WELSH RUGBY WIN.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1923, Page 4

WELSH RUGBY WIN.

FRENCH XV.’S PLUCKY FIGHT

SWANSEA. Fell. 2li. W ales, I tipis: Fi ance. *pts. Wales heal Frame at Swansea Saturday by three goals (one penult and a try to a .goal and a try, b they did nothing to alter the opine formed on their first two internalioi matches this season that they are on a moderate team. Their defeats by England and Set land did not alienate support ; the were u./arlv 4(1.01)0 keen eidhusiiis vi the Sl. Helens ground, with t gate receipts ‘somewhere in the twig l.ourhucd of C 1,1100. So from i! point it v.ev. tlk- match was >atis!:i lei",'; ITom almost every other it w the rcvois'. And in the dense crowded street- afterwards one oft* heard th.e expression that the belt team It ml lost. When Welshmen ss this it. is quite obviuits that the lon ball of Wales has not been good. Apart from one glorious inoveinen «hit'll gave R. I i aiding the first try i the match for Wales, the handling tic- Welsh backs wits deplorable, at as they "ere appreciably slower tlia tie I'T'eni'limen tbe latter were abb' i smother the opposing centres almost ; the start ol any passing limit.

Then, again, the kicking lor go: wa- bad. Roquet missed two eas ohnmes for France in the til^t ha! and never was there a more glarin case of mistaken lactic-, than wbci with Wales awarded a penally rigii under the ]> si- Joe Rees tri* d ( "• Imij ■' * a goal ami failed. MANY '-'IDRRACIS. The r ii-iain slo'ipi) ;;*•-, <lue to b: jiirie.-, and the naumi re.i- tree K! < -1-; ■. a! dm'acted 1 1 -m 'be cane. (Inc •ym nalhi-od with Mr .McGowan, tin m I"", who. with contiminus ''fi cl mu' and (.t.lier I>ttle tilings to deal with had a (bunkless job. Probably mil li Kg p iitf'd him so much as a hen la mid to < -.11 M. Rui lierioi d. tlm Fi'ctt*-!

oio b iuih: on In tin- lu l l to admin .'ter rcorool to Roquet. This ior '.aril bad had a little difference nil! me of tin- i\T4-It forwards, in v.hicl ie was not altogether to blame. Will.-- ewed their victory largely ti he improved work of llioir forward.u the second hall, and to the lin ouch kicking of their backs, which .opt the game in the French half. In In- icspert Wei ", were iniiuilclv bet,T ih., 11 France. Still, at one point Franco looked ike winning. After Harding bad 1 Ml'oil his try—the movement starting rotn the Welsh “25,” Fiance distincthad the best of it to half-time, oil ndi.l iiai'dhug ended in l.alande coring for Eraneo, and altliough an c-.v place kick was missed, the renclimcn took the lead soon alter ufing■ ■ end-. This try mis singtt'il.v like Harding's, Wales were ru-sing wl-.en Jaurreguy nicked up in v lco-e near l,is own line. .Making loc.n !, he | c.'-scd inside to Ramis, i.u handed to l.asserre, who boot i ! a rt Jenkins in a race of fifty yards c the line. Roquet kicked- a goal, ie ball going over after hitting the >st, but Wales were soon in front

Melbourne Thomas went over, and then J. Rees dropped a penalty goal. Next, a forward rush ended in linker scoring, for Albert Jenkins to place a final, and that ended the scoring. Jenkin' later kicked a beautiful penalty goal, but one of his own forwards gelling in trout as the kick was taken, this was very properly disallowed. It only remains to say that I). John, the outside half, was easily the best man behind the scrummage on the A elsh side; .1. Rees played liuelv after a shaky si art while, as usual, the I rent-Linen were very quick on tic

hall arid deadly in their tackling