TARANAKI

NZ Truth, Issue 1080, 12 August 1926, Page 14

TARANAKI

HOME TEAMJS SUPERIOR f - - .

Auckland Reps. Receive A Surprise

(From "Truth's" New Plymouth Representative.) By six tries (two converted) to two tries (one converted) Taranaki representatives on Saturday decisively demonstrated their superiority over a much surprised Auckland team. ■

WITH the one exception that Webber went back as lock and MeWilliam'was omitted, owing to injury, the Auckland team was precisely the same that put up sueh 4 a good showing against the returned All Blacks on Wednesday. . The ground was on the heavy side, and if this handicapped Auckland it proved no hindrance to the locals. '. ••' The home forwards and backsfairly revelled m the going and raked Auckland fore and aft. . Most of the Taranaki public regarded the game as a good thing for Auckland, but right from the start Taranaki held the-upper hand, their play at times reaching brilliancy and always being spectacular. ' A feature of the play was the team work of the locals. 'Forwards and backs did their bit m incisive attack and deadly defence, the tackling being a feature. ' _ .. . . . , .. .. Taranak. astonished the natives by notching fourteen points before „ the northerners opened. Taranaki's first try came as the resuit of desperate forward sorties to the Auckland twenty-five. . Then both backs and forwards threw the leather about and Kivell scored.! Taranaki backs got the next three, McAuliffe, the ex-Wanganui rep. playing at the top of his form, scoring a beauty. .

With the Ponsonby trio, Cammick, Lucas and, Hook, m line again, something was expected and for a while something was done as m and put passing saw Batty score and McManus convert right"on half-time. Early m the second spell Auckland one across Taranaki, throwing m f™ m tJ ?e before the locals k ?e w what was doing, and Batty scored another. That settled things, :as Taranaki forwards came with a rattle, Auckland made desperate attempts to score, but they could not. penetrate the defence, and neither could Taranaki. • ■ : Just on time, Hook made, a sensational attempt to hurdle Bourke, but. came a thud that could be heard-all over the ground.' • - Auckland backs got their share of the ball and handled well, but as their inside men did not run straight, it was more spectacular than effective. ; Both Lucas ajid Hook gave glimpses of their best but they could take no! liberties and, were promptly dumped by Hohaia.an^ V;i' 1 '•'/. & Cammick Avas , disappointing. :ir j-' Indeed v the Auckland" inside backs did not tackle as expected. '/ .;, _ „ „ .... , ' . BBuYer. r going well, t.ll he was injured, whilst-Goodacre Was, - as usual,;safe. . '■ ■<■ ■ ■ ■ v .■ Taranaki Cup competitions resume on Saturday. , ..