NEW ZEALANDERS SUFFERED FROM LACK OF TRAINING

Chronicle (Levin), 9 June 1947, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS SUFFERED FROM LACK OF TRAINING

Press Assn

" .- • . ,r ByTelegraph

'.-C&pyright .

Received Sunday, 7 p.m. SYD'NEY, june 8. In a game at ,the Sydney Cricket Ground which had a. crowd of well over 30,000 -in a. constanl; roar of exciteipent, New South" Wales defeated. the All Blacks 12 — 9. • Tbe winners scored tbree unconvertea tries, two by tbe flying winger Eastes, and one by tbe tricky and elusive fiveeighths Cremin. In addition Walker kicked a penalty goal. • Tbe All Blacks' points came from two penalties by Scott and a fine opporttmist try by Mason who,- in tbe. last moments of the game, suffered injuries severe enough for him to be sent to h'ospital by ambulance.. Though there were many fine back movements, tbe game did not see tbe All Blacks' attacking line operating at its best. The New South Wales bacKs swung into action at every opportunity with all energy directed at getting tbe ball to Eastes wbo paid handsome dividends both in attack and defence. Early in the game the visitors hammered at the New South Wales defenders so consistently that a succession oi tries seemed only minutes away. The rocklife defence held and behintl it tbe New South Wales players gained visibly in confidence and skill. In the second half it was New South Wales who had the initiative and who carried the fight into the All Blacks' territory with the prospect of a win in sight. They were aided to victory by solid scrummaging which . enabled the half, Burke, to give a good service. The thick slippery mud, churned up by previous games on the cricket pitches -in the centre of the ground, proved an important factor in the play. Strangely enough it seemed more of a hazard to the New Zealanders than to the local players. Apart from this conditions were perfect with bright sunshine and the lightest of hreezes. The teams were as follow: — New Zealand: Full-back, Scott; threequarters, Argus, Goddard, Mason; fiveeighths, ■Smith, Kearney; half, Tetzlaff; forwards, White, Willocks, Dalton, Hobbs, Arnold, Simpson, Catley, Frazer. New South Wales: Full-back, 13. Piper; three-quarters, C. Eastes, A. Walker, M. Howell, T. MacBride; fiveeighths, J. Cremin; half, C. Burke; . forwards, 0. Windon, A. Buchan, R. Cornforth, P. Hardcastle, D. Kraefft, D. Keller, D. Furness, F. Tweedale. The referee was Mr. L. C. Tomalm. Grant, who was picked in the origmai , team, was omitted because of an injury and replaced by Dalton who went into the front row with Frazer moving to lock. New South Wales, in traditional light ■ blue, led the New Zealanders on to the field. The visitors received a great ovation from the stands and from "the hill?' pachTed-with^pectators, when tfiey gave two renditions of their haka led by Smith. New South Wales lost the toss and Cremin kicked off from the Randwicit end. After initial sallies by Cremin, Howell and Walker whieh Eastes just failed to top off, and by the'ijbig fast forward Cornforth, play swung. in the All Blacks' favour. Tetzlaff and Smith tried for the line but Smith 's reverse pass was smothered. Again the All Blacks' three-quarters raced away. Playing magnificently on defenee, Eastes grassed Mason inside the twentyfive. Then the visitors' forwards took a hand and carried the ball over the New South Wales goal line. Piper beat Arnold to the ball and saved again later with a line kick. From the New South Wales twenty-five Goddard ap.peared to be going for a eertain try. He beat Walker but Eastes had speed enough to tackle him and knock the ball from his hand just as he was putting it down.

Ten minutes from the start New South Wales were penalis.ed and Scott made easy work of a goal from near touch. New Zealand 3 — 0. New South Wales now went over to the attack with a clean passing movement which cnded when Mason tackled Eastes. A scrum infringemCnt by Arnold gaye Cornforth an attempt at a penalty which failed. The All Blacks appeared hard -pressed. Then Scott joined a passing movement which covered 40 yards before Smith knocked on. The visitors were monopolising the ball with hard rucking and were giving New South Wales backs i'ew chances. The All Black backs kept stabbing away at the defence which at times seemed stretched to the utmost, Smith failed with another. penalty from an acute angle. This unspeetacular period drew to a close with Windon taking the ball 50 yards to the New Zealand twenty-five at his toe. He was dealt with by Hobbs but Cremiii and Howell looked like turning the attack into -.a serious threat. Goddard, however, came irom nowhere to intercept a pass to Walker and raced away with Mason in support. Play flashed back . into New South Wales territory. with Eastes in hot pursuit and Piper corhing across. The speedy Australian ran Goddard down, however, and Mason dropped the pass. Then Kearney and Smith all but penetrated the defenee. Smith crossea the. line but the referee ruled that the iast pass was forward. In this long scoreless period the fortunes -of the- game were gradually changihg. " Finding. that they were hoidP" ing the All Blacks, the New South Wales foywards were gaining confidence and supperting a hack line -,'that was already-.good enough to give tr'puble. The blue forwards, led by Windon, swept . downlield. For some-time play oscillated between halfway and the New Zealand twenty-five with Cornforth miSsing another penalty. Smith put the All Blacks back on the attack with a run from his own twentyfive. He dodged one defender and passed to Kearney. He sent on to Tetzlafi: who passed to Arnold with only Piper i to beat but the full-back grassed the [ forward almost between the posts. 1

An .inffingeihent sent the All Blacks back again and another would ■ have cost them their lead -had Gornfofth.'s boot been super. ■ Eastes Mak.es Fine Run. New South Wales were dominating the set scrums -at this stage and the backs were beeoming really dangerous. This was . demonstrated popn afterwards when the All Blacks were pounding their op.ppnen.ts ' goal line. Eastes gatfiered. both 'Mason and the ball to save a eertain try and a scrum went down on the five yard line. Windon broke from the ruck and passed to Burke who sent Cornforth through to the halfway mark. Scott and oth'er. All Blacks. were ready but Eastes was inside his man. He took the ball cleahly and raced 40 yards down the line to score in the corner. Cornforth 's kick just missed. Score 3-^3. 1 Almost at onee and two minutes before half time, Scott put his side ahead again with a penalty. New Zealand 6—3. Scott and Smith were attacking again when . the bell we,nt. Even in this half New South Wales had monopolised the set*scrums 10 to v but the All Blacks had a margin of 17 to 8 in the lineouts. New South Wales opened the second half with a full-scaie assault headed by Eastes who was . thrown out. ten yards from the All Blacks' line. 'Ijjbe backs made 70 yards in that passing rush and would haye gone over if Eastes had held a poor pass from the resulting lineout. Windon again dribbled the ball almost to the goal line. The All Blacks, striving desperately to clear, "incurred a penalty and Walker made no mistake from close in. Score 6-^-6. Mason 's Fine Try. The next fivb minuteS' play was noted for individual All Black briiliance. Mason intereepted a pass to Eastes and sprinted for the corner.. Buchan, Piper, Burke and Eastes closed in at top speed but ihe New Zealander was not to be headed off. He swerved aro'und Piper and tohched down in the corner. Scott 's kidk from a difficult angle right on the sideline, rattled the upright and glanced aside. New Zealand 9 — 6. Heartened by this'the New Zealanders attacked vigorously headed by Frazer. Piper graSsed the forward heavily in front of the goal and Frazer received. medichl vattention before earrying on. FurnesS was winning more scrums than.ever for New South Wales, erippling the New Zealand attack 'and finally sending the' home team into enemy territory. Halfway through the spell Buchan sent the ball from a lineout and it was whipped to Cremin and Howell. Afier passing to Howell Cremin roubled' ro^rid; ' and' received Howell 's pass, to ' tbuch down near the pos'ts. Walker " ,_f ailj-ed from an easy position. Score- 9 — 19..New South Walqs were uow on top of their game but the All Blacks yet had a chance. Play oscillated- from end to end of the field, fi^st with the "All Blacks breaking.from their twenty-five and then withj Piper and. MacBride returning tlie' compliment. .Cornforth again failed with a,, penalty as tensicti mounted and the ~ New Zealanders strove to relieve the pressure. Then with four minutes to go the baii went out to Eastes again and the wingep outpaced the defence to score in the -corner. The kick failed. New. South Wales 12—9. Right on time .Windon. broke away in a characteristic solo effort and was almost on the goal line when Mason flashed across to take him from the side.