Many Stirring Struggles

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 193, 30 July 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

Many Stirring Struggles

Auckland Teams Have Good Records

First Match With Hawke’s Bay in 1875

(By

“Magpie.”)

To-day, for the first time in the history of Rugby in this Province, Nelson Park, Hastings, has been the convincing ground for the annual gatne between Auckland and Hawk‘d Bay.. Thus, insofar as Hastings is concerned, the present Auckland team may be regarded as pioneers.

To-day’s game also marked the (opening of the Northerners’ extensive southern tour that will extend to Invercargill in the south and Greymouth on the West Coast. In all seven games will be played, and the Auckland men will not return home until August 22nd.

Once in every four years Auckland makes this extensive southern pilgrimage, and it is not always possible for all the leading players to secure the necessary leave for such a long absence. However, the Queen City has ever been famous for its budding Rugby talent, and for many years wins have far outnumbered the losses while on tour.

Way Back In 1875. In 1875 Auckland’s Rugby representatives were bitten with the wanderlust, and in September of that year they set off on a tour of the Dominion, the first of such a nature ever attempted by any province.

The tour was negotiated by sea, and the itinerary had to be arranged according to the time of arrival and departure of the boat at the various ports of call. Games were played at Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Nelson, and then in the good ship Taupo the tourists sailed for New Plymouth, where they had a date with Taranaki. Anchoring within the shadow of Paritutu at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 28th, the Northerners were soon ashore and by 11.15 a.m. they were battling with Taranaki’s chosen.

To eliminate the chance of the game being drawn, a system of scoring by points was agreed upon, a goal to count 6 points, touch down 2 points, force down j point. At 1.15, after two hours’ of strenuous play, Taranaki were 9|, points, and Auckland one point, and as the cows had to be milked then as regularly as now, both sides called it a day. The Aucklanders, who had lost every game on tour, departed for home by the Taupo that same afternoon at 3 o’clock. Thus did our footballers play the good old game. First Meeting With The Bay. In 1889 Auckland and Hawke’s Bay met for the first time, the game taking place at Napier in the presence of an attendance estimated at 2000. The Hawke’s Bay team was: R. Le Quesne, whose son Colin was in the Bay side to-day, T. 11. Lowry (captain), well known to-day as the

owner of such equine stars as Desert Gold, Bobrikoff and Egypt, to name just three, and father of Tom Lowry, New Zealand’s famous cricket captain; Mcßae, Taku Panapa, Taare Goldsmith, Friday, Wi Duncan, Robson, Swan, Hawkins, Missen, J. Fleming, Bill Corbett, now' a life member of the H.8.R.U., Hiroa (Hawke’s Bay’s first All Black), Piopira and R. Taiaroa. Included in the Auckland team that day was “Doss” Jervis, a three-quarter back of class, and who in 1893 gained All Black honours. The game, a very exciting one, was won by Auckland by 8 to 3.

In 1894 Hawke’s Bay returned the visit and held the Northerners to a scoreless draw, a feat they repeated against Thames, and then against Poverty Bay in the last game of the tour a 6—6 draw went down in the records. Three games played, three drawn, points for 6, against 6, is a record the equal cf which I doubt can be fori in the records of any 0t.x..» union. There were some great players in the Bay team that year, one of them in Sammy Cockroft representing New Zealand that year. Then there was Fred Laws, afterwards a Wellington representative, where he now resides, “Buff” Caradus, still going strong in Auckland, despite the ravages wrought by rheumatism, the twin 0 ’Connells, one of whom passed away in the Gisborne district a few months back, “Hen” Kelly, and Bill Geordine, still a familiar figure in Napier. Hawke’-s Bay had a-pretty good record that year as apart from the game mentioned above, South Canterbury, Marlborough and New South Wales were' all defeated at home.

Auckland’s Continuous Victories. Games were continued in 1895, 1898, 1903, 1905, and 1907, Auckland registering victories with a regularity that became monotonous.

Later in 1907 Auckland called in' at Napier while on tour, and in a highly exciting tussle the Bay recorded a popular victory by 10 to 0. This was the first time in the series that Hawke’s Bay had recorded a victory against Auckland, and in view of the fact that the latter were then holders of the Ranfurly Shield the names of the Bay players deserve recording. They were : M. McCarthy, Struthers, Archie Waddell, Jim Bailey, of Waipukurau, Caulton, Ellingham, Dave Evans, Fatty Payne, Tom Walshe, Jimmy Lewis, Phil Scullion, Baker, Heta Kani, Rene Natusch and Bill O’Neill. In 1910 Auckland recorded at Auckland another victory by 11 to 3, after which meetings between representatives of the two unions lapsed until 1923.

Hawke’s Bay’s Great Win. In that year, under the able coaching of Mr. Vin. Meredith, the Northerners had developed an understanding the like of which had not been seen in Rugby for many years. At home, cricket scores were registered in every game against visiting provincial sides. Hawke’s Bay were then holders of the Ranfurly Shield, and in response to a demand that was Dominion-wide, Auckland came to Napier in quest of the trophy. The game was played at Napier on September 22nd in the presence of 15,000 people, including visitors from all parts of New Zealand. Hawke’s Bay had indulged in a few days’ intensive training, and in the game showed the worth of it for their splendid forward line effectively bottled the Northerners’ back machine and ran out winners by 20 to 5.

Northerners tried to take the Shield away in 1923

The players in this great game were:— Hawke’s Bay: N. Kivell, J. McGregor, I. Kirwan, B. Grenside, L. Paewai, G. Nepia, J. Mill, J. Walker, A. Kirkpatrick, W. Irvine, M. Brownlie, J. McNab, C. Brownlie, J. Ormond and S. Gemmell.

Auckland: Gregory, R. Malloy, K. Ifwerson, F. Lucas, A. E. Cooke, R. Sheen, Don Wright, F. Arnold, R. Casey, R. Fogarty, L. Righton, L. Casey, J. O’Brien, M. Hayward, and L. Knight.

Later in the same year, in response to an invitation from the Mayor of Auckland, Hawke’s Bay played Auckland in Auckland. The funds were to be devoted to the Auckland War Memorial, and the result financially made it well worth while, for something like £l2OO was the nett result.

The match took place on the Domain, on October 6th., and in one of the finest games I have seen, Auckland took a 17 to 9. revenge.

In 1924 Hawke’s Bay won again, this time by 23 to 6, and then in 1925 followed a 9—9 draw at Auckland.

The year 1926 saw a 41—11 victory for the Bay (the latter’s peak year) but the following year the Queen City men took ample revenge with a 26—0 victory. It was. Hawke’s Bay’s turn in 1928 when they won by 21 to 8, but in the following year the tables were turned by 32—6 and repeated by 8 to 6 at Napier in 1930. A game played for the benefit of earthquake sufferers at Napier last year was appropriately enough won by Hawke’s Bay by 19. to 8, but later in the same season Auckland won at Auckland by 19 to 14. Of the 20 games played between the two unions Auckland have won 12, Hawke’s Bay 6, while two have been drawn.