Junior Reps. In Action

Northern Advocate, 10 August 1938, Page 2

Junior Reps. In Action

Whangarei juniors met stiff -opposition against Auckland Grammar Old Boys. The two teams wore remarkably evenly matched and it was exceedingly difficult to determine which was the better. Whangarei’s tries were mainly individual efforts, while Grammar’s combination was thwarted time and again by Whangarci's rigid tackling.

Sullivan excelled himself at halfback, playing faultlessly throughout. He had the visitors worried on the dry ground, both when attacking and defending. His persistency in muzzling Hie inside backs was a sore point with Grammar.

Carter, Whangarei’s full-back, kept up the spirit of his side when he refused to allow Grammar to pass the last few yards that kept them, from victory in the second spell. His kicking was as safe as could be expected of a senior, .let alone a junior. Whangarei owed a lot to his confident defensive manoeuvres.

Grammar, no doubt as a result of experience against a greater variety of teams, revealed better combination at the start, and had much more confidence than the local boys, who seemed decidedly nervous until first blood in their favour gave them courage.

Whangarei’s forwards played well, although the line-outs were not as profitable tc them as they should have been. One of their tallest forwards, Livingstone, had every opportunity of taking the ball to send out to his waiting backs, but he preferred to leave it to another player and push his weight through when the best moment had passed. This player used his weight well throughout, and was steady on the defence, but he could have been the leading light among the forwards, if he had used his height to secure in the line-outs.

flack play was, of course, the order of the day for all grades. Whangarei’s iunior backs, J. James, Millar, P. Wilson, Beeston, Barber, Sullivan and Carter, all played well, and. except for a little nervousness at the start, were more than a match for their opponents. The speed of Auckland’s wingers threatened to break down the local defence, but Barber and Beeston were more than the visitors’ equal in pace and tackling.

Haig. Fairley, Loi'd and Livingstone wore most noticeable in the junior forwards, although the whole pack worked well together, and without slacking.