FAST AND OPEN RUGBY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 242, 7 July 1921, Page 6

FAST AND OPEN RUGBY

PROSPECTIVE ALL BLACKS IN ACTION PROBABLES BEAT POSSIBLES NEW ZEALAND TEAM SELECTED Fraught with great interest, tho Possibles v. Probables match, which took place yesterday afternoon attracted a crowd of nearly 8000 Rugby enthusiasts to Athletic Park. Among those present were His Excellency the Governor-Gen-eral, Lord Jellicoe, and Lady- Jellicoeand staff, and the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands. From it evolved the final selection of the New Zealand team which will try conclusions with the Springboks at Dunedin, where the first Test match is set down for decision. 3'he cream of New Zealand footballers were seen in action, and with the possibility of Dominion honours ahead the first grade footballer placed himself on his mettle. The game was won by the Probables by a small margin, but the spectators were not concerned with tho isruo. They were there to form their individual estimates of the form of the prospective "All Blacks,’’ to note their discrcpancies; to comment on their tactics. The game opened up in a drab manner and it took both sides all of twenty minutes to abandon desultory tactics, and get down to tin tacks. Once they did get going, they went at it with a will, and contributed a remarkably fast exhibition of Rugby. Individual play was naturally a feature of the natch, seeing that neither side had had any opportunity of working up any combination. The scrummages left much to bo desired, both packs having a tendency to break up too quickly. Scrums were frequently screwed, and the ball seldom came away cleanly. This was only to be. expected, in teams where the forwards were strangers. Nevertheless it was early apparent that the material for a combination worthy of the "All Blacks ’’ escutcheon was there for the selectors to observe at their leisure. A pleasing feature of the game was the minimum of infringement of. the. rules, and both teams kept the ball in play, m accordance with the true spirit < f amended Rugby, making the game fast and exciting The number of goals kicked pointed to the fact that the place-kick-ing of the prospective All Blacks was of no mean order. Roberts converted five tries, never registerinfir a miss, ana one of his shots was magnificent. The tackling of the majority of the players was sound notably that of Ford end Grierson and the forwards frequently took an interest in the tactics of the backs, throwing the leather around to good effect. Summed up, it was a good game in which the best features of Rugby wcie predominant.

Possibles 13 (White).—Backs: Kingston (Taranaki), Storey (South Grierson (Auckland!, Altk ® n . ton), M. Nicholls (Welhngton) -Badeley (Auckland), Pitman (Auckland), for wards Donald (Wairarapa), Bellis (Wanganui), Richardson (Otago), West Taranaki). Snow (Nelson), Cockroft Southland), Carroll (Manawatu) Duncan (Otago). Emergencies: Moffit (..el lington), M'Lean (Bay of Plenty). Probables (Black).-Backs, Murphy (Wellington), Steele (West Coast), wn (Wanganui), Ford (Canterbtray), Jeffe (Otago), Roberts (Wellington) H. Nich„ll3 (Wellington); forwards, Cabot (Otago) Fogarty (Taranaki), Sontag (Otago), J. Shearer (Wellington Whyte Southland), Masters (Taran. J' Shearer (Wellington), Standen (V ellin o ton) ■ emergency, Jackson (Wellington). Petersen (Canterbury), who was picked to play in the Possibles, was unable to -to U>. trip. “> “XEt T™“™ .!» .». Tn the Probables, Ifwerson, of jsciVUKr*: nui.

THE GAME IN DETAIL

The Whites (Possibles) won the toss, leaving the Blacks (Probables) to kick off in the face of the sun and a light northerly wind. From the kick-off, th Whites assumed the aggressive, a things looked dangerous for the Blacks when Murphy mulled, but Svenson came to his rescue, and carried the ball ovo the line. A scrum took place, and Don aid (the White wing-forward) headed a rush, which Murphy stopped by Subsequently, the Blacks forced. Duncan (Whites) fielded the kick-off, and a scrum took place in front of the Blacks goal, but Cabot (the Blacks wln g-^ r ' ward) burst through, and saved. Steele converted defence into attack for the Blacks but he was splendidly tackled by Storey before he got really Kingston, kicked to the dead-ball hn twice for the Whites, who later were put in a good position through Badeley the 'White five-eighths) finding the hue n the corner. A force-down resulted from the line-out-the Blacks third force inside of about seven minutes. Duncan, Donald, and Bellis figured in two successive White forward rushes, which came the initial score of the afternoon The Blacks were penalised for ottSide play, enabling M. Nicholls to kick a penalty goal from a position from the twenty-five to half-way, and ten to fifteen yards from the line. Possibles, 3; Probables, 0- . . a The Blacks then asserted themselves. Steele gained them ground by cutting-in, and in the teeth of a strong attack Aitken ran round in the shadow of the goal, and found the line for the Whites. The Whites began to feel their feetagain, but a fine tackle by Ford who grounded Kingston, and a nice field of one of MNicholls’s kicks by Murphy kept them within reasonable bounds. Up to this stage there had been no back play. Presently the Blacks were penalised for offside play, with the result that M. Nicholls had an unsuccessful shot nt goal from a spot five yards further back than his previous kick. Jeffs (the Otago fivecighths) and Stnnden broke away for the Blacks, and Steele improved on their effort. The Whites retaliating saw S'torev well tackled by Svenson after he had received from Grierson. Storey and Grierson again endeavoured to pierce the Blacks’ defence, but they were too well marked. During a hot sally, however, M Nicholls marked off an opponents boot in a good position, and landed a goal. Possibles, 6; Probables, 0. ” The Whites returned to the attack, Snow and Richardson getting in some valuable, work among the forwards, and then Kingston (the Whites’ full-back) was called off the field by the selectors, lie having suffered a. slight concussion. His place was taken by Jackson (Wellington). The Whites still pressed in a desultory fashion, and Badeley made a nice opening in front of the goal, but nullified his effort by sending an impossible pass to Storey. A minute or so later M. Nicholls found the line near the corner. From tho line-out Snow and Cockroft crossed the Blacks’ line, hut Murphy managed to force. A little later Aitken gathered up the leather and passed to M. Nicholls, to Storey, who. shepherded by Grierson, crossed the line, and touched down. M. Nicholls essayed to goal from a yard inside the line, the ball falling at the foot of the posts. Possibles, 0; Probables, 0. In the clash following tho kick-off Ji-ffs snapped up the ball about half-way, itnd centred. Roberts set the backs in action, but their effort was not sustained, the Whites rapidly turning tho tables on their opponents. Badeley next set

tho White backs going, and transferred to Storey, who beat Murphy, only to be splendidly tackled by Ford, who showed a nice turn of speed. Ford got Storey when the latter was just about to complete his effort. Subsequent play saw tho Whites hard pressed. Fogarty (the Taranaki forward) broke through for Blacks and kicked about 40 yards. Following up smartly, ho upset Jackson (the full-back), and a score looked imminent. Aitken got a rolling pass from Badeley, which did not improve matters, but a lucky free-kick temporarily saved the situation for the defenders. The Blacks maintained their attack, and the crowd held its breath while Roberts had a pot-shot at goal, which just fell short. Finally a good left-foot kick by M. Nicholls materially improved the Whites’ prospects. The Black forwards succeeded in clearing, and Roberts and Svenson organised a promising sally. The ball fell among the forwards again, and Whyte broke away for the Blacks, and, following up, ably tackled his man in the corner, being temporarily laid out in tho effort. On resumption of hostilities the Blacks put another turn in the screw. H. E. Nicholls picked up and passed to Roberts. The latter swung the ball to Steele, who came up on his left side and got in through a gap, touching down. Roberts converted. Possibles, 9; Probables, 5. The Black forwards set out for their opponents’ stronghold, but Carroll and Donald broke their ranks and gave the White backs a chance. Badeley secured and passed to M. Nicholls to Grierson to Aitken, who took a pass when going nt high speed, and raced in, after beating Murphy. Badeley converted from a good position. Whites, 14; Blacks, 5. Steele had just rallied the Blacks when tho boll rang for half-time. The second spell opened up in very live fashion, the Blacks making the pace veryfast. In the opening stages they had two unsuccessful shots at goal from two marks, the first by Ford and the second by H. E. Nicholls—both smart pieces of work Then Svensou missed a pass from another of the Black backs in front of the Whites’ goal, but he retrieved himself a minute later by smartly tackling Aitken, when the White back looked like scoring. Give-and-take play followed on the part of the forwards, and while the Blacks were defending, their half-back was penalised for being off-side. M. Nicholls took tho kick, but he failed to goal. The White forwards swarmed down on the Blacks, but a free kick to the defenders finally- broke up the attack. The game was now exceptionally- fast, the centre of play being rapidly transferred from one end of the field to another. The Blacks, however, were gradually assuming tho upper hand, and from a scrum in their opponents’ twenty-five, H. Nicholls passed to Roberts to Jeffs to Svenson, back to Roberts to S. Shearer. The Wellington forward ran round after receiving, and touched down in a fairly handy position, from which Roberts converted. Possibles, 14; Probables, 10. After this the White forwards got in several telling rushes. Once when they were held up for offside tactics, Murphy had a kick at goal from 10 yards inside halfway, but the ball went wide. Richardson' then led another onslaught on the Blacks, and Donald rounded off the effort by crossing the goal line, but before touching down he knocked on. Tho White backs 'then took charge of the ball, which travelled rapidly from Pitman to Badeley- tc Storey to Aitken, who scored in tho corner. Al. Nicholls failed to convert. Possibles, 17; Probables, 10. After this every few- minutes’ play was punctuated by a try. First a pass irom Ford to J. Shearer in a loose movement near the goal line resulted in tho latter plaver scoring a try for the Blacks, which Roberts converted. Possibles, 17; Probables, 15. Tho Blacks again swept down and lord finished up an excellent run by scoring in tho corner. Grieson came at him at the last moment, and upset him, but the pace at which the Black back was going carried him over, and he touched down in the corner. Again Roberts added the major points with a lovely kicK. Blacks, 20; Whites, 17. A few minutes later Jackson bumped into an opponent and injured his shoulder, and retired from the game being replaced by M'Lean (Bay of Plenty). The Black backs were now giving the opposing forwards no rest, and no surprise was occasioned when they notched anothei trv II E. Nicholls started the movement, transferring to -Roberts to Svenson to Steele, who survived a tackle ny Storey and touched down after a straight run. Roberts again made no mistake with the kick. Probables, 25; Possibles, 11 The Whites retaliated with a forward rush Richardson crossing the Hl»cw line 'with several opponents hanemg to him, and a force-down was the result. Pollowing this, M. Nicholls missed a penalty kick at goal. The attacking side’s persistence was eventually rewarded, 5 M’Lean turning defence into attack and enabling Badeley to register brilliant run and transfer near tho line to Carroll, who scored in a nice position. M. Nicholls converted. Blacks, -0, 3 ’had not long recommenced before Cabot scored for the Blacks by dint of good following up and Murphy converted Probables, 30; Possibles, 22. Im mediately afterwards the bell rang, i • O. H. Cleland was referee.

THE PLAY AND THE PLAYERS

A GENERAL CRITICISM (By "Ardfell.”)

Probables match at the athletic Park yesterday afternoon is the fact tl a Rugby football, well played, is a bright and interesting game, and he who wants anything more likely to stir li P and excite his imagination u h' M * d please. In the early stages of th gan e I had the impression that the plnyeis were not inclined to take the game seriously but the further it went the brighter it became, and as the play woie ontke rapid Changes in the one side and then the other attacking caused the spectators to rise to unwonted BC Some° 'that Rugby football is ao £ xx “V* „ two teams could bo got to give a aim Hr exhib ion in other places there R no doubt about it but that Rugby football would easily oust its V'gjee “f —Rucbv League—from any decree . ’ popularity it may have attained with BP And Venden, the game did not reach as high a standard as Rugby football can Th® individualists in both teams Can " •„ ovirlence all the time, and theie Were /lot lacking from the combination T 1 Jnt But when the selected New ...a no the full knowledge of. each othei I lav one is willing to expect t hat this roar's "All Blacks” will worthily uphokl against the South Africans the traditions associated with Die standard the Dominion’s players have set in the pa. . The play in detail has been dealt with L. 1 oLl.’nr writer—my province is to criticise tho showing of. the individuals. ViiruliY the Marist full-back, gave a display for the Probables better than anything previously shown by him. Hie tacki njt £wlien he got to an opponent-was iound and reliable, and his taking and kicking also were of good class. As New Zealand’s full-back some people wore inclined to view anything but « ? '*'° ul> / Murphy’s chance of selection, but his showing in this game passes muster, although a bit more pace in his running (, necessary to rise to the ideal. Kingston, the young Aucklander, suffered a slight concussion early in tho game, and was forced to. retire. At one stage ho was tackled with the ball in hie possessio.il, but extricated himself

from a difficult position in a brilliant manner. I confess I would have liked to have seen more of him.

The three-quarters were all prominent at one stage of the game or the other. Aitken, on tho left wing in the first spell and in the centre in tho second, played excellently. When going for the try he got up a lot of pace, and in other ways showed a lot of judgment. The first try scored by the Possibles was illustrative of this. Aitken got the ball on his own side ef the field, shot to the centre, and tljen sent out a long pass to Nicholls on the other. The latter sent on to Storey, the opposition being temporarily out of i>osition. Ford made one dashing run down the centre of the field in the second spell that stamped him as a good player. Grierson started well, but was not in the limelight a great deal. Svenson, in my opinion, was just out of his class, although not very much. Storey and Steele were the wing-three-quarters in last year’s New Zealand team, and are both fine, dashing players with plenty of weight to carry them through. They both made fine runs, and scored tries in acceptable style. This pair, when they reach their top form, will’ do New Zealand credit. In the five-eighth line, Roberts and Badeley were the most noticeable. although M. Nicholls played a BurprisingIv good game. Badeley is a little iellow aud an ideal five-eighth, in that he makes for the goal-line by the shortest route, giving and taking Ins passes finely Roberts does a tremendous lot of good work, but he is-inclined to run across the face of the opposition. He brings off the dummy pass cleverly at times, and helps tlm men behind him when they are hard put to it, but 1 would like him a lot better if he emulated Badeley’s example. A five-eighth who cannot go straight ahead should ehoot the ball out to his outside men before he cramps them for room. Jeffs was the eolidest of the fiveeighths. His work was spoilt by Ins being caught too often with the bail in his possession—a failing a five-eighth should rarely bo guilty of. H. E. Nicholls and Pitman were not comparable as half-backs, the latter being slow at getting the ball away, although forward rushes had no terrors for him. Both were served anything but well by their forwards, the ball seeming to hang in the scrummage much longer than it should after being hooked. Nicholls got his pusses away quickly and cleanly when the ball did filter out at the back of the scrummage, although now and again the passes were on the low side. Donald and Cabot—the respective wingforwards —kept well within the .limits, and were rarely penalised for being offside. There was little to pick and choose between them, although Donald’s auburn thatch made him the more noticeable.

Neither scrummage was a good one, twisting all over the place, and rarely settling down compactly. For this reason probably the ball did not come out cleanly when the hookers got possession, it being hung up much longer than it should have been. And it is the scrummage that matters such a lot, that one hopes that when the final seven are got together a past master in scrummage tactics will be secured to put them through their finnl facings. With the heavy men the South Africans are reputed to be, the ball has got to come out quick and clean, otherwise the New Zealanders will be pushed back, and the opportunity of getting the men behind the scrummage goiug will be gone. Maybe. the pack will be all right when it is put to it. but at present, and with the match yesterday as my guide, New Zealand seems io be short just now of pack forwards.

On the line-out and in the loose the forwards reached (the best traditions, many of them handling the ball like backs, and going ahead in dribbling rushes in fine style. In this department of play they are as good as any New Zealand forwards who have preceded them, and would do me in any company. Richardson, a burly Otago player, was prominent all the time, and had hard luck in not getting tho try he tried for manv times. The Shearer brothers, Sid particularly, were in the limelight most of the time, but Bellis, who made a big reputation for himself with tho New Zealand Army team and as an All Black last year, was hardly noticeable. A similar remark applies to West, another good forward. Whyte is a fine, stamp, one of those responsible for Southland being in possession of the Ranfurly Shield at the present time. Fogarty I did not notice other than by name. Cockroft (Southland) and Sontag (Otago), both fine, hefty specimens of the New Zealand youth, were in the thick of things all the time, and must have caused the selectors of the New Zealand team much anxious thought before they were passed over. Afasters (Taranaki) I did not see much of all day.

The game was an easy one to handle, the breaches of the rules being few and far between. There seemed to be a manifest desire on the part of all the players to keep the ball in. the field as much as possible, and play livened up considerably in consequence. The takings amounted to something like dMOO, and so, everything considered, the match was well worth the playing. A noticeable absentee from the selected teams was Ifweraon, the Auckland Rugby Ijftague player who has been reinstated this season. Most of those in the know considered that his chance of being the "All Black” full-back on this occasion was a rosy one. as he is a player of distinct class. Another missing one was Peterson, a Canterbury forward, who upset the quidnuncs by playing one of the best games on the field in the interisland match last Saturday. His absence from yesterday’s match, however, was an excusable one—his wife presented him with a son and heir while the North v. South Island match was in progress. NEW ZEALAND TEAM FOR FIRST TEST MATCH. Messrs. Nicholson, Stewart, and Griffiths have selected the following as the team to play for New Zealand in the first. Test match against the South Africans at Dunedin on August 13: — KINGSTON. STOREY, AITKEN STEELE. BADELEY. M. NICHOLLS. H. NICHOLLS. DONALD. BELLIS. WHYTE. M'LEAN. MOFFITT. RICHARDSON. HUGHES. DUNCAN. EMERGENCIES—E. ROBERTS, B. A.DGAR (Backs); S. SHEARER, FOGARTY (Forwards). The provinces the above players represent are: Kingston (Auckland), Storey I (South Canterbury), Aitken (Wellington), Steele (West Coast), Badeley (Auckland), .M. Nicholls (Weliington), 11. Nicholls (Wellington), Donald (Wairarapa), Bellis (Wanganui). Whyte (Southland), M’Lean (Bay of Plenty), Mollitl (Wellington), Richardson (Otago), Hughes (Wellington), Dunean (Otago). Throe of the emergencies—Roberts, Algar, and S. Shearer—are from 'Weliington, and Fogarty is from Taranaki. Tho team all round is a good one, and fully representative of New Zealand football. The surprise—and it is n real surprise—is the non-selection of E. Roberts. There was probably hardly a follower of the game from one end of tho Dominion to the other who anticipated that the New Zealand team would make its appearance without the Wellington player, for he has lieen one of the outstanding figures on th? Dominion’s fields for some years. The selectors are entitled to their opinions, but the consensus of opinion will be that they have made a mistake. The brothers Nicholls nn- to be congratulated on having won their caps as New Zealand representatives. Both are fine lads, end sons of

a fine footballing father-a man who at this reading is probably one of the proudest men in New Zealand to-dy-All the otlwr men are entitled to their positions, with perhaps the exception of Bellis, who can only have got his place on the reputation he built up for himself prior to this season. The whole of the team, with the exceptions of Hughes, M'Lean, and Moffitt, are referred to in the above criticisms. Al-Lean is a hefty youth from the Bay of Plenty a huge punter, aud a fine placekick 7 ’Aloffitt is a weighty Wellington player-the lock of the scrummage, and at the present time playing better than at any previous time in a long career Hughes represented New Zealand before in 1907 as a Southlander, and this in the Poneke Club I- 8 shown rtml lie has lost little, if anyth.ng, ot X atality to hook the ball in the front of the scrummage. But Hughes is geL ting on in years. He confesses to being over 40 years of age-and in er3 ho is considered lucky to be sti considered good enough to wear an All Black” uniform. WHY, OH WHY? 'To the Editor.) Sir—Tho New Zealand team is out, and ye gods, the name of E. Roberts is omitted Picked as emergencywffiat an insult! That the Rectors should omit this really great footballer is bevoud beliefI am certain of this, and I believe the statement will bo backed up by all tho=e who know the Rugby game in New zXd, that "Teddy Roberts" is the best and brainiest footballer in New Ze—land to-day, either as a five-eighths or half-back. The Nicholl boys are good footballers, but in my opinion do toot compare with "Teddy. . I would not be in the least surprised if several of the members chosen refuse to play on account ot srfiat amounts to rank Ngaio, July 6. HAWKE’S BAY BEAT MANAWATU SUPERIORITY IN ALL DIVISIONS. By Telegraph —Special Correßpon-lent. Palmerston North, July 6. The meeting between the Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu representative Rugby teams on the show grounds to-day resulted in a win for the v ><utore; by 38 to 6. It -was clearly demonstlated that the visitors held the superiority in all divisions and it is not going to>,far to say that, as a touring team Hawke s Bay with its back division, will be a haid proposition. The Manawatu forward division is certainly deserving of praise. Tho weak point was undoubtedly the rear division of the home team. TARANAKI V. SOUTH AUCKLAND A DRAWN GAME. By Telegraph—Press Association. Hawera, July 6. A Rugby football match, Taranaki v. South Auckland, played on the show grounds to-day. ended in a draw, laranrtki won the toss, South Auckland kicked off again.-t ft light wind ana tho sun, Taranaki wore soon attacking, and Campbell scored, Coleman convert, nig with a good kick. The visitors made a counter-attack, which was repulsed, and a spell of even play followed. rhe northerners, by doggod play, worked the l>all to the Taranaki line, which Patterson crossed. The try was not converted. Taranaki. 5; South Auckland, 3. Sykes then scored a try for Taranaki-, which was) not ' converted. »>:id Coleman increased tho Taranaki score to 12 by a benutiful kick from the field. Taianak. maintained the pressure early in ths second epoll, and Spratt scored. Taranaki 15; South Auckland, 3. Then the game changed, and tho visitors’ forwards took possession. M'Hardy scored, and anoth*i try came from a oeramble. darken and Itoiper also crossed (ho line. None of tho tries were converted, and the game then ended with the score: Taranaki, 15; South Auckland, 15. MAORI TOUR CANCELLED The tour to Australia by a Maori team, for which the representatives have been announced, will not take place this season. Mr. G. W. Slade, chairman of the Now Zealand Rugby Union, stated yesterday that during his recent visit to Sydney he had been reluctantly compelled' to’ cancel the tour until next season. N.S.W. TEAM”COMING

Arrangements have been made for a New South Wales representative team to make a short tour of the North Island during next month.