DAZZLING PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 71, 21 September 1936, Page 14

DAZZLING PLAY

AUCKLAND DEFEATED

HAWKE'S BAY IN RARE FORM

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) NAPIER, September 20. Staging a thrilling finish, the Hawke's Bay Rugby representatives defeated Auckland at McLean Park, Napier, on Saturday afternoon before an attendance of only 3500. The northerners held the advantage for more than three parts of the game but lacked the finishing powers of Hawke's Bay, who ran out winners by 25 points to 19,11 points being scored in almost as many minutes in the closing stages of the game. Hawke's Bay's success was almost entirely due to their forwards, who were magnificent throughout. Even in the first spell when the run of play generally favoured Auckland, the Hawke's Bay forwards were slightly superior in the open to their opponents, but were poorly supported by their backs. In the first spell Auckland had a monopoly of the scoring, D. Solomon, Anderson, and Bell-Booth all scoring tries, Bush converting the last two, as against two tries scored by Jackson, Hawke's Bay. After the interval the Hawke's Bay forwards took sole command and instead of handing over possession to their backs, they kept the ball themselves. This change in play made all the difference. They gradually overhauled the Aucklanders' tally, which had been increased slightly, and ten minutes before time they drew level, 19 points all By this time the Hawke's Bay pack had subdued their opposition, running both backs and forwards off their feet in thrilling sweeping rushes in which the Hawke's Bay backs began to join in for the last ten minutes of the game. The result of this fusion of the Hawke's Bay forces was a .dazzling display of highclass Rugby that gave a wonderful finish to the representative Rugby season so far as Hawke's Bay is concerned. Scorers in the second spell were Miller, two tries, Wilson, Hannigan, and Reid, a try each, and Bradley, two conversions for Hawke's Bay and a try by Carson and a penalty goal by S. Bush for Auckland. Altogether there were 11 tries, Hawke's Bay scoring seven of them,