GREAT LEAGUE FINALE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 443, 27 August 1928, Page 6

GREAT LEAGUE FINALE

Big Crowd Sees England Win Third Test Game at Christchurch

CLOSE TUSSLE ALL THE WAY

(Special to THE SUN) CHRISTCHURCH, Sunday. OF tlie 20,000 spectators who filled English Park on Saturday to witness the final Rugby League Test, the greater proportion attended with the idea of seeing a fight, but they were doomed to disappointment, for it proved one of the finest battles of the League code. England gained a victory by 6 points to 5, so clinching both the “ashes" and the Rugby League supremacy of the world.

While it proved a hard game, it was clean throughout, there being not one unseemly incident which could spelt actual rough play. Although the Englishmen at times seemed puzzled by the referee’s rulings, England should have won by more than a mere one point margin, and fully deserved its victory. The finish of a great contest was marked by intense enthusiasm, the crowd swarming on to the ground and cheering both teams. New Zealand made the pace in the first half and Dufty kicked a penalty within the first four minutes of the play. New Zealand 2 England 0 The bigger English pack was using its weight to great advantage and was showing a formidable defence to New Zealand’s lightning-like attacks. At times there was brilliant play on both sides, although both missed chances through infringements. Play was fnostly of an individual nature, with each pack of forwards working hard. The two defences were tested solidly, but both stood up well. OLD RIVALS AT GRIPS Following a duel between Dufty and Sullivan in line-kicking, Parkin snapped up and sent to Gwynne, to Fairclough, who smashed over at the corner. Sullivan failed with the kick. One point down. New Zealand opened play once m-ore, the leather travelling upfield in great style. Penalties followed freely here, New Zealand gaining the majority of them. Taking play to the English line, New Zealand looked certain to score until Gwynne saved with a short punt to Fairclough, who raced to safety. Nothing startling marked the opening. of the second spell, play hovering

in midfield until Prentice and Brisbane led an attack. Several dashes were smothered by the deadly English tackling. Then Rees got the ball and twisted past two men and sent to Parkin, to Askin, who beat the defence to score a good try. Sullivan failed with the kick. * England 6 New Zealand .. 2 SPECTACULAR WORK New Zealand rallied now, but the pace was tiring them. The English backs were settling down and worrying the All Black defence. Play became fairly even until Wetherill made a brilliant run from an English attack and kicked to the line to follow up hard. Three Englishmen flung themselves on to the ball, but O’Brien was there ftrst. Dufty missed the kick, making the scores 6-5. Although fast open play followed, neither side could break through, and the game ended with England in possession of the “ashes.” As usual, Sullivan gave a fine exhibition of fullback play, his line kicks being admired by the crowd. The four threequrters, Gwynnq, Fairclough, Askin, and Frodsham were all sound, and were playing right up to form. Gwynne and Askin were association in several great dashes. PARKIN IN FORM The halfbacks, Parkin and Rees, were brilliant, and both men were responsible for clever and heady play, while Parkin certainly showed that he knows how to control a team. Inpassing by these two was a feature of the game. Bowman, Fildes, and Bowen were the pick of the forwards, Horton and Thompson being good on the defence, but they lacked strong attacking ability. For New Zealand, Dufty, at fullback, was always reliable, missing nothing, and making many openings. His kicking was even better than Sullivan’s Tim Peckham, at half, was the pick of the team, and to be in everything. Incidentally, he delighted the crowd by his nippy play,, and he sent his men away on innumerable occasions, after working the blind side. Brisbane was the pick of the threequarter line, while Hardgrave played well, but lacked polish. Scott lost many chances. Prentice and Wetherill were a brilliant pair, and were associated with some of the greatest runs seen during the day. Wetherill was inclined to fool too much, but most of the time he was leading the Englishmen a merry dance. O’Brien and Eckhoff were the pick of the forwards. Hutt did well, and Goorlall, Hall, and Townsend were a solid trio. Mr. A. Harlock (Taupiri) made an efficient referee. Feature League Game Lacked Much Dash SHORE STILL LEADING PONSONBY EASILY BEATEN By their defeat of Ponsonby in the feature League game on Saturday by 24 points to 6, the Shore Leaguers retain their lead in the senior cb&mpionship competition. Even though the game had the closest bearing on the championship.

it lacked anything approaching football brilliancy and was tame and not particularly interesting. The 26 players on the field did not play with either the combination or the vim and dash of a mere seven weeks ago, when club football was at its height and attracted large and enthusiastic crowds. The arrival of the Englishmen has actually spoiled club football in Auckland, for it put club games off the playing field for five weeks, and how could any senior player help to keep up to the mark? It indeed can be marked as unsatisfactory management that during the recent prolonged period of representative fixtures, club games have been allowed to drop completely. The senior club competition should have been finished before the rep. season started, leaving the Roope Rooster to finish off the season. Even apart from that, would it have meant such an enormous amount of expense to the League authorities to have formed a knock-out competition (there would have been time) for senior club teams, to be played as cur-tain-raisers to the bigger games which featured the Englishmen? As it is, senior players at present appear to be where they were in the first games of the season. On Saturday, Shore managed an easy win over Ponsonby, and was certainly the better side in an extremely casual game. But its backs, although showing a heap of speed and plenty of dash in solo work, did not combine well, and numerous passing bouts which showed promise of smartness and which would have spklt the difference between a ragged and a good, fast game, broke up at the critical moment. The Ponies’ rearguard got away on one or

two occasions, but the movements in this division were generally rather weak. Of course, it must be taken into consideration that both teams were handicapped by players being unable to play, Ponsonby having three of their best in Delgrosso, Peckham and Hutt, at Christchurch for the final test against the Englishmen. AMONG THE FORWARDS In the forward division both packs worked hard, but through weak handling did not gjye their backs a great, deal of assistance. Ruby was the .shiner for Shore, and played his usual hard and fast game with plenty of pep. Alf. Scott was also seen doing

good work in the open, but there is no doubt that he is not the Alf Scott of a few weeks back. In the Ponsonby pack, Joe Peckham did some great work, and on more than one occasion pleased the fans by his tigerish work in the loose. Payne and Fagan were solid, while Ford, the Ruby or Noble of the Ponsonby team, was a regular trojan. PONSONBY’S NEW BACKS Ponsonby have a handy man in “Dooley” Moore, who played half. He is strong on both the defence and attack, and with a good combining line of backs he could have worked some neat stunts. But thp strongest point in the Ponies’ rearguard was at fiveeighth, where Crooks, who has recently come over to the League code from the City Rugby team, took his stand and played a good, solid game. He was continually running up fast to smash the Shore attacking line, and throughout ho worth his w*eight in gold to his side. Playing fullback for the Ponies. Scholfield was completely off colour and did not play well. On the day he was not in the same class as L. Simon, the opposing fullback, whose line-kicking and play generally was of a very high order. A GOOD WINGER Shore has come across a very snappy winger in T. O’Leary. He la very speedy and proved himself a good scoring man. Rule was also safe on the other wing, and put in some good runs. Of the two Ponsonby wingthreequarters, Letton and Peckham, the latter played a steady game, but the former was rather disappointing. It is just difficult to say what is exactly wrong with Letton. He slips and slides every ti::: jumps action and seldom does a great deal. His boots may be in need of a g.ood set of sprigs.