Football.

Matamata Record, Volume XIII, Issue 1140, 21 July 1930, Page 1

Football.

WAIKATO 30, THAMES VALLEY 0

The Waikato representatives played their second match of the season at Hamilton on Saturday and proved much too good for Thames Valley. After the first few minutes Waikato opened their account and scored fairly regularly through the game. The home backs showed good combination and at times nonplussed the opposition with the cut-in. In the tight work the Waikato pack was superior, but Thames Valley showed aptitude in the loose. The visiting backs tackled well but were negligible as an attacking combination. The teams were:—

Thames Valley (black and gold).— Full - back, Hedley ; three - quarters, Lipsay, Wright, Sanders; fiveeighths, Hudson,. Towers ; half-back, Goodfellow ; rover, Woodroffe (captain); forwards, Keaney, Brown, McLaren, Hume, Walters, Finlayson,Dimmock.

Waikato (yellow, red and black). — Full - back, Wilcox ; three - quarters, Carlson, Fitzgerald, Allen; fiveeighths, Wilkes, St. George; halfback, W. Mitchell (captain); tover, A. Story; forwards, J. Hooper, J. Leeson, P. Courtney, A. Cameron, Reynolds, C. Cameron, Bonham. Mr. B. Chapman was referee.

The game commenced with the sun obscured and with a very light breeze, in favour of the home team. The Thames Valley kick off was returned. The visitors were penalised, and W. Allen narrowly missed the posts. Waikato made all the play and Were awarded another free kick close in from which Allen kicked a goal, opening the scoring account.

Waikato 3, Thames Valley 0.

Both sets of forwards were infringing frequently and for the first 10 minutes there were nothing in the play to enthuse over .Wilcox put in some good work in sending Waikato to the attack but Woodroffe saved brilliantly with a lengthy line kick. The Waikato backs had not settled down, although they were getting every chance. Fitzgerald threw away a good opportunity with Carlson outside him. Then Wilcox and Carlson., worked a good movement to within a few yards of the Thames Valley line. The whole of the play was in the home, team’s favour at this stage. The, second score came through a movement started by A. Cameron to Courtney,, who broke through and sent Fitzgerald away. Allen failed to convert. Waikato 6, Thames Valley 0. Hedley stopped the Waikato backs and turned defence into attack but the Thames Valley forwards kicked hard and Carlson got back to force. Story was prominent in a breakaway from midfield, but Sanders brought off a clever mark, and there was no advantage until Mitchell threw out a long pass to Wilkes to St. George to Fitzgerald to Allen, who was unmarked and ran round. Allen converted his try, making the score : Waikato 11, Thames Valley 0.

The movement leading up to the score was thoroughly accurate and was the best of the game to that stage. Within a minute an almost 'exactly similar Waikato attack came off, Allen again scoring. Wilkes was responsible for a clever take and pass in the movement. The kick failed. Waikato 14, Thames Valley 0. From the; kick off Fitzgerald got away ahd when blocked by three Thames Valley backs he passed to Carlson, who cut in and scored between the posts. Allen converted. Waikato i 9, Thames Valley 0. The visiting forwards, led by McLaren and Finlayson, took a hand before half time and Waikato had to force twice. / Heavy rain commenced at the interval and the ball quickly became greasy. Thames JValley opened with their first real back move-

ment of the game, but Sanders was pushed out, and from the throw in Waikato went to the visitors’ territory and a prolonged attack close in. Only solid tackling on the part of the Thames Valley backs stopped Waikato, who were constantly in the visitors’ 25. A score came through a try by St. George, who followed up two solid tackles by Story and dropped over beside the posts. Allen converted, making the board read : Waikato 24, Thames Valley 0. The next score came from a movement commenced by Allen, who sent to Fitzgerald. The centre had Carlson going up fast with him. The winger cut inside and accepted Fitzgerald’s pass to score between the posts. The kick failed. Waikato 27, Thames Valley 0. The home team went directly to the attack again through the forwards and A. Cameron forced his way over. Waikato 30, Thames Valley 0. THE BRITISH TEAM. Auckland’s Big W r in.

The substantial win of the Auckland team over the British team must have come as a surprise to football followers throughout the Dominion. Without their’ halves the British backs were below a test team, but even then the forward pack was not a weak one. There were optimists who thought Auckland would win, but no one dreamt that it would be the biggest defeat the visitors have experienced on tour. It was not only a defeat by a big margin of points but Auckland outplayed the visitors and beat them at their own style of game. It was a victory Auckland has every reason to be proud of, more so tha.t in the last 20 minutes they played with 14 men, L. Knight being ordered off the field.

What does it portend for the next test match ? It cannot be taken as Indicative that New Zealand must win. It must be remembered that the British team had a hard week’s travelling and must in the ordinary course of events been feeling a little stale. With a week’s rest there will be a great alteration, and with the best British team in the field New Zealand will find the visitors a'very different problem from what Auckland did. j

The greatest feature of the match appears to have been the return of Lucas to his old brilliant form and the unearthing of a good fiveeighths in Haslam.

BRITISH MATCH,, Combined Team Chosen. The combined team to play against the British team on Saturday week at Hamilton has been selected by Messrs. R. J. McKenzie (Waikato) and Rice (King Country) and the Thames Valley selector as follows: Full-back. —-Weo. Three-quarters. Allen, Fitzgerald, W. H. Carlson. \> , Five-eighths.—A. St. George, J. Tuck. Half-back.—W. Mitchell. Rover. —A. Story. Front Row. —J. Hooper, J. Leeson. Middle Row.— Reynolds, P. Courtney, A. -Cameron. Back Row.—C. Cameron, W. Bonham. With the. exception of; the fullback the team is composed of Waikato players, the full-ba.ck being from King Country. {v . ! *