GAMES IN THE MUD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20331, 12 August 1929, Page 10

GAMES IN THE MUD.

EDEN PARK ON SATURDAY. " IDENTIFYING " A FOOTBALLER. Out of tho muddy condition's of Eden Park on Saturday aroso a wealth of incidents to divert the attention of tho crowd from tho nioro serious business of tho New Zealand-Australia test hockey match and the Auckland-Thames representative Rugby game.

The hockey field as marked out tinderlapped the, Rugby area by a few yards, leaving, as it were, .1 "false" goal line whoti the Rugby match commenced. Over this Kahu, the Auckland forward, early dived with a look of grim satisfaction as he held tlio ball down in the squelching mud with a pile of players on top of him. His chagrin when he found ho was a few yards from his objective can bo imagined. Blinding rain fell in heavy showers during tho first spell. Much of the ground was a quagmire, and there woro many square yards under water. On ono occasion tho roferpe was showered with mud, and when next lio attempted to blow his wliistlo he found it chokod with mud. He was unablo to blow it for a minor breach, from which, however, very little advantage was gained. Tho climax camo late in tho match, when most of tho players were soaked to tho skin and dripping with mud-from head to too. identification by jerseys had long become impossible. Even tho faces of somo forwards were completely covered with rniro. An Aucklander in such condition dived over tho lino and scorod with several players surrounding him, but tho referee had to walk over and peer at his face before ho could definitely ascertain his identity and signal a try. Tho spectators, even thoso "on tho hill" roofed against the rain with newspapers, woro much amused by the incident.