RUGBY FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20959, 24 August 1931, Page 12

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

AUCKLAND GRAMMAR WINS.

NEW PLYMOUTH EASILY BEATEN

VISITORS' FINE FORWARDS. The annual Rugby match between Auckland Grammar School and New Plymouth High School, played at Eden Park on Saturday, resulted in an easy win for Auckland by 21 pointsi to 3. The game was played as a curtain-raiser to liio interprovincial match between Auckland and Hawke's Bay and excellent conditions prevailed. The better finish and understanding of tho Auckland team carried it to victory. Tho New Plymouth forwards played splendidly in tho loose and held the advantage in hooking. Their fast breaking and good tackling hampered a speedy Auckland rearguard and had they received anything like proper support from the back lino the scoio would not have been nearly so large against tho team. Tho New Plymouth backs were far too slow, the inside men taking their passes staudiug, and kicking too often. This naturally hampered tho threequarter line, which saw very littlo of tho ball throughout tha match. Lack of finish and mishandling robbed the visitors of several good chances. Only on occasions did the play provide the thrills usually associated with secondary school matches and tho great majority of these Were given by tho local fifteen. Tho teams were as follows: New Plymouth.—Fullback, Renton; threequarters, Cooke, McDonald, Hollands: fiveeighths, Murray, Sutherland; halfback, West; forwards. Cave (wing), Bryant, Harper, Birch, Morrison, Fredsberg, Hamilton, McCallum. Auckland Grammar.—Fullback, Reid; threequarters, Currey, Hammon, Hill; fiveeighths, Slyfield, Jessup; halfback, Graham; forwards, Sky rme (wing), Booth, Winn, Brennan, Robinson, Buckley, Brown, Farrelly. Visitor.': Hook Ball. Playing with tho wind and sun. New Plymouth held the advantage in the early stages. Birch onco led a dangerous rush to the Auckland line, where Reid saved splendidly and drcvo the visitors back with a fine kick. Pacst'.ng well, tho visiting forwards kept the ball away from the Auckland backs, but tha local vanguard was dangerous in the loose. New Plymouth was hooking the ball Srom the set scrums. Tho advantage was los';, however, on account of the passing of tlie backs being too slow and deliberate. Good kicking by Jessup drove the visitors: back to their twentyfive, where tho Auckland backs set off and bright passing enabled Harr.mon to dash over wide out with his wing in support. Slyfield failed with tho kick. Auckland, 3; New Plymouth, 0. New Plymouth was unlucky when the whole back lino i oil owed through a short punt which beat the Auckland fullback, Murray knocking on right in front of the goal with tho defence completely beaten. A moment later Sutherland mado a splendid cut through the defence, his pass going astray right on the line and a glorious scoring opportunity being lost. Auckland was endeavouring ,<0 use its back 3, but fast breaking and clever footwork by the New Plymouth forward;} held the home team in clieck. Mishandling by Benton let Auckland through for the next try, Slyfield touching down after a New Plymouth player had failed in his dive for tho ball. Booth failed with the wick, Auckland, G; New Plymouth, 0. Just before half-time the Auckland backs gained considerable ground in passing. A loose scrum was formed near the visitors' line and Currey took a pass from Graham to score nicely on the blind side at tlie corner. Slyfield kicked a fine goal. Auckland. 11; New Plymouth. 0. Even exchanges marked the opening of the second spoil, the New Plymouth forwards again showing up well. Jessup. the Auckland first five-eighths, was troubled by the fast smothering of the defence and kicked too often. McDonald once made a side-stepping run which gained ground, tho movement breaking down through lack of support. Play wan of a scrambling nature, with Auckland holding upper hand, there being few of tfie_ spectacular movements so common in this class of football. Then came easily the best play of tho match. New Plymouth was attacking in the Auckland twenty-five when Currey fielded a short kick and ran strongly down the line. Several Grammar players joined in splendid passing, tho bail eventually coming out to Hill on the other wing, who ran round behind the posts for a spectacular try. Robinson easily converted. Auckland. 16; New Plymouth, 0.

Desperate Effort. New Plymouth made a Uesperatc effort to open its account, Sutherland cutting through the defence and being tackled just short of the, line. Play swung to the blind side, where Hollands missed his objective by inches. The attack was only short-lived, however, as from loose play by the Auckland forwards Robinson touched down wide out. Slyfiekl made a pood efTort to convert. Auckland, 19; New Plymouth, 0. A penalty to the visitors gave McCallum a chance outside the twenty-five line, but his kick was a poor one. New Plymouth was at last rewarded when Sutherland again went through the defence. Although tackled, he got the ball away and passing among the back? enabled Birch to touch down in a handy position. McCallum failed with the kick. Auckland, 19; New Plymouth, 3. The visitors played better in the few remaining minutes, Morrison once being held up under the pouts in a desperate attempt, to score. Play swung right bock and Hill scored another spectacular try right on time between the posts, making the final score:—Auckland. 21; New Plymouth, 3. Mr. F. E. Sutherland was referee. The early curtain-raiser between the Auckland Grammar School second fifteen and Rotorua High School resulted in a win for the former by 9 {joints to 5. Deane kicked a penalty goal and Nicholson scored twice for the winners. Hinton scored for Rotorua and Ryder converted.