FOOTBALL.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20108, 11 December 1930, Page 16

FOOTBALL.

* RUGBY IN NEW ZEALAND. NEPIA'S REPUTATION AS A TACKLER. (l 1 KITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —BT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.) LONDON, December 9. "Famous players agree that George Nepia is the hardest and most relentless tackier they have ever faced," writes lan Stuart, in "The Theory of Modern Rugby." He adds: ''Nepia is more than relentless; he is murderous. But he is perfectly fair and clean, possessing such weight, perfection of build, and determination that he rarely tackles without hurting his man." Stuart is of the opinion that the extra back in the New Zealand formation is largely wasted as a defensive player, unless he has the spirit of the game nt heart. He has an excellent position to obstruct and cause ill-feel-ing. The great success of the New Zealand formation is due to the amount of combined practice put in. OXFORD V. CAMBRDIGE. NEW ZEALANDERS' BRILLIANT PLAY. LONDON, December 9. The New Zealander, "W'. E. Henley (formerly of Otago University,' and Rhodes Scholar), saved Oxford from defeat in the inter-University Rugby Union match with a magnificent long-shot goal from an angle. On one occasion the New Zealander, P. C. Minns (Auckland University College, and Rhodes Scholar), sprinted grandly for the corner, but R. W. Smeddle (Cambridge) tackled him, and prevented a try, by inches. MATCH ENDS IN A DRAW. (sitmaa owicur. wiriless.) m . _ RU6BT, December 9. Ihe -weather cleared sufficiently this afternoon to enable p l B y in the flfty-flfth interUniversity Rugby match at Twickenham, which ended in a draw, Oxford (one penalty soal), 3 points, Cambridge (one try) 3 points. J 11 *! tacWin «T on both »idc* wa# deadly, } *nd the scrums hotly contested* I