OXFORD BEATEN

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18237, 22 November 1924, Page 13

OXFORD BEATEN

A DAY OF GOALS.

THIRTY-THREE TO FIFTEEN COLONIALS PROMINENT IN 'VARSITY REARGUARD. (BV CABLE— PREBH ASSOCIATION (AUSTRALIAN* AKD N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, November 20. Tho All Blacks to-day met Oxford University, which is regarded as one of tho strongest sides in England, and includes in its ranks a number of overseas players. After a spirited the New Zealanders emerged victorious by 33 points (five converted tries and two potted goals) to 15 (three converted tries), and thus have put their total score woll ahead of tho tallies of tho last two Dominion teams to visit Britain. The New Zealand side was:— Nepla Robilliard Cooke Steel McGregor Nicliolls Dalley Porter Cupples White Stewart Masters M. Brownlie Irvine Donald The conditions were excellent as the weather was tine though dull, and there was no wind. Tho ground was soft. Oxford abandoned the University's usual dark blue jerseys to avoid confusion, and plnyed in all wluto. Oxford kicked off, and through Masters mulling tho ball 'Varsity bored their way into New Zealand territory, where a passing rush nearly brought them a score. Just after this, CoOko failed to field tho ball, which was kicked over tho New Zealand line, and Jacob, following up fast, secured a try, which Berkeley converted.

Oxford ~ .. 5 Hew Zealand .. > • 0 Nicholls promptly retaliated by dropping a goal. , Oxford ... 5 New Zealand .. .. 4 The All Blacks soon pulled themselves togethor and put in some effective passing. Brownlie, Nicholls and White took a hand in one bout, and the last-named went over the line. Nicholls converted. New Zealand .. 9 Oxford .. 5 The visitors were keeping up their pace and flinging the ball about freely. Cooke ran over as a result of another piece of brilliant passing, and again Nicholls added a goal. New Zealand .. ..14 Oxford • • .. 5 Oxford then had another look in. Nepia, for once, was caught in two minds and, failing to take, the ball, he let Macpherson in to scoro an easy try. Berkeley was again successful in converting, aud half-time camo with the score: New Zealand ... .. 14 Oxford ... ..10 Upon the resumption of play Wesche replaced Raymond at full-back for Oxford', and Kaymond wont up into the three-quarter line. Tho All Blacks continued their aggressive play and swept down on 'Varsity's goal with an irresistible rush that carried them over and enabled Brownlie to score under the ' posts. Nicholls had no difficulty in converting. New Zealand ... .. 19 Oxford .. •. 10 The visitors kept up the pressure, but many attacks failed through inistakos in passing at tho right moment. The Oxford threequarters put up a gallant defence, and, amid deafening cheers, Wordsworth and Wallace made a splendid united effort. Tho latter ran to half-way and then passed to Wordsworth, who ran through all the opposition, and crossed the line, Berkeley converting. New Zealand .. .. 19 Oxford' .. 15 A quarter of an hour from tho finish, Oxford was only four points behind; but then its defence collapsed. The All Blacks camo to tho attack again, and Steel got over, Nicholls converting. New Zealand -. .. 24 Oxford .. 15 Then Steel dropped a goal from the field. New Zealand .. .. 28 Oxford • • .. 15 Following a movement in which Porter, Nicholls, McGregor, and Bobilliard successfully handled tho ball, the last-named scored, and Nicholls once more converted, leaving the final score: New Zealand . - ..33 Oxford :. 15

The second half was thrilling and full of excitement. The colonial Rhodes Scholars— Kaymond (New South Wales), Aitken (New Zealand), and Wallace New South Wales) —stood out among the 'Varsity backs. Nicholls was the hero of the match, converting every try and kicking a goal from the field. Cupples, Brownlie, White and Masters wore the best of the forwards. ''NEVER BEATEN." ALL BLACKS WILL EXTEND ENGLAND'S FINEST SIDE. (ATJ STB ALIAS AND S.Z. CABLE ABBOCIATIOH'.) LONDON, November 2(X Colonel Philip Trevor, writing in the "Daily Telegraph," says:—My opinion of the New Zealanders' cleverness and resource has been increased by tho Oxford match. They are never beate%

but always have im alternative plan and adopt it with apparent, case. The finest side -.vc can find will be up against it to beat tho Now Zealandera if thev play as well as they did agr.inst Oxford. CARDIFF TO-DAY. Tho All Blacks will now luive re- | turned to Wales, and at Cardiff this afternoon they will face the home club, which pushed tho score to 8-10 against the 190,3 team. After to-day's game the New Ze:«landers will have a week's spell preparatory to tho "Welsh International, for tho result of which the Rugby world will hold its breath. (austkalian axd x.z. cable assbciatioh.) LONDON. November 20. The "Welsh Rugby Union, at a special meeting to-night, decided, in order to 'avoid ;;ny rupture with the New Zenlanders, to submit three names from which the All Blacks will select an acceptable referee for tho Larclitf match. THE TEAM'S RECORD. COMPARISON WITH 1905. | The last two Dominion teams to tour Great Britain—whose total of points the All Blacks have now passed—were the Wallabies (Australia) in 1908-9, and tho second Springboks (South Africa) in 1912-13. The tour totals of the two teams before that —tho first Springboks (1906-7) and the original All Blacks (1905) have still to bo passed. In chronological order of the tours, the figures are:— . Matches Points Team. played. For. AgstAll Blacks ... 33 868 4f Springboks ... 29 60S /J Wallabies ... 31 4.38 14 Springboks ... 27 441 10 All Blacks (to date) 19 468 63 The present team lias now played ID of tho 30 matches which comprise its programme in England. Wales, Ireland, and France. All 19 have been won. Fourteen of these losers went down also before the 190.1 team, and a comparison of the scores is here g^ven:—

1924. 1905. Devon ... ... 11—0 55—4 Cornwall ... ••• 2!)—'<) 41 0 Somerset ... ... 6—o 0 Gloucester ... 6—o 44—0 Swansea ... ... 39—3 4—3 Newport ... ... 13 —10 s Leicestershire ... 27 —0 28 0 North Midlands ... 40—3 No match Cheshire ... ... 18'—"5 34—0 Durham ... ... 48—7 16 3 Yorkshire ... ... 42—4 _ 40—0 Lancashire ... 23 —0 No match Cumberland ... 41—O No match IRELAND ... 6—o 15-0 Ulster ... ... 28 —6 No match Northumberland • ... 27 —4 31 —0 Cambridge University o—o _ 14—0 London Counties ... 31—6 No match Oxford University ... 33—15 47 —0

Total 468 —63 398-13 Deducting the points »scored in the five matches played this year for which there was no corresponding game in 1905. the position (for the 14 matches which are common) shows: — 1905 ... ... 398—33 1924 ... ... 305—48 WHEN THE POINTS CAME. ALL BLACKS GOOD FINISHERS. Of the 463 points whicTi the New Zcalanders have scored in their 19 games, 286 have been put on In the second spell and 182 before half-time. In 12 games the second spell score has been heavier than the first; ill six games the bulk of the points was scored before the interval; and once (against Gloucester) the All Blacks scored three points in each half. Tho pointy scored in each half in the various matches haive been:— Mrst Second Match. Spell. Spell. Devon . ... 8 3 Cornwall ... 13 16 Somerset ... 0 6 ■Gloucester ... 3 3 Swansea. ... 10 21> Newport ... 0 13 Leicester ... 16 11 North Midlands 14 26 Cheshire ... 3 I<*j Durham . . 19 14 Yorkshire ... 22 20 Lancashire ... 17 "-J Cumberland ... 15 2<o IRELAND ... 0 6 Ulster ... 15 13 Northumberland 3 24 Cambridige Univ. 0 o London Cohnties 10 21 Oxford Univ 14 19 Totals ... 132 286 BADELEY AND* M'CLEARY. MR M. J. REARDON'S COMMENTS, i Writing to a friend in Blenheim, after witnessing some of the All Blacks' matches, Mr M. J. Reardon, of Wellington, who is in England in connexion with the Empire Exhibition, says, under date October 9th: — "In spite of their great reputation, the forwards did nothing until the Leicester match. Porter has not played a decent game yet. At Newport the team was aaved from defeat by Mark Nicholls, who played Newport on his own. Porter got in the way of the backs instead of keeping up among the forwards, where he was so badly needed. "They were apparently punishing Badelcy and McCleary for what they think are the errors of the New Zealand Selection Committee. Neither of these two had a game until yesterday, the eighth match. They were just about worked up to demand their tickets back Ito New Zealand. Yesterday they were given a game with the idea, no doubt, that without practice they would make a mess of it. ' "The 'Daily Telegraph' has tne soundest man on Rugby in London. lie says McCleary had the best of it in the serum work, but it is clear that c Cleary will not be allowed to show himself in any important match unless tne others have only one leg to walk on On his showing so far Parker is a street ahead of Porter. ' "Nepia is catching the crowd in everv match. Paewai has had only one game, and Mill is not doing as well as Dallev Mark lucholls is the star so far but after Leicester he is a cripple for'some weeks to come. So are Munro and Robilliard. Parker was lmrt yes-f-flrdav but I have not heard the extent. "It'looks to me as if the forwards were selected because they follow up fast but in light scrummaging they don t seem to be in the picture. Big as they

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