AUCKLAND BEATS OTAGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18494, 3 September 1923, Page 9

AUCKLAND BEATS OTAGO

HARDEST MATCH OF SEASON. PINE; PHASES OF ' THE AJIE. : SIXTEEN -PpINTS TO FIVE. The ■ first, -real tot .of representative Rugby in a great and gruelling game summarises the seventeenth ihlev-provmciai match- between Otago . end Auckland ployed at Eden' Park' on Saturday, resuming in ft win .for.-Auckland', by' 16 point* V ■ Tho match I developed into a real and a.great''battle ,of styles-the Auckland backs against the Southern forwards in a aft, hard.and; nt times, thrilling game, in which all the finest phases of .moacin. Rugby were exemplified. :, Rarely, it eve , has' Acekland had the good fortune 'to witness such a match. , ' '■ , '.',. _ The matches between the., two provide- , since the firs; engagement at Dnnedm in 1875, when Otago' won by nine and ahalf "points to, half 'a point, have always been' keen and closely contested. t»° nest two matches, in 1877, at Auckland, and in .1883, at Dunedin,' were .drawn without score. It was not until 1887, at Auckland, that the home ' team won < its fi-st match by a goal ami two tries to mi. In the series of 17 matches no fewer than six' have 'been 'drawn, Auckland has won 5-even, .md Otago four. In no case has there been, a lun-away vict.try. l'-' e highest score recorded by Auckland .was 15 'points to nil at Auckland in 1904.; the season in which the province had developed'a. pack of powerful forwards who in the following year, formed the basis of the : famous All Black vanguard.

Visiting Forwards' Fine Play. . In the match, on Saturday the dashing and determine! 'orward play. of the Olayo forwards in close footwork, with complete control of the ball, the solidity and magnificence of the ruck play and tno tenacious tiger-tackling of the dark plues contrasted vividly with the crisp and nippy play of the Auckland backs, wno have developed tins bright style of modern Rugby back play to a high degree. In the first: spoil, which was characterised by fast,- hard, determined play, the Otaeo forwards dominated the, game, holding the Northern pack and sweeping to H attack in raking rushes of'combined footwork. They frequently penetrated to the line, -where only close kicking to touch saved the situation. It. was only in the . .second-spell, when Otago had J the /tllrtortune to -lose the sen-ices of two of its most sterling forwards, Ear and Munro, through ' injury, that the home ■ side was able to develop© its own : game. ■

The Respective Merits. On the run of the play Auckland .was the superior scoring side, but the margin of points does not actually represent the merits of: the respective teams. „Had. the visitors not .suffered the , casualties mentioned the' result • would have, been in doubt, and!the margin of points less than it ultimately ■ proved. , Auckland s ■ win must be credited to the superior form of the. backs. . . . , . ■-~-,', , The failure of the Auckland forwards in the first spell was not. due to any lack of dash or determination, but to the fact that' they were opposed by a superior pack, whose dash ■■ and daring, combined with • close footwork • and tenacious and deadly tackling, frustrated - their best efforts. ;■■*'■ : '■■■■ '•■ The teams were fairly evenly representative. Auckland having the advantage, in that while without Lucas and V. Badeley, the former playing for New Zealand at, i Christ-church, and the latter standing down through injury sustained in a previous match, Otago was weakened by the :■. absence of J. Sinclair, 1 the New Zealand -fullback, Dr. Perry, five-eighths, and McMeeking and Williams, the forwards,' who; were playing in the test match. The Auckland team, as a lastmoment decision and by . way of - experiment, , included Sheen, a junior player of promise, of King's College Old Boys, who was played at five-eighths, Cooke playing in'place of : V.' Badeley as centre-three-quarter.. This rearrangement did not serve satisfactorily in the "first spell, but in the second half, when the Otago _ forwards had been weakened by the retiring of Baity and Munro, and the. Auckland pack was securing the ball, the, home backs were' seen to better advantage. . ■ The attendance -was estimated between 12,000 and 13,000. •

Opening of. the Play.

The game opened in dashing style, .with the Otsgo forwards dominating- in close footwork and determined attack combined with d*adly tackling. In the first fifteen minutes; the Otago ..forwards bustled tho home.pack into uncertainty 'and at times confusion, crippling every effort to adopt their open game and slopping each movement. The 01 ago. backs were > rarely pressed into action, practically the whole responsibility, being thrown on - the ..forwards., The latter frequently threatened the home lino to eventually penetrate it with a great rush, when Gilberd beat the opposing, five-eighths to send to ■ Harty, who dashed oyer, to score Otago's opening try, which he also converted. . .; Auckland attempted to open up ■ the game',, bub the, close, footwork and determined tackling of the Otago forwards frustrated them for > a time , The ■. first real .danger threatened the Otao;o line when ifwersen .attempted, a penalty kick from halfway, which, 'though a . good kick, missed the goal. Sensation followed immediately when off-side play by Otago at midfield gave ; Auckland. _ another penalty -which Ifwersen placed with a magnificent kick., r ■ : . ■■ -V, ■ , ' ... ■ •' ' Gtago continued to dominate the forward play, but : the Auckland , backs were now going .better, .Wright sending out a swift pass to Ifwersen, who sent on to Cooke with a long. pass. The-young Grafton player took the ball in his stride, and, cutting cleverly, beat the, defence to score a. brilliant try,; which. Ifwersen converted with another'magnificent kick. ■ ; Auckland j '■: • ; • • •.' •'•"■ 8 ' : '<:}■■■■'< Otago' • .»■..•.' • - : > 5 ■ Otago swept down dangerously on the home line, where, Harty, who had been playing a great game, had to retire through straining a •: cartilage on his left knee. Garitley' replaced him just as the whistle' sounded for half time. ■ ' :.?'v ■ £ : The second spell opened with Auckland attacking, Wilson making a. dash to overbalance and fall. Auckland continued to attack, and with play at midfield Munro, who had • been ' previously 1 injured, was forced to retire, Eckoff replacing 'him

From this vstaged it was evident that ; Otago : was weakened,- the. pack lacking the? dash of the first spell. Otago, how even,. was. not.' to! be. .'outdone, '.contesting every inch of ground with determined dash and close 'footwork. ; Auckland opened lip an attack, :after a 'period of defence, near Otagols line, where '.Wright sent 'out a crisp ,; pass.... to .If worsen, .to : Sheep", the' latter racing to the'Otago fullback. Watson tackled him, but he passed swifty to Ifwersen, the Auckland captain, who scored a try, which ho also con-, verted. ' :';..'• ■■ '*, [ ■■ ! . The • solid defence of' the Southerners' marked . the. resumption of play, when Webb kicked hard .over, the 'line,'the Auckland fullback forcing. Otago' was. driven hack on defence, after the drop out, when a penalty relieved,, arid Otago again forced Auckland, Cooke running "round to kick out, A ; thrill followed the drop out, when Wilson securely lo'- make a great dash into Otago twenty-five, where he was thrown into touch. *Auckland assumed the aggressive, and in a passing rush.m" front of Otago's goal Wright sent out to Ifwersen, who; cutting in. cleverly, sent out' a long pass to Cooke, who in turn transferred to Mallov,' the solid MSrist' Bros, wing threequarjsrs fending off Watson's tackle to score. Ifwersen failed to convert from the edgeoorf r touch; There was no further score, but dashing attack and counter-attack followed in rapid rallies, 'the game ending: ■'-' , Auckland .■'. ' ... ..'. 16 ' Otago ... .... ..5 Mr. A. Wetherilt was referee.

HARD GAME TO CONTROL. REFEREE ON TEST MATCH. WEAK SCRUMS AND OFFSIDE PLAY [BX TELEGRAPH. ASSOCIATION.] ' , CHRISTCHURCH. Sunday. / At a dinner to the Now South Wales and New Zealand Rugby, teams last night, Mr. S. F. Wilson, president of the New Zealand Rugby Union, said he was disappointed with the ' performance of the visitors. He felt they had not given as good a showing as they could have at the top of- their form. - •" • '' ■ ■•.'.• : .« Mr. Bosward, manager of the New South Wales team, said, "we have no squeal coming. We were beaten on our merits." He remarked that so long as the New Zcalanders were led by men like Richardson and Bellis the good feeling which 'existed' between New South Wales and New Zealand players would continue. Mr. J. F. Teake, the referee, said he did not think much, of the match judging it from the All. Black standard. It was the hardest game to control he had ever experienced. The scrums were frequently badly formed, and there was a : good deal of Ob-side play in line-outs. There was also too much inclination to appeal, and decisions, were frequently, taken badly