AUCKLAND WINS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1229, 11 September 1911, Page 7

AUCKLAND WINS.

FORWARDS' TURN '■■ DEFEAT' TO VICTORY. EXCITING" SCORES. = ■.-.'TARANAKI BEAT'CANTERBURY.

Ab the Auckland-Wellington match has long been the most interesting biennial Rugby'fixture played at Athletic Park, it was natural that with the ideal weather conditions that prevailed on Saturday afternoon a record crowd for the season attended to witness the twenty-second contest'between tho teams. Between 7000 and 8000. people wero present, including Lord and Lady Islington and party, Sir Joseph and Lady Ward and party, and MajorGeneral - : Godley. Another interested spectator was Archbishop Redwood, with him tho Rev. rather Venning, .In tho stand every availablo seat was occupied and the north and west -banks wero black with spectators. Fortunately there was very little wind to interfere with the game, though the playors had to affect them the strong rays of the sun overhead and a hard ground underfoot.. This latter condition was no doubt responsible for the game being- delayed on several occasions owing to minor injuries to players, but no one had to leave the field until the second spell when Sellars, an Auckland forward, had to retire with an ininred rib. He had just scored a 6plendid try, which completely altered the complexion of the game, and a section of : the crowd accorded him ah ovation as he left.

The Wellington .team was tho. same as originally selected except that Dent played on the side of'the scram in the place vacated by Moffitt. , Liko many of .the memorable battles between the two unions in the past,,the game was full of mont and that the pace was fairly fast will be understood from the fact that only onco previously in these contests have more points been registered than on Saturday. Wellington forwards commenced sensationally by rushing tho ball over from, the kick-off and scoring. Then i,ho gamo progressed steadily in the local team's favour until at the end of tho first spell they led by nine, points to nil. It looked a -big task, for tho visitors lo win, but they canio back to the field looking confident and soon proved that they wero going to make great efforts to haul the gamo oat of the lire. Certainly they wero some little time in opening tho score, but onco started they quickly passed the local score and established a- substantial lead. It was tho old story. Auckland, the homo of great forwards, had sent on tour a pack which, if inferior to the Auckland forwards of old, were still able- to uphold the Rugby reputation of tfie north. In the first spell tho Wellington for-' wards mbro than ; hold their own, but the backs did not open the gamo up in the manner they, shoiild have done. la the Ecc'ond .spell both forwards and backs were. over-ma by the dashing forwards of the'visiting- team, who never relaxed their, efforts until the bell rang, leaving them the victory. It has been said that Wellington lost by playing for "safety" in the mit there can be no mistake that''tho better team won, and if tho Wellington men. ac.tually were playing for "safety," . they certainly do not know much about tho business.

Of individual players, Hay ward, Barrett, Bruce, and Hollars were the pick of the Auckland forwards, whilo M'Gregor 6tood out as the- most brilliant back, though Geddes, Ottbrson, O'Leary, and Murray also did well. On the Wellington side, Kinvig was tho only back that made no serious mistake. Evonson and Mitchinson were rank failures, although the play of the latter was probably affected by an injury he received early in the second spell. In tho forward division, Wilson, Bell, and Dent were tho best.

Towards the close of the match somo hundreds of spectators crowded on the lino, and cansod considerable annoyance by .blocking the view of the occupants of tho stand.

Wellington Open Sensationally. .Auckland- won tho toss, and decided to defend tho northern goal. Elliott kicked oft' for Wellington, "and the forwards, following up smartly, had the Auckland backs in trouble. A. Wilson, intercepting a pass, transferred to King, who in turn handed it on to Bell, and tho lastnamed passed to Dent, who scored ,at> the corner. J. Ryan failed with the kick. 'Wellington, 3; Auckland,, 0. After tho drop out, play hovered near half-way for. 1 eomo minutes'until Auckland were" pen--' aliscd, and Roberts centred under tho goal. . Tho local forwards followed up in a cluster, but Barrett saved tho equation for Auckland by taking a nico mark. Kinvig replied for Wellington by finding, tho lino well .inside the Auckland twentyfives,, and for some time the visitors wero hard pressed on the line, but a passingbout between J. Kyan, Mitchinson, and Grace ended resultlessiy, and further pass-, ing among tho backs ended in Kiuvig being collared without much ground being gained. . Good kicking by Geddes and O'Brien relieved the pressure for Auckland, whose forwards carried on a rush that was stopped by Kinvig marking. Hayward and Bruce headed another forward rush for the visitors, and tho centre-three-quarter, Murray, livened the proceedings by a clever run, but was brought <J«wn by Kinvig. A kick by Evcnson failed to find tho lino; O'Brien's return was also at fault, and Wellington forced. Otterson roulicd Wellington's dropout, and Bell and Wilson headed .a dangerous niMi oy tne local forwards. 'A period of play, that followed in tho Auckland side ■of half-way, was marked by good defensive work 011 the part of "Geddos, and capital line-kicking bv. the. Wellington wing-three-quarters. After Evenson had failed with a difficult shot at goal from a free-kick, P. Kyan made a nico run for Wellington, but ho was grassed by Murray, and the'visitors' win", three-quarter, M'Gregor, gathered in tho leather, and, with a brilliant run, threaded his way through tho local backs,. and broKo clear away, but ho was-overtaken by Grace. Evenson next stemmed ono of tho visitors' forward rushes by a lucky speculator," which found the line. In the fo owing ten minutes, Auckland wero compelled to force on two occasions. Eventually Elliott got tho ball on tho line-out near half-way, and kicked up-Held, and pßnen failing to hold the tall it went into touch near the goal-lino. Bell threw tho ball in io Dent, who fell over the lino. Kinvig failed to convert. Wcllin"ton, 6; Auckland, nil. Shortly after Kinvig Ml just short of tho lino after a short run, and then J. Ryan actuallv crossed into the scoring area, but lost possession in tho act of touching- down. Before long, however, Roberts improved tho- score by kicking a splendid penalty goal from a difficult angle. Wellington, !); -Auckland, nil. Tor the remainder of the spell thero was no further score.

Auckland Forwards Assert Themselves, On resuming, Auckland commenced to .attack, and matters looked dangerous for Wellington when Grace was tackled near his own goal, with tho ball in his possession. Murray, Hayward, and Barrett tried hard to get over tho line, but Bell transferred play to midfield with a "speculator." A little later. Bell, following up, had the Auckland full-back in trouble, but O'Leary and Wilson (Auckland) changed tho situation by dribbling tho ball back to the Wellington twonty-fives once more. After an interchange of kicks nn Auckland forward was penalised for nff-sido play, and Wellington elected to take a scrum near the Auckland hvent.rfivn, whence tho ball had bfn kicked. Roberts secured the ball, but Bruce dashed up, intercepted a pass, and transferred to Murray, thence to M'Gregor. The last-named, after a brilliant run, was thrown into touch at the Wellington twenty-five. A good run by Stewart-on the other side of tile field was followed by nn incident that nearly nroved disastrous for Auckland. M'Gregor failed to take a'kick from P. Rvnn, and Grace secured and headed down-

field. .He passed to Bell as he was tackled by O'Brien, and Bell- was overtaken by Geddes. Meantime Grace had gone after the ball again, but O'Brien got there first; and saved the situation by risking n kick to tho dead-ball lino from in-field. I'rom tho resulting scrum the Auckland forwards hooked tho ball, and M'Gregor made amends for his failure by finding tho line near halfway. Tho visiters' forwards then started a determined attack. From a scrum in Wellington territory the ball camo out at the side, and AVilwn (Wellington) kicked at it, Otterson taking a brilliant ' mark, which O'Leitrr' converted. Wellingtrn, 9; Auckland, ii. Wellington attacked alter the kick-out. but in ono of their passing rushes ATarrav intercepted, and racing up field passed to Hall. The latter lost possession, but Sellars chimed in, and with a lino dribbling rush took tho ball through the opposition and fell on it under tho posts. OXeary converted. Wellington, 9; Auckla-jd, 8. Sellars then had to retire with an injured rib, and was replaced by Maguire. When tho play had been in progress agaan for a couple of minutes Evenson mulled ono of O'Lrary's kicks, and the ball went into touch about tho twenty-five. The visitors' vanguard commenced a-great rush after the throw-in, and Bruce anil Barrett dribbled the ball past Evenson and under the posts, where Bruce fell on vt. O'Leary again made no mistake with fche kick', and the position of the teams v,as altered.' Auckland, 13; Wellington, 9. >As soon as the game was set going again, tho local team started to attack in earliest, but all their efforts at passing were-.nullified by the spoiling tactics of the dasliing Auckland forwards. More trouble was in storj for Wellington when Ottorson sen'. 1 ; a long-kick to Evenson. The latter w?s slow to get hold of the ball, and Herring charged down his kick, leaving Geddos to sprint up and score. This time O'Leary s kick was a failure. Auckland, 1G; Wellington,- 0. Evenson was now brought up to Kinvig's wing, and tho latter played at full. Wellington forwards and backs attacked snasmodicajly, but tho Auckland defence proved sound, though they were compelled lo force down more than once. Right at the close of tho game, however, the visitors were having all the best of the play, though vhe scores were not increased, and when the whistle sounded they still read: Auckland 1G Wellington 9 Mr. C. Atkinson was referee.