AUCKLAND BEATEN AT GREYMOUTH

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25550, 19 July 1948, Page 5

AUCKLAND BEATEN AT GREYMOUTH

WEST COAST WINS BY 18 POINTS TO 2 From Our Own Reporter GREYMOUTH, July 18. Fresh from their convincing victory over Canterbury, the Auckland Rugby League representatives were outclassed by West Coast at Greymouth to-day. The home team won by 18 points to 2, after holding the advantage throughout. Played in perfect weather, before a record crowd, estimated to exceed 4000, the match did not produce the spectacular football expected, but it produced some superlative play by the West Coast forwards. The West Coast team played better football than it had since its surprise win over the touring English team in 1946. The Auckland backs were rattled by the fast-breaking, hard-tackling West Coast forwards, and were forced into many errors, from which the home team profited. West Coast established a 10-point led in the first 10 minutes, and controlled the rest of the game. In the forwards, . the honours were with the home team. There was not much between the backs, except that J. Soster (West Coast) completely outclassed the opposing full-back and the former Kiwi player, M. Rich, in handling and linekicking. | The Auckland team included five Kiwis beside Rich—A. Mclnnarney, L. Jordan, ", R. Cunningham, D. Anderson, and C. Humdell, but only the last three were really impressive. In the forwards, D. Price and R. Roff provided the best supports for Hurndell. The Kiwi players, K. Mountford and C. Mcßride, were the leaders of the West Coast pack. Another Kiwi, R. Aynsley, had the advantage over Roff in the set scrums. Occasional mishandling was the chief fault of the West Coast backs. The West Coast scored two good forward tries in the first 10 minutes, the scorers being R. O’Donnell and R. Neilson. Soster converted both. The West Coast increased its lead to 15 points when V. Meates (centre) picked up a dropped pass near the Auckland line and ran in •between the posts. Soster converted. Auckland’s only points in the first half came from a penalty goal kicked by Rich from an easy position. Five minutes after the interval J. Curragh, the West Coast wing, finished off a back movement with a try in the corner, but the kick failed. The final score was: West Coast 15. Auckland -2. The referee was Mr J. Griffin. In a curtain-raiser, the West Coast fifth grade representatives beat the schoolboy representatives by 12 points to 11. AUCKLAND’S EASY WIN CLARKE SCORES 24 POINTS AGAINST SOUTH AUCKLAND (P.A.) AUCKLAND, July 17. Unbeaten after its tour of southern centres, and strengthened by the inclusion of a Kiwi player, Hambleton, South Auckland suffered an overwhelming defeat at the hands of an Auckland representative Rugby League side this afternoon. The final score was 60 points to 9 in favour of Auckland. Though greatly weakened through injuries and the fact that one Auckland side was already touring, Auckland displayed a clear-cqt superiority right from the kick-off. For Auckland, tries were scored by Nurse (3), Barchard (2), Belsham, Gow, Redmond, Johnson, Hardwick, Davidson, and Robertson. Clarke converted 11 tries and kicked a penalty goal, scoring 24 points in all. For South Auckland, Pawson scored a try which was converted by Brooks, who also kicked two penalty goals. RESULTS IN OTHER CENTRES Wellington.—Marist 10, Korodale 7; Miramar 26, Te Aroha 14; St. George 12, Randwick 10, ASSOCIATION CODE HURLEY SHIELD GAMES

WESTERN STILL UNBEATEN The Hurley Shield championship competition was continued on Saturday when three matches were played. In the main match at English Park, after a fairly even and spirited first half. Technical A took charge against Nomads. The preliminary match at English Park was disappointing. After its recent win against Technical A, the Technical B side was expected to provide stiff opposition for the champion Western side, but ths latter never looked like losing. At Spreydon Domain Thistle reversed Celtic’s first half lead to win finally by 4 goals to 1. Results:— Technical A 6, Nomads 1. Western 4, Technical B 0. Thistle 4. Celtic 1. Championship points now are:—Western 16, Thistle 16, Technical A 14, Shamrock 12, Nomads 9, Technical B 8, Celtic 7, Rangers 6. TECHNICAL A V. NOMADS For most of the first half the match between Technical A and Nomads was fairly even. Technical A during this period was not playing below form, but with all the skill that has carried it through to the South Island Chatham Cup final. Nomads’ subsequent deterioration leaves only one explanation—lack of staying power. Certainly some comparatively easy scoring chances were wasted by amazingly poor marksmanship, but this should not have upset the whole side. Technical A worked really well, particularly against a tiring opposition, when accurately placed passing movements ranged the field. The game marked the reappearance of K. Lucas, injured in one of the earlier games, and this player, though not as good a forager as O’Malley, the other inside man, kept his flank almost at the same strength as the left. Cook, O’Malley, Thomas, and BaiJey teamed up particularly well, and made several of the openings which finally found the net. K. Lucas (2), C. Thomas (2), J. McLennan and C. Bailey scored for Technical, and R. Cullen for Nomads. Referee: Mr P. McFarlane. WESTERN V. TECHNICAL B Although Technical B recently beat its A eleven, it hardly looked the same side which Western easily accounted for in the first match at English Park on Saturday afternoon. Western was without Dowker and Moore, but these two players did not offset F. Adams’s absence from the Technical side. The losers’ performance, apart from that of the half-line and goalkeeper, was poor and throughout lacked leadership. F. Neate, one of the finest defenders in the competition, hid himself on the right wing, where his value was almost nil. The forwards generally showed little ability, and apart for an odd scamper by Hallows, seldom gave the Western defence more work than it could capably deal with. It was in the half line that Technical’s real strength lay and these three men. King, Storer, and Gorely, worked tirelessly and to some effect throughout the match.

Western had a scratch team in, if its fine array of emergencies can be termed scratch players. The main changes were G. Smith on the right wing and M. Gordon at centre-forward. The result proved that the brilliant G. Smith is adaptable to any position in the forward line. Equally powerful with either foot, he gave a display which could be scarcely faulted and this in an unaccustomed position. He always made ground in possession, and appeared to be able to drop his centring kicks just where his inside men could best use them. Gordon, too, at centreforward, played well, scoring some fine goals, but also missing some comparatively easy ones. M. Gordon (3) and G. Smith scored for Western. Referee: Mr P. Consedine. THISTLE V. CELTIC By beating Celtic by good second half play, Thistle maintained its unbroken run of successes in the second round of the championship at Spreydon Domain. Thistle had to fight hard for its win, which came from more fluid forwards and a constructive rearguard. Thistle has shown its best football at the latter end of matches recently, and Saturday’s effort was no exception. Only at this period did the passing and positional play attain that accuracy that put the eleven in a winning position. The defence handled its share of the work capably, and the halves anticipated well. Celtic showed some initiative over th? opening stages when J. O’Rawe, Fowke, and McGlinchy made some inroads in the Thistle defence, but indecision and random passes spelt only one result and that was loss of possession and a subsequent reversal of a territorial advantage. Better understanding and a fuller regard for correct positional play are needed. Celtic has the material, but on only a few occasions has the combination really shown this season what it is capable of. J. McGuigan (2). G. McAnulty and F. Lowe scored for Thistle, and D. Fowke for Celtic. Referee: Mr W. Dick. LOWER GRADES Senior Reserve.—University 7, Celtic 0: Wigram 2, Watersiders 2; Technical 5, Thistle 1; Western 7, Nomads 2; Shamrock 7, Rangers 1. Junior A Grade.—Knock-out: Y.M.C.A. 7, Wigram 1; Canterbury Agricultural College 4, Nomads 4: Shamrock 5. Western 4. Junior B Grade.—St. Vincent’s 7, Technical 1; Nomads 1, Training College 0. University beat Shamrock B by default. Rangers beat Celtic by default. Fourth Grade.—Technical A 10, Technical B 3; Thistle 3. Shamrock 2; St. Vincent’s 2, Western 2.

Fifth Grade.—Celtic 2, Technical B 0; Nomads 9, Technical C 0; Technical A 5, Rangers 0. No other grades were played on Saturday. SOUTH ISLAND TRIAL MATCH AT TIMARU WEST COAST PLAYERS CHOSEN West Coast players selected to take part In the South Island trial match at Timaru next Saturday are as follows:—D. Tolchard (goal), B. McMahon (right half), J. Roach (centre-forward), R. Scott (inside left). Deacon (Buller), has also been selected. ;

MATCHES AT TIMARU Senior matches played in the South Canterbury Football Association’s competitions on Saturday resulted:—Fishermen 4, West End 1; Northern Hearts 5, Pirates 4; Thistle 2, Oamaru 2. RESULTS IN OTHER CENTRES Wellington (Chatham Cup and championship).—Watersiders 4, Seatoun 3. Championship only: Marist 2. Hospital 1; Stop Out 2, Institute 2; Railways 3, Diamond 2. Auckland. —Onehunga 5, Comrades 4. Dunedin.—Old Boy* 5, Technical Old

Boys 2; Roslyn-W&kari 2. Green Island lx Northern 3, University 2; Mornington 3. Maori Hill 2; Watersiders 1, Southern 1: Mosgiel 6, Caversham 2.