BIG WIN A SURPRISE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19413, 23 August 1926, Page 12

BIG WIN A SURPRISE.

COMBINATION TELLS TALE.

AUCKLAND FORWARDS EXCEL. WEAKNESS IN INSIDE BACKS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] NAPIER, Saturday. Although it was generally expected the Hawke's Bay team would have no difficulty in staving off Auckland's challenge for the Ranfurly Shield, there, were very few who looked for such a wide margin of points. The ploy was not very long in progress before the spectators began to take notice, as the visitors were making the pace so merry and strenuous that the sturdy Hawke's Bay men had difficulty in keeping their opponents , in check. The Auckland forwards played ..--with great dash and more than held tWir own throughout the first spell and well into the second half, frequently breaking through and giving Mill and the rear division a busy timo in defence. Hawke's Bay got most of the ball iti the set scrums) but Knight and Webber broke away very quickly and harried Mill severely, frequently smothering Ins linksup with Johnston and Cooke.

The Aucklanders repeated the performance of their previous visit by scoring the first points within three or four minutes after the start of the game, but Hawke's Bay immediately responded with an equalising score by means of a fine kick by Nepia, and then forged ahead with other scores at frequent intervals. Auckland, however, were making the pace hot and scored again twice. In the meantime the defenders had scored four times, giving them a lead of eight points' at halftime, • i Collapse After Half-time. The Auckland forwards again set the pace on resuming, but the homo team's forwards came with characteristic vigour in the last 20 minutes. The" visitors wilted under the strain, arid thereafter it was only a question of how many points Hawke's Bay would add to their total. In the loose, and in the line-out Hawke's Bay did not overshadow tho visitors. Knight, Batty and McWiiliams were conspicuous for good footwork, and! good line-out work was a feature of the Auckland pack's efforts. There was a weakness in Auckland's inside backs. Cammick and Luca3 several times broke away dangerously,, but the latter bored on to the wing, thus smothering openings. Three or four possible scores went begging owing to a repetition of this fault. On the other hand, there were some very pretty movements, nolably : between Cammick, Freeman, Lucas and Ifwersen, which did not succeed only because of Hawke's Bay's solid defence. Auckland was not beaten because it was a weak team, but because Hawke's Bay is an exceptional combination, wlncn excels in speed,-team-work, combination and individual brilliance, with, backs and forwards equally at home on attack. In almost every movement five or six men were in support of .the man with the ball, so that tacklers were set a difficult task. Auckland's Becord Equalled. ' There was a number of minor casualties during the game, the most conspicuous being the caso of Knight, whose early vigour so told, upon him that he collapsed on four successive occasions toWard the close of the game from acute ejamp,-causing the play in one instance to be suspended for five minutes. The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union will decide next week whether the shield will bo taken South on the September tour. There are rumours that several- prominent Hawke's Bay players will drop out next season, including several of the giants of the present team. Hawke's Bay has now equalled Auckland's big record of matches in defence of the shield, and will no doubt not be> grudge its passing into the hands of another union. This should be for the good, of the game. ,