ENGLAND BEAT WALES

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1927, Page 4

ENGLAND BEAT WALES

LONDON, January 17. England npts. Wales 9 “ Not great Rugby, hut a great fight.”

That is how an old player, who has watched most internationals since he ceased to play in them himself, summed up the game at Twickenham. The majority of the 52,000 people who had followed with excited interest the hurly-burly, in-and-out, ujis-and-downs of one of the hardest matches on record, will agree with him. Mistakes were made; there were obvious weaknesses here and there; strength was often more in evidence than brain; and the referee’s whistle was heard too often for •comfort. But, with all its faults, it was a battle royal, an heroic struggle to he remembered.

Conditions could not have been better—weather just cold enough to make rapid movement desirable, sunshine, no wind to matter, and the ground, as seen from the stands at the start, as green and smooth as a cricket pitch. And until the last second the game was us big a “ thriller” as any ” host seller” story of adventure, with every one left guessing until the end as to what the result would ho.

England won by one placed goal, a goal from a mark, and a penalty goal to a penalty and two tries; but even those who waved their hats most vigorously and cheered most loudly over an English victory knew in their hearts that their country had owed much to Fortune. Wales were unlucky, there is no doubt about that, Man for man. the Welsh team were at least as good as the English team. But for the greater part of"thc game Wales wore without I). Jones, one of their best forwards. The match became a battle of fourteen men against fifteen. and it said much for the resolution of the Welshmen that they came near to victory in spite of their heavy handicap. ENGLAND’S FINE DEFENCE. England owed their success to their power of defence rather than to thenpower of attack. Even when Wales were a man short in the scrum the English forwards were so slow iu heeling that the hail generally came out oil the other side, and although many brilliant individual run A were made by the home hacks, tlfe Welsh three-quar-ters showed better combination and more pace. But good tackling saved England time- altey time. Especially was the side saved bv the centres. L. J. Corbett and if. M. Locke. Corbett was lii.s'side’s salvation. He

e was captaining his country for the first |f , time, and so far from the new losponfj sibility unnerving him if seemed to | s give him inspiration. Everyone knew him to lie a good player, hut on Saturday he was a grea player. He was quick in mind as well as in body. He had initiative and in- ._ tuition. Unlike most of his side, he e found touch with his kicks, lie tackled ._ like a hero; he was clever in every possible way; he dropped a goal from a difficult position after making a mark ; and he scored a try which cleI serves to lie described by that very lug , word, memorable. , CORBETT’S GREAT TRY. , In happened like this; Corbett got j the ball after n serum fully forty yards from the Welsh line, with a host of Welshmen in front of him. He did not look round to see if there was anyone to whom to pass; lie did not seek to avoid difficulties by running ( across the field. Instead he dashed ! straight ahead. Hand after hand was ( stretched out to grasp him. With wriggle and side-step he avoided them all. At last came the full-back directly in front of him. But Corbett happens to he an expert in an almost lost art of Rugby—the “ hand-off.” Ho " handed-off ” that "Welsh back to such good purpose as to upset lii's balance. While he was finding his legs the England captain was putting down tlie hall with almost mathematical exactitude between the posts, it was “ child’s play ” for J. Stanlmry to convert. Jinny men since England first played Wales in 1880 have done much to win 1 a game for their side; but no one can ' have played a bigger part in a victory than Corbett, a veteran of 29, played, 1 at Twickenham. j It was a match of ups and downs, c England began as if they were to outplay the Welshmen. For a quarter of ) an hour the game was at the Welsh * end of the ground, but all that came ' from attack after attack was that goal 1 from a mark scored by Corbett. . Then fortune—or. rather, form—. changed suddenly. Wales became tliej attacking power, and twenty-five minutes after the start Rowe Harding scored a try. This was at once a triumph and a tragedy; for in tlie “ movement that led up to it D. Jones j t( received the injury—a dislocated j s j shoulder—which made it impossible for <■( him to take any further part in tliei match. w

Next came Andrews’s try, followed by a penalty goal scored by Stanbury. which was one of the host. Before halftime Corbett did the best tiling of the day—or of most days—and England led bv 11—6.

For the greater part of the second half Wales were potentially a winning team. Shortly before the. end Male kicked an penalty goal. Ten minutes left for play.a mere two points between England and defeat—that was the situation. And those ten minutes seemed very long to English people who had been made to realise how very dangerous those fast and nippy Welsh backs could be when once the ball came their way.

But good scrurii work, good tackling, and judicious touch kicking, kept those two points safe.

The game may go down in history as Wales’s “unlucky match.” Bat it should chiefly be remembered ns “ Corbett’s match.”