BIG RUGBY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3186, 10 September 1917, Page 7

BIG RUGBY

WELLINGTON DEFEATS AUCKLAND A KEEN GAME VISITORS ' COMPLETELY OUTPLAYED About ■ fivo thousand people were proIsent at Athletic Park oil Saturday; when the; Auckland ; and Wellington. Rugby tearua mot. Tho afternoon was calm and sunny, and the game, though not "brilliant,-was .keen and interesting. .. Wellington were much tlie-better team, land it was apparent before half-time that only . ill-luck would prevent them: from Minnhif;. Tho Wellington forwards &imjpJy walked through their heavier-looking opponents: their dash and "ginger" were features of the day's play. The •Wellington backs did their work more cleanly than the Aucklanders. One of the most noticeable things was the way j£ho northerners tired in the last halthour of tho match. So poor was their .work in the last stages that.rot mora than one pass in half-a-dozen was sent otherwise than along tho ground. 'The Auckland team included 6ome promising individual players,, but .the concertcd . ,ii-6rk was poor, and was generally smashed by tho energetic Wellington forwards. Wilson and Inglis served Auckland well in : the backs, and -M'Lean, with his weight and his useful punting,- -.was of great service in tho forwards. Wilson, particularly, seems to have a. Rugby future. Jackson was- tho piok-of the -Wellington backs. Nicholls is a half- i tack who has some of tho ilncst quali- I ties displayed by : half-backs. Jforton, full-back,' should develop into a first-class defender of 1 the goal-line. The Wellington forwards were'all good. Though Wellington won by 21 to 11, few .will question that thepoints should read ''24 to B,.in Wellingtons favour. ' -A try (Wellington obtained was denied them ; and a force-down with which the Wellington fiill-baok saved- his' side was ignored, and a try awarded to Auckland. Fortunately these errors did not affect 1 tho result of the-game. The Teams. . ; TOo teams wero:— - Wellington—Morton, Corner, Aitken, ffackson, Thomas/ Coles, Porter, Nicholls, Scott, .Polo,' Baker, Caddick, Desmond, Black, and Hislop. '■ Auckland. —Biraio, O'Connor, .* Wilson, , Inglis, Badelev, Goldwater, Boucher, Minogne, Herring, Lane, Lock, M'Ltan, 'Thomas,' Shove, and 1 Nairn.' ■ The Game Begins. Auckland kicked off and: Wellington Immediately showed a disposition to attack." A good line kick 6ent tho ball out at the; Auckland tttenty-five; flag. Prom a scrum on the twenty-fivo lino Nicholls,-' the Wellington half,! broke away, and opened up thegame by clever-. Jy beating several of tho Auckland rear ■division. " He' delayed in passing and a chance was lost; but Nicholls hunted up the leather and emerging from , tho ruck, took a pot at goal. Ho just missed. Auckland forced. When play resumed Auckland attacked,' and a. bad field by Thomas placed Wellington in an awkward position. Wellington were penalised in their twenty-five, and .JlTuean. had a'shot at goal, but missed. Wellington rallied, and from half-way Nicholls set the Black backs going, but good collaring by. Auckland prevented tho attack from becoming really dangerous. The. Wellington' backs sustained. the effort to open up the game, .hut tho Auckland forwards broke away, only to Tie sent back by Morton, who found the line very cleverly. - With scarcely any delay, Wellington resumed the'attack, ! .and Nicholls again narrowly missed potting a goal.' A passing rush by Wellington got to the Auckland line, and there'a force saved the visitors. Fi'om close work under the Auckland goal, Nicholls secured the leather and flashed 'it out' to Coles, who dodged andi battled his way over tho line. Morton goaled. Wellington 5 Auckland ..." •••. " . Auckland replied with a. determined Wfctack, and Wilson, BaffeTey .and 1 1«y.is entertained the crowd with the prettiest passing to date. This attack lifted after a while, tut a fresh cno was, eoon launched. .With the ball dangerously near the Black line Corner tried the dangerous expedient of picking up, and kickc-d Tight into Wilson's hands, : thus enabling the Aucklander to/score the easiest of tries. No. goal resulted. Wellington i.'... .5 • Auckland 3 . 1 Within' a few minutes Auckland scored dgain. Boucher got. tho ■ Ball away to Goldwater, to Badeley, to O'Connor, to Wilson, -whoso pace carried, him. over near the corner.. M'Lean kicked a fine goal. . . - Auckland -8 Wellington ; 5 . Play again moved in Wellington's favour, and the Blacks made several un-successful-efforts -to score by means of back passing. A free kick to..Wellington gavo Morton a;i opportunity, and he landed a-beautiful goal from an awkward . position at about the Auckland twenty-five'line.. . ■ - • Wellington.. ..... 8, - : Auokland' - ,8 Wellington continued to open up- the game at every -opportunity, , and pass-ln'g-rush ended in Thomas.being .crowded out at the Auckland twenty-five flag. - Ni-

cholls "made a clever but fruitless individual effort close to tho Auckland line, and a" moment later secured again, and passed to Coles; Coles sent on to Jackson who scored near tho posts. Morton converted. Thero was no further score before half-time, which was taken wit-h the score-.— Wellington ' 13 Auckland 8 The Second Spell. The second spell was opened with an attack by the Wellington forwards,, but Auckland broko away, and Wilson made a dangerous run. right tb the Wellington- twenty-five, where lie kickod, and Morton saved by a line mark. The Wellington forwards gradually improved their position, and a well-placed kick by Nicliolls, badly des.lt with by Birnie (tho Auckland full-back), found tho visitors in serious trouble. They got out of, this and other and.a lino riui by Wilson placed them in an excellent position-in the Wellington twentyfive:.- A dangerous Auckland rush was beautifully saved by Morton. From a lino-out in their own twenty-five, the Wellington forwards carried all before them, and shifted play to the Auckland side of tho half-way flag, but a beautiful line-kiok by Inglis gave the Blues the advantage again. Jackson, by clevei foot-work, took the ball close to the Auckland lino, but the Blue full-back saved. Wellington launohed attack alter attack, and at length from close play on the Auckland line. Thomas got over. Morton iiid not succeed with the attempt at goal. ■ Wellington IJj Auckland 8 Wellington resumed the attack, but not for long,' Inglis initiating a passing rush which ended in tho Wellington twenty-five.' The Blues made vigorous attempts'to make good use of .their'ex-' callent position for attacking from, but the dusli of the Black forwards drove them rfgnt back Auckland forced twice' in quick succession. Back again went the Wellington forwards, and, dribbling through, Hielop scored. Morton goaled.

Wellington "• 21 Auckland — 8 : A 6erics of .Wellington attacks ended in a clean break-away by tho homo team, and. Black touched down. -A try, however, was not allowed, but there is not tho faintest doubt that ono was scored. Auckland Tallied, and sot up an attack auring which tho ball went ovor the Wellington line.- . Morton forced, and Minogue (Auckland) .subsequently touched down. To tho great surprise of everyone, the reffroo awarded Auckland a try. M'Lean's attempt at goal failed, and the game ended:— Wellington : 21 Auckland 11 Mr. L.. Simpson was referee. BANKS COLLEGE-DEFEAT NAPIER TECHNICAL COLLEGE. (B.v Telegraph— Special Correspondent.) Hastings, September 8. .Banks College defeated Napier. Technicil : College at Napier. -Baldwin and Coinrie Scored 14 points for Banks College, while the Napier captain scored 6 points for his side. Baldwin, tullbaok. made, a brilliant run through tho whole of tho Napier team.

WAIRARAPA DEFEATS HAWKE'S BAY CBv Telegraph—Snecial Carterton, September 8. -Wairarapa defeated . Hawke s Boy 1.-y 14 points to 6. MARLBOROUGH 14, NELSON 0 By TelegraDh—Pres6 ( Association. ■ Blenheimi. September 8. Marlborough beat Nelson by 14 to nil. All the Marlborough players were under 20 years'.of age, and they played with the old-time dash Nelson were defending for most of the game. In a football. match played at Newtown Park on Saturday between a team representing St. James's Senior -'Cadet Company, and a team representing tho Wellington Technical College Cadets tho former won by 23 points to 3. Flitter, Patching, and Mudge secured tries tor the winners, whilst Cooper scored tir the losers. - ■