AUCKLAND TOURING TEAM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22215, 16 September 1935, Page 13

AUCKLAND TOURING TEAM

VICTORY OVER CANTERBURY MARGIN OF THIRTEEN POINTS [BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHCISTCHURCH, Sunday The R.iigby League code did not gain many converts as the result of the Auckland team's visit to Christchurch. A3 its display against Canterbury yesterday was a mixture of very good, bad and indifferent football. At times Cooke and Brown made the home players look a tenth-rate team, but the numerous mistakes in handling a dry ball showed the Northerners to be stale, as the result of travelling, or as being a much over-rated team. The Canterbury men, knowing little of the finer points of League, played ft dogged game and severely tested the defence of the visitors. On several occasions they combined in passing rushes that showed up very weak tackling. Cooke, apparently, has not lost much of his old dash and, when he moved from fullback to five-eighths in the second spell, the play all round showed improvement. His kicking was a feature. Brown showed a lot of speed, but was well marked by a young player in Whitley, who had the Auckland crack badly bustled on occasions. Fletcher played solidly all through, and Kay showed speed in patches. Tetley and Simpson were the best of a pack of forwards that did not receive adequate support from its backs. There were a number of injuries, and Hall, Laird and Riley had to leave the field. The Canterbury team, without the services of J. Amos, who had been injured the previous week, surprised by holding the Auckland team so well in the first

spell. Standeven, fullback, WM*' ey and Knight, were responsible for solid defensive work, and some initiative on attack. Serra and Smith were the best of the forwards. In the first spell Davison opened the score with a penalty coal and, after Brown had scored for Auckland, Whitley outpaced the Auckland backs to score a good try; In the second spell Auckland outplayed the opposition and soon Cooke cut through the defence and paved the way for a try to be scored by Keane. Cooke and Riley did fine work all through this spell, and the only thrill provided by Canterbury was a sensational try by Davison, who outpaced Cooke in a race from half-way.

The score of 526—13 fairly represented the difference between the two teams, but only the repeated mishandling by the visitors' inside backs prevented a cricket score from being registered. Not a great deal of interest was taken in the g'flfliie and the crowd numbered about 2000. LOWER GRADE RESULTS Phelan Cup Final.—Ponsonby, 11; Mount Albert, 8. Stallard Cup Final.—Marißt, 19, Ponsonby, 8. Third Grade.—Ellerslie, 18, Ngaruawahia, 12. Knock-out final: Ponsonby, IS. Otahuhu, 10. Fourth Grade.—Point Chevalier B, 15, Point Chevalier A. 6. Fifth Grade.—Ellerslie, I*, Ngaruawahia, 5. Bchoolboys' Games.—Devonport, 11, Otahuhu, 2; Green Lare A, 23, Manet, 3; Richmond, 40, Northcote, 5; Ellerslie, 3G, Green Lane, 3. Seven-a-Side Games.—Marist, 8, Otahuhu, 0. MATCHES IN THE PROVINCE [from herald correspondents] Huntfy. Waitemata Cup (juniors): Huntly, 8, Kia Ora, 3. Waluku.—Sixth grade: Waiuku, 19, Glenora, G. Pukekotie.—Pukekohe, G, Mangsre, 0.