LEAGUE "REP" MATCHES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18773, 29 July 1924, Page 4

LEAGUE "REP" MATCHES

ENGLAND AGAINST PROVINCE. ' '. ' - j| • COMMENTS ON THE PLAYERS. ; FIRST TEST ON SATURDAY- ' The very firio display by tho Englishmen on. Saturday at Carlaw Park will live long"* in'- the minds of football enthusiasts. Their fast, . open play with brilliant passing bouts was a treat to witness. Seldom. did the visitors kick the ball, possession seeming to bo their ono aim, and- onco having it, every man was found in position ready to tombt-ue in any mov<?ment.o jpCheir forwards are brilliant, and without _ doubt the finest pack that has ever, visited our shores, and they dominated the gamiJ from start to finish. Many lessons could be learnt by the local men -from the Englishmen's tactics and methods of attack, and with still two matches, to ; be played in Auckland it is to be hoped our players, will lose no opportunity of seeing and acquiring many of. the finer points and;, combination. That they did well in keeping the visitors from scoring more often, there is no denying, but all the same, some of the local men have played better gaories than they dici on Saturday. The Auckland forwards did not' show up as well as expected, and, taken on the whole, the team did not appear to have been captained, to . the best advantage. McClymont will probably captain the Auckland: provincial team in the match to-morrow, and this should be an acquisition. . <j. ■. v> Stewart-, who will probably play wing three-quarter next Saturday, is described by the Southern press as being one of the finest: backs playing the game. Gjlroy and.. Fitzgerald shcruid also help to strengthen the test team. v Auckland Provincial Team. The' team chosen to represent tno province ; again;r,ithe English League representatives to-morrow comprises onjy five of the players who opposed tbn visiters on Saturday. Dufty will take his old position at fallback, and can be depended upon to play a good game. His weight and dash will be missed at five-eighths, but McClymont, who will partner Weiherill in that position, is a very heady player. His only handicap is lack of weight! . •. : : Baki. and • Jolmston,, of Waikftto, who j; will fill the. wing-threequarter positions, are both; dashing players, and with ...jji' decent Opportunities tsliould trouble: the opposition. J. Lang, who has been • chosen as halfback, has earned a game ; against , the visitors. He nas performedexcellently for his club and is brilliant in attack when opportunity comes to him either from the scrum or in the open. Of the forwards chosen for to-morrow only Herring and Avery played on Saturday. O'Brien, Te Whata and Wilson are a line trio when at their best, and should stiffen, the pack considerably. Lowry displaces Somers as hooker, though the latter performed wall on Saturday and gave his backs a good share of the ball. The ■ placing of B. Davidson' as second reserve , back for to-moreow's game mast come as a surprise after the form dis-played,-by him on Saturday. He scored two of .the three tries obtained against the visitors and tackled extremely well j He certainly lacks weight, but the same ■ can be said of the others who have been . chosen. ITew Zealand .'Representatives. The 21 players chosen to train with a view, to playing in the first test match on Saturday include representatives from ; Christchuich, Westland.. South Auckland "/ and Auckland. There is ample material ; for a really good sipe, and; New Zear land -team should l>e able to thoroughly extend the visitors. It' is stated that thia Christchtxch forwards, Ellis and Peterson, will bo unable to come to Auckland, i and that Devine has been asked to make the trip. The two former are fine playfirs, and will doubtless be seen in action . agajn^rthe."Englfelimeii'. ..in the; South Island. • IN: Mouatt, the sole representative from j .Westland, is a fine typo forward. He ' came, io Auckland last week, and witnessed the gams on Saturday. If chosen for the .first test he M'ill have the advantage of knowing something, of the visitors' tactics. - Interpretation of the Kules. There has been considerable talk about the number of . 'penalties given against the visitors ia Saturday's game. The English; team manager," Mr. J. H. Dann&tt, on Saturday evening stated that the■'referees' .in.'New Zealand pijisjnterpreted the rules of • the game. The Auckland J : referees strongly maintain thai; their rulings are, correct. : The chi«jf iknse of the penalties given_ on Sat ur lay was persistent, lifting in the scrum by the visitors,. and it. js contended that there is no division of opinion 5n regard to the ruling for siieh breach. The visitors are such fine players code that they do not require to obtain any. advantage by working points, which, if not illegal according to a strict interpretation of the rules, are not jo keeping with- .the spirit of the game. • ■■■:• . ij. - ' Those who Were early to raise their potest in vregiird to Carlaw Park not x.sing able', to accommodate the crowd who would want admission for the English match are now probably reflecting on thiahr judgment, for the huge crowds on Saturday had no difficulty in gaining good points of vantage. The park will probably hold about 25.000 comfortably, and with little alteration to, the present, arrangements. '. • ' * , Jt was feared in League circles that the code would suffer a distinct loss when tho . Maiiukau Club joined the Rugby ranks, a few ago. However, reports now to hand state that many o;f the Mshukau players have joined up with other League teams, and there is also a movement on foot among some of the explayers Again to establish ia Manukau League Club. >