AUCKLAND REPS. IN GOOD FORM

NZ Truth, Issue 1081, 19 August 1926, Page 15

AUCKLAND REPS. IN GOOD FORM

Keenly Gontested Games And Only One Surprise (From "Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) For some time doubts have been expressed as to the quality of the Auckland reps, this season and Saturday 's . .. game was being looked on ashore or less of a test of their capabilities of beating some of the 'teams when on tour. . %

•THOUGH the margin of win was only 1 one point, the team, on the whole, came through the ordeal creditably. ' ..■'.■'• It was thought that the big North Auckland forwards, with "Bunny"-Fin-luyson leading them, would .smash down, the defence-of the lighter pack and work havoc among the back divisipn, which is admittedly not a strong combination. They failed, however, m their objective and this fact has considerably heartened up players, selectors and the supporters of the blue and whites. • At no stage of the game were the home ' forwards overwhelmed as waa generally anticipated. Though much lighter than the opposing »team, they had the stamina which has always been an outstanding . feature .of Auckland's forward play. • Such huge and weighty men as Finlayson, Sowman, and the Fletcher Bros, are hard to, stop, but the . local .team did this very effectively. "Had there been any weakness amongst' the forwards the'hbme team would have suffered a severe defeat, as this would have -prevented ,the ' better, scoring 'back line from scoring. No Superiority When it ia taken into account that North: Auckland scored three tries and Auckland: four, it will readily be admitted that there was not much m the game from the point of view as to which 1 was the better team, but two of the tries scored by the* visitors were of, the silly' sort andrthe-work of weak defensive backs. Fortunately the iweakness iwas>. confined. ' Provided the team which played on Saturday (with the exception of a couple of backs who' might be taken as.emergencies), are able to undertake the southern tour, thef c ij» no reason, why/they should not ' give a very fair account of them'selyes. ; : . . ,' . # Certainly they are. showing more (confidence and. a better/ combination than has been the case so far this season, and, if. this can be .retained, Auckland should not feel ashamed- of results. Austin was tried out : as. full, but his showing dbes not /warrant , a trip south. • -._..' j ..:''■'"; ■ .': ••..'■ '•".-' v•Any pretentipns cf 'Newton' td' 1 challenge College Rifles for their place m the A section was settled on Saturday, when the latter team just walked over their' opponents '■-.. to the .tune of 27 to nil. Marists ; made no race of . Ejlerslle and beat them toy 28 to 3. It was. just a. procession. !.'•■•., : Lucky Win .»' \ Shore were a bit' lucky; m; defeating Suburbs by 1 point. It was only' tw th» call of time that thei Winners were awarded a free, from which a goal tyas kicked that paved -them frtfzh defeat' ••••••'■• :••_■■ „ . -• -•-■■ ■■ ■;■■■-'•■ •-- --' The surprise of the day was the defeat of 'Varsity by Manakau. j Through several players being "Included m the team which left for Fiji m the morning, plus others taking part m the rep. games, the students had to call m juniors and old stagers, amongst the latter being "Snowy" Lucas. ' There was much : jubilation m Onehuhga when: the final whistle showed

scores of 14 to 3 in -favor of the home team. ... . Though* Grammar defeated Ponsonby by 15 to 5, the latter team were not disgraced. ' . . The. side .fconsisted of 3 seniors and 12 juniors. Grammar had a more or less mixed team of both grades, but many of them had had some experience as senior players at times during tho season: South Auckland defeated the Auckland B team by 16 to 13. Selectors had considerable difficulty m fielding an Auckland side and did very well to get as close. v There was no doubt of the superiority of the Whangarei High School m their defeat of Mt. Albert. Though at the beginning of the game the home "School looked, like defeating the visitors by the merry way the backs were bringing off their movements, ..the boys from the North were not deterred, and once they had got over their stage fright and the newness of surroundings, there was no doubt of the result. ; New Ideas . Both sides. played very fine football. Though 'one looks to see secondary schools ■' leading m respect to play on scientific lines, there was a good deal that was quite new to Auckland m the tactics- of. the visiting team. -No doubt the local fifteens will soon absorb theso ideas-and carry them into effect when opportunity to work out the scheme has been (practised. iinmiHiimiiiimiiiiniiiiiniiitiiiiiiinimmiiiifmiiiiiiiiiiiiHimniimiiiiiiiiumiu

i It is not usual to see the countr> teaching the town something which perhaps is not altogether new, but which delighted many of the old timers m their day, and which the visiting team revived to their benefit on Saturday. .Cross kicking for a fast wing seems to have dropped into disuse, but the . boys from Whangarei used this to good effect on several occasions during Saturday's game. n From a school point of view, much hung on the result. If Grammar won 'it meant they 'would be equal to Kings and Sacred Heart, and, as there is no play off, the trio would have divided honors. - , That is always provided that the unexpected did . notT j .happen m the final match with Mt. Albert^ which Kings have yet to play. Saturday's win probably placed the matter beyond doubt, judging by the manner m which Whangarei disposed of the younger school. . The remarkable thing about the game was the superiority of Grammar m getting . the ball from the scrum. Looking at the tw6 packs from ' the stand, the Kings boys. looked the much heavier team, but evidently the blues had a better knowledge of hooking.