FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1926, Page 5

FOOTBALL

TUKAPA—MARIST MATCH. Commenting on the Tukapa v. Marist match, played at Auckland last week, the Auckland Star remarks: —“Something better than the display given by Tukapa against Marist at Eden Park on Saturday was expected from the premier team from Taranaki. If Tukapa is the best senior team in the dairyfarming province, then it can be taken for granted that the standard of club football in Auckland is a long way ahead of the standard in Taranaki. “It was not until the last session of the game that the visiting team showed anything like good combination. For the most part, they were slow to jump at an opening, and often lost ground through their sluggishness. Their backs certainly had an off-day, and they have to thank their forwards, and, incidentally, the bad luck that hung to Marist, for their win, It was a day when the better team lost.” Locally, however, it was no surprise to learn’that Tukapa did not play up to their usual form. There were various factors against that. In the first place Tukapa' was by no means fully represented on the northern trip. Several of their forwards, including Dean, Taylor, their rover G. Taylor, and full-back Petty among others, were unable to make the trip, juniors being taken to fill the vacancies. The team also had played a hard match in the championship cup final just two days previously and in addition only landed in Auckland by boat on the morning of the match. It is no wonder, therefore, that they were sluggish and lacked combiiia- . tion. The standard of their play in the Taranaki matches must not, however, be allowed to suffer, as Tukapa at their best in common with several other Taranaki club teams are capable of putting up attractive games. YOUNG BLOOD; GOOD BLOOD. Commenting on the Auckland tour the Auckland Star says: When the Auckland Rugby representatives set out a fortnight ago on a short southern tour, it is safe to say that none but its most optimistic supporters expected it to win two out of the three games played on tour. Right up to the eleventh hour of touring side was scratching for men, and a heavy list of casualties and sieknesa amongst prominent players did not cneouraye the belief that anything like a really representative side would be got away. The party that ultimately made the trip under the managership of Mr. C. Anderson was a very young team, largely an unknown quantity, with little to suggest, from previous rep. games, that it had any chance of winning a majority of its matches.

The ’hardest match came first—that against Hawke’s Bay. Although beaten •by a margin of 30 points against the Ranfurly Shield province, the touring team put up a great fight against their more experienced rivals while their condition lasted, and the score was no criterion of the game. The forwards, in particular, played magnificently, and to close observers they suggested by their play that they might yet furnish into a match-winning factor in the remaining matches.

Briefly, this is exactly what happened. Nevertheless, the pack was handicapped by the absence of an old hand, who could have filled the bill as pack leader, and assisted to curb some of the impetuosity which ip the Hawke’s Bay match led to the vanguard running itself to a standstill; and in the Wairarapa game to the forwards nearly “cooking” their chances against Wellington by the tremendous vigour and dash they infused into their game. The inside back combination was always a source of trouble. A player like Sheen would have strengthened the five-eighth line immeasurably. The development by the forwards of the short passing game and the splendid generalship of the skipper of the side (Lucas) to a large extent overcame this weakness; but it w'as always in evident?, and took a great deal of getting over.

Features of the tour were the success of Hadley and Palmer in the serums, Lucas’ great games at centre, and the success of Ifwersen on the wing. F lhe result of the tour proved a pleasant surprise. It should beenefit the game greatly in the next season or two, although enough has been done to date to show that the game is by no means at as low an ebb here as many people seemed to think after the Taranaki matteh. The team has still to wipe that off the slate.