City Play Losing Battle With Newton Reserves

Northern Advocate, 2 August 1939, Page 2

City Play Losing Battle With Newton Reserves

League

jN THEIR GAME WITH NEWTON SENIOR RESERVES, AUCKLAND, AT JUBILEE PARK ON SATURDAY, CITY SENIORS PLAYED A LOSING BATTLE.

At this stage of the season City a re unlucky, having lost the services of several men who have been the back bone of their team.

On Saturday they had difficulty in putting out a side at all, and that they were willing to carry on under a severe handicap showed commendable spirit.

Former Players Reappear.

The day was marked by the reappearance of several old City men. Basil Hollows has now played only a couple of games this season, but did good work in the forwards.

Snelgar, who has been playing ‘junior in Auckland, turned cut on. the wing, but seemed to lack the confidence of a senior player. J. Banton was a member -of the crack City junior team of a couple of years ago, and has ; now come into senior football in the forward', ranks. He was well up with the game on Saturday, and was always on the ball. A welcome reappearance was made by Lenne, a Kamo player, who turned out for City. Lenne has only taken the field a couple of times this year, and his game showed obvious lack of condition, but he was well up to his old tricks, and was a strong link in the backs. . Another Junior Promoted. J. Chetham, former One Tree Point junior full-back, who is now playing on City’s wing, played a steadier game than in the past, and once he settles down should have the makings of an* excellent senior player. He has speed and determination, and should have no difficulty in picking up the finer points of the game which make the difference between an average player and.a high-class footballer. Phil Child was playing his usual steady defensive game, but it appears that he could effect a .big improvement in his team’s performance by running his backs into position more frequently instead of kicking .over their heads.

Ping-pong between the opposing full-backs-,Ms been- a feature of. recent Northland games, and wastes 'a I6t of time while accomplishing nothing. • r •T ■■■ Sanders’ Great Game. Highlight of the Newton scoring machine was Sanders; lanky second five-eighths. Not only did this lad score three tries, but he paved the way for several others, and converted three, one of which was his own. Tredea was a fast and heady winger, while the diminutive Oliver proved himself a game little half.

Housham and Proctor were the best of the forwards, the former being a new recruit to League who shows plenty of premise. Tryson, full-back, was very casual, and, had the City forwards been faster in following up, would have had him in trouble on many occasions. i Point for City Forwards. One leaf which City could take from Newton’s play is the manner in which their forwards co-operated with the backs. It was noticeable that whenever a Newton forward secured, he seldom, tried to go far before handing on to a team-mate, and so sending the ball out to the backs. This was in contrast to the manner in which many local men, when in possession, put their heads down with a bull-like rush and barge into a bunch of the opposition, in true Rugby style, only to be hauled down without making more than a couple of yards’ headway.’