NORTHERN UNION GAME.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1063, 21 July 1910, Page 12

NORTHERN UNION GAME.

BRITAIN V. AUCKLAND. ARRIVAL OF THE VISITORS. The British team of footballers to play against the New Zealand Maori team on Wednesday, and against Auckland on Saturday at Victoria Park under Northern Union rules, arrived in Auckland by the Maheno on Sunday last. The visitors, 28 in number, had a particularly fine trip, and all appear to be in good condition. On arrival at the wharf they were met by the various officials of the New Zealand and Auckland Provincial Rugby Leagues and accompanied to the Waitemata Hotel, where the visitors are now quartered. At ten o’clock on Monday the visitors were welcomed to New Zealand at the Municipal Chambers by the Mayor, Mr. L. J. Bagnall, and the same evening were entertained by Mr. D. W. McLean, president of the New Zealand League, at his residence at Devonport. Judging from appearance one would not class the men as a speedy set, but their record in Australia shows that they cannot be slow, and we may expect to see some interesting football at Victoria Park. The officials accompanying the team are Messrs. Houghton and Clayton, the first-named gentleman being president of the English Northern Union. THE AUCKLAND MATCH. Chief interest will be taken in the match between Auckland and Britain, which is set down for decision on Saturday at Victoria Park. Though the Northern Union game is, practically speaking, yet in its infancy so far as Auckland is concerned, there is not the slightest doubt but that the play has improved with every match, and the exhibitions given in League matches during the latter part of the present season augur well for the future welfare of this form of rugby. Not only is the play improving, but the public interest in the game.is rapidly increasing, as the growing attendances each Saturday demonstrate. Though the local men can hardly hope to defeat the Englishmen, they can confidently be expected to put up a good fight. The personel of the Auckland team is as follows: —

Fullback: Ghorley (list). Three-quarters: Nolan (lOst 101 b), Smith (list 91b), A. Asher (12st). Five-eighths: A. E. Jackson (lOst 71b), McDonald (12st). Half-back: Farrant (lOst)? Forwards: Seagar (list), A. Stannaway (13st 81b), Fricker (12st 91b), F. Jackson (16st), Griffin (14st lib), Dunning (12st 81b). Reserves: Backs —S. Riley ((list 61b), A. Carlaw (list). Forwards— Bennett (13st 101 b), Rukutai (13st), Mitchell (12st 111 b). The following particulars of the British team may prove interesting:— Fullbacks. —Sharrock, Wigan, height sft Bin, weight 14st; Young, Leeds, sft 7in, 12st 81b. Three-quarter Backs. —Barton, St. Helen’s, sft lOin, 13st; Batten, Hunslet, sft 10%in, 13st 41b; Farrar, Hunslet, sft B%in, lOst 101 b; Leytham, Wigan, sft 9in, 12s t 81b; Lomas, Salford, sft 7in, 13st 51b; Jenkins, Wigan, sft Sin, 12st 101 b; Jenkins, Ebbw Vale, sft Sin, list 61b; Riley, Halifax, sft 9%in, 13st. Stand-off Half-backs. —Davies, Huddersfield, sft B%in, list 81b; Thomas, Wigan, sft 7in, list. Scrummage Half-backs. —Newbound, Wakefield, sft 6in, 12st; Smith, HunSlet, sft 6in, 12st 51b. Forwards. —Avery, Oldham, sft 10% in, 14st 41b; Boylen, Hull, sft B%in, 13st 51b; Curzon, Salford, sft Ilin, 14st; Helm, Oldham, sft 10%in; Jukes, Hunslet, sft B%in, 12st 101 b; Kershaw, Wakefield, sft Bin, 12st. Ramsdale, Wigan, 6ft lin, 14st 101 b; Ruddick, Broughton, sft lOin, 13st 41b; Shugars, Warrington, sft Ilin, 14st 61b; Ward, Leeds, sft lOin, 13st 41b; Winstanley, Leigh, sft 9in. 13st 91b.

The representative rugby match between Wanganui and Manawatu was played on Saturday at Wanganui, and resulted in a win for the home team by 10 points to 5. Wanganui had the best of the game throughout, the play of the backs being much ahead of that of their opponents.

At Dunedin on Saturday the Maoris proved altogether too good for Otago, and scored a victory by 17 points to 8. From beginning to end the Maoris played the superior game and in both forwards and backs showed to advantage. The handling of the ball by

the Maori backs and short passing runs which make the game attractive to the spectators, was a feature of the play.

The Amercian team of University footballers opened their New Zealand tour in a match against Wellington on Saturday. The ground was sloppy, and neither team was seen at their best. From accounts to hand it would appear as though the visitors were outclassed from start to finish, and the tricky, dodgy runs and smart handling of the wet ball by the Wellingtonians completely demoralised them. When the game concluded, Wellington had scored 20 points, while the Americans had failed to score.

Teams representing the Franklin and Waiuku Rugby Unions met at Waiuku on Saturday. Although these are neighbouring unions this was the first match yet played between the teams, and it is hoped that the fixture will become an annual one, with home-and-home matches. The game was keenly contested at the start, but the Franklin team gradually wore their opponents down, eventually winning by 20 points to three. The Franklin snore was made up of six tries, one converted. For Franklin the scores were W. Bilkey (2), Quane, Pollock, McQuire, and Walker, while for Waiuku, F. Knight scored. For Waiuku J- Hone, Honey, Janies, Phillipps, and Barriball were prominent, while for Franklin Pirritt, Quane, Bilkey, Boase, Parker, and J. Pollock played well. Mr. Kennerley, of Auckland, was referee. The return match between these unions will probably be played on July 30.

The Maori football team arrived in Wellington from Lyttelton on Tuesday, and in the morning indulged in some useful practice at Athletic Park in preparation for their match against Wellington yesterday.

Warbrick, the Parnell forward who has been playing in the front row for the Maori team, returns to Auckland with the combination on Tuesday morning, and will don the jersey for his old club in the final match against Ponsonby on Saturday week.

Jack Hall and W- Cunningham, of the Maori team, returned to Auckland by the Main Trunk express this morning. The former played a particularly fine game in the match against Otago on Saturday and has .proved a big acquisition to the team during their tour.

Members of the Maori team though .a little stale after their seven weeks tour are all in the best of health and look none the worse for their voyage. They play Manawatu at Palmerston on Saturday, but the team will be weak, as a number of the players have suffered only two defeats, both at the hands of New South v. ales.

The following matches have been arranged for the American Universities’ team now in New ,Zealand. - „c local representatives will be played .. the towns named: Canterbury (at Christchurch), July 23; Auckland, July 30. On the 2 7th a match will be played against either Manawatu or Wanganui.

The New Zealand Maori team put up a good record in Australia. It reads as follows:—Matches played 11, won 7, lost 2, drawn 2, points for .206, against 99-

Touching the American Universities’ team, who were defeated at Wellington on Saturday, “Cynic” in the Sydney “Referee” says:—As exponents at Rugby, the Americans came to Australia most admirable all round in the forwards, but not collectively good in the backs. The backs were •deficient in some of those fine points which in the aggregate are the main •difference between the first-class and .second-class team. The forwards improved but the backs hardly improved in attack for the first half dozen matches. At the finish, however, it was made clear that the backs had at last mastered the art of passing with skill, and of attacking with something approaching real system. In the earlier games they sent slow lob passes back yards, and in this way, time after time, lost position gained by the forwards- But at the close they were passing sharply, straight, or practically straight, with the men Running fast and taking the ball with their pace up. They were doing ■this in first-rate style. The earlier

passing was often a crude, theoretical, bookish sort of football; at the close it was the real thing. If not too much upset by the sea trip, and accordingly knocked about in the first match, they will, I feel sure, have some very good football, and make a very good impression in New Zealand.

A meeting of the Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union was held in the Amateur Sports Clubroom last week, Mr. M. J. Sheahan presiding. There were also present: Messrs- C. P. Stitchbury, A. Tilly, R. H. Froude, F. J. Ohlson, F. S. Murray, and C. V. Langsiord (secretary), Representative Matches: The Wellington Union wrote stating that their representative team would play for Auckland representatives for the Ranrurly shield an August 20- A letter was received from the South Auckland Rugby Union asking for a representative match against Auckland representatives for the Ranfurly shield this season. It was decided to reply stating that the union was unable to arrange a match, no dates being available. The Northern Wairoa Union wrote asking for the A representative team to visit the Wairoa this season, the country union considering that it would be in the best interests of football for a city union team to visit their district this year. It was decided to defer consideration of the matter for a week until inquiries had been made as to whether the team could return to Auckland on the Sunday after the match.