many special tricks of the Northlanders in the line-outs. Wanoa, too, came back to something like his form of the past and proved a fairly satisfactory last resource as a place kick. It wan in this department of play that the boot of a Butler or a Bush was sadly missed, several attempts at conversions and penalties bordering on the ludicrous. A. Knight and Cathcart got well into the tight work, and Palmer was ever to the fore when fast following was required. Except in the third quarter, however, the local pack did not appear to use all of their weight, and one left with the feeling that Auckland football was not all that it was thought to be.

North Auckland, who hail played several games together on their northern tour, were in the best condition and this helped them not a little. All through they played hard and no one would have begrudged them a victory had the fates ■o decreed. Kerr, the full-back, took a little time to settle down, but was sound once he got into his stride. The threequarter line, Waterman, Matene and Litt showed dash, the wings particularly so, but too often one of their inside men kicked rather than let them have the ball. Waterman scored a try, kicked a penalty goal, and twice converted. Ryan and Britland were fairly sound, but "■ never brilliant. Shortland, who, it is rumoured, will be playing in an Auckland club jersey next season, was nippy behind the scrum and shot the ball away nicely, sometimes just a little too soon. Against the Auckland seven, the North Auckland forwards had to keep at it all through. Wilkinson was continually out in front, and got a fine try when he took the ball right off Jenkin's foot and romped through on his own on a forty-yard run. (len Gould, the ex-Grammar forward, battled in characteristic style. Yates, who, on his day, is as good as any forward in the Northland, was suffering from 'flu, but did his full share. In fact, it can be said that forward all the Northern team played up well.