LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Northern Advocate, 17 September 1934, Page 8

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

; DEVONPORT HONOURS

NORTHLAND THIRTEEN DOWNED.

SIX-POINT DISPARITY. In anticipation of a splendid day’s football, a fair crowd assembled at Hikiirangi on Saturday to witness the match featuring a Northland thirteen and the Devonport seniors. However, .their hopes did not materialise. Except for an occasipnal bright incident, it was a very ordinary affair, the honours ;of-which might have gone either way. As it was, Devonport scored 17 points to the locals’ 11 and deserved to win. The principal cause of the slowing up of the game was the hooking tactics, Both Wells and Steven adopted peculiar methods, and consequently the ball was never heeled cleanly. Stricter refereeing would have obviated this. However, even when the backs did get a chance to throw the leather about, they mishandled continually. Although a strong breeze was blowing, this could not be blamed for the bad play of the backs. Both sides instituted spoiling tactics, and these tended •to upset neat cohesive action. • The Northland thirteen was not a very strong one, Bowyer, Vause and Cunningham being absent from the original team. The star player was R. White, who scored three splendid tries. His brother Charlie also played well. " Scott ' was Devonport’s best back and Donald and Simpson were the pick of the forwards. They lined out thus;— Devonport. Laing, Newton, Frederick, Powell, Scott, Miller, Rhodes, Donald, Steven, Smith, Simpson, Hunt, Leatherbarrow.

Northland. Child, C Taylor, C. Hamilton, R. Hamilton, R. White, E. Meyer, Lenne, E. O’Callaghan, Wells, C. O’Callaghan, C. White, J. Taylor, Hazell. When Laing set the ball in motion, Northland, through winning the toss, had the assistance of a strong wind. After five minutes of equal sparring, the blues gained a territorial advantage, mainly per medium of a penalty, and from a play-the-ball, Lenne lobbed a pass to R. White who clamped on the pace and galloped right through the opposing back line for a good try. The angle was too acute for C. Hamilton.

Primed by the unexpected reverse, Devonport wasted no time in springing a retaliatory move, and a concerted handling sally had the defence at sea. A dropped pass intervened when points were in the offing and Moyer was handy to dribble clear and mow Laing, ball and all. Taylor then broke away with the leather at toe and Powell had to seek safety in the dead area.

Northland were again dangerous v/hen Miller mulled a high punt from Child and Hazell and Taylor dribbled upheld, but Scott was there to stem their progress. However, the locals were soon another three points in pocket. Fi’om a scrum in midfield, Lenne fed R. White who with a smart cut-in badly beat the opposing fiveeighths and touched down wide out. J. Taylor failed to improve and it was G—nil.

A determined solo dash by Charlie White had the crowd cheering. The hefty forwai’d did not recognise a couple of tackles but when two opponents dived simultaneously he soon capitulated. J. Taylor just failed to materialise from a penalty and then Devonport indulged in one or two passing bouts which transferred operations to the other end. Then an infringement offered Laing a chance and with a beautiful shot he signified his acceptance: 6—2. The visitors were now settling down to their task in much more approved

fashion and were infusing more vim into their efforts. When Rhodes, Leatherbarrow and Simpson handled, Northland were not in a position to check the movement and the lastnamed burst across for a nice try. Laing made it a five-pointer and 7—6.

When Meyer received from a scrum he surprised the visitors with a neat exploiting kick and C. Hamilton raced up to gather in and draw the defence only to see R. White drop the pass. Then E. O’Callaghan nipped through an opening and made ground before sending on to R. White who accepted at top and in a brilliant swerving run completely non-plussed the opposition for a splendid try. C. Hamilton added the simple goal and at the interval Northland were 4 points to the good: 11—7.

When they resumed, Leatherbarrow and Miller had changed positions. Devonport now had the wind at their backs and after J. Taylor had an ambitious shot at goal, Laing punted high to R. White. The five-eighth fielded ■well and after a spurt handed on to his brother Charlie who continued to make ground until well tackled. The Northland rearguard then burst into action and R. Hamilton was given a great opportunity, but lost possession as he dived across. The visitors cleared and weak handling by C. Hamilton saw Ppwell nip in and break right away. Rhodes came up on the outside, but with a clear field ahead he had to knock on. The men from the Shore now launched a solid offensive. Scott headed a promising dribbling rush and Donald snatched up and was downed inches short. A scrum went down on the line and Simpson barged his way across but a force-down was ruled.

The locals retaliated with a bright passing bout, but infringed at the critical moment. Scott then intercepted a blind pass from Hazell and was within an ace of scoring. He elected to transfer to Leatherbarrow who only had to hold the ball for a try. He mulled, however, and the points went a-begging.

Devonport were now in full cry. Laing beat several men and punted towards the blues’ goal. There was a thrilling race which Lenne won and

he and Meyer managed to save. Shore still attacked hotly and there was a prolonged melee on Northland’s line. The defence held until the leather emerged from a scramble and Scott snatched it up to dive across. Laing goaled to give his side the lead: 12 — 11.

Northland had a great opportunity to regain their position when C. White broke away in a lone effort. He was bottled up on Devonport’s twenty-five but slung out a long pass to his brother Bob, who mulled when a try was a gift. The visitors cleared and when C. Hamilton came with a burst down the line, Scott, who was continually prominent for unerring tackling, was around his ankles like a shot. Then the Shore rearguard handled and Newton lined nicely at the corner flag. Here was trouble for Northland. There was a melee on the line and the visiting pack battled its way across but a five-yards scrum was ordered.

Once again the forwards swarmed over the line, but a force-down resulted. From the drop-out, the vanguards were toiling like trojans for possession when Scott scooped up the ball and slung it out to Powell to Hunt who scored a good try. Laing improved, and in a shower of rain the final whistle sounded with Devonport victorious, the score-board reading; Devonport 17 Northland 11 Mr Hill was referee.

THE CURTAIN-RAISER,

KAMO BEAT WHAKAWARO

JUNIOR KNOCKOUT SEMI-FINAL

The preliminary to the big match featured the Kamo and Whakawaro juniors in the semi-final of the knockout competition, and after a wellfought tussle, the former earned the right to meet Oncrahi in the match to decide the issue. Whakawaro held their own in the opening spell, at the end of which they were two points up, the result of a penalty goal by G. Cunningham. However, the championship winners came into their own in the second half and notched 12 points, per medi-

um of a try each by C. Ruddell and Taylor, a penalty goal by Taylor and a conversion by Hooper, to take the honours: 12—2. Mr W. Wedge refereed.

AN EASY VICTORY OVER S. AUCKLAND TEAM (Special to "Northern Advocate.”) AUCKLAND, This Day. Playing before a large fine-weather attendance at Carlaw Park on Saturday afternoon, Auckland comfortably defeated a South Auckland team which had been considerably weakened by four prominent players being unavailable. The spectators, however, were pleased to make acquaintance with a number of promising young Waikato representatives, who were unable to cope with the superior speed and combination of the Aucklanders in a game that was bright and open all the way. The final score was 35—15 in Auckland’s favour.