TARANAKI-AUCKLAND RUGBY

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1931, Page 4

TARANAKI-AUCKLAND RUGBY

TEAM REACHES NEW PLYMOUTH. The Taranaki Rugby representatives ■ have a creditable record this season, having won four-of-the five matches; so far played, the only defeat, .being! .; that by Wellington at Hawera. Tara-’ ■ naki this afternoon play for the third, consecutive occasion this season at New. Plymouth, where they will meet the Auckland team. The match is regardedas one of the most popular inter-pro- - vincial fixtures of the year. . . . .. ' , The Auckland team, which arrived about 1 p.m. yesterday after having spent the previous night at Te Kuiti, created a favourable, impression when they were seen in action during a prac-. tice run. The team. comprises mostly- , young players with a sprinkling of. ex-,' ■perieSced men. With Palmer, the All. Black, and Souter as hookers they should get their quota of the ball from the set scrums, and they are. adepts at heeling back from any position in the field. Batty, another AH Black, leads the pack. Solomon, now that Por-: ter has left New Zealand, is- prob-, ably the best rover in the" Dominion.! The play of Davies, the full-back, will be watched with interest, as he is said . tn be the most promising full-back that Auckland has produced for. some yea™The manager of the team, Mi. H. ■ Muir, visited Taranaki in 1920, 1921 and 1922 with Auckland teams. He played five-eighths, rover and full-back. T’ * team is also accompanied by Mr. L. Badeley, former Auckland represen ative and All Black. • , The match will be preceded by a third vrade match between Star, tne undefeated leaders of the third grade, and High School, who so far have not been defeated in club matches. . Considering the amount of rain-that .has fallen during the : past days, the ground yesterday afternoon, Jiou heavy, was in surprisingly good order, Mr. J. S. King will referee the representative'game. . The seventeen players selected by M”. G Nicholson made the trip, but the team to play this afternoon will not be chosen until this morning.-The tourists are Davies, Milliken, Caughey, Stuart, Stewart, Smith, Vear, Conway (backs), Solomon (rover), Balmer, Souter Batty (captain)’, Newdick, gtheriey, Barker,' Williams, Bunting (forwards). .. .' V .-’ The Taranaki teams record is: Versus Wellington, lost 14 to 6; v. Wanganui, won 17 to 9; v. Waikato, won 5 to nil; v. Southland, won 22 to 15; v. Wanganui, won 16 to 12. Matches to be played are: September 5, v. Hawke s Bay, at Hawke’s Bay; September! 9, v. Otago, at Hawera; September l-, v, Wellington, at Wellington; September 16, v. Manawhequa, at Palmerston North; September 19, v. Australia, at New Plymouth. TEAMS'PLAYING TO -DAY. • Teams playing in .Rugby matches. today include the following: .. . Okaiawa.—Juniors to play Patea, at Patea: Bailey, Toro, Skipper Rakei, Biekover, Tito, Green, Scott, Nuku, Ta ' mu, Guy, Blair (2), Hooper, Robinson, Reki, Jackson, Pei. FIFTH GRADE CHAMPIONS. HIGH SCHOOL A THE WINNERS By defeating the New -Plymouth HighSchool B Rugby team by 27. points ■ to 3 the School A team have: won the. North Taranaki fifth gradi championship The A team have- scored 13b points and had 9 points scored- againstthem. ...... . • i