RECORD AND SHIELD FOR AUCKLAND

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30221, 28 August 1963, Page 8

RECORD AND SHIELD FOR AUCKLAND

Hawke’s Bay Held To 3-3 In Touch-line Duel \ I (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 27. After a tense and titanic struggle, with both sides hugging the touch line, Auckland became the most successful Ranfurly Shield team of all time when it drew, 3-3, with Hawke’s Bay at Eden Park today.

By virtue of a draw counting to the holders, Auckland broke the 1922-26 Hawke’s Bay record of 24 consecutive shield defences. It was not pretty Rugby, and magnificent defences cut attacking movements to a minimum. The touch-line duel may have set another record—that of 132 line-outs: on a firm ground and with no trouble from wind or rain.

Hawke’s Bay scored in the 25th minute of the game with a penalty goal, and it seemed likely that penalty goals would be the only way to score points so fast and tight was the defence. Either that, or by working a player out of position,, and in the 15th minute of the second half, Auckland achieved the latter.

It scored the try which drew the game, held the shield and set the record. Otherwise the game was a stalemate. Autkland, with the superior line-out forwards, threw a great strain on its pack by demanding that it crash and thrust up the touchline. Hawke’s Bay relied more upon sharp thrusts from the loose play. Both teams tried to use their backlines where possible, but with the fantastic defence of the loose forwards and inside backs the few backline moves were stifled—and it usually meant that the backline which tried to attack was thrust back as the opposition made ground with the loose ball Terrific Tackling Hawke’s Bay played the game of its life, strong and courageous in the forwards, terrific tackling by the backs and a clever team-work which developed attacks from the loose. The teams were: Auckland: H. H. Henare. D. W. McKay, P. F. Little, M. J. Dick. T. W. Tataurangi, M. A. Herewini, D. M. Connor, L. W. Fell, W. J. Nathan, D. G. Harker. H. J. Maniapoto, R. H. Graham, H. L. White, F. J. Colthurst, W. J. Whineray. Hawke’, Bay: F. Jones, W. L. Davis, I. R. Macßae, P. Orangi, A, Johnston, B. Furlong, B. R. Neale, T. W. Johnson, K. R. Tremain, R. S. Abel, H. Hlha, A. Small, G. Love, C. Craik. N. Thimbleby. The referee was Mr J. P. Murphy, of North Auckland. Auckland, as more or less the senior partner, might have been criticised for not trying to take the initiative in the backs, but the plain fact was that, for the first time in its current shield history, it met a team which tackled surely and which refused -to be bluffed or tricked by any of Auckland’s moves. Below Its Best Compared with some of its past games Auckland might have played a trifle below its best and most confident attacking form. But this was the first time it had struck such a nimble, strong and dedicated team. Auckland was ’ well coiltent with a draw. A. Small’s penalty kick came when it appeared that some Aucklanders obstructed while Hawke’s Bay was attacking. With a carry of about 41 yards, Small put the ball plumb between the posts

with a kick that never wavered from the line. The equalising try came from what looked like an unpromising movement. Auckland had a loose-head just outside the Hawke’s Bay 25, the scrum twisted, and W. J. Nathan, F. J. Colthurst and H. J. Maniapoto made a scrambling rush towards the left-hand corner. The ball fell loose as the Bay backs came across to cover and in a flash W. J. Whineray picked it up. Instead of trying to charge forward he turned, and passed back to D. M. Connor, the half-back. With a perfect pass Connor sent the backs away, with four Aucklanders marked by only three from Hawke’s Bay From M. A. Herewini the ball went to T. W. Tataurangi, and then to P. F. Little, but the cross-field movement seemed too great and the try looked to have been lost.

However. Little straightened up a trifle and then, at the perfect moment, passed to M. J. Dick, the wing, at the precise time that P. T. Orangi, Dick’s marker, had to turn his back on Little to cover Dick. Away shot Dick with a dazzling burst and he ran 15 yards before grounding the ball two feet from the corner flag, with the defence a splitsecond too late. H. H. Henare missed the kick, but R. H, Graham, the Auckland captain, might have psked for another one as B. R. Neale, the Hawke's Bay half-back, was being treated •for an injury on the field of play while the kick was being taken. However, Graham went up merely to see how Neale was and did not ask for another kick. Fearful Load Auckland won 75 line-outs to 40, which was some measure of its superiority and also of the fearful load placed upon the broad shoulders of D. G. Harker, Maniapoto and H. L. White. However, Auckland was never able to dominate the line-outs so much that the whole Hawke’s Bay pack was drawn in, and as a result Connor or Herewini had little option but to kick the ball

out as the defence descended upon them. The result was another stalemate, as in the backlines, except that Auckland was able to inch up the touchline, or gallop up when Connor or Herewini had time enough to kick a long ball. The Auckland loose forwards were fine, none better than Graham, who had a rare old tussle with K. R. Tremain at the back of the line-out, and covered and tackled magnificently. Graham may well have saved the game for Auckland when, in a last desperate rush, a five-yard scrum was ordered in front of the Auckland posts. Hawke's Bay hooked, the ball went straight back to B Furlong and he set himself for an easy drop-kick. Graham shot out like an . arrow and so badly bustled Furlong that he hooked the kick wide.

Auckland had had another narrow squeak eight minutes from time, when Small’s penalty attempt from 40 yards dropped a yard or two under the crossbar.