IN AWFUL CONDITIONS.

Thames Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 17661, 12 August 1929, Page 5

IN AWFUL CONDITIONS.

RUGBY AT EDEN PARK. AUCKLAND BEATS THAMES. GOOD RUGBY IMPOSSIBLE. In what was nothing but a muddy scramble, the Thames Rugby team suffered defeat at Eden Park on Saturday by 19/9. The condition of Eden Park was indescribable, and any attempt at decent Rugby was quite impossible. Within the first ten minutes the players were plastered from head to foot with mud, and the stench which arose from the churnedup ground warranted the attention of the Health officers. . The teams were: THAMES (Blue and Black).

A. Winder; A. Morrissey, T. Dufty, R. Buchan; A. Dobson, C. Cameron; B. Wells; W. Pollock: G. Kinlock, A. O’Hara, G. Percy, W. Brunton, J. Strange, W. Percy. A. Lomas. AUCKLAND (Blue and White).

Wilson; Goodwin. Bell, Falwasser; Wales, Weir; Rae; Soloman; Palmer, Heyward, Kahu, Peacocke, Satherley, Coll, Maguire.

From the kick-off Auckland- set up an attack, which Peacocke headed, Dufty breaking up the. movement with a punt which took play hack to midfield. Here a series of loose rucks saw Soloman break through and drive up-field, where Winder missed, and after a scramble had to force. Wilson fielded the drop-out and set the Auckland hacks gonig, hut the ball was already too bad to hold, and the rush broke down when Bell dropped a hard pass. A set sci’um was formed and Thames hooked, hut the winger Soloman was too quick, and went away in a dribbling effort which took the ball right down to the Blue line. After a scramble Weir secured, and, after beating Cameron, sent to Bell, who cut in and scored almost under the posts. Wilson converted.

Auckland 5, Thames 0Thames took up the attack and Wells initiated a rush which saw the ball go over to the Whites’ line, with Pollock in pursuit, but Bell was on hand to force. The drop-out , was fumbled by Falwasser, and after a scrum or two, Brunton and W. Percy took ’ play into the Auckland territory. Thames were awarded a free in front of the goal, and Winder ppt Ihe flags up.

Thames 3, Auckland 5. Auckland stai’ted a . nice dribbling rush, which was broken up by Wells and Winder, the latter driving the invaders back with a fine line-kick, which went right to halfway. Here some stern gruelling forward struggles took place, and finally, after solid rucking. Dufty, Wells and Dobson took the leather down , the field in a passing movement, which terminated In the ball going out. Lomas broke through from the line-out, and vis all but over, being held up on the Auckland line. The scrum which heveloped was won by Auckland, and Falwasser was .away in one of bis characteristic corkscrew runs which set Auckland in the ascendant, only to be pushed into touch by Morrissey. Heavy rain -came on now, and the players were thoroughly plastered with mud. the game having frequently to be held up so that they could wash the mud out of their eyes. Play returned to midfield per medium of a mark by Morrissey, and the Thames pack gradually drove down to the Auckland zone. Satherley . cleared and started a passing movement, Buchan intercepting and getting away , with Cameron, but the latter hung on and was bottled up. The Thames pack, however, had followed fast and from the ruck "Wells made an opening, breaking through with Brunton, who apparently scored, but the referee ruled that Bell had forced down. , The Incident was peculiar in that Bell did actually touch down, hut it was over the line which had been drawn right across the field in connection with the hockey ' test before, and Brunton touched down further on ever the correct line.

From the drop-out, play returned to halfway, and desultory play .followed, being mainly confined to the respective packs, Thames, if anything, showing better adaption to the conditions. The bell went for the first spell with the score unaltered.

Winder knocked the kick-off on, and Auckland got the ball from the scrum, but Wells shot round arid spoiled. Thames assumed the offensive, and Wells and Buchan looked dangerous to the Whites with a short passing bout, which broke down at Cameron. Goodwin was swift to seize the opportunity, hut though be took play right to the Thames line, a series of mud scrambles followed, from the last of which O’Hara bullocked his way through to take the oval to halfway. Here a free to Thames enabled Winder to find the line well up in the Auckland zone, and Thames set up a bright passing movement, which broke down when Falwasser intercepted and went for the lick of his life through half the Thames team, to be finally up-ended by Winder almost on the line. A syds.’ scrum was ordered and Pollock cleared *■ momentarily, the ball going to Wilson, who fed Falwasser, and again the Maori winger set off for the line, only to find Winder waiting. Auckland kept up the pressure, and despite brief excursions out of the twenty-five by Dufty, Cameron and Morrissey, the Auckland attack was continuous until Brunton relieved by bullocking his way through to halfway. After a series of scrambles, Soloman took the game hack to within 10yds. of the Thames line. Here Auckland looked

very dangerous until Wells took a lovely mark right off the toes of the Auckland, pack, and found the line at halfway. There was little incident for the balance of the spell, and halftime came with the scores':

Auckland 5, Thames 3. Thames set up an attack from the jump through Wells, Cameron and Dufty, but the scene of operations changed when Weir cut in and transferred to Goodwin, who sent it back, and Weir was all but over, Winder touching down just ahead of him. The ball stayed in the Thames 25, Soloman, who was a thorn in the side of the Thames team, being very close twice. Finally Lomas, Brunton and Kinlock drove them back, and- Pollock, Brunton and W. and G. Percy transferred play to within 10yds. of the Auckland line. Auckland, led by Peacocke, ploughed their way back again, and Winder had to force. A moment later the referee ruled an obstruction try against Winder, for Wilson to goal, after no charge had been ordered.

Auckland 10, Thames 3.

Thames attacked through Pollock and Brunton, but Cole came in to save.- Still Thames drove up, and after a series of line-outs qr> the Auckland line the Auckland backs got well away until Morrissey downed Falwasser, and Dufty relieved. Again and again Auckland scrambled to the attack, and in turn Buchan and Dufty checked Falwasser, who was very elusive. The ball came across to the* other wing,, and Goodwin was also pulled down when he. looked like scoring. Three times in succession Thames had to force, and the Auckland back machine, considering the conditions, worked very well, but met with equally stout defence on the part of the Blues. The pressure was lessened when Dobson and Wells checked, and from the fuck Kinlock, Percy and Brunton changed the venue to the Auckland line, where the latter topped off the movement -with a nice try. Winder did not improve with a good attempt from well out.

i Thames 6, Auckland 10. The balance of the spell was all in Auckland’s favour.

By this time the ground was in a fearful state, and the last quarter saw the bulk of .the crowd leave for

home. Anything like football was out of the question, and it turned out to be just a matter of which team could make use of opportunities. Auckland proved the better decidedly, and put on a further nine points. The first of these came from a scrum in front of the members’ 'Stand, where Rae sent to Wales, who' sent Bell over, Wilson’s kick missing.

Auckland 13, Thames 6. Desultory play marked the next few minutes, until from a loose rush an Auckland forward went over. Such was the state or the players that the referee had to go up and closely examine his jersey to see whether it were an Aucklander.; or a Thames played. It proved to be Coll. Wilson did not improve. Auckland 16, Thames 6.

The Whites’ final score came from the boot of Cameron, who kicked to 8011, who, with Goodwin in support on the outside, drew the defence by inpassing to Wales and sending him over to score in the corner. It was a nice bit of work and quite unorthodox but successful.

The game ended a moment later with everybody thankful, and the score:

Auckland 19, Thames 6. Mr L. Gulney was the referee,