DEFEAT OF WANGANUI

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1053, 18 August 1930, Page 6

DEFEAT OF WANGANUI

AUCKLAND FORWARDS IN GOOD FORM DISAPPOINTING MATCH Press Association WANGANUI, Sunday. The Auckland forwards were the dominating force which brought victory in the representative Rugby match against Wanganui on Saturday. In the first session of play the home team showed the greater energy and keenness, but just on half-time the visitors were the superior side, , giving an indication of what was to follow in the second spell. The opening stages of the match gave Wanganui tho greater share of tho ball, the Aucklanders appearing not to care a great deal whether they hooked or not. The result was that possession by the one team gave it the advantage. Against that, however, tho f&ct remains that Wanganui could not cross Auckland’s line* and when the second spell opened with the visitors cramming on the pace in the van, the home team’s chances were little short of forlorn.

Hadley, Satherley, Knight and Finlayson were the pick of the victors’ pack. Strangely enough, Solomon, the player of whom the public heard so much, was not seen in anything like outstanding form except twice, once when he scored, and a second time when letting .Tones away. Auckland’s hooking in the second spell was almost spectacular. Corner got the ball with remarkable accuracy, but except for liis swift passing . nd gameness on defence, he was not the Corner who played in the fourth Test. That was due mainly to Wanganui’s good breaking away. Times without number Corner cut Haslain out in his passing and played to Jamieson. It looked as if Haslam’s positioning was poor and he was not alive to the requirements of first-five-eighth play. It was not tiU the second spell that the Auckland backs were prominent, and then it was a case of Wanganui standing off from them instead of attempting to bottle their attacks up. Potaka, at centre, was the only member of the home rearguard who appreciated what was required of him, and Berridge fell heavily many times. Jamieson was let .away badly on several occasions, Lowe , Wanganui’s second fiveeighth, being weak in tackling. Jones was an outstanding wing-threequarter. quite the best attacking man seen in Wanganui in several seasons. Bush was safe at fullback, but was inclined to kick too far when line-finding on the defence. Little was seen of Connolly. A feature of Berridge’s play was bis c lever handling. He was effectively marked by Potaka, and did not sliow^

ability as a penetrating back Thompson was a game and effective last line" of defence for Wanganui, and the losers were well served by Duncan behind the pack. Auckland’s win fittingly wipes out Wanganui’s pyrrhic victory of September 30, 1924, when a potted goal by McAuliffe was awarded, although the ball failed to reach the bar. The referee on that occasion was Mr. P. London. The Rev. Mr. Leonard officiated in today’s game, and his strictness had a tendency to non-plus the visitors, particularly in the first spell.