INTERPROVINCIAL RUGBY

Northern Advocate, 22 August 1929, Page 6

INTERPROVINCIAL RUGBY

NORTH AUCKLAND VICTORIOUS,

HAWKE’S BAY DEFEATED,

GAME IN THE WET,

Before an attendance of about 3000 at Kensington Park yesterday afternoon, North Auckland won their first representative' Rugby match of the season, defeating Hawke’s Bay by ten points to five. The game was quite a good exhibition of Wet weather footbally and the ground showed evidence of having stood the adverse conditions well. The' teams lined out as follows: —

HAWKE’S BAY. (Black and White.)

Fall-back. —Hiekling, ThrCe-quarters.—Mills, Baird, Me Donald.

Five-eighths.—iSctford, Botheway. Half.—Beckett. Rover.—McKay. Back Row.—Heffernan, Jobson. Middle ROW.—Wilson', McNeill, Campbell, Front Row.—Cairns, Butler.

NORTH AUCKLAND. ('Cambridge Blue.) Pull-back. —Kerr. Three-quarters.—Waterman, Nicholls, Barrich. Five-eighths.—'Anderson, Bartley. Half.—B. Morresey. Rover.—W ells/ Back EOw. —Donaldson, Hamona. Middle Row. —Finlayson, Rika-, Yates. FrOfit Row. —Morresey, Wilkinson.

Before the game the Northern Maoris, who liad played the curtainraiser, gave their haka.

' When the teams lined out North Auckland appeared to bo the heavier. Hawke’s Bay followed their kick off, lining at the quarter. Wilkinson broke through from a line-out. Bidding essayed a' drop-kick from well out, but it fell short, and Nicholls lined at half way. Kerr fielded a kick beautifully, but his line kick went out on the full. Hawke’s Bay, from a line-out, sent the ball among the backs, but Baird mulled and North Auckland counter-attack-ed.

tickling fielded the ball as convincingly as Kerr had clone, but the Northern 1 full-hack found the line at the corner and North Auckland attacked.

North Auckland got the ball from a scrum and Morressey passed to Bartley; who cut right through and passed for; Anderson to dive over and score between the posts, after about eight minutes’ play. Nicholls kicked the goal

N6rth Auckland 5; Hawke’s Bay 0:

North Auckland were packing well in the sferdiris and winning possession froth two out of every three. Mliem Hawke’s Bay were penalised, Kerr used a free kick to full advantage and the blues wore pressing in the visitors’ quarter. Wilson in turn lined. Mills came upon Waterman and tackled him before he could get rid of the ball, and the Mach and whites wOfe again on the attack, Hawke’s Bay secured from a loose serum, but Mills' knocked on when they tried a blind side movemerit. Morresey kicked well and Baird misled the ball, to be sat .on' by the blue pack. Wells dribbled half the length of the field, the ball going out on the line. An'cfefaon kept the home side* on' attack with a good line kick The North Were penalised arid Waterman made a very poor attempt with the kick, allowing the ball to bounce. The fast black and white forwards had the defence badly bustled. Wells lined nicely in the nick of time. Hawke’s Bay were penalised in turn, Kerf lining at half-way. Hawke’s Bay ,'vere breaking up attempts at handling oy the blue backs by coming round the serdm quickly and harassing the inside men 1 . When B. Morresey was , pushed over as lie lost the ball, Hawke’s Bay looked to be through, but Kerr picked up cleanly and ran round before getting his kick in. Hainona followed at a great rate to knock Hickling over as the full-back kicked out at half-way. Bartley, Nicholls and Barrack handled in a now movement which saw the winger run like a hare, being forced out at the quarter flag. The rain up to this stage had hung off, but a heavy, sharp shower made conditions still more disagreeable. Moses Yates played right through a loose scrum and the ball came to Morresoy, who short-punted for Baird to line. Hawke’s Bay broke through from a line-ottt and their backs handled, enabling Baird to run well, bur lose possession. The Hawke’s Bay forwards carried on and Heffernan and Jobson handled near the line. The North Auckland defence urns well tested in the next few minutes, but hold the strain. When the visitors wore penalised, Kerr raised the quarter flag. Wells was getting among the black and white backs to some purpose and prevented them from clearing. Loose scrummages took the ball right to the line, where it was hooked to Morresey, who let it go through his hands and the black and whites cleared, but wore penalised. Yates had a shot from the side line, but the angle was too acute and Bay forced. i

The greasy ball was having its effect on play, Bartley kicked and Nicho’ls, following fast, tackled the full-back, with no one between him and the line. The ball rolled back without anyone to chase it, and Hawke's Bay were aide to clear. For a, time play was in the mud in midfield, until McDonald and Jobson handled the ball like backs to put Hawke’s Bay in the opposing territory. Kerr lined With a penalty at

half-way. Mills beat Anderson and Waterman and kicked, but Kerr fielded a rebound brilliantly. North Auckland were attacking. McDonald and McKay broke through in a fine dribbling rush, but Kerr held' them up with a fine mark.

Play swung across to Barrack’a wing. The little man from Rodney went away in a dazzling run down his wing and all the blue backs handled, but were held up by hard tackling and good positional defence. Half-time came soon after with North Auckland still in the lead by five to nil.

The players were greeted by a light shower as they took the field again. The blues were yards off-side from the kick-off. B. Morresey got the ball from the scrum, but was robbed, and' when Barrack obtained possession he was pushed out near the corner. A penalty brought relief to the home side.

Luckily for North Auckland, the wind, which had been against Hawke’s Bay for the first part of the game, had dropped. Hawke's Bay began the second half like a winning team. Bl Morresey marked to stop a dangerous rush and Bartley twice lined well. When Morresey tried to work the blind side, failure of the worst kind resulted and Hawke’s* Bay Were again pressing. Hawke’s Bay were infringing badly, Kerr lined at half-way and ' Harmon a led a fierce Northern forward sortie which impelled Hiekling to kick i‘h touch-in-goal. From: the five' yards ’ scrum North Auckland' hooked and the ball travelled along the back line. The' atta’ckers Were held up by good collaring. Nicholls tried to penetrate the defence by cutting in, but lost the leather and Hawke’s' Bay cleared. Kerr marked to block a forward attack and then Finlayson burst away alone in a fine run which took play half the length of the field. Morresey tried a blind side movement, but after making a goOd opening spoilt it by knot-king on when he came round to take the pass from Bartley. Moses Yates narrOwly missed kicking a goal ffom the side line when Hawke ’s Bay were penalised. With his line of backs waiting, B. Morresey tried to cut in himself, but Was dtnhp'ed. Wilson ahd MCKa.y broke through to half-Way, but they were held up by Anderson.

Then the black and white backs joined in some exhilarating in-and-out passing, Baird and Setford handling twice. f A try looked’ iniiriirieiit, when a kriockon held them up. North Auckland wetc able, to force from the scrum. Hawke’s Bay were pressing determinedly, and when the backs had a flutter Nicholls held up tl(e ceritre as 1 he tried to cut through, and Morresey got his kick in. Hawke’s Bay attacked again. A shot hit the post, a'rid Barrack nipp’ed the ball: from the feet cf ; a pack of fast following Bay fofyatds. Then! Yates and Hanndna dribbled through in splendid mariner, the fullback gathering in safely. Jobson retaliated with a similar movement which travelled half the length of the field. Play was now scintillating. At halfway Waterm'an picked u£, ran hafd; short-pun-tedy for the full-back to ki’dk weakly. Nicholls gathered in the ball and' l sent to Wells, wild dashed right round for a brilliant score, which Kerr converted. 0

North Auckland 10, Hawke’s Bay 0. ■After the score, Hawke’s Bay attacked and a line-out was ordered right on the line. The backs fought for possession, and when a set serum w.as : put down the defenders hooked and Morresey foirhd safety by putting the ball but. Play was' still ■' hovering in North got their'first try, when Campbell fmidhod off a forward attack by scoring under* the posts. iSetford raised the flags. North Auckland 10, Hawke ’s Bay 5. With only a few minutes remaining, both teams livened up. A Hawke’s Bay attack was repulsed and Finlayson dribbled right through for the ball to go out. A penalty allowed Hawke's Bay to clear at half-way. The visitors ’ backs attacked, Setford shortkicking instead of passing. There was some perilously close play right in front of North Auckland’s line, but finally Mills missed a kick and Waterman and Wilkinson were on the job and put the ball out at the quarter. For some time the home side were strictly on the defensive. At last their forwards broke away in a- very good movement, but it was spoilt by off-side. Hawke’s Bay returned to the defensive, but as the final whistle blew Kerr drove them back.

NORTH AUCKLAND .. 10 HAWKE’S BAY 5