AUCKLAND.

NZ Truth, Issue 473, 11 July 1914, Page 11

AUCKLAND.

NORTH SHORE v. (CITY ROVERS. A record crowd for the Deyonport domain pushed its way through the gates on Saturday to see the go be-, tween North Shore and City Rovers. It was one of the afternoons on which a levy of sixpence was made and naturally quite a number of thoseilooking on and enjoying the fun did not enter by the gates, but through openings m the fence. The game was looked upon as the attraction of league follov/ers. A . great game was expected, Vina* 1 a great game it proved with the Shore, team winners by 9 points to 7. From first to last the pace" was right on and no opportunities were given for breathers. For some time after play commenced the Shore were doing all the attacking and the Hrst score almost followed the kick-off. City had hardly time to grasp the fact when the blacks were back again hammering away and trying to break through. Shore were smashing the rules governing scrums to atoms and, time after time, City gained much needed relief per medium of penalties. At half time, Shore led by 7 to 4, but on the play Had, a bigger pull over the game than : the figures indicated. ' City played without combination amongst the backs, and though "Opie" Asher, as usual, played a lot of "sacks on the mill," it was of no benefit. In the second spell both teams played for their full value and a fast and strenuous game aroused spectators to enthusiasm*. The forwards wore rather evenly matched, but the Shore backs handled the ball the best and brought off several very fine pieces of play. In the second, half City scored a try while the blacks put on a goal, and Shore thus won by 9 to"?, and earned every bit of the victory. OTAHUHU v.. NEWTON. The long string of outs which stood to Olahuhu was broken on Saturday at Victoria Park when tho country lads walloped it all over Newton. When the season started, Newton gav,e promise of big things, but evidently they have shrunk m the rain. On Saturday the Otahuhu boys -were winners all the way, and when the referee warbled his last little ditty on the whistle, Newton had a debit of 6 points, the score being Otahuhu 10 and Newton 5. Despite defeat after defeat, Otahuhu have kept well together,: and the , writer congratulates them pn their w.in. . GRAFTON V. PONSONBY. Grafton never had a look-in with Ponsonby at the Cricket' ground, and could only score one try against^ the live tries put on by Ponsonby. The goal-kicking was painful to watch and not once, out of many shots, did the bail go over the bar. The kicks generally took the shape of a "creeper" m cricket. v * Ponsoriby and North Shore are now leved, and us both should win the remaining'matches the final game between them will be worth ?oing to see.