LEAGUE TEAM'S TOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19470, 28 October 1926, Page 13

LEAGUE TEAM'S TOUR.

- WIN ! N SECOND MATCH. THE DEFEAT OF LEIGH. FAST AND STRENUOUS GAME. [From ,1. R. O'Shauglineasy. with the New Zealand Rugby League learn.l HARROGATE, Sept. IG. The New Zealand Rugby League team played the second match of the tour in Lancashire yesterday, when they met and defeated Leigh. We left our beadquaiters in Harrogate at 9.30 a.m. and reached Leigh, which is south of Manchester, shortly before 1.30 p.m.. having travelled by special saloon train. Awaiting us at the station were Mr. W. Higenbottom, chairman of the Leigh directorate, Mr. H. Pemberton. vice-chairman, Messrs. W. Moonev and J. Darwell, who were members of tho English team that visited New Zealand some years ago. We were conveyed in motors to tho Rope and Anchor Hotel. Headed by the weirdest looking and sounding jazz band it has even been mv fortune to have set eyes upon, we moved off through the main streets which were packed by a dense throDg until it seemed as though the whole of Leigh, which is a city of 50,000 inhabitants, had turned out. Hero I may mention that, as oui' headquarters are at Harrogate and we travel to all our matches, only those thirteen players of the te-am and two emergencies who are actually playing travel to that particular match, the rest of the party remaining behind. After a wet morning the afternoon turned out bright and fine. The number of people who paid for admission was about 9000 and the gate receipts amounted to £560, a remarkable sum for a mid-week game. A large number gained admission through breaking down the fencing in gpite of the many charges of a large body of mounted police who were on duty. Tho teams were as follows: Leigh.—Clarkson, T. France, Emery, Osborne, Baldwin, Moss, Bithell, Leylaud, Winstanley, Worrall, Woods, Myers and Blackburn. New Zealand.—Dufty, Gardiner, Davidson, Brown, Brisbane, Sanders, Hall, J)ovine, Carroll, Herring, Mason, Mouat and Avery. The referee was Mr. R. Robinson, of Bradford. New Zealand Takes Lead. There was a strong wind blowing and in winning the toss Avery gained an advantage. The Mayor, wearing his gold chain of office, kicked off and right from the first scrum in the centre, both teams went at it hammer and longs. The game was barely five minutes old when New Zealand took the lead with the finest dropped goal I have ever seen and the finest kicked on the Leigh gro-und. C. Dufty, the fullback from Auckland, received the ball just inside his own half way line and to tho audibly-expressed amazement of the gathering, he dropped a great goal from the centre of the field. The Leigh men quickly recovered and off-side play by Len Mason, the Christchurch forward, had New Zealand in trouble. But in a few minutes, New Zealand returned to the attack. B. Davidson, of Auckland, playing at centre threequarter, after a strong run sent a fine pass to Gardiner on the wing and he went over for a try in the corner. Dufty converted from a difficult angle. New Zealand .. ..7 Leigh .. .. . ■ .. 0 From the drop out, Gardiner was looking dangerous again, but was overhauled by the home team's fast winger, Blackburn. It was again Davidson .who sent Gardiner over for his second try, after Gardiner had put in a strong fending run for many yards down the touch line. Dufty, using fine judgment put on the third goal. New Zealand, 12; Leigh, 0. Franco, one of the Leigh men, was slightly injured and during his absence the home team gave the New Zealand defence a warm time. Happily st held good. The tackling of both backs and forwards was deadly. Just before the interval, the play became very hot. From .1 melee, like a flash Heiring (Auckland) picked up the ball and passed to Avery, who sent on to Carroll (Wellington). Nothing that Leigh had rould stop the New Zealander and he streaked for the line to score our fourth try. Dufty had his kicking boots on, and had 110 trouble in again converting. New Zealand, .17; Leigh, 0. Leigh's Second Half Recovery. The second half saw Leigh score a try after a few minutes play from a passing rush, which was converted by their captain, T. Clarkson. Leigh, 5; New Zealand. 17. Leigh kept up the attack, and the New I Zealand defence had a gruelling time of ■ it, but was not found wanting. Then Lou Brown (Auckland) on the wing received the ball, and after a sparkling run three-quarters the length of the field, run three-quarters the length of the field, with Davidson in close support, he " inpassed " when collared near the corner, to let Davidson over for New Zealand's fourth try, which Dufty failed to convert from a very difficult angle. New Zealand, 20; Leigh, 5. For a long period the, game was near the New Zealand line until, after a hot assault, Myers picked up and forced his way over to score a try for Leigh which was not converted. New Zealand, 20, Leigh, 3. This aroused the visitors and a forward rush led by Mason, Carroll and Herring resulted in the last-named scoring. Dufty again failed with the kick. New Zealand, 23; Leigh, 8. Our men were tiring greatly owing to the strenuous nature of the play, combined with the; exhausting effect of the strong wind which was blowing throughout the game. Leigh had the better of the closing stages and with six minutes to go Clarkson scored a third try, which Moss convert sd. New Zealand, 23; Leigh, 13. Just before the final whistle, Osborne further reduced our lead by scoring a try which went unconverted and the game ended with New Zealand winners of the second match of the tour, the scores being New Zealand, 23: Leigh, 16. Comments on the Players. I The game was very interesting to watch, | and both teams deserve credit for a fine display. We had the distinction of put- ! ting up the record score of any touring team against Leigh. Next to B. Davidson, New Zealand, who was easily the best player on the field, Moss of the Leigh side played a great game. In the New Zealand backs, Sanders (Canaerbury), at first five-eighths, played well, especially on attack. Gardiner I (Auckland), on the wing, proved a strong runner and a hard man to stop, but was somewhat slow off the mark. His tackling and kicking was first-class. Brisbane (Auckland), was very fast and eluive 011 attack and his tackling proved a stone wall to Leigh. After Davidson, Hall (Canterbury), at halfback, was perhaps the best New Zealand back. He was in everything, but he let very little past him. With a few more games and of English methods he will into one of the finest halfbacks in England. Of the New Zealand pack, B. Avery (Auckland) and Mouat (West Coast) were prominent throughout. Herring and Carroll had a hard task to perform in the front row of the scrum and they performed well. Devine (Timaru) was invaluable in the heavy work and lj: juatifiecLbia^eeLectian