ATTRACTIVE RUGBY

Northern Advocate, 14 September 1932, Page 7

ATTRACTIVE RUGBY

AUCKLAND MATCH, HOW WHANGAREI WON. NOTES ON THE GAME. The variety of Rugby which appeals to spectators was presented last Saturday, when thrills and incident packed the Auekland-Whangarei piatch. The City union placed a fairly strong B representative team in the field, and the resulting win for Whangarci, 22 15 must go a long way into restoring confidence in local football. Primarily the game was a contest in fitness. While the spectators on the grandstand and lining the field perspired, the men in the middle played on in tlie exceptional heat with the sun beating down on bare heads. For a time it looked as though the conditions

would be too severe, and there were early traces of lethargy. However, the players kept their form in a surprising way, and although the "patter, patter" of the feet sounded as metallic as boots on pavement, and the ground was as hard as a board, there wore few stoppages, and the pace developed, until in the second half it became electric.

Auckland' was the’ better team, particularly in the backs, where their attacking combination was good. All five tries came as the result of clever thinking and good passing. The lighter magpie pack also acquitted itself well, although at times it was overrun by the Whangarei forwards. Auckland had to .be watched carefully in the scrum, and when the ball -went in correctly it usually came out at the Whangarci end. Being on the blind side and having seen something which the referee was unable to pick, Allison must have been bewildered when he was pulled up once for offside.

To the genius of two men Whangarel have largely to attribute thenvictory. .Toe Hamilton, getting, his chance at the last minutes, was the master mind. His dropped goal was a gem—George Nicholson, the Auckland manager, said it was one of the best he had seen, and he should know! Joe did many subtle things which distracted the Aucklanders. His miskicking for instance, was bewildering. Once this little dodge resulted in the ball being trapped back to Linnell, a clubmate by the way, who won clear, passed to Pickering and finally to Collins who scored. Pickering’s sensational try started in something like the same manner. Hamilton kicked across, Pickering ran, punted, found another gap, and jiounccd on the ball, while the Auckland defence considered itself secure. Pickering w'.as the other shining light. His penalty from half-way was reminiscent of Dufty at the heights. Here is a representative player—there is no doubt of it. The other Whangaroi backs were quite sound, with Barach shining on defence, and Linnell doing some bright things on attack. The exception was Collins, who was again- a disappointment. It has been his season off, and it is regrettable that the selector did not recognise this, and give Ford the place for' Saturday’s match. Once or twice on Saturday Collins did brilliant things, reminiscent of the player that, was, but these were lost in the sea of his mistakes.

The Whangarei forwards , covered themselves in glory, and it was good to see them break through scrummages with hall at toe. Allison is near the top of form, and none fed his backs better than Linuell. Muudy Kika, who has been disappointing this season, showed some improvement. Once he evoked the displeasure of a section of the crowd nearest the play for tactics which may have been unnecessarily rough.

For once, individualism triumphed

over team work. The Auckland goal-kicking was de-

plorably w r eak, all five tries going unconverted. ■ Matheson played, an outstanding game, and kicked with cool judgment. In a superior set of backs Clarke and Smith both did -well, and Conway, although he did not draw his man sufficiently, in blind side movements, was a sound half. Weir handled well, but could not find a length with his passes. At the start Fraser played like an All Black, but faded in the heat. Scarborough, Somers and Stacey were the best forwards.