HOLDERS BEATEN.

Franklin Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 100, 28 August 1933, Page 5

HOLDERS BEATEN.

ROLLER MILLS SHIELD FINAL. AUCKLAND CENTRAL VICTORIOUS. SOUTH AUCKAND’S FINE SHOWING. The final for the Northern Roller Alills Shield, the blue riband of Auckland provincial primary schools’ Rug>by, was played at Pukekohe on Friday afternoon between South Auckland (holders) and winners of Section A, and Auckland Central, winners of section B, and resulted in a win for Auckland Central by 8 points to 8. There was a very large attendance and the spectators were treated to a wonderful exhibition of Rugby football. From start to finish the game was full of Incident, and was contested at a merry clip. On the day Auckland Central <4, were the better side, although there was not a great deal between the teams. As was pointed out in Friday s issue, the South Aucklanders felt the effects of strenuous section play whereas the Central boys had had a spcf cn Thursday and took the held mu fresher than the holders of the trophy. The luck of the draw favour ed Central this year, .just as it did Souiii Auckland last year, when the latter, largely through field goals’, de-

feated Central in the final. On Friday Central avenged their 1932 defeat, and thoroughly deserved victory. It was. to say the least, a wonderful game, played in a wonderful spirit—good, clean, hard Rugby being seen from the kick'off to the final whistle. The teams were: — The Finalists. Auckland Central (blue with white band) : Hetherington. Choat, McCann, -Appleton, Barton'. Grace (capt.), Alid- . wood. Child, Ebbitt. Wiles. Pearce. Fish, Grade, Newby, Canavan. South Auckland (black) : Smith, Osborne, Power, Wood, McNaughton, Lowther, Bright, Dean, Massey, Johnston, Bristow, Sherman (capt.), G. Brown, Thomas, Hirst. The Central team was much heavier than the South Auckland boys. Central defended the Queen street goal and set the ball rolling. From the outset the black forwards raided Central’s territory, Osborne kicking through, but Hetherington saved well. Central’s backs got going, but Wood upended Chote. oFr some time the Central rearguard staged some clever passing bouts, but the tackling of the home backs was very effective. A nice line • kick by Lowther put South on attack and from the throw in Sherman and Massey went through the defence in a foot rush, but they overran the ball at a critical stage. Central cleared but South went back to attack, a penalty holding them up. Central were hard pressed again but Grade bulloeked his ■ way through to clear to half way. -‘-Midwood fed Grace from the line out a ‘dummy” by McCann saw Central reach South’s twenty-five. The Aucklanders made strenuous efforts to open the score but they met stubborn . resistance. A. scrum was set and Grade toed the ball over the line and fell on it for the opening try. The kick failed and half lime came with Mb a score: . Central 3 South 0 jt. South went In Ilie atlack early i>; the second spell and fumbling by Hie .Central backs let Power across, but G. Brown could not convert and the score was three all. Solid, hut interesting play continued. and with sevm minutes in go Ihe .'score was unaltered. Then Hie whole complexion of Hu* game was changed in a twinkling. A scrum was put r down on South's twenty-five line and 'the Central forwards, whose hooking ■'- was superior to that of their opponents. heeled the hall smartly to Mid- . wood, who sent the ball to Grace on the blind side, and the. Central skipper sold the dummy beautifully, cut in and .dashed over for the winning fry. TTetherinslon converted with a lovely kick.

j ■ Central 3 Sou 111 3 Five points down. South set out to refricvo U 1 <• position nnd although ; I hey went close lo scoring they could ‘ not achieve, their objective. The final ! minutes of the game were exciting and j South wont down fighting a noble bat- j He lo a better side on the day. The ! final score was: — ; Auckland Centra! . . . . S South Auckland . . 3 Mr Wes. Pleydoll gave a good exhibition of refereeing. j Winner’s Captain Shines. The mosl promimml player <m I tic j Ihdd was Brace, the Ccnlral captain, I wh« g;:\ e n splendid exhibition a| lirsl i five-eighths. He was the life and soul | of (he (Central (earn bolh on attack j and defence. \ The South Auckland hoys all played j well and it would he unfair to individualise. They made the fatal error of not feeding their threequarter line. “ 1 would like In know if you want anything better Ilian the exhibition given by these hoys?” asked the chairman of the Auckland Rugby Union. Air Harry Frost, when addressing the crowd after the game. * “No." came voices from all parts of the grandstand. Mr Frost went on to congratulate both teams on the display they had given. “Tt was a splendid finish to a successful tournament.” added Mr Frost. The speaker, taking the shield in his hands, stated that it was donated

High Standard of Play. by Mr Pratt, of the Northern Roller Milling Company, for competition among the primary schools of the province, “and I should think that all are of the one opinion, the competition is most desirable. It is a means of educating young school boys the way they should go through life —to take a knock and to give one on the field of play; it assisted them to do the same when it came to the more serious side of life.” The speaker referred to the high standard of play during the tourney, and lim admirable conduct of the lads both on and oil' Hie field. Mr Frost slated that in .1925 the sh.'eid was won by Auckland, when the

Lily fielded, o.hy 'one (earn. It was l'eJt that Auckland was far too strong for country teams, with the result that Hie city schools were divided into three groups. In 1920, 192 7 and 1928 Thames Valiev won the shield, in 1929 King Country were the victors, in 1930 South Auckland, 1931 Auckland Central, 1932 South Auckland, and now in 1933 Auckland Central again. 4 On behalf of the Auckland Rugby Union, Mr Frost returned grateful thanks to the people of Pukekohe and Waiuku for billeting and entertaining the boys for the week. He suggested that it would he very fitting if the mothers of the district, could he invited to a social treat, afternoon or evening, when they could he compensated in some small way for the sacrifices they had made in catering for the schoolboy footballers. “We owe a lot to the mothers,” said Mr Frost, who then thanked all who had assisted in the staging of the competition. “Work First; Play Second.” Addressing the boys, Mr Frost asked them to remember that Rugby football was not ail that mattered. “The game of life is not all play. Always pay the strictest attention to your work in school. Work came first, play afterwards. What you are taught at school will fit- you for your livelihood. Such games ns Rugby football will keep you fit physically.” Continuing | Air Frost complimented both teams on i showing ihat dribbling was not a lost art in Rugby. All hoys should be taught bow io drop kick and punt with both feel. After again congratulating ihe hoys on their play Mr Frost asked Air B. D. Cowie to hand the j shield over lo the captain of the win- j ning side. !

Air Cowie apologised for ihe absence of Mr Pratt. He said that last yea” lie had flic pleasure of seeing the same teams contest the final at Eden Park. There was no doubt about it, they were two evenly matched sides. The enjoyed school football because there was no illegal play and the games were contested in a true sporting spirit. He exhorted them to play with the same spirit in all walks of life. Such games as these, he felt, engendered good feeling between the boys of the schools who competed for the shield. Tie. then handed the trophy to Grace, (be Auckland captain, and congratulated him on his team’s fine exhibition. Atr Cowie also congratulated the losers. Cheers were given for victors and vanquished.. Pleased With Local Lads. The president of the South Auckland Primary Schools’ Rugby Union. Air ,1. G. Gasparieh, said bis Jtrsl duly was io offer bis heartiest congratulation's to Auckland Central on then: splendid win, which they deserved and on the manner in which they had accepted victory. Mr Gasparieh said he was also delighted with the performance of his own 'ihe South Auckland) boys. - Tic thanked them for the way they had responded to ihe way he had tried to teach them, and for the manner in'which they had played their games. Speaking in cpnneciion with the tournament Air Gasparieh said success was not, possible without, the cooperation of the parents of the district, and in Ibis connection one could' not expect to find a more generous-spirit-ed lot. The parents had gone to no end of trouble and he desired to thank all for the wonderful way they had assisted. The behaviour and general deporimerit, of the hoys had been splendid. Reports from those who find billeted Ifio, boys was lo tfie effect

Hint then- behaviour was excellent. Mr Casnarich. in addition to thanking all who had billeted the hoys, thanked the local ■ Women’s Institute for caternig, car owners who had taken the hoys for trips, Air By Rlennerhassctt for free pictures, Mr Henry Curd, a great enthusiast who did valuable work in many diroelions. and (he secretary, Air P T. PaHerson. who had proved himself a area! worker.

Waipa’s Sporting Spirit. Speaking about the Waipa hoys. Mr (hispai'ich said Ihis team was badly beaten on the opening day. hut. despile their licking were not downhearted. On the second day their play improved 200 per cent. This l f, ani had. .shown the true sporting spirit. They look a hiding one day and came up- smiling the next determined io give if a go to wipe out that defeal. Waipa was deserving of the heartiest congratiilnlions on the way they had stuck it. Cheers were given for the Waipa team. 1 Air R. ,T. TrusroM. manager of the Auckland Central team. said that when he arrived on the opening day lie had expressed a hope that the shield would he won by TTamillon or Waipa, because neither had succeeded in winning the trophy previously. Hamil-

ton. he said, was the unlucky team. Tt had contested the final three times and each time it was beaten. Tie hoped that next year some of the countrv

“Hospitality Simply Marvellous.” teams would he successful. Mr Truscott congratulated the South Auckland team on its performance and the standard of Rugby it had played. The winning of the trophy was only a secondary consideration—the game was ihe best side of it. He referred to the hospitality meted out to the teams billeted at Waiuku, saying “it was simply marvellous.” The Waiuku people had excelled themselves and many friendships between hoys and hosts had been made. Invitations had been extended to the hoys to return at Christmas. The conduct of the boys hau been exemplary. He complimented the schools’ union on the way it had conducted the tourney. Al Air Truscott’s call, three hearty cheers were given for the South Auckland team, the Primary Schools’ Rugby Union, the hosts, and the donor of ihe shield. Cheers were also given for Alessrs J. Dean, W. J. Short and E. F. Snell, who bad worked assiduously in the past for primary school football. An ovation was also accorded Mr Frost for the interest he took in Rugby particularly the game in the Primary j schools. i