WIN OVER NATAL UNIMPRESSIVE

Chronicle (Levin), 20 June 1949, Page 5

WIN OVER NATAL UNIMPRESSIVE

Eeceived Sunday, 7 p.m. DURBAN, June 18. Fred Allen, the All Blaeks' captain, signalled hip return to the side ai'ter a spell of three weeks through injury, by seoring both tries when the tourists -beat Natal liy 8 points tb nil today. ■ Scott t'qnver'ted one ti;y. * Onc'e again, •however, the team failed to rise to. the heights expected of an international side. The forwards were Jistless while. Scott was 'out oi' touch* with his goal kieking, missing three fairly easy shots.

The match was plaved in a temperature of 70 degrees but there is no inclination among the players to find- excuses for their unimjtressive form. There is no disguising the f'aet that', with only • 'MVe'-g'itnes to he- played before the fii'st T'est/ tlie ^All' Black's. are , ho't produeing the football expected of them in the forwards, many of whom are a long way short of form shown in-New- Zealand last season. The common viewpoint is that either the O'tago or Auckland h us of last season could beat the present side eomfoi*tably. J fi, vi'i'sv of the faet that travelling will.interfere- with training, more fv r;'"i hu practices are to be earried out at the oentres where the r • t:u i . siO|>, even if this means night training, in the hope that Ih'ft .«. u vsalt in more team pep.

1 i'c ■'jj.-r: v t er>»blen. icd.v w s •• rt s ■ mu b h k of ike ball but he sU.w sei'.ic : i . i tlm fdi'Wurds. Over all,! Nata-1 v: . a • iigiu advk tag: 'u;:!, 1 25 Ci'miis 1o 19 and losing the lineouts 2.0 td 24, ..lhp rticks wgre three eacn. Ti-is gav> the liome side total possession of 45 to 4(5. But the ball 'c.i.r.e : baek niucli f'aster to the home side e -er. tliough it was outweighed in tlit? scrums by a stone pcr man. The All Black bac/ks did well under the circunistances to score two t-ries and at the same time keep out the oppositian. This, however, has been the story of all matches to da.te. T.tie All Black backs have been more constructive and it times nvore rfesdiircefui than any opposiiJon niet, which holds out good liopes should the forwards settle down. Two Tries Lost. The team appeared unlucky twice not to add to its score. In the first soeli McNab broke through the defence in a dribbling rusli but the referee ruled a scrum for a kuockon wliereuS McNab at no stage attempted to pick the ball up. In tht second spell Savage made a clever run round the short side of the scrum, punted and regained the ball and passed to Botting. The defence was beaten drld when Botting in-passed, Ravage raced over for a trv but the referee ruled a forward pass. All Blacks on the spot eonsidered th6 pass was perfectly fair. In today's match the All piaeks made the first move toward adopting the South African scrum methods hy fiaukers packing on ah angle. Once or twice the hali camfe smartly out where there is giwide gap in the scrum and it ihe Side Vjafii master this type of packing, it'mhy speed up possession.