ALL BLACKS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1924, Page 1

ALL BLACKS.

EASY WIN

N.S.W. BF.ATKN BY 3S TO *S. 4USTRALJAN AND N.Z. CAULK ASSOCIATION. SYDNEY. July. U>. Five thousand people witnessed the third test, All Blacks v. N.S.W.. which resulted in a decisive win for the All Blacks l.y 38 to 8. (Trenterorox replaced Elliott in the N.S.W. team. The match was not so spectacular as tin* previous test, .but the whole team were on their game, Nepia playing excelleiit.lv. Dorter, also, was always on the hall.

The Blacks kicked oil" against the sun. and play went to New South Wales twenty-live, hut a free kick brought it hick to halfway. Brownlie here secured possession, and transferred to Nicholls, who passed to Brown, the latter scoring in the corner. Nepia failed with the kick. N.Z. 3. N.S.W. 0. The New South Wales team had a penalty shot from half wav. hut it Tailed. Cttpnlcs got the ball from the line out. and sent: it to his hacks, who took it to the N.S.W. line, where they were* forced out. Dailey picked no in the loose, hut was hauled down on the line. The All Black hacks were unable to get going, the sun in their faces proving most troublesome. Ultimately. I.ucas obtained the hall at half way. carried it down, and transferred to porter. who “cored brilliantly behind the nests. Irvine's kick was disallowed. N.Z. (1. N.S.W. 0.

I’lay hung at half way for a while, until Boiler broke nivny. Dallev. Nicholls and Svcuson carried on. the lasr named scoring cleverly. Nepia’s kick missed. N.Z. !). N.S.W. 0. New South Wales forwards began a threatening movement, hut I’orter saved, and transferred the game to halfway. The Blacks were penalised for a serum idfence, and the hall went out in the Blacks’ twenty-five. Several scrums and line outs followed, the All Blacks keening the hall tight. Another N.S.W. attemnt from a penalty failed. I’orter showed up in n dribbling rush, anil the scene oT action went to New South Wales territory. The Blocks were mostly obtaining the hall from the line outs, from one of which the hall was passed through the hands of all tin* hacks. Lucas scoring in the corner. N.Z. 12. N.S.W. 11. Nicholls and I’orter were prominent in an attacking movement, hut a knock cii spoiled it. The hall went out in New South Wales territory. A line out followed, and Muttrn picked up frntn the ruck and dived over. Nicholls failed to convert. N.Z. 15. N.S.W. 0. From the kiek-olf. tin* Blacks forced and N.S.W. then had a turn at attack. and were awarded a penaltv. Thorn’s kick failed. I’lay returned to N.S.W. 25. hut Nothling’s kick broil gilt the hall hack. Nepia, however. found the line well down the return. The Blacks obtained possession ill tint line out. hut Lucas was pulled down in the corner. A long kick by Nothliug saw the hall fall into Nepal's hands, lie carried it up, and passed to Dailey, and it went* to Lucas, and then to I’orter, the latter scoring behind the posts. Nicholls added the major points. N.Z. *2l). N.S.W. 0.

Shortly after. Crossman retired hurt, and Smith took the field. New South Wales pressed hard hut White relieved. The Blacks again were penalised for off-side, enabling Nothliug to kick a goal. With five minutes to half time. New South Wales continued to exert pressure. AVogan broke away, hut was collared. Alter a passing rush hy New South Wales hacks, following u serum. Stanley scored and Nothliug converted. The spell ended N.Z. 2D, N.S.W.

In the second spell play hung round half way for a considerable time. New South Wale.s hacks participated in a likely passing movement, hut were crowded out at l la* corner. Cooke saved. New South M ales forwards returned to tile attack, hut Nepia was sure. Notliling had two shots at goal from penalties, in succession, hut both failed. Purler was prominent in n dribbling rush, hut New South Wales returned. Oilside plav saved the All Blacks from a dangerous position. Tin* inimice of the hall b'*at- the Neii Zealand harks, and New South Wales were nearly over, but a serum was ordered. New South Wales hammered away, hut the Blacks' defence withstood the test. A ern.-s----kich hy Nepia. and smalt following up hv Miinro. saw plav in the New South Wales territory. The ball went across the field. From the loose. \\ liite picked up. ran round, and scored, and Nicholls converted. N.Z. 25. N.S.W. 8.

Two dangerous rushes by the All Plaeks followed, hut they wen> resultless. X.S.W. were now getting the lmll from the scrums, hut the Black forwards smothered their l acks. (Jeorge centred the hall across his own goal, and I,liens secured. With a clever sidestep, he cut our two opponents and transferred to Cooke, anil the latter dashed over. Xicholls was again successful. X.Z. 30. X.S.W. 3,

The game continued in Xew .South Wales half, the Blacks tackling solidly. Xew South Wales hacks at length "'ere set in motion, hut Xenia’s splendid line kick saved. Brownlie broke away from tlm sennit and transferred In [Hichni'dsnn, who missed to Eneas. The 1 sitter, when collared, returned to Brownlie, hut he was milled down. Xew South Wales again came oil two dangerous movements. which were frustrated by I.tuns and Porter, rcspectivelv. Xew South Wales were penalised at half way. and Xepia found much near the Xew South Wales lino. Prom tlie line nut. Porter picked tin. rjtii round and scored. Xepia converted. X./. 35. X.S.W. 8. The Blacks continued to mess, and just on time'. Porter rushed tin. and enabled (‘unities to score. Xicholls’ kick was charged down. The game thus ended. All Blacks 3S. Xew South Wales 8.

THE FIRST TEST,

A Sydney writer commenting on the first lest match in Sydney when the All Blacks were defeated by Ifi to 20, says the contest "as keen from beginning lo end. and it was probably thi> pace set by the Xew South Wales hacks that disconcerted the All Blacks who had had little opportunity to train. The' Xow Zealand forwards seemed very tiled Indore the first spell came to an odd.

The All Blacks offer no excuses for their first defeat, and were the first to acknowledge the all-round superiority of tlie Xew South Wales team. Tt must he said to the credit of the Xew South Wales Union that it regarded very seriously the tests before it. and went to no end of trouble to select the best team. Trial games and a systematic scheme of training did their part, and as a result the All Blacks met the cream of Rughv football here, with every man in the pink of condition. The confidence which the Xew South Wales players displayed in the result was one of the most remarkable features of the game, and contrasted with the apprehension of the Xew Zealanders, who doubted whether they would l>e able to combine effectively. as they had not had a match together. Subsequent events proved that the doubt was justified. The weakness of the Xew Zealand team lay in its inability to turn to profit many of the chances that' came its way. It Jacked resourcefulness, dash, and enterprise, and most of the individual members of the team must share the Maine for this. ' PORTER. THE HERO.

The outstanding player on the field, however was an All .Black. C. G. Porter (wing forward), who was here,

there, and everywhere, always doing more than his share of the work, and doing it exceedingly well, llis anticipation of what tho next move would lie was almost uncanny, and whenever the hall was kicked dounlield he was almost invariably waiting for it. He initiated move after move and was untiring. The referee's interpretation of the offside rule was lenient, Init I’orter "as not a very flagrant .offender, although some anticipate that ho will meet with trouble when lie is in England.

Porter's l lay received the close attention of the crowd, and it is safe to say that if he played regularly in Sydney, lie would quickly become tin idol of football followers. I’orter was the Hero of tin* match. M ILL Til K WEAK LINK.

The weakest player in the New Zealand team was Mill (half-back) whose play throughout the match was far below New Zealand representative* standard. He seemed to lack courage and often when he did secure the hall he passed it out wildly, and the pass could nut. he taken. Then the New South Wales forward line would swoop down on the hall, and away it would go at the toe, with the New Zealand-

ers following. Time and again .Mill failed to lie handy when the hall came out of a serum or a melee, lie was far too .slow for the dashing pace that was set hy the home team, and to n large extent he was responsible for the disappointing display given hy the back division.

Among the (hacks, Hart and Lucas, on i.u* wings in the three-quarter line, were the pick, though it was some time before the former settled down, and he missed several passes at critical stages of the game. Tn Lucas’s play there were Hashes of brilliancy, and if ho continues on he is hound to make it name for himself on the English

tour. black tackling weak. Nepia came with a great reputation and the crowd eagerly watched him. When his opportunity came he took the hull brilliantly, and lie kicked it brilliantly—-and tile crowd cheered with delight. After that lie continued to kick brilliantly, hut he developed a roving habit, and was often out of his place. His tackling was hvs* no means sound; hut this was a department in which other members of the team were also surprisingly deficient. Half u dozen times, or more, there was the spectacle oT an All Black swinging an opponent round and round hy the arm. “Tackle low” is a football axiom that should he impressed very thoroughly upon the All Blacks. They wore given a taste of the efficacy of low tackling, hut did not benefit by the example that was set by New South Wales. Besides Hart and T.ilcas, one other hack, A. E. Cooke (live-eighth), stood out. lie figured, in much brilliant work, ami in several passing rushes he had the assitance of l’rown and Lucas, hut Brown lacked brilliancy except for the occasion when he figured in the tactics which resulted in a try towards the end of the second spell. Brown could not gather a pass while the pa'V was on. and more than once the All Bricks were penalised for his olfside pbiy. BA DELEV DISAPPOINTING. The New Zealand captain, C. E. Budolcy, was among the hacks who disappointed. He did nothing to attract attention during the whole afternoon. Nor "as there any evidence that he had a sound control over the tactics employed hv his men. The All Black forwards were slower, and played with less dash than their opponents’ vanguard. Their serum formation was weak, and for that reason they did net secure the advantage that should have been tlmirs. Because of their weight, every lime the serum crumbled up prematurely, ami this released the home forwards, who were quick to harrass the Black hacks, neutralising all ellorts on the part of the New Zealand team to get away with ihe bnII. Only very seldom did the New Zealenders hook the hall out. On ouo occasion, on the twent.v-live line, the hull came out cleanly to Mill, hut a faulty pass prevented a certain score. On almost all ether occasions the hacks were set in motion, not. from a scrum hub as the result of individual brilliancy.

Dribbling rushes by the Black forwards were pleasing features of tho match, hut even in this department the All Blacks were not the masters. Outside Porter, Al. Brownlie was tilt* most successful forward. Hi* showed more initiative than the rest, and was particularly good in line-out work while his tackling was also fairly effective.

Muster*, playing lock, tailed to impress. and White may he placed in the same category. O. Brownlie was distinctly off-colour, hut the rest—lrvine. Munro and Richardson- - played wonderfully well.

WAXTKI): TEAM PRACTICE. It is quite clear that a lack of knowledge "f one another’s play was responsible for the defeat of the All Blacks in their first mutch, and if is reasonable to suppose that they will do better in the remaining Tests. In fite first match there was a complete absence of combination. 'l'ho All Blacks cramped their play and refused to take risks, while the opposite is true of the Xew South Wales team. Xew Zealand "ill do better when tho hull is Hung around, and every opportunity seized.

WAIRAI’.APA BEAT WKIddXGTON. CARTKirrOX. Tidy IfiWairantpa and Wellington met at Carterton to-day in ideal weather conditions. Wairarapa won by IS to I.KACPK FOOTPAI-i*. .SYDNEY, duly In. The English I.oagtie team won their final match in Australia detenu.,g tie Combined Australian Universities *>v 31 to The Englishmen sail by the Manuka on Friday.