TREVATHAN WAS HERO OF GAME

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 179, 16 August 1937, Page 7

TREVATHAN WAS HERO OF GAME

Our Own Correspon.dent) .

* (From

WELLINGTON, Last Night. Wonderful forward play, particularly t good team work, ^ first-class defence and the better goal-kicking were the main fattors in giving New Zealand a 13 — 7 victory over South Africa in the first Rugby Test at Wellington on Saturday. Contrary to expectations, the game was wonderfully interesting, and inspiring, though there was little seen of the rearguards on sttack. It was truly an international game in every respect, .and there are many of the 45,000 or so spectators who will contend that it may be regarded as one of the classics of Rugby football in New Zealand. Honours go to the All Elack forwards. They were magnificent in every aspect of their work. They provided a big surprise, a feeling that developed into amazement, when, after the retirement of Cobden, Ward was taken out of the pack to replaee him on the wing and yet they continued to more than hold their own-. In the scrums and in the tight honours were . •ven; in the line-outs the Springboks were better; in the loose the All Blacks were superior.

• Mueb has been heard of the giaufc South African forwards, bufc though they had an average of 51b. a man adviuitage, they were hcid in cbeck. New; Zealand had as much of the ball from the set scrums as did the South Africans. Each seeured possession when they particularly wanted the ball by adding that little extra effort that all packs can on occasions give when spurred by sight of the goalline. Both packs were united in their efforts. There was little or no indiviau"alism. All played splendidly, and certainly it would be difficult to replaee any one player in either pack. Bergh and Van der Berg were the Springboks' two great specialists in the lineoat, aul Tori Reid, MeKenzie and King ebaped best in this phase of the play for ihe All Blacks, A surprisLug jiumber of scrums wero spoilfc by lifting of the feet by

the outside men. This foot lifting is one point that will require attention. It was indeed fortunate for New Zealand that the tourists did not field Gerry Brand. their goal-kicking speeialist. There were two certain goals for him, and two othcrs well within the .capabilities he revealed by his forrn in the Manawata .and Wellington games. Fine Trio of Forwards. There was no one player the best forward on the ground. MeKenzie, Dalton and Parkhill were a, wonderful trio in all phases. Tori Reid was well up witk them, especially when it come to the loose rushes and the spoiling. For South Africa, Strachan, Louw, and Van der Berg were on a par for brUliance, though, as was iho case with the New Zealand pa?k; others ran them very close. It was the very eveuness and unity of the packs that male them so elfective in their work. There were occasions wlien tlio "incidentals" made their appearance, but there was no rougjk play. For all that, the play was very h&rd, as was only to be expncted when every player was pulting ever ounco of _ ofi'ort into liis work and lajbouriug under Iho knowledge that any slacking or crrur would tilt tho seales in favour of the oppositjon. But so much for the forwards. The backs did not oceupy m prominent a place in tbe game as their licavyweigbt divisions, but their play ivas iinprcs1 |

sive. On defence, the New Zealand backs were much the better, individually and collectively. They werd1 certainly well supported by their forwards, but not to the same extent as were tho Springbok backs. and tbe defence was dependeut more uport tbe backs' own capabilities. Trevathau and Hooper botb beat tbe Springboii insides, but as was oniy to be expected, they stumbled at the seeond l>arricr, that erocted by ihe South African forwards as they lined up in support of their backs," Tackling Welf-Nigh Perfect. The tackling, fore and aft, was well-nigh perfect. It was sound. hard and efieitive. It was said that the Springboks would teach New Zealand kow to tackle. jNew Zealand showed that they required no eoachiug in this department. In oue phase did Soutii Africa excel, and that was speed, but it was all directed towards getting) the \yiugers away. and suck was the combinecl effect of the great spoiling work of the New Zealand forwards and the effective tackling of the New Zealand backs that it was only pn a fSiy occasions that Williams and Lyster were .able to get under way. On the other hand, the New Zealand inside backs were far more cnterprising and revealed that the South African backs can be penetrated. While tbe slippery conditions uniderfoot were a handicap to the. South African foiwards, they were also a kandicap to the New Zealand backs, vvaose initiative was unquestionabiy superior au:l would hare been seen to great tdvantage had conditions been better. The hero of the game was Trevathan, who fimshed up with 10 points. In the first ien minutes of the game he was sliaky in his handling, but wlieu ko had '-tV •(! down he and Simon owed f worderfully. Trevathan, Hooper aa(l pin.cn all mad# uiroads tlii'ou^h the Soutii African defence, and thoir own defence was splendid. They mere than measured up to de Villiers, Craven and Co. Taylor Made No Mistakes. The other outstandiug performei iu tho rearguards was tlie New Zealand full-baek, Taylor, He uiade no mistakes, and, while his kieking was not particularly strongt it was wonderfully accurate wheu directed .to the sideline. Anotlier good performer in finding the line, the great speciality of the South Africans, was Trevathau; and ouce again New Zealand showed that the tourists had nothing to teach ; or perhaps, if they did have somethiug to teach ; thcn New Zealand could provide them with inteljigent and apt pupils. ' The outstandiug back among the South Africaus was Williams, ou the right wiug. He scored a briJliant try and called for great individual effort after a beautiful piece of team-play ou the Tjarf of his companions. He was the best of tbe tbree-quarters op tlio grouud. Diclc, the New Zealander, was next, and be too was 'well abovc tho aycrage. Cousidering his inexperieuco in such a iiosition, Ward gave a surpi'isingly gooj account, oi.' himscll as a winger. He lackcd tlie pace usuallv assocjated with the job, but tbc manner iji wbich tbe Soutbland forward IxlJed tlie gap under tlie circujnstauccs arquscd admiration.