SURPRISE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 95, 22 April 1940, Page 11

SURPRISE DAY.

j RUGBY LEAGUE GAMESj j START OF CHAMPIONSHIP. | 1 DEFEAT OF MOUNT ALBERT.} ilu brilliant weather, the Auckland J Rugby League's championship matches 1 were stuvti>l on Saturday. There wore | gome surprise results. In a very hard- ■■ {ought match Blount Albert Club, cham- | pious of last season, were defeated by f Js'orth Shore. J. Smith, the Xew Zealand representaI five, who went to Kngland las»t year in the Dominion team, registered a line perform-i ance in gathering 1.1 of Shores 16 points, I bis tally being a try and live goals, j Newton sprang a surprise in defeating 3 Jlarist, Mauiikau were too good for City, 3 and Richmond had a runaway win against * Papakura. j Results or the matches were: — f North Shore 16. v. Mount Albert 10. H Newton 13. v. Jlarist 10. ■; Manukau 11. v. City 2. | Richmond X, v. Papakura 2. EVENLY MATCHED. 4 When they met in the late game on No. 2 I ground, Marist and Newton" were fairly A evenly matched, but the latter deserved | their win by 13 points to 10 as they were I the more constructive on the day's plav. •I The game was hanl fought, but rarely rose i to spectacular blights. Marist's combination s wis thrown out of gear by the absence of ■jj sucli men as Ikmovan a>ul Grott<> from the 3 backs, but they improved as the game pro■j a nd at the death were "breaking ■!| about fifty-lit ty" with the opposition's chain. The forwards on both sides worked | with a will, with Taylor. Gindcrs. Eraser 1 ami Anderson shotving most dash for New--1 ton. and W. Grorte, l'.archard, McL-eod anil 1 Breed frequently in the picture for 9 the losers. Chalmers gave solid service to I Jlarist as substitute half-back, while Hughes I and McWilliam wcr- sound throughout, j being brilliant '.n the five-eighths line. ! Hudson also impressed for an exhibition of \ good all-round play at centre. Oliver was £ an alert half-back for Newton, and often j eet an example to others with his low tackling of opponents. Mackenzie, at first j five-eighth, got through a wealth of good 1 worft while Stephens and Richards were a pair of straight and hard-running wingers. ! in the full-back duel between Glover and Dempsey honours went slightly in the Jatter's favour, although his kicking for I the gap at times did not reveal as good judgment as usual. Too frequently he re- | tamed the ball into Glover's hands. PAPAKURA OVERWHELMED. I After shaping fairly promisingly in their f preliminary matches, Papakura disr appointed their supporters dismally when j they made no light of their match with I Richmond. To put it mildly, they were never in the hunt, and went down to tl:e tune of 1 56 points to 2. Tlie only players to make I any impression at all were L. Wright and Cossey among the backs, and H. Milliken Slid Buckeridge in the forwards. Against such weak opposition Richmond played as I they liked, and points came at the rate of over one a minute. Mitchell. Devine, Hadley tnd Metcalfe were shining lights amongst I the forwards, who raked the ball consistently for their backs. Devine. particularly. showed appreciation of his backs and opened up the play at every opportunity. Of the backs the five-eighths, A. Graham and D. Solomon were outstanding, making fine openings for their supports and showin" excellent appreciation of positional play. \f Tittleton. at centre, did not reveal his best form, but L. Mills on the wing showed some of that dash and determination which won him a place in the New Zealand side last season. T. liramley, on the other wing, had a field day, for he added over a score of points to his side's tally with goal kicking. MANUKAU SPECTACULAR. Manukau played in a spectacular way and were too good for City in a 2&nie in which both teams resorted largely to fiveforward play. In the arrangements both Ririnni am* Brodrick appeared In the Manukau backs, but. -despite what they tchieved, their proper place is in the lorwards. Mahima was the outstanding Manukau back and Butler, the. North Auckland player, is making a good impression as an inside player. Shilton and Maguire stood out in the Manukau forwards. The City forwards played in a tireless way with Mataira certainly the out standing one. Itaesbock, the City half-back gave his side a brilliant scrum service and showed speed and initiative. Suva and Gould gave satisfactory games and Clarke's exhibition at full-back had the impress of real clasa. HARD FOUGHT. The match between North Shore ant Mount Albert was hard fought all the way with the issue resting roost of the turn with the respective forwards, the bacKs onlv occasionally joining in with concertet effort North Shore had two key men lr their tacks, V. Scott at full-back ana J Smith in the centre. They rose to everj call made on them and were superlative in defence. The Shore forwards —probablj Sowter and Condon were the pick worked hard and tirelessly, and It was their great effort which really pulled txi< Shore side through. In attack the Shore inside backs coulc never get the ball out to the wings, where Bvans and Cheater, two men of pace, nat to hunt on their own. It was Cheater: brilliant pace and anticipation which mau< the two Shore tries possible. The Mount .\*hart forwards, with fcliaa bolt and Guunlug ever prominent, gave i great display, but the backs did uot wort as well as last season. Clements is i very tine attacking half, Banhain displayet facility to make the play, and in the centri there were flashes of brilliance by Mar shall. The youthful Cowley was tried a: full-back for Mount Albert. With goo< hands and speed he came through a nan day well, ibut he would probably be bettej placed in the tliree-quarter line.