SPRINGBOKS' FIRST GAME

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 164, 29 July 1937, Page 13

SPRINGBOKS' FIRST GAME

Weaknesset and Strength Revealed

GENIUS OF DANIE CRAVAN

The Spfingboks at Auckland last Saturday opened their tour of New Zealand in a most auspicious manner by defeating Auckland by 19 to 5. Compared witb tbe opening mateh of theiv predeCessors in 1921, wben Wanganui were defeated by 11 to 6, our present visitors, on first impressions, appear to be a much Stronger combination. Last week'a matcb at Auckland bas released a flood of cOmment and OUt of it all one gathers that the gonius of the backs is Danie Craven — he of the dive pass.

FigUratively speaking tb© ©yes and ears of Rugby followers of tbe Dominion Will be on the Springboks for the nest two months and their play Will .be thrashed twice weekly. "Magpio" was prevented from seeing the openiiig game in Auckland as intended originally but hopes to be at New Piymouth this week-end to see if Taranaki can do as well as in 1921 when they drew with Piennaar's men, A good judge of the game who was at Auckland last Saturday called in to gxVe me his impressions. The publioity afforded the Springboks prior to their arrival here has assisted, I think, in the formation of ideas that the South Africans are super-men. Before my friend gave his ideas i asked hjm if the Springboks were as good as h* previously imagined they would be, and tho answer was an emphatic no. The greatness of the occasion of course magnifled the incidents of play, but I learned that the game, "when criticised coldly, was not a great one and there were pienty of errors, particularly on tlie side of Auckland. VVhat tlid impress my friend was, flrst the deadly tacking of the Springboks, who without exceptio-n went law and inVaiiably brought their mah down. The Auckland side tackled weakly and very often allowed the collared Springbok to remain on his feet long enough to transfer the ball to a supporting teammate. To he quite candid it is the tackling weakness of Our players that eaused misgivings. My friend was impressed with tbe play of Danie Graveii. When not putting the ball into the scrum Craven takes up a position at one corner of the scrum much as does a wing-forward, but if the ball eomes his way he is transformed jnto a bundle of energy and th© ball, shot to Harris with bulletlike preclsion. The pass is of extraordinary lengtb and allfoWS th© flyhalf a fairly good start. When Craven has released the ball he is in th© air much after tlie action of a swiiumer leaving the end of the bath at the start of a race. The Springbok rearguard stood ver.y deep and reached each other by means of long passes. "Magpie" has frequemtly stressed in thig column that the ball can be passed faster that a man can run with it and here indeed is the value of the long pass. In line-out play the Springboks wero good, but they did not appear to emj ploy the tricks to gain possession that Were notiifeable wjth the Australians last year. Their rnelhods appeared quite fair and conSisted of jumping, as Used to be the practice in NeW Zealand in the dim attd distant past.

Most New Zeaiand forwards to-day regard line-out play as too mflch "fag". The play of Bfaiid at full-back was disappointmg, but my ffiend thouglit that the ground conditions may have been the cause. Many flne scoring opportunities wero presented the Sptmgboks in the fil'st iialf, but only one was accepted and this faiiure to accept scoring chancee caused surprise. Tiie famous heave when the ball Went into the scrUin was not discernible, and in fact the scrumma.£iTig of the visitors appeared to be no better than the hoxne side. One greai advantage poss6ssed by th© springboks was their ability to kick the oali with either foot. So skiiled, it is of course unnecessary to manoeuvre ior position when. desiring to kick tho ball, and the lack of ability in this Uirection on the part of the majority of Auckland' s men was siiown in bold relief at times. As for the Auckland team, Busli, the full-back, was vei'y much olf, being out oi position continually, aiid his failUfe to take the ball cleanly gave the visitors a solt try. A good tull-bacls Would have reduced the bpringboks' tries by two. At centre, Freiitice, a young player, lacked expcrience, but both wings, i)ick and Byerty, were good With very iiniit&d opportunity. Killeen failed to get his man at times and so did Solomon, while the prior taik that brankham at half was a candida.te for New Zealand honours Was soon dispelled. Briefly, the Auckland backs were disappointing and their passing eff-orts bravelled right across field without gaining a yard, frequently the reverse. The Auckland forwards played in inarked contrast to their backs. The forwards carried the day and never at any period did they appear inferior to the opposition. Pearce was jn great form and Laekington, too, was very prominent until lack of previous mateh play revedled a weakness in condition. It was possible, my friend thought, that Pearce had enhanced his fernleaf prospects and Hadley also, due to his hooking success. une thing the attendance revealed aud that was the capacity of Eden Paris for holding an immens© crowd, but even this capacity Will be totaliy inadequate if the third T©st, which is to be played on this ground, proves to be the deciding one of the series. On Saturday the SoUth Africans play -Taranaki and Manawatu, the Wednesday after whlcfi eomes the week in Wellington with the games in succession [with Wellington and then New Zealand as the. great attraCtions.