North Auckland has incentive it needs

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32715, 18 September 1971, Page 48

North Auckland has incentive it needs

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. Every now and then North Auckland produces Rugby of a special quality for a special reason, and many Aucklanders will be wondering this morning if their northern rivals have saved one of these performances for the Ranfurly Shield challenge at Eden Park.

A special North Auckland effort usually involves K. T. Going, its full-back, kicking goals from anywhere. S. M. Going bursting away on the break, and powerful backs and forwards knitting together.

Auckland has men who can kick longer goals than K. T. Going, men who can break even faster than S. M. Going, and a growing strength of spirit hardened in several testing battles in the last month. But, so far, Auckland has not yet developed quite the same elan that North Auckland, with the team-work built on many games together, can produce in its special matches. 10 FROM 1970 GAMES

North Auckland has retained 10 of the team which played Auckland in the second match last season, and no fewer than five of these are in the back line. Auckland has only five survivors —R. D. Whatman and A. M. Watkins, in' the backs, and P. A Lindesay, P. J. Whiting, and J. P. Posa in the forwards.

Today’s challenge will pressent Auckland with problems rather different from those Counties produced last Saturday. Faced by a big wellknit pack; the Auckland forwards will have a more arduous afternoon in the tight, although possibly without the equally exhausting business

of trying to catch Counties’ fleet-footed attackers. For all their running last Saturday, the Counties backs settled into a predictable, if highly delightful, pattern. With three Goings in the back line, and with the rugged power of J. E. Morgan and R. R. Jones in midfield, the North Auckland backs are are likely to pick their attacking moves more carefully—and certainly less predictably —than did Counties. MUST BE ALERT Consequently, they will be more dangerous, especially if S. M. Going can clear away from the scrum or K. T. Going can dash and dart through

midfield. Auckland may well have an edge in back line speed, and in the double threat of Whatman’s and Williams’s goal-kicking, but it will have to be very alert to stifle North Auckland’s back moves.

The line-outs could be the key to the forward battle. Auckland may have a slight edge in speed among the loose forwards, even considering B. Holmes’s return to his best form, and should break about even in the scrums.

Last Saturday, Auckland was outpointed in the lineouts by Counties, especially near No. 6 and 7, but it will have P. J. Whiting back to stiffen the middle of the line.