FIRST TEST.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19157, 14 November 1927, Page 9

FIRST TEST.

WARATAHS BEAT IRELAND.

A HARD GAME. (BY CABI*— PMSS ABSOCIATIOK—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN AND S.Z. AND STO CABLE.) (Received November 13th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 12. The Waratahs defeated Ireland by 5 points to 3. The Waratahs team was as follows: Ross, Bowers, Towers, Wallace, E. Ford, Lawton, Meagher, Breckenridge, J. Ford, A. Tancred, Finlay, Storey, Woods, Blackwood, and Judd.

VISITORS' GOOD FORWARDS. (Received November 14th, 12.35 a.m.) LONDON, November 13. Although the Australians only won the first international match at Dublin by a narrow margin, they unquestionably gave good value, for the game was a hard one, played in brilliant sunshine on a perfect turf, but while the Australian backs brought 'ff several rounds of passing, they found the Irish tackling most efficient. The secret of the Waratahs' success was their splendid efficiency. Their forwards, who held their opponents in the tight and scrums, certainly tamed down considerably the traditional terrors of Irish rushes.

J. Ford, Breckenridge, Tancreri, and Finlay were conspicuous in front, while Blackwood surpassed his Irish vis-a-vis for hooking. Meagher fed his backs readily. Lawton was too often tackled in possession. Koss might profitably have done more touchfinding. Bowers again made many blunders taking passes, but it was from rapid combination between him and Towers that Wallace scored the Australians' try. Lawton converted. A quarter of an hour before the interval, when the visitors led by 5 points, Ireland got a penalty through Ganly. They were certainly more dangerous in the second half, although their backs rarely got into combined moves. Browne, the Farrell brothers, McVickers, and Buchanan wero the best of the pack, which was much below Irish international standard. Probably the strength of the Australian forwards was largely responsible for this. Davy Fly, the half,- played a great game, defending finely, while once in the first half he had the bad luck to hit the cross-bar when drop-kicking for goal. There was much scrambling play, hut on the balance the visitors were worth their win.