SCOTLAND AND WALES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 60, 27 March 1937, Page 14

SCOTLAND AND WALES

REVIEW OF GREAT MATCH A WIN FOR CALEDONIAN Is the old enemy himself again? Are we, that is to say, to prepare for a Scottish Rugby renaissance? asks Howard Marshall in the London Daily Telegraph. It looked very like it at Swansea, where Scotland beat Wales, last season's champions, by 2 goals and a try to 2 tries. Fine, slashing stuff the Scotsmen played, and for once we saw some proper running and attack in a thoroughly ehjoyable international match. Few of us expected so decisive a Scottish triumph, and the victory, mind you, was gained in the modern manner. The Scotsmen pounced on Welsh mistakes — a dropped pass, an unwise1 kick, a momentary relaxation in the loose — and from such beginnings scored opportunist tries. The blows were struck shrewdly, let us agree, and it was grand to see the speed and adaptability of the Scottish back division. There are players here who will shake England in the Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield, unless I am much mistaken. Ross, the newcomer at stand-of£ half, is one of them, quick and well balanced, able to time his passes and give them properly, and Macrae in the centre is a considerable diseovery. Macrae is tall and fast, and he has that deceptive body-swing which leaves opponents clutching the air. Old-timers Do WelL Then there were the old-timers, like. Dick, Logan, and R. W. Shaw, and very well all of them played. Dick tore holes in the Welsh defence, and there are few better sights in modern footbali than Dick swinging smoothly into attank.

Logan's toughness and Shaw's speed on the left wing— these were other factors in the Scottish revival, and the f orwards played like a party of border raiders whose mission it is to swoop and harry their enemies rather than wear them down by scrummaging attrition. They were highly promising, these Scottish f orwards. Their close work' improved and they were tigers in the loose. This is a fighting paclc, more like the famous Scottish packs of the past than any we have seen for some

years. I look forward to the match ! between Scotland arid Ireland. Then the fur will fly, for a certainty. j If Scottish youth and fire predominated in the' loose, however, the Welshmen more than held their own in the tight. There, indeed, is theirony of ■ it from the W elsh point of view. The Welsh had much the better of the tight scrummaging, and Wales, phtentially at least were attacking for the greater part of the game.

Certain Tries Lost. This time it was their backs who failed them, though they had chances galore, and threw two or three apparently certain tries away. If W. T. A. Davies had been playing at stand-off half .Wales would surely have scored more than once in the first .20 minutes, when the ball was coming back to them regularly and swiftly. Davies would have made openings for Wooler and Rees, or he might have slipped through himself, as he 'did against the All Blacks last year, whereas Morris kicked ahead abortively. ' The kick ahead is a good variation, but a had habit. I sometimes think that strategical kickirig of this kind might temporarily be ruled out of the game, altogether, simply to remind us that elever running is the basis of attack behind the scrummage. Morris did his best, no doubt, and he is an active little player, but he is not the type of stand-off half who makes proper use of his centres. Idwal Rees ran beautifully now and again, and Wooller scored two Wooller tries, pounding away like the sacrigcial car of ' Juggarnaut, crushing his victims beneath him. Apart from the opportunism, however, Wooller was poor, dropping his passes, and throwing the ball wildly away when it had stuck in his hands. Altogether the Welsh attack fell grievously to piece3, and the selectors will have to think afresh if Wales are to avoid the wooden spoon.

Wales Start Well. It is better, though, to dwell gratefully on the virtues of the game than tht deficiencies of individual players, and if the Welsh spectators were disappointed in their own teams they were at least most generous to the invaders. The afternoon was brilliantly fine, the great terraces round the ground were densely packed with enthusiasts, and the turf had made a splendid recovery from the heavy rain which had turned it into a lake on Thursday.