LAST OF THE SEASON

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 218, 15 September 1939, Page 10

LAST OF THE SEASON

PROVINCIAL RUGBY.

WELLINGTON MATCH.

VISITORS' REINFORCEMENTS.

ANOTHER KEEN STRUGGLi WITH AUCKLAND IS EXPECTED

The last inter-provincial Rugby match of the season at Eden Park will be played against Wellington tomorrow. Heartened by its grand showing against Southland, the best side ill New Zealand, Auckland is expected to provide the usual opposition to ite old rivals. Wellington lias a good record this season, having been beaten only twice, by Southland and North Auckland, both of which •provinces accounted for Auckland.

Last Wednesday at Whargarci Wellington were beaten 11 to 3, but they had a team greatly weakened by the absence of four key players. It is expected that the quartet. K. Tindill (half I, A. Lam bourn (hooker), 11. McG. Cooper (captain, second row) and ,T. Sherratt (wing-three-quarterl will arrive to-morrow morning. The side will then be at full strength.

The visitors will field quite a number of players new to Auckland. One of tliem is a young full-back, T. Dance, who lrae taken the place of ,J. M. Taylor, who was All Black full-back against the Springboks in 1937 and in Australia last season. Dance played very impressively at Whangarei.

The Auckland team has undergone two c-lianges since last Saturday. H. F. McLean and W. Smith are available again and both have come back into the pack, A. MofKtt and D. C. Bailey having been dropped. T. H. Pearce will go into the front row and H. Priest will be the fourth row man. The backs remain unaltered, with Brady, who played so well last Saturday, behind the scrum. Dropping of Moffitt. The dropping of MofKtt in the rearrangement of the Auckland pack will be disappointing to many followers of the game for he has undoubtedly played well since lie was brought into the team. His display 011 Saturday last in particular warranted his retention. A correspondent signing himself '"Disgusted" comments that after the showing of the forwards last Saturday it was expected that no changes would be made.' Mottitt, he fays, reached great heights last ; week, incidentally scoring Auckland's first try by sheer grit and determination.) which always characterises his game. WELLINGTON. The selection of tlie Wellington team is subject to tin' arrival of the additional men to-morrow.. It will be selected from the following : — Full-back.-—T. Dance. Three-quarters.—J. Sliorratt. R. Sanson, !•». Vile, R. Knowles (one to be omitted). Five-eighths.—L. Thomas anil A. Thompson. Half-back.—E. Tindill or'T. Dwver. Front Row.—H. Crawford-Smith. 1.. Lambourn. Hegglun, McCarthy (one to be omitted). Second Row. —XI. Cooper. X. Oellabarca. A. Kenny, J. Gunn, F. Cassidy (one to be. omitted). Back Row. —E. Todd. AUCKLAND. Full-back—B. W. Hare. Three-quarters—J. Dick. J. Mollov, L. Schubert. Five-eiglitlis—D. Brady, N. Pearinan. Half-back—C. Brady. Front Row—T. Pearce, C. S. Pepper, J Gilmour. Second Row—W. Smith. W. X. Carson, R. R. Hull. H. McLean. Back Row—H. Priest. Reserves—Backs : L. Cnrtayne. B. Grant. F. Cooney. Forwards : I). C. Bailev A. Moffitt. The referee had not been selected this morning. FIJIAN FINALE. PLAY N.Z. MAORIS TO-MORROW. At Hamilton to-morrow the final match of the unbeaten Fijian Rugby team's tour will be played, when the visitors meet the New Zealand Maoris fifteen. Although they have come through their tour undefeated so far. the Fijiatis will find stout opposition in the Maoris, who emerged all square in the Test rubber in the Islands last year. A GAME POSTPONED. THIRD GRADE REPS. V. THAMES. The match between the Auckland third grade Rugby representatives and Physical Training (Thames!, to have been played in Auckland to-morrow, has been postponed' until September 23. I