ENGLAND V. WALES.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1923, Page 4

ENGLAND V. WALES.

A RUGBY BATTLE. LONDON, Jan 21. ENGLAND—7, WALES—3. An enormous crowd, containing a considerable proportion of Welshmen, tl< saw England win a keenly contested match, full of sensational thrills from • ' end to end, at Twickenham. There have been many greater games ln from the academic point of view, hut n ‘ .surely there has never been one more strenuously fought, ft may be said at K 1 once that in the matter of combination JjJ and skilful attack both teams were J well below international standard, but «j the forwards gave a great display in 11 both the tight and the loose and never ° spared them-selvse for a, moment. fu " the end the English pack triumphed, and' to \Y. W. Wakefield and the men «• who followed him England owes her vie- P tory. , Wales won the Loss and naturallt 1 elected to plav with the breeze behind P them, and Waketiehl kicked oif punctu- h ally to time with a bright sun -at his n hack. The first tlirill came at once, for e 11. L. lb-ice followed up the kick-off at >' top .spend, caught the hail as it descend- t ed. ilist as L. G. Brown used to do. tore 1 ahead for a few yards, and then drop- ' pe,l at goal. The hall hung in the air end then hummed just right for Prill . who dashed over the Welsh line within i if, seconds of tin- start. G. S. Con- < was. ov-n wirh tin. WeMi charge ills- i allowed. .mil rived In miss the easiest I of kicks. _ * [t. was a splendid start lor England, fan the Welshmen wire no vhit disiuavod and play at once* settled dow n in English territory. Ihe Welsh pack V. civ getting thp hall in the serums, as , indeed [hey continued to do, almost to the end of the game, but the hacks wer; comparatively slow and techie in attack. It was, however, a b<‘:i util ill j corkscrew run by T. .Johnson, which i gave G, .Michael the chance of bring-j i,,[ l*e s< ores level ten minutes from; the start with a try in the right-hand ((uner which was not converted. PLAYERS INJURED. With the scores level at the interval ; a nd a strong wind at their barks it was ; now odds on England, provided they j had not taken ton much out of them- i selves in. defence. They soon got into i the Welsh (piarters, Wakefield dashing . through in great style. Then C. A. j Kershaw got away and was injurel as the result of a heavy tackle. Em- :

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Innately lie was al.le to resume, amt tlic play became harder than ever. Ihe visitors cleared their lines, and Cornish cnee kinked when his nine; seemed to have a good opening. T. .Johnson laid a chance, hut was not fast enough, and then |). (!. Davies, the Cardin' forward, gat a. nastv cut over the eye and was Hi for three or four minutes whih it was being bandaged. \ quarter of an hour Irma the end the w inning points name quite un-e>:p::;-tedly. 1.. Corbett, getting the gali with several opponents almost on him. gave. Smallwood a lightning pass between his legs, and the old Cantab, who once won a 'Varsity match with a dropped goal, took a shot from over 111 yards out. It was a long, low Kick, end as the hall sailed slrnvlv over the bar there was such an outburst of enthusiasm ns even Twickenham has seldom seem. Although the visitors made one or two spasmodic attacks the dropped goni had practically settled them. Still there was always a possibility of a hreak-away and a score,, and England seek no chances. First Davies and then Wakefield had a drop at goal, and [.owe got in some clever kicks to touch, hut it was really a ease of waiting for the end. -to flic Twickenham luck still holds, and Davies is nil! Knginnd's mascot. The Englishmen full*.- deserved their viitory. which a liitlr, luck would have made more decisive. (C S. Conway missed an easy free kick from the twenty-live line, and ought of eoiirs;' to have convert: d Price's try. Davies only failed by inches to drop a goal. Ini! against this must he set a bountiful shot by -I. Ilees, which hit the Fugle ml posts. i . (filbert came through the game with some credit, though he has oft- n kicked farther. Tfc .shirked nothin", j and went down on the hall with unfail- \ ing pluck and chcerfulnc-s ; there was.: of course, verv little tackling for him ! to do. Though the winning score came Irom the left, the right pair of threequarters were the stronger on the dav's ' play. ■ , C. A. KEIISHAW S 0( \'|) AXD i SAFE. : Davies was by no means in hr- best form, hut hu was very useful for all ' that. Like some other phivers. h<* i seemed to feel the effects of the cold wind, and never really got going in his own brilliant style. C. A. Kershaw soon sot everybody’s mind at rest as to his condition, for lie worked his hardest from beginning to end. He has often been more prominent in running and in attack generally, hut he has never perhaps played a sounder or more valuable game for England. The England forwards' deserve unqualified praise. They were clearly the strongest part of the side, and soon set at rest the qualms of those who cindered if their class was quite good enough. It was. at any rate, equal to ■ the job in hand, for they never yielded an inch without a struggle, and actually improving as the game went on, finished up on top, n winning pack. There was not a, weak man m if: everybody was conspicuous at times in tli-* open, and nemo could have shirked in the tight. Wakefield led splendidly, and here was no more elfoetive forward on the field than 11. Edwards, while A. T. Voyee has never played better. For Wales Joe Rees was as safe and steady as ever, hut his kicking lacked tile length it mien had. E. Harding is a three-quarter of the future, a wing of great promise. It was rather had luck for him. in lii.s first international, to he up against 0. X. Lows in his most determined mood .and ho got very little help from his centre, A .<ciikius. who could do little right. Hut tiro Swansea wing's turn will come. The Cardiff pair on the right did some sound things, hut had few real chances. d.C.M. Lewis’s kicking was often useful. and Delaliav tried his hardest against a better player. The forwards were heavier than England’s, and were able to get the hall often enough, hut their heeling was slow.