AUCKLAND TO BE STRONG

NZ Truth, Issue 1273, 24 April 1930, Page 15

AUCKLAND TO BE STRONG

Play Begins In Earnest and Some Royal Battles Expected (From ' ' N.Z. Truth s Special Auckland Representative.) Real Rugby will begin m earnest on Saturday. The draw for the first of the club games is out, and the pairs will soon be able to compare the strength and weaknesses of Auckland's star fifteens. ■ •■'•.,. Grammar "Old Boys, who should show up well, this season, meet Training College; the ever-popular crack Ponsonby side meets Grafton.

A BATTLE royal is expected from City and Marist. There should be plenty of excitement m these matches alone, and the followers of the game* who have been eagerly awaiting the kick-off, will have a. busy day. Buoyed up with the hope that L. Heazlewood, ex-Otago and Wellington full back, might strengthen the team this season, the Manukau Club is to suffer a disappointment. The, clever full-back, Who caught the fancy of Aucklanders. m the match against Wellington last season, will return to Wellington before the start of the games. ■„."- , City supporters are m high glee over the favorable consideration of the management . committee towards the reinstatement of A. Berridge, who last year went over to League. The rumored transfers of R. Bush from Varsity to Training College, and V. Butler from Training College to Varsity were confirmed at a meeting of the Management Committee. This, with the definite knowledge of Heazlewood's intentions, practically settles the uncertainty- of the movements of the full-backs. University and Training College will be affected little by the change m the last line of defence. The two fuil-backs were prominent during last season. Before the representative Auckland siae meets the British team on its o^vn ground on July 19, there will be a good try-but against Waikato and Hamilton. Six weeks will have elapsed between the AVaikato game and the meeting with the British fifteen, . and m that period,

selector G. Nicholson will have his thinking cap tightly on. No changes have yet occurred to alter the opinion of "Truth" that Auckland will have to rely greatly on the forward pack to down the visitors. On what is knowri of the players from overseas, It is extremely likely that the Auckland huskies will have to put their shoulders into the scrum if the fast northern backs are to get a run. The match is with ' interest that has never been eclipsed, and all eyes will be on the teams that take the field on Saturday. .