LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 28, 2 August 1921, Page 8

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

EXHIBITION GAME,

An indication, of the prowess of the [Australian League representatives, who aire proceeding to England and France by the Tahiti to-day, was obtained from an exhibition game at the Basin Beserve this afternoon. There was an attendance of nearly a thousand people, and the exposition of League by the best players'in Australasia was followed with interest. It was the first occasion on which the men had played together, and this, -with the fact that the players were merely having a Tun out, did not show the footballers in their true light. There ■was ample evidence, however, of their capabilities and speedl, and as play progressed the. exponents settled down to something like their true form. Passing rushes, niadnly short-distance, were frequently indulged in, forward rushes were shown, but the roost noticeable features were cleverness, in side-stepping and. in playing the "dummy," and th c speed of the backsl' Many of the players wore well known locally. Harold Horder showed that he had lost none of his brilliance; Thompson gave flashes of the play which has classed him as the 1 best League half-back id the world; Fraaer, the boy of the 1911-12 combination, was still observed to be in good trim; 'Watkins, 1 the well-known forward, had! plenty of dash; Johnson shone oxit in clover headwork behind the scrum, and the only New Zealander, B. Lai'ng, of Auckland, was always well in the picture." The teams were evenly matched*, and,"'as a result, the venue •of play changed Tapidly. There was not a great deal of kicking, preference being shown for handling the ball,.and, although there were many faults in this respect, due to no previous practice together, there was much attractiveness in the passing rushes. When the machine is : n proper working order, there appeaTs to be no dioubt that it /will give a £ood account of itself.

The. teams wore gold-and-Mack and Mack" jerseys, supplied by the local Loasrue. The blacks won by 27 points to 23. For tho winners, three, tries were scored, by Blinkhorn, a fleety wing thTeequarf.pi- with',, a splendid.'.. fond, and Brondfoot, Craig, Ives, and Ryan each obtained one try. Craitr converted two and Byaai one. Tries for,the GolfkandiBiacVis were scored .'by Caples, Latta, Thompson, Forder, and/Frnzer. Thompson converted four of 'the tries, one of tho kicks being from the touch-line, ,-mdi gainst th o . wind. During the gam 0 E. Brown was slightly hurt, "and had to retire. „ ■ - '

Mr. 0. Murphy was the referee.

L. Cubitt (captain), and Burge did not play, to-day. -.'■•,

The three Test matches against England will be played at.Leeds, Hull, and Manchester. ; •