ALL BLACKS' TRIUMPH.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 236, 5 October 1928, Page 12

ALL BLACKS' TRIUMPH.

THE FINAL RUGBY TEST.

SOUTH AFRICANS SURPRISED. "WHY WAS NICHOLLS OVER LOOKED?" The All Blacks at Newlands on Saturday amazed even their most fervid supporters, states the "Cape Times" of September 3. Before a crowd estimated at 25,000, the tourists rose to supreme heights on a water-logged ground. They completely overwhelmed South Africa, The actual victory was by a drop goal, two penalty goals and a try (13 points) to a goal (5 points); but these figures do not by any means convey the complete ascendency which the visitors had ovej the home side. There is no need to offer excuses. We simply must admit quite frankly that on Saturday the Springbok side was beaten fore and aft. In congratulating our visitors let us pay unstinted tribute to their splendid fighting qualities. As a member of the team said after the match: "We knew we were up against it. We had to rehabilitate ourselves in the eyes of New Zealand, and we entered the fray grimly determined to do or die. Well, I think we proved ourselves; and that is all there is to it." I never at any time prior to the match could imagine a Springbok team being beaten quite as badly as was Phil. Mostert's fifteen in this final Test. To be quite candid, the side was overwhelmed. I honegtlv believe that the All Blacks were a twenty points better team than tlieir opponents, and not one who saw the match is likely to quarrel with such a statement. The actual superiority of the New Zealanders was unbelievable. We had occasionally to rub the eyes and wonder what had happened. We sat almost stunned in the Press box as we watched those black jerseyed men practically toy with the wearers of the Springbok green. Impotent Springboks.

Never within the last quarter of a century has a South African Rugby side been made to look so impotent, and never before have our forwards been made to look so helpless. The New Zealand pack obtained the ball at will, and the heeling was beautifully clear. It seemed they won nine out of every ten scrums, and their wheeling also was very fine. Then in the line-outs the Springboks were outclassed, and in tlie loose there seemed to be only one pack in the picture. New Zealand, probably for the first time on the tour, showed that as a football power she was capable of playing remarkable Rugby. The way those All Black forwards laid the foundation of a striking success haa to be seen to be believed. They were irresistible, and among super-forwards I thought Mauricj, Brownlie supreme. He played inspired football, and his example was followed in excellent manner by the remainder of the pack. If anything. McWilliams was the next best forward on the field and then T liked Hazlett, Harvey and Finlayson in that order. All the forwards may be proud of the part they played as a whole. Their team-work was magnificent, and from first to last they never relaxed for a single moment. A Wonderful Try.

Few- of us will ever forget Swain's try in the corner. It was practically a 40 yards' dribble by the entire pack that simply brushed aside every obstacle in its path. Nothing could stop that avalanche, and no one was surprised to see that concerted effort result in a gem of a try. And what can one say of the South African forwards? They, of course, only did what they were allowed to do; but I have more than a shrewd suspicion that we carried three passengers, Frankly, I was not a bit impressed with either Nel or Du Toit, and neither of these two forwards was much help to a sorely tried pack. Mostert made an unpardonable tactical errOr by continuing to take scrums when lie must have realised how badly he was beaten. The idea of countering Stewart's manoeuvre bv keeping Daneel out as an extra half I also thought was a wrong move; for, as it availed naught, surely the extra weight of the big Stellenbosch forward would have proved invaluable! When the one scheme fails a wise general should always change his plans and adapt play to the occasion. After the interval Daneel should have gone into the scrum.

Failure of S.A. Forwards. nor Pretorious covered himself with glory, neither being accustomed (to wet weather conditions. Boy Louw was easily the best forward of 3, well-beaten pack, and he has no cause; to regret his display. Mostert had ah off-day, and, if anything, he seem 4tohe a bit on the stale side. I am not endeavouring to find excuses, but am merely trying to find some reason for the complete New Zealand mastery in the forward battle. And the fact that the .Springboks had a few men not giving of theinbest may, in some measure, account for our dismal failute in the forward struggle. Behind a completely mastered pack, I did not envy the backs. A slithery ball and a slippery surface all helped to make their task a most difficult one. De Villiers and Osier stood up to their gruelling in heroic manner and in appalling circumstances they gave a good display. The line very seldom handled the ball and practically all their efforts were concentrated on an endless defence;. Certainly all the backs tackled well. It is hardly fair to criticise them harshly. Behind a beaten pack all they could do was to defend • grimly throughout the game, and in this department of the play I could not fault them. Tindall I thought did surprisingly considering the existing conditions..; ; Nicholla' Mastery.

The outstanding personality in the All Blacks side was Mark Nicholls. When the match was over I was more than puzzled. How the New Zealand Selection Committee came -to leave him out of the side in the ; preceding' Tests is a profound mystery to me. A , Nicholls on Saturday gave a masterly display that was beyond reproach. He was never once beaten by forwards or backs, and his handling and kicking of a wet, heavy ball were magnificent. He was an inspiration to the rest of the team, and his exploiting of the dummy was perfect. . .His generalship in. the line seemed to |P V ® a dangerous thrust. As a result I always felt uneasy qualms when the ine got into action; the Springboks can m certain amount of consolation that their defence lacked

> Johnson played up to Nicholls in excellent manner and certainly did "out in" in a dangerous manner. He was very quick off the mark. These two New Zealand five-eighths certainly caused South Africa many uneasy moments. They were always a source of danger. Nicholls also moved very swiftly. He had very bad luck in the first half with a clever drop that rebounded into the field off the posts. Then just before the interval he landed a wonderful penalty goal with a wet ball from the "25" flag. The Drop Goal. Just to cap a performance that stamped him as a real football genius, he caused further despair to South African hopes by dropping a magnificent goal from far out. Thus the vice-cap-tain, on the first occasion on which he has been played in a Test in this country, confounded his detractors by scoring 10 out of the 13 points obtained by his team. Furthermore, his presence in the fifteen seemed to make all the difference. The backs appeared to be well together, and were always dangerous. Altogether, then, Mark Nicholls has cause to feel the greatest satisfaction regarding the very fine part he played in securing such a convincing victory. Lilburne gave an extraordinarily sound display. The wet ball was all against lengthy kicking, yet he managed to find a good length. His handling and positioning were good, and I liked the way he always went down to the ball at full speed. He was daring to a marked degree; and he also, like the whole team, may look back on the game with great pleasure. Robilliard and Grenside always ran with great determination. Their defence left nothing to be desired, and on the attack it was only very fine tackling which held them at bay.

Dalley's Form. Dailey, if not so outstanding as he was in the game against Province, nevertheless played a remarkably fine game. He was given numerous opportunities of excelling by reason of the grim grip his forwards had on the Springbok pack, and he generally turned these to good account. He proved very elusive, and was always a sore trial to De Villiers. Lucas was not exactly spectacular, but all he tried to do seemed convincing. He fitted well into the line which impressed so greatly by its penetrative thrust. The All Black struck a day when they could do very little wrong. They had a stranglehold on their opponents practically through the entire game, but it was in the second half that they were the complete roasters. They called the tune and the Springboks, willy nilly, were forced to dance to it. And so, once again, the series of Tests between the two countries is all square. It only remains now to congratulate our visitors. I did not think any team could rise to such heights in such difficult circumstances. They rose superior to weather conditions and played a type of football but seldom seen. Well done!

NICHOLLS THE HERO.

THE SELECTORS CONFOUNDED

What was thought in South Africa of Nichols' omission from all of the first three Test matches, is indicated in the following extract from an account in a Capetown journal of the final Test:— "Play now became fierce, * and the struggle assumed titanic proportions. Nicholls now showed his individual brilliance by giving the dummy in magnificent fashion, but was eventually tackled by Van der Westhuizen. The game swung to the Springbok twenty-five but Osier again came to the relief of his side by a long touch after getting the ball from;the line-out. A moment later his effort was eclipsed by a wonderful touch by Lilburne, which gained fully 50 yards. The latter player was fully worthy of a New Zealand fullback, and was playing a magnificent game, being safe in defence and always certain in his kicking. "The crowd was startled by a bold attempt on the part of Nicholls to drop. It was from a difficult position, far out, and amidst an ominous hush the enchanted thousands saw the ball hit the right post and bounce back again jauntily into play. This was rank bad luck and the effort certainly deserved four points. It was a lucky letroff for South Africa, and most people were marvelling at the folly of those who had seen fit to omit Mark Nicholls from the Tests hitherto played. Ho was certainly the life and soul of the All Blacks back line, and was an inspiration in himself. Just on half-time Nel was penalised for forward booking in the scrum, and Nicholls, with a superb kick from 50 yards out and from a difficult angle, put the All Blacks one point ahead. The whistle went immediately afterwards for the interval, and the crowd sat back and rubbed its eyes. New Zealand had certainly had the better of the first half, and most outstanding of their players had been Mark Nicholls. the player whose Inclusion in this erame bad been due to the injury of other players.

THAMES UNION.

THAMES. Thursday. At a meeting of the Thames Rugby Union it was resolved to declare the following teams winners of the 1928 grade competlHonsSenior, City, Junior, Physical Training: third grade, High School; fourth grade. High School. The final of the Knock-out Cup competition will be Played on Saturday between City and Physical Training,