LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18047, 16 June 1930, Page 3

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

INTER-ISLAND GAME.

EACH SIDE SCORES 22 POINTS.

At Auckland on Saturday, in a hardi'ought tussle, the inter-island league game ended in a draw, 22 points.

The teams were. —

South Island (white) .—-full-back, W. Palamountain; three-quarters, R. Bond, T. McKenzie, 11. Pearce; liveeighths, J. Dobbs, J. Amos; half-back, A. Peddie; forwards, A. Echoff (captain), M. O’Brien, E. Griffiths, J. Oalder, A. Townsend, C. Dobbs, J. Mason and T. Hicks. North, Island (black). —Full-back, C. Dufty; three-quarters, G. Perry, H. Brisbane, G. Tittleton; five-eighths, E. Meyer, M. Wetherill (captain) ; halfback, W. Shortland; ■ forwards, A. Clarke, S. Clarke, T. Timms, J. Menzies, A. Stephenson, R. Trautvetter, J. O’Brien and E. Abbott.

When the all blacks were penalised Echoff raised the invaders’ first points from a penally goal twenty minutes after the start. It was anybody’s game, with first one team and then the other attacking. The play was more solid than brilliant, with the forwards doing the most of the work. When the ball was released from the base of the scrum the tackling in the five-eighths line restricted the movements, and twenty-five minutes from the kick-off Echoff secured from the loose in enemy country to pass to O’Brien, who bullocked his way across in fine style. Echoff did the rest. South Island 7 North Island 0

The visitors infringed in their desire to keep their, line intact, and Dufty was presented with the shot. The fullback kicked and appeared not to land the upright, but the line umpires signalled a goal. A minute later Clarke (Marisls) broke away from loose play at half way, to kick over Palamountain’s head, and go on to score. Dufty was the hero of the crowd when he goaled from the toucli line. The halftime scores were: . South Island 7 North Island 7

The teams battled on even terms for a while, and then the blacks returned to the offensive. S. Clark gathered from loose play in the defenders’ twenty-five, and swung an inpass to Timms. The Waikato forward accepted and strolled across for a try under the posts. Dufty accepted the gift kick. North Island 12 Soulh Island 7 A short punt by Perry on the left Hank paved the way for the Northerners’ next try. The bounce beat Pa!amounlain, the last line of the whites’ defence, and Brisbane secured, to sidestep him and waltz away for an easy t-y. Dufty added the extras. North Island 17 South Island 7 Stung by recent reverses, the Southerners attacked with vigour, and they were rewarded when Pearce landed a penalty goal, following an infringement by A. Clarke. Encouraged, the whites came again, and the teams went down for a scrum in North’s twenty-five. The ball was" hooked cleanly by Peddie, who got a pass away to Amos, to Dodds, to McKenzie, who dived across. Pearce added the trimmings. North Island 17 South Island 14 North cut chinks out of the armour of the defence with a loose rush, from which Meyer emerged triumphant. The North Auckland live-eighths, when jammed in the left corner, swung an inpass to Brisbane, and the latter scored once more more or less as he liked, with the defence hopelessly beaten. Dufty goaled. North Island 22 South Island 14 When the South Islanders were next forcing the pace, Pearce missed narrowly with a long range kick. Stevenson, Brisbane, and Tittleton were seen in a concerted movement that pressed the issue into enemy territory, but O’Brien broke up the attack with a brilliant, dribbling effort, and then sent the ball along to McKenzie, to Dodds, to Pearce, who raced away for a try. The scorer failed to convert. North Island 22 South Island 17

The crowd was greatly pleased when, after a series of melees in North’s twenty-live, Calder hullocked his way over near the posts, and Pearce balanced the accounts with a neat kick. The game ended with the teams battling on even terms, with the scores reading:— North Island 22 South Island 22 NOTES AND COMMENTS. The game proved a creditable struggle, and demonstrated again, following the South’s decisive victory of last year, that the North Island lias no monopoly of talent. The game was not the brilliant spectacle formerly staged, but it was very strenuous, and a draw just about fairly measured the contenders. Being unable to get the ball from the scrums, the Southerners made reparation by fast raiding in the loose, supported by relentless tackling, which took the sting out of the opposition. A great deal of credit for defence must go to Echoff (Otago), Amos (Christchurch), Dodds (West Coast) and Peddie, the Southern half-back. The West Coaster, O’Brien, stood out easily as the best forward on the ground, his fast dribbling, short-passing and tackling being pronounced at every stage. He was ably seconded by Griffiths, Calder and Dodds. T. Hicks (Otago), who replaced Townsend in the second half, was good in the open. The South Aucklanders, Stephenson, Trautvetter, Timms and Menzies, were always in the thick of the hard stu:, and the North Island breakaway, Clarke, shone out on many occasions. When O’Brien had to retire towards the end of the game South played with four forwards, Echoff roving. The southerners then gave a taste of their real worth and literally swept their way to w'hat, in the circumstances, was victory. The crowd was delighted with this turn of fortune and cheered on the wearers of the white jerseys. Shortland played well behind the northern scrum men and gave the Inside backs a very generous share of the ball, but they were unable to function with the best results for several reasons. • One was that Wetherill played too much solo, and his supporters were unable to follow' up his deep thrusts. The outcome was that Meyer (Northland) was often in'the shadow's and the North Island virtually has to thank Brisbane at centre three-quarter for being in a winning position. He was fast, elusive, and dangerous, but the erratic nature of his insides, combined with quick smothering defence by South, prevented the w'ingers having many chances. TitUeton shaped better than Perry,' but neither showed much super-

iority as far as the other flankmen, Bond (Canterbury) and Pearce were concerned. The last-mentioned was the better of the two. Dufty overshadowed his vis-a-vis, Palamountain, but the nincteen-year-old colt got through a lot of useful work and shows much promise. McKenzie at centre for the South was good on attack, hut can improve his defence, though he was not bad. The crowd was delighted with the South’s final effort, which added sparkle to a keen and diverting fixture. The Curtain Raiser, O’Brien, the West Coast forward who gave a brilliant display, had to retire towards the end of the game owing to a broken tibia, and will not he able to play in the New Zealand team. Probables v. Possibles provided the curtain-raiser, the former winning by 28—3. IN OTHER CENTRES. Christchurch. Hornby 22, v. Marists 3. Sydenham 7, v. Woolston 6. Addington 6, v. Waimairi 0. Dunedin. Ivaitangata 30, v. Athletic 0. Christian Brothers 43, v. Kaikorai 23. City 5, v. Pacific 2. NEW ZEALAND TEAM. FOR TOUR OF AUSTRALIA. AUCKLAND, Monday. The New Zealand League selectors chose the team to represent New Zealand in Ihe tour of Australia at the conclusion of the inter-Isiand match at Garlaw Park on Saturday. Tlic combination will assemble at Wellington and leave by the Ulimaroa on June 27. The selected players are:Backs.—<C. Dufty (Auckland), H. Pearce (Otago), J. Amos (Canterbury), G. Tittleton (South Auckland), E. Abbott (South Auckland), E. Meyer (Northland), M. Wetherill (Auckland), 11. Brisbane (Auckland), L. Watene (Auckland), S. Riley (Auckland), L. Seagar (Auckland). Forwards.—A. Eckoff (Otago), IL Griffiths (West Coast), C. Dobbs (Canterbury), J. Calder (West Coast), 3. Clark (Auckland), T. Tims (South Auckland), R. Stephenson (South Auckland), It, Trautvetter (South Auckland), Len Barchard (Auckland), W. Jones (South Auckland). Should any of the above plavers be unable to make the tour the following have been selected as reserves:— Forwards: A. Clarke (Auckland), J. O’Brien (Auckland), M. Hobbs (Auckland). Backs: L. Simons (Wellington) and J. Dodds (Canterbury). MEN FOR AUSTRALIA. SOUTH AUCKLAND SELECTION. Four Iluntly men and two from Ngaruawuhia are included in the twenty-two players selected to go to Australia—-a great record truly. But they deserved their places. The most popular selection perhaps is’Jack Jones, the skipper of the South Auckland side that played the Englishmen at Taupiri. Abbott is the chosen half, for he played his way into the New Zealand team on Saturday, and Shortland was dropped. Auckland fans would not like this, hut it is the fortune of war and young “Bunny” has the honour of New Zealand to uphold. He will do it all right. Mr Lynch (manager of the South Sydney team which toured New Zealand recently) told a Waikato Times man at Iluntly that with his club men at present in. England added to his (then) touring team—he would take on any team in the world. Any League supporter knows what this statement means. Mr Lynch is an out-and-out Leagueite. Congratulations are extended to those selected. Timms, Stephenson, Trautvetter, Jones, Abbott and Tittleton comprise the half-dozen chosen, and this is a wonderful record in a union which lias such few clubs to draw from.

Wetherall will probably skipper the side and Jones will be vice-captain. The formers play has not been such as to warrant his inclusion and the same remark applies to Meyer (on Saturday’s play), but the captain's job is not altogether a playing job, other considerations (socially and otherwise) are wanted. However, no selection has yet been made and it would be a crowning point to the code in South Auckland were Jones selected to be captain. He is the man for the job.