"GET YOUR MAN!"

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 230, 29 September 1938, Page 28

"GET YOUR MAN!"

HOW MANUKAU LOST.

SYDNEY SIDE'S VICTORY. SECOND SUCCESS OF TOUR. Had they carried out a coneietent policy of getting the man with the ball, Manukau would have etood an even chance of victory over Eastern Suburbs, of Sydney, whom they met in ideal conditions at Carlaw Park yesterday afternoon. It cannot have been that Manukau were blinded by the brilliance of the football tricks and moves that are part of the visitors' stock-in-trade; in tact, the home team exploited similar tactics itself to advantage on tueveral occasions. But they let the Sydney men —the backs in particular—get away with too much. Too often an Eastern Suburbs player was given time to think his way out of a tough spot.

It was a lively gamo, but not eo spectacular ae last Saturday's match between the vit»itotis and Marist. Eastern Suburbs led by 10 points to 2 at halt-time, and by 10 to 7 at the hnal bell. A gratifying feature from Manukau's point 'f view wue the excellent showing their forwards put up. Led by Ririnui, who w s one of the outstanding playere of the day. the pack made a real match for the visiting forwards; but in the backline their men were outclassed by the ■ipeed and verve of their opponents. Manukau were unlucky not to have Hemi'n kicking boot with them. Because of illnees he could not tik* th* field. How the Scores Came. Manukau at first found it hard to make progress against severe tackling and close marking. But it is to their credit that they held the visitors' first swift attacks on the twenty-five line. Then the Maoris set out to try to beat the Sydney men at their own game. It made for fast, sparkling football, one team challenging the other with brisk interplay, unorthodox passing, 'dummies, sideHeps and swerves. Manukau found their tactics effective, and it became the visitors' turn to maintain a stubborn defence. Infringements gave T. Chase two chances lo score penalty goals, but lie failed with both. The Eastern Suburbs full-back, Xorton, however, had no better luck with two shots he took when the visitors re--umed the offensive. Dunn, young Sydney three-quarter, just laughed at the efforts of three or tour Manukau backs to stop him when he raced to the poets for Suburbs' first try. He was practically surrounded—but the home men clutched feebly at his jersey and let him go. Norton converted easily. Stehr should have been stopped, too, when he made the opening for the second try. Instead he was given time to make up his mind about passing to Robinson, who com-pleted the job by racing inside of the Manukau full-back and scoring beneath the crossbar. Norton again converted. Over eagerness on the part of a visiting back penalised his side, and T. Chase raised the flags with a 30yds kick, making the score at half-time: Eastern Suburbs 10, ' Manukau 2. \ Aβ the second half opened the Manukau forwards toolc more on their own shoulder*, and carried play into the shadow of their opponents' goal. Ririnui, after once failing, wriggled and heaved his way over the line, and Chase goaled from a difficult angle. Chase, a minute later, had a heaven-sent chance for a penalty goal, but his kick went astray. The Sydney forwards took command, and sent H. Pierce in at the corner flag. Norton failed to convert. The next—and final—scoring movement wae so perfectly executed that it left Manukau standing. Inside halfway the Sydney pack hooked the ball, and it flew unerringly along the line to Dunn, who was travelling so fast that he passed his markers unscathed. Then he swerved past the full-back and scored. Norton could not convert, and the match ended: — Eastern Suburbs Iβ Manukau 1 Mr. S. Billman was referee.