The Loose Head In 1928 South African Tour

Chronicle (Levin), 12 August 1949, Page 6

The Loose Head In 1928 South African Tour

PRETOR1A, Aligust 10. Twenty-one years ago the first New Zealand Rugby team to visit South Africa thought so highiy of ohe of the referees that he was ehoseu for all four Tests. He was Mr. V. H. Neser, of Pretoria,. a rising young barister aua solicitor. To-day he is a Judge of the Supreme Courf. Judge Neser was uuwil'ling in an interview to make comparisons between the 1928 and 1949 touring sides. He said, however, that the first fact whici) had impressed him about the 1928 AlJ Blacks was their courtesy in victory or defeat. ' ' Perhaps I should not. say this, but after the first Test Brow'nlie and several other All Blacks iinmediately thanked me. What about the victors? They must have been too elated, as they forgot me.' _ , ' Something New' "I came iu for the usual criticism a referee has to accept when he coutrols Tests. Iu the second Test, for instauce, the All Blacks introduced somethiug iiew when they added a third man to fcheir front row as soon as they saw wliich side of the scrum the ball was to be put in. "1 deubt if any referee could have been suddenly eoufronted with a more tricky point, as the third man did not go down till about the third or fourtn' scrum. "At half-time it was apparent from the murmurs of the crowd, and direci approaches made to me, that this was considered illegal. I refused to discuss the subject during the match, but it was subsequently made quite evideni that this was quite in .order. It was certainly a shrewd move by the Aii Blacks. "The Springboks evolved a eoupter and applied it in the final Test. Just before the serum-half was about to put the ball in, he watehed where the third All Blaek front-row forward altached himself, and then threw the baii ncross the scrum to a waiting forward to put it in from the " opposite side. Hovvever, this forward was not experienced in putting the ball in scrums, ana incurred penalties. This counter, 1 thinlc,, proved abortive. Enough Said "After the final Test, at Newlands, wliich the All Blacks won to square the rubber, I went home in a car wiUi four prominent Kugby officials. For some distance not a word was spoken. "Thinking tliat perhaps they hau some fault to find with my refereemg, 1 asked if tliat was the reason for then silence. Oue, who was a SpringboK selector, replied, 'No, we were just beaten in every phase of the game, ano there is not inuch more one can say. ' ' ' Wallab'y Lesson Judge Noser al.so quoted aneedoteS from tbe tour in 1933 by the Wallabies, when he refereed four of the five Tests. "You know, forward football is so instinctive with South Africans," he said, "that dcspite the lessons your 1928 boys gave us, we were still playing the'grim forward game when the Wallabies came and startled everyone with some brilliant open Rugby. "South Africa wou the first Test but there immediately came a demand for more open football from our boys. Bennie Osler gave au undertaking to the Press that he would let the ball out at every opportunity, but yo'u cannot easily change a custom overnight. We lost Ihe second Test 21 — 6, one of the higgest hidings a Springbok side has ever reecived. Needless to say, we reverted to type, and won the rubber." Judge Neser said that the game still appeared to be suffering from scrum problems. Ile could not, however, recollect haviug seen the ball being put in the scrums so often till the referee was satisfied, as it was last Saturaay.