OUTCLASSED

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10387, 18 September 1919, Page 8

OUTCLASSED

THE RANFURLY SHIELD TROPHY RETAINED BY WELLINGTON. RUGBY AT ATHLETIC PARK. T|he long-lookcd-for match between Auckland and Wellington Rugby football representatives lias taken place, and the result has surprised probably everyone of the ton thousand persons who witnessed the game on Athletic Park yesterday afternoon. Auckland, for years past, has been able to produce a representative team that was worthy of the name, and its matches with Wellington have created the keenest interest. Since 1575 the centres have met on thirty-three occasions on the football field, and the Auckland representatives have proved themselves superior bv winning seventeen of the games and Wellington thirteen, _ the remaining threo hnving ended in a draw. Auckland retained the Ranfurly Shield *or some time, but last year it was won by Wellington, and its possession was again sought bv the Auckland Union lb was a perfect afternoon for football. The heavy rain the previous night and early morning did an immense amount of good in taking the hardness out of the ground. \\,hen.the teams went on to the field of play there was an attendance of ten thousand porsons, and. the partisans of each side could easily bo distinguished by the colours they wore. Amongst those present were the Prime Minister (the Hon, W. F. Massey), Sir Joseph W’ard, Sir A. AV. Robin, the Mayor (Mr J. P. Luke), Ministers of the Crown, and members ot Parliament. The sun was bright and warm and there was practically no wind. What little breeze there was favoured Wellington. THE TEAMS COMPARED.

It was not hard to define the respective merits of the teams. Wellington had an almost perfect combination, while the visitors were lacking in that essential. The Wellington backs tackled and kicked well, while their fielding and passing was good throughout, and at times rose to a high standard. The forwards worked_ well in the loose, in the scrums and line-out play, and their dribbling, passing, tackling and following up was a feature of the exhibition. Auckland came with a reputation, and the display given by the team generally was of a disappointing nature. The backs are a really good_ set of sprinters. They tackle and kick well, but on the afternoon’s showing they did not possess finish, while the majority of them did not give evidence that fihey had a knowledge of the finer points -of Rugby football. Amongst the forwards there were several outstanding players, but as a combination they were not equal to the opposing division. The Wellington men won on merit, and were superior to the visitors in every department of the game. The following were the teams: — Auckland. —Full-back, Heatih; threequarters, A 7. AVilson, Grierson and Woolley five-eighths, Gaaparich and Badeley- half, Ross; forwards, Thomas (win"'), Berrick, McCullough, Billington, Fletcher, H. AVilson, Sutherland, and Finlaysoa. . . Wellington.—Full-back, Malm; threequarters, McArtihur, Algar and Barker; five-eighths. Corner and J. Tilyard; half, Roberts; forwards, Green (wing), S. Shearer, Elliott, : Baton, Ryan, Eberhardt, J. Shearer and De Clifton. Dr Richie Crawford was the referee. A PROMISING OPENING. Wellington won the toss and elected to defend the northern goal with the sun at their hacks, and a light breeze in their favour. The visitors (white) dashed ahead from the kick-off _by Sutherland, and the hall wont into touch near Wellington’s (black) 25-yard mark. Billington came nicely through a scrum and passed to A 7. Wilson, who kicked, and a scramble for the hall ended in the blacks being forced down The attack was n sudden 9110, carried out with considerable vigour, and it was regarded aa only a sample of aggressive work by Auckland. From the kick-out an interchange of kicks resulted in Roberts gathering the hall in and open, ing the play up. Corner put in a sprint and passed to Barker, who reached' the full-back before he was grassed. A mark by Badeley afforded some relief, but Corner was soon sailing down the field again from, a pass from Roberts, and the blacks sot up a strong attack. Badeley received the ball from a scrum, worked ibis way through, punted, and Barker marked. Green kicked at goal from near the centre of tho field, but the ball fell short. Wellington forwards put iu some strenuous work. Roberts darted round a scrum, attracted the opposing backs and shot the ball to Corner, who sent it on to Tilyard, who entrusted it to Barker. -The latter made good progress before ho was brought down by V. Wilson. Auckland cleared the danger zone by a smart pick up and kick by H- AVilson, but tflie respite was short-lived, as McArthur found touch well down the line. From the throw-in the Wellington backs made an aggressive movement by means of a passing rush, and Algar simply nonplussed the opposition and scored. Green, who was Buffering from an injury to his knee, missed with tho kick at goal. AVellington 8 Auckland 0

The ball was hardly in play again before Algar secured a mark, and Green kicked at goal. The ball fell under the bar. Auckland being forced. Fletcher smothered Tilyard’s return from the kick-out, and an attack by the whites was initiated. Algar arrived on tho scene, and found touch in Auckland’s twenty-five by a good kick. Working in unison, tbo blacks broke away from the lino-out, and a struggle for mastery took place on Auckland’s goal-line. Tho whites cleared. Green got in front, and further ground was gained by on infringement kick. Uadoloy was again conspicuous in breaking through a loose scrum, but ho fell foul of Tilyard, who secured tho ball and enabled Algar to kick into touch at half-way. The Auckland forwards now took charge. They made tilings merry until Algar snapped the ball away from their feet and boosted it well down the field. Heath returned to 'Wellington’s territory. Hero Roberta picked tho ball up, and wont away at top'speed. When tackled ho kicked, and Heath again made a good ro-

rules when the scene of action was in the centre of the field. Roberts kicked across to Barker, who failed to catch the ball, and Corner came to tho rescue, and made a smart run to the whites’ twenty-fire. A feint pass, anti Roberts readied the lino, where ho lost the ball, and Auckland saved by forcing down. Another passing bout by AYettington, in which Roberts, Tilyard, and Corner took part, followed the ki'6s-out, and then Uie Auckland backs showed a turn of speed. Thomas made tho opening, and passed to Badeley, who sent tho ball to Grierson, who reached the blacks’ twenty-five before no was pushed into touch. Ross seat G-asparich away from a' scrum, but Badeley, in taking the pass, got offside, and tho attack was stopped. Tho whites wore on their mettle, and from a scrum Badeley doited into touch near AVclliugton’s goal-line, where Auckland was awarded - a free kick. Heath made a good, but unsuccessful, attempt to send the hall over the bar, and Tilyard returned to touch. A clever cross-kick to Barker by Roberts saw tho blacks’ greyhound under full sail, but he made a bad pass to Corner, and a knock-on took place. After the play bad been confined to tho forwards for «v while. Green made headway from a scrum and kicked. Heath, who played a good, cool game at full-back, boosted tho ball to half-way, wiiere Thomas set off with a dribbling rush, his progress being stopped* by Barker, who kicked to touch. Roberts removed tho play back to half-way by a further kick, where Green gave Barker an opening which nearly ended in a fry.

WELLINGTON SCORE AGAIN. Auckland, after being forced down, made some progress, but a passing bout between Roberts and Tilyard placed them on the defensive again. A serviceable dash by Grierson, which was enhanced by a. run by Woolley, saw AA’ellington hard pressed. Roberts set his hacks in motion in his own twenty-five, and Corner, Tilyard, and Barker got well away. On nearing the whites’ goal-line Grierson did great work by collaring the three players one after another. The blacks now had the upper hand, and some fine efforts were witnessed, both in tho forward and back "divisions. Green handed the bail to Tilyard, who passed to Corner, who side-stepped Ross and Badeley, and was held up when falling across the line. Roberts potted at goal, but his kick was charged down, and Algar secured and found the Bile. Ross gave Woolley an opportunity to get away, but ho was unable to proceed far before ho was tackled. Roberts came round a scrum, passed to McArthur, who sent the ball infield to Paton and Da Clifton, t who was the last to receive it, scofed. Green did not enhance the score with the kick. Wellington 6 Auckland 0

Auckland made strenuous attempts to break away, but without success. Algar made a poor attempt to pot a goal, and Berrick did a lone-hand dribble, which was concluded by Roberts dashing in. lie picked the ball up and fooled tho opposition as to what he intended to do with it. Roberts kicked, H. AVilson returned after a short sprint, and Barker marked. Scrum, work followed. Berrick got offside, and a cross-kick by Roberts to Tilyard saw the latter bowling down tlie field. Ho kicked, and Heath made a good save. A combined - forward lush by Auckland placed tho blacks' goal-line in danger, but the Shearer brothers and Paten put in a' splendid dribbling rush, and carried the ball half the length of the field by pretty footwork. Ryap was instrumental in sending Corner away. Tho Poteno player was grassed, as was Barker, who received tho ball later, but Robfcrts made another opening. Ho passed , to Corner, who side-stepped with judgment, and scored beneath the goalposts. Tilyard did not kick a goal. Wellington 9 Auckland 1 1 0 Shortly afterwards, during an attack by AVellington, AVilson kicked tho ball into the hands of Malin, who potted a goal. Wellington 13 Auckland 0 Half-time was sounded with play in the visitors’ territory. THE SECOND HALF. As in the first half of the gamo Auckland started an attack from tho kickoff. Badoloy made a run. He was collared by Roberts who "took tho ball from him and sent it out of play at half-way. A rush by AVellington forwards with S. Shearer, Ryan and Do Clifton in the van, was brought to an abrupt conclusion by Ross getting offside. Green kicked at goal without success and Grierson returned. Roberts missed the catch and Grierson and Woolley gained the blacks’ 25 before their further progress was stepped. Another pretty dribble by S. Shearer was followed by a. forward rush, AVoolley effecting a save iu time to povent a score. A dodgy run by Roberts, a pass to Corner, then on to Tilyard, and the Auckland line was reached. Tilyard held on to the ball a fraction too long and Corner was pushed into teuch-in-goal. In stopping n rush Gasparich was injured and Burns took his place. A kick by comer placed Auckland again on the defensive. A passing rush by the whites was nipped in the hud, and Roberts made an opening. The ball passed from Roberts to Comer, to Tilyard, and on to Barter, who outpaced tho opposition and scored. It was a fine run. Malin failed with the. kick. AVellington 18 Auckland 0 Green had a kick at goal from a penalty and Wellington set up a determined attack. A run hy Roberts was replied to hy a. rush by Auckland forwards. A kick by Grierson forced Wellington down. Back came the blacks to the attack, and a kick by Tilyard forced Auckland down. THE VISITORS OBTAIN A TRY. Roberts darted away on the silly-side of a scrum, passed to Tilyard who sent tho ball on to Barker. Tho latter was hold up on tho line. Berrick broke through for Auckland, and an attack by tho whites was carried out. Green hurt his knee and was replaced by Cnlcinai. Heath just missed a kick at goal from a penalty, and shortly afterwards Badeley, Bums, V. AVilson, and Grierson ended a passing bout by Grierson crossing the lino. Heath missed with the kick. Wellington 16 Auckland 3 Another passing rush by Wellington baclq, nnd Tilyard cut in and scored. Roberts goaled, Wellington 21 Auckland 3 A final effort by Auckland, a pretty

dribble by Ryan, the Shearer brothers through half tho opposition, a short dash by Paton, and a further try was scored by Wellington. S. Shearer missed with the kick, and tho came ended:— Wellington 24 Auckland 3 Before the conclusion of the game Ryan retired and Baker wont on. THE CURTAIN-RAISER. Tho game between Defence Headquarters staff and Base Records ended in a win for tho former by 13 points to 11. Stagpoolo, Scott and Lowe scored tries for Defence Headquarters, one being converted by Hughes. Brooks and Dailey scored for the losers, one try being converted by Mitchell, who also potted a goal. The game was open and' fast and was full of interest from start to finish.