UNDER LEAGUE RULES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18730, 9 June 1924, Page 4

UNDER LEAGUE RULES.

COMMENTS BY VISITORS.

CAPTAIN AND MANAGER

HOPE FOR DRY GROUND.

Giving his impression of the match played on Saturday between the Australian Universities and Auckland the visiting captain, H. C. Finn, said: "I wish to congratulate the Auckland people on having such worthy representatives. Yours are certainly better wetday footballers than we are but this is to be expected when you realise that my club, Sydney University, has not played on a wet ground since early in 1922 season. The members of our team are mostly boys and could not be expected to adapt themselves to unknown conditions sufficiently well to compete with your representatives. Our greatest disappointment is not at losing but -that so far we have not had an opportunity of displaying our real worth. If we get the opportunity next Saturday our efforts will be all the better for being a little overdue. Auckland attributes" part of its improvement to our last visit, and we derive consolation from this fact." Mr. J. Lamaro, manager of the visiting team, said; "I wish to congratulate Auckland on winning the "ashes." Our task next Saturday will' be to prevent your doing better in 1924 than we did in 1922, when we won two matches out of three. From the start on Saturday I saw that your players knew exactly what to do and how to do it on a ground like that. None of your players showed any deterioration in form, and the forwards were very much at home. On the other hand anybody could tell that we were all at sea in the wet, which is only to be expected. Give us a dry ground next Saturday and -we will do our best to show you that we have got the knack of winning matches r.nd winning them by 'class' football." ~11. Tho visitors wore entertained by the Auckland Leaguo and horrie team at an official dinner on Saturday night. Mr. Lamaro said he decided to go on with the game because he was desirous of his team seeing as much of New Zealand as possible. They could not prolong their visit, as many of them were already behind with their studies. He was surprised at the home team's stamina and improved attacking and defensive tactics. Their fast following, which was their weakness in 1922, was now a feature of their play. The team were entertained yesterday by the League at a motor picnic throughout the city, and its environments. They leave to-day for Hamilton and Rotorua, playing in the former place on Wednesday and itne final match at Auckland next Saturday.

SOUTHERN COMPETITIONS. fBY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Saturday. The following are the results of the Rugby League football matches played today:—Petone 3, Lower Hutt 2; Newtown 7, City 3. CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday. To-day's Bushy League football matches resulted as follow:Marists A 29, Wools ton 9; Hornby 11. Addington 6: Marists B 6. Sydenham 2.