A LONE POINT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 130, 4 June 1930, Page 15

A LONE POINT.

AUCKLAND SCRAPE HOME.

REPS.' TIRST APPEARANCE.

BATTLING WAIKATO FORWARDS,

Defeat might easily have come the way of the Auckland Rugby representatives in their first game of the season yesterday. Before a packed attendance at Rugby Park, Hamilton, the blue and whites were only able to defeat Waikato by seven points to six, and in the last few minutes of the game the country team went very near to snatching the victory.

Auckland's score consisted of a dropped goal and an unconverted try, while Waikato landed two penalty goals. The home team were the first to draw blood, Mitchell landing a good goal midway through the opening spell. In the second session honours were about even and neither side could score. Auckland took the lead- in the third term when the forwards hooked from a scrum almost in front of their opponents' goal, Corner whipped it out to Jamieson, and the five-eighth dropped a neat,goal. Before the final change Allen.took a smart mark when Auckland attempted to clear and landed a goal.

With only one point between the teams, excitement in the final quarter ran high. Heroic efforts by the Waikatos almost won them the game, but the Auckiand defence stood the test. In< the last few minutes the home team hammered away at the visitors' defence. First Allen and then Mitchell were pulled down almost on the line, and on another occasion Jamieson only just got to the ball in time to save a try. The final bell came as a welcome respite to the surprised Aucklanders.

Butler on His Game. It was fortunate for Auckland that Butler was on hie game. The tackling of the University full-back was deadly— Waikato, it will be remembered, were not allowed once to cross the visitors' line —and his powerful kicking saved his side on numerous occasions. Harassed by a very energetic rover and a pair of bustling breakaways, Corner did not have the happiest of times behind the Auckland scrum. He got the ball away smartly enough, but many of the passes he sent out gave his five-eighths no chance of taking them and Waikato were able to break up a number of potential Auckland attacks before they were properly launched. On defence Corner was very sound and his nippiness frequently got his team out of nasty positions. Jamieson was continually prominent in defence, but was unable to make many openings on attack. Jones, making his first representative appearance, found the conditions very different from those of Auckland club football, usually there was a Waikato man on top of him as soon as he got the ball and about the only thing he could do was to get the ball out to his centre. Lucas played a fine all-round game, but was too well watched to make all the openings he schemed. In defence, he formed one of the strongest links in the Auckland chain. As a result of the bustling tactics adopted by the Waikatos much of the passing-indulged in by the Auckland rearguard merely took them across field and the wings, Minns and Hook, were often cramped for room when they got the ball. Minns was the better of the pair,' Hook fumbling a good deal.

The Auckland forwards did not at first appear to realise the seriousness of the position and were rather overshadowed by their opponents. After the first spell they played more like their true selves and gave their backs more of the ball. Anderson, the Knight brothers, and Batty all did good work in the loose and made frequent breakaways, while Hadley and Palmer hooked well and worked hard in the tight.

Great Spoilers. It was the great spoiling work of the Waikato pack that almost beat Auckland. Every man was a worker and the Auckland backs must have thought there were Waikato forwards in every part »of the paddock. The breakaways, Bonham and C. Cameron, both did fine work, while A. Cameron and Courtney were perhaps a little more prominent than the. others. The rover, Storey, played a rattling good game and was always well up with the ball. Mitchell, behind the Waikato scrum, was as good as any other back on the field, and was responsible for a determined effort-that almost won the game for his side, while St. George was the more impressive of the fiveeighths. Carlson was erratic at the start, dropping pass after pass, but settled down later and kept a good eye on Lucas. Allen showed dash, but Anderson on the other wing was weak. Like Butler, Thomas was in great form, his handling and kicking being of a very high standard.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS DRAW.

The draw for Friday, showground group of the primary schools, is:— Seniors. —Papatoetoe v. Epsom, No. 2, 4 p.m.; Otahuhu v. Cornwall Park, No. 1, 3.15 p.m.; Mount Roskill v. Bllerslie, No. 1, 4 p.m.; Onehunga a bye. Intermediate Grade.—Onehunga v. Otahuhu, No. 4, 3.15 p.m.; Papatoetoe v. Bllerslie, No. 3, 4 p.m.; Epsom v. Royal Oak No 2 3.15 p.m.; Kemuera, a bye. Junior Grade—Cornwall Park v. Ellerulie, Cornwall Park School. 3.15 p.m.; Onehunga v. Royal Oak, No. 2, 2.30 p.m.; Otahuhu v. Papatoetoe, Otahuhu. 3.15 p.m. ; ; Kohimarama v. Remuera, No. 3, 8.15 p.m.; Epsom v. Normal, Pencarrow Avenue; Mount Roskill v. Maungawbau, Pencarrow Avenue, 3.15 p.m.

IN COUNTRY CENTRES,

PDKEKOHE. In a match here the Seddon Memorial Technical Old Boys' second fifteen defeated the Pukekohe Technical High School Old Boys' senior team by 7 points to 3. For the winners A. Blow kicked a penalty goal and a goal from the field.- For Pukekohe Charles secured a try. - : . _ The Pukekohe Technical High Schools first fifteen defeated the Pukekohe Technical High School Old Boys' junior team by 9 points to 3. • - WHANGAREI.' • A seven a-side Rugby tournament was held at Kensington Park. The only outside teams were two senior teams from Rodney. Winners of the final games were: Senior grade, High School Old Boys; juniors, Whananaki; third grade, Horahora; fourth grade, High School A; primary school- (A grade), Hikurangi; school (B grade), Portland. DARGAVILLE. The Northern'Wairoa Rugby Union held a seven a-side tournament. The finals resulted as follows: —Seniors (Allen Shield) : Northern Star 3, v. Southern 0. Juniors (Ruawai' Cup) : Ruawai' 3, v. Southern,- 0. Third grade (Rugby Union' Cup) :.Dargaville High School 3, v. Ruawai 0. Primary schools (Wairoa Stores trophy) : Ruawai 6, v. Aratapu 3.

WAIHI. Auckland University fifteen beat Waihi by six to nil. Juniors.—Katikati and Athletic drew, three all. OPOTIKI. In the Rugby representative match yesterday, Opotiki defeated Whakatane by 14 points to nil. Whakaroa and Temple each scored a try. Hunt kicked two penalties and converted a try. The game was a very poor one, neither side showing brilliancy. TE AROHA. Te Aroha loßt its first representative match against Matamata by 12 points to 6. Neither K. Ifwersen nor Arkle was available for Te Aroha. HAMILTON. As a curtain-raiser to the Auckland-Wai-kato match at Hamilton, a Hamilton representative junior team played the Morrinsville juniors. The game resulted in an easy win for Hamilton by SO points to 0. THAMES. In the senior Rugby game, Thames was beaten by Tauranga by 16 points to 11. In the junior game Thames defeated Tauranga by 16 to 6. The primary schools game was won by Thames by 9 to 0, while the Midgets drew with no score. The school results were: Thames High School A 25, defeated Tauranga High School A 6 ; Thames B 0, defeated Tauranga 0. i