LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19764, 11 October 1927, Page 14

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

REPRESENTATIVE FIXTURE. AUCKLAND DEFEATS DULLER. ; : WEAK TACKLING DISPLAYED. The Auckland League representative team once again proved its superiority over a Southern team, defeating Buller, the youngest team in the Dominion, at -Carlaw Park on Saturday. The Auckland backs gave an excellent display and made the most of the visitors' weak defence. The local men certainly had a day out, scoring practically at will, but it was really the weakest tackling imaginable. Every time the Auckland backs got away a try seemed certain. The game must have strongly impressed the keenest official supporters of the code that their efforts to improve the standard of play must be concentrated on the southern leagues. Buller has many promising players whose future depends solely upon a better knowledge ot the game. Visits from Auckland teams have done much good, but they are too expensive for the local league to again consider for some years. Mr. McAlpine, manager of the Buller team, is keen to secure the services of several Auckland backs, and he expressed the opinion that their presence on the West Coast would undoubtedly give the game great assistance and eventually strengthen the football of the representative team. Buller Team Outclassed. So far as Saturday's game is concerned it was a triumph for the speed of the .local backs. Buller was outclassed, but it would have taken a particularly strong team to have beaten Auckland, many of whose players did not take the game at all seriously. The visitors' forwards made a good impression, and in the tight they beat the local pack. Dufty played well at fullback, and it was easy to take risks in the threequarter line, where he was often prominent. Wilson showed a "lot of speed on the wing. He can side-step beautifully. The B-section player has a promising future. Beattie is another of -Auckland's young players who should •develop into a fine scoring back. He ■obtained two good tries. List was too strong for the opposing centre, and his straight running played havoc with the defence. Gregory and Wetherill had an easy time, and their clever passing completely baffled the opposition. Since playing at .five-eighth Gregory has made a success of the position. Webb was elusive on attack and his play behind the scrum was excellent. Auckland's Scrum Forwards. Auckland has yet to find good, energetic scrum workers, as altogether too Dy -,«£? V tr S are seen each Saturday. w Zealand team was beaten in the scrums, because the fo'rwards w<r_ld not remain in the pack until the call was won. There is onlv one backf who can be of "great assist- , kis backs, but there is no reason why three others should stand out in the open, waiting for opportunities to be prominent. Rule had his first game in an Auckland team, and he plaved well' both m the tight and in the loose! opencer proved a good front-row forward, and gave the hooker excellent support. Hall worked hard and tackled ell Hutt, Dixon and Payne showed a iot of pace and they were prominent in the open. For Buller. Goodall stood out as the best forward on the ground, and he was equally as good at five-eighth. By his display against the North Island, and again on Saturday, Goodall must rank among the best forwards in the Dominion, and he should be a certainty for a place in the New Zealand team next season. Besides scoring two tries. Goodall kicked six splendid goals. McElwee played a dashing game until he was forced to retire. Jack, Harris and Davis proved fine scrum forwards. McCarthy was the best of the Buller backs, and he made several good open- _ but he lacks pace. Cameron was conspicuous at times, and scored two tries. Bernand was too slow at halfback. Burns, the centre, is a fine t.vpe of player, who should improve. The wings, Thomas and Jones, showed pace, but their defence was weak. Wright, at fullback, kicked strongly, but he was .weak on defence. Injured Players Improving. The fonr Newton players, who were Seriously injured in the Stormont Shield match, are reported to be progressing favourably. Stack's injury is, however, more serious than was at first anticipated, and it will be many months before his badly-fractured leg mends. In fact, there is a danger of his losing the injured limb. It transpires that Somers, the Auckland representative hooker, sustained a fractured ankle, and not a sprain, as was generally understood. Somers' accident will in all probability mean his retirement from the game, and, in view of the Englishmen's visit next season, Auckland will be without the services of a hooker, of international standard. Nor man and Rhodes, both of whom received severe concussion, have recovered. E Redwood, of Richmond, sustained a broken jaw in the same game, and a successful operation was performed last week. THE RUGBY GAME. CLOSE OF THE SEASON. PONSONBY BEATS THE REST. Right through the season the Ponsonby senior team has demonstrated its ability to win matches, and on Saturday it terminated the Rugby season with a great effort against a team chosen from Auckland's best. Very few people who journeyed to the Shov.' Grounds expected to see such a fine exhibition. From beginning to end the game was full of incident, sonic of the movements of the back divisions being really first-class, especially the one which ended in Cammick scoring behind the posts after Lucas had handled three times. Lucas, the leader of Ponsonby's attack, was easily the best back on the field, making many fine openings for his threequarters. Berridge again played well, but he will have to rid himself of that bad habit of stalling and then lobbing his pass after he has cut in. This may have discounted his chances of getting into the New Zealand team to tour South Africa. Cammick once more displayed ability on attack, combining nicely in practically every back movement. Woods missed chances by faulty handling, and by attempting to emulate the swerving sidestep of Lucas. L. Hook, in a strange position at, fullback, played well, but toward the end was rather inclined to find his way among the threequaiters. Hassan and R. Hook, two Ponsonby juniors, created a good impression and should be seen in the senior team next season. Solomon, a North Shore player, was in the Ponsonby team and played ari outstanding game. He was in the van the whole time, besides showing fine discrimination in handling. He was ably assisted by McWilliams and Palmer. Paewai was the best back in the combined team, but he showed too strong an inclination to travel across the field, and to this fault can be attributed the failure of the backs to combine. Butler appears to have lost all his brilliancy as a fullback, his display being very mediocre. All . the forwards played up to their bestform, Wanoa and Batty being particularly prominent. Wanoa locks a scrum particularly well. Kadley was beating his i jeratwhile brother hooker for the ball.