SPECTACULAR LEAGUE

Northern Advocate, 19 August 1929, Page 8

SPECTACULAR LEAGUE

NORTHERN UNION CUP HOLDERS HARD PUT TO IT. EXHILARATING GAME. (•Special to “Northern Advocate,”) AUCKLAND, This Day. The bright way that the League flame has burned in North Auckland since it was kindled just one short season ago was reflected at Carlaw Park on Saturday, when the men from the land of the kauri made valiant efforts to wrest the Northern Union Cup from the elect of Auckland. Playing exhilarating football, with an elan and dash that recalled the triumphant New South Wales touring team of 1913 and the dazzling Queenslanders of a later decade, the men from the North metaphorically out the metropolitan defence to a thing of shreds at the outset, to pile on a ten-point lead in that many minutes, while an excited crowd cheered encouragement. In that hectic burst and in subsequent play, E. Meyer, the North Auckland Skipper and the finest product of the Auckland Training College, stood out like a champion, showing artistry and subtlety that capitivated the spectators. With a bit more experience the visitors would have won, clever interplay alone saving Auckland and giving them a three-point margin at the end. The teams were; —

NORTH AUCKLAND. (Oxford blue.) Full back: D. Parkes. Three-quarters: R. Hamilton, A. Con nelly, L. Grogan. Five-eights: E, Cunningham, B. Meyer (captain). Half-back; R, Cunningham. Forwards: T. Bergan, N. Dunn, F. Buchanan, C. O ’Callaghan, .M. McDonald, A. Wells. AUCKLAND. (Blue and white.) Full-back: Watene. Three-quarters: C. List, F. Delgrosso (captain), Carter. Five-eighths: C. Gregory, L.-Seagar. Half-back; W. Shortland.

Forwards: R. Jenkinson, Francis, Skelton, W. Moisley, G. Campbell-, Fagan. Referee: Mr V. Simpson. The visitors looked slightly the heavier when the teams lined out to exchange compliments. In the first serum Auckland held, Shortland whipping a. sweet pass to Gregory, who swung it out wildly to Seagar, The visitors’ forwards took advantage of the mistake and stormed the heme side’s line. Auckland were penalised in subsequent play, but Grogan made a weak attempt to goal. The Auckland forwards with Francis in the van bustled their way back to neutral territory, where E. Meyer, the Northern captain, secured and put in a sensational run. He only fell- short of success owing to lack of support. The visitors were playing great football, the backs showing evidence of the coaching of the brilliant Wctherall. * Five minutes after the start they pinned the Aucklanders to a scrum on the last line where Cunningham received and darted through for the opening try. Grogan, with a beautifn! kick from a difficult angle, added the extras.

North Auckland 5, Auckland 0,

The alljblues were having all the run of the play, and again E. Meyer cut the defence to shreds, Delgrosso only catching him from behind in the nick of time. The home thirteen, swept to the other end of the paddock as the result of a bright break-av/ay and smart following up by Carter. Auckland had not so far been seen in a favourable light, being beaten for the ball repeatedly. The first time they looked dangerous was when Shortland sent the ball to Delgrosso, to Carter. The latter made a determined run of twenty-five yards, but was pushed out at the corner by Parkes. A change came sensationally, E, Cunningham side-stepping Ids way through the Auckland backs, to sail away straight up the paddock. When challenged he handed on to Connelly, to McDonald,

who missed the pass two yards out. Dunn was on hand, however, to dive across and score. Again Grogan goaled. North Auckland .10, Auckland 0. Auckland forwards, headed by Francis and Pagan, now' put more sting into their play and w’ere almost in. Play veered to the left corner as the result of a brilliant dash by Delgrosso, who swung a low pass to Carter. The winger failed to gather, but the ball rolled across the line for him to pounce cn it and score. Delgrosso’s kick from wide out failed. North Auckland 10, Auckland 3. Again the visitors came passing. Connelly received a long pass in his own twenty-five, and dashed for the right corner, to hand on to Berghan, who ran across and round in a. good position. Grogan missed. . North Auckland 13, Auckland 3. A period of rapid play in the visitors’ twenty-five followed. Prom the loose Seagar picked <up, and dummied and side-stepped his way over under the posts. It was a clever piece of work that was capped by Delgrosso. North ‘Auckland 13, Auckland 8 The blue and whites were nullifying their efforts by kicking too hard. After a period of play in which the mettle of the visitors was tried on defence, Auckland gave their first real exhibition of passing. From Shortland the ball travelled to Seagar, who gave a short snap-pass to Delgrosso. The latter took the opposition by surprise by straight running that carried him over near the posts as he was tackled by Parkes. The scores were unaltered at half-time. North Auckland 13, Auckland 11. When they went to it again, El Meyer cut off an open movement by Auckland and kicked through, racing iwith Skelton, but the ball went into touch at the twenty-five. From, a scrum, Hines sent the ball away to Meyer, to Dunn, who was hauled down inches from the line. Meyer came again and dived across, but Dunn was penalised for passing off the ground. Play veered to the left flank, where Berghan scooped up to win a race for the corner. Grogan’s kick missed. North Auckland 16, Auckland 11.

When Auckland were next' on attack Francis almost forced his way across, but was snowed under. Hamilton, with a ranging penalty kick, put the northerners on attack. A 1 wild pass by Gregory saw a fine breakaway by Hamilton, who kicked over the head of Watene, but was beaten in the race for possession by Delgrosso. The visitors were continually harassing the city men, who could make no impression against the 1 resolute tackling when in possession. Delightful open play, which saw Carter fly along the wing and Campbell miss a try through being a trifle off-side, carried Auckland to the other end of the field. Here the ball was sent through the scoring machine to Delgrosso, who cut in between Connelly and Grogan to score The neat kick made the points level. North Auckland 16, Auckland 16.

Lively passing returned the home side to the attack, and Skelton would have , been in had he not knocked on a pass from Jenkinson. Auckland forged to the front when Delgrosso swung the ball out to Gregory, to Francis, to Shortland, to List, who battled his way across. Gregory’s shot sailed wide. Auckland 19, North Auckland 16.

The northerners drew level again a# a result of foolish tactics by Watene, who, after gathering a long penalty kick from Hamilton, ran up to feed List instead of kicking. The latter dropped the ball and Dunn, who had followed up fast, took’ it in his stride and galloped across ahead of converging defenders. Grogan’s kick from the side-line struck the crossbar. North Auckland 19, Auckland 19, Next Auckland scored after the ball had been hopelessly knocked on by Delgrosso. The skipper recovered in the visitors’ twenty-five to pass to Francis, to Campbell, who dived over. Delgrosso failed to improve the position. Auckland 22, North Auckland 19.

Play continued to swing from one end of the field to the other in exciting fashion. The game ended with Auckland knocking at the door and the position of the teams beihg the same.

Auckland 23 North Auckland 19 COMMENT ON THE GAME. VISITING TEAM BRILLIANT. With a trifle more luck and experience in the finer points of the League code, North Auckland would now bo the holders of the Northern Union Cup. As it is, Auckland stemmed the Northlandera’ invasion by the barest of margins!; indeed, by a try that would never have been awarded had the referee noticed a palpable breach by Delgrosso, the home side's skipper. Auckland’s representatives were not the best combination that could be fielded, but admitting all that and the fact that the selectors took the opportunity of experimenting with young players—particularly in the forwards—the visitors showed up in an. exceedingly favourable light. They demonstrated that they are a force that will have to be seriously contended with in the League firmament in the future, and that their challenges for the premiership of New Zealand will not have to be treated lightly. RAW RECRUITS’ ENTHUSIASM. Raw recruits to the League game 12 months ago, the meu from the land of the kauri have entered into the spirit of the League game with, unbonded

enthusiasm, aml oven took the trouble I to secure the coaching services of M. Wcthem 11, the famous Auckland ' liveeighths and international player, to aid them to perfection. That they responded to the tuition of their mentor was only too strikingly demonstrated to the crowd that was fortunate enough i to witness Saturday's memorable struggle—a game that will be written down in League history as one of the cleanest, finest and brightest ever staged on Carlow Bark. The North Aucklanders were a wellbalanced side, and for stature had 1 a slight advantage over the city thirteen. They were on their toes right from the jump, and before ten minutes had passed had drawn first blood. Prom then on during the first spell they delighted the spectators by giving the home side more than they received and piling up a tidy advantage. Following the change-over Auckland gradually reduced the leeway by clever irfter-pla.y and superior knowledge of positional play. They drew level amidst tense excitement, and then forged to the front. The visitors, however, wore not disheartened, and again made it anybody's game. The issue was sealed, however, by the try that was scored' after Delgrosso had infringed. Fox its ,fluctuating fortunes alone the' game was interesting, but it produced some wonderfully scientific passing bouts, and brilliant individual efforts. MARVELS OF MEYER. The outstanding figure on the field was the Northerners' captain, E. Meyer, an ex-Rugby rep. player, who continually harassed the opposition with elusive runs that found their defence sadly lacking. .He was a regular iwill-o’-the-wisp, darting into openings, studying positional play, and defending like a Trojan. As a'result he saved his side time and again with Ms'clever individualism, and above all effectively silenced his vis-a-vis, Gregory. Connolly was the pick of the three-quarter line, backing up splendidly and defending with a will. D. Parkea, the custodian, played a solid orthodox game, handling neatly and kicking with judgment, but he might do well to study the running of his backs into position. E. Cunningham gave Meyer splendid support, while Hines, playing behind a pack that saw the biggest proportion of the ball, fulfilled his part by shooting the ball out with alertness and accuracy. On defence he' was inclined to kick blindly. Dunn was the outstanding forward, and his fast following up and tenacity was rewarded by. a try. His best supports were Berghan, Buchanan, McDonald and Wells. Francis was the pick of the Auckland ruck men, being a tiger for work and combining beautifully -with his backs in concerted work, while Fagan revelled in the tight stuff, though often offside. Skelton shone on occasions, but has a tendency to roam too much amongst the backs when his services are required closer up. CLEVER COMBINATION. iSeagar and Delgrosso were a happy combination in the backs, but both got away with tactics that would not get far with more experienced players. They exploited the dummy successfully, and defended with determination throughout. Gregory waa the marked man of the team, and was' largely overshadowed till the later stages of the game, when he emerged from a subdued light On defence, however, he was just Gregory—safe and sound. Shortland, behind the pack, showed that he is a better dry-day player than a man for the mud, and played moderately Well, His passes were shot away from the base of the scrum with bulletlike rapidity, but a fault he might rectify is dropping to his knees when passing. Time and again he might have been valuable had he stuck tq his feet and joined in passing ‘ bouts. Both wingers, Carter and List, played brightly with limited, opportunity and were conspicuous for determined dashes. The Kingsland-Athletic's man, however, was the pick of the pair, and fully justified his first trial in the higher lights of ■ League football. Watene was not impressive, it being one of his off-days. y SHIELD 1 FOE THE NORTH. ADMIRER'S GENEROSITY.

After witnessing the sterling per" formanee of the Northland representa* tives against Auckland in their bid for the Northern Union Shield, Mr W, Monteith, well-known as the donor of the Auckland Rugby League championship eup, and a. keen enthusiast in the code, advised headquarters that he was giving a handsome, shield to the Northland League for a knock-out competition amongst the senior teams under the Northern League 5 s jurisdiction. i The visiting officials and players in town expressed great appreciation of this voluntary tribute to their district!:. NORTH ISLAND TEAM. PROBABLE SELECTION. THREE NORTH AUCKLANDERS^ (Special to “Northern Advocate.”) -AUCKLAND, This Day. The probable North Island Leag:ne team for the inter-island game at Auckland on September 7, is as follows: j|,

Full-back: Gregory (Auckland). Three-quarters: Hamilton (North Auckland), Brisbane, L, Scott (Auckland 1 )- Five-eighths: Delgrosso (Auckland) and Meyer (North Auckland). Half: Shortland , (Auckland). Forwards: Mcnzies, Stephenson., Trautvettor, Timms (South Auckland quartet), Fra mas (Auckland), an (Nqrth Auckland),