SHORE HAVE AN OFF DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 166, 16 July 1934, Page 12

SHORE HAVE AN OFF DAY.

Following their victory over Ponsonby, City Covers beat Devonport in a bright but patchy curtain-raiser by 13 —2. The losers, who rose so well to the occasion to defeat the championship leaders the previous Saturday, were decidedly not nt par, the back division being at sixes and sevens for the most part and completely overshadowed. The Hovers' inside men, Johnson and Wiberg, simply outplayed O'Donnell and Powell. Wayne, at centre, also performed with credit and consequently wingers Turel and Purdy were kept busy, the former being more consistent than usual. Watene, except for signs of excessive sang frold, was generally reliable. His vis-a-vis Laing, allowing for other backs letting him down, fell far from the electric form he displayed under adverse conditions agalst Richmond. Seagar, nt centre, made prodigious efforts to pull his side together. Winger Hall was a willing trier, but Smith, on the other flank, invariably was out of position. Newton, tlie emergency, is a far better threequarter type. Powell, at second five-eighths, mulled passes frequently. Radonleh was missed. Rhodes, at half, continually barged into his forwards. McLaughlin, City breakaway, routed capably in the loose. Saunders (ex-Northland), Herring and Nathan were the best of a solid pack, for which Ragg was a successful hooker. Simpson, Scott and Donald were the best of Devonport's vanguard, which did not reveal anything like its traditional fire. Shore will have to be in much better nick to stop Ponsonby.