ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 5 June 1928, Page 2

ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

NEW ZEALAND BEATEN. BY 7 TO 3. (Special to Press Association). CAPETOWN, June 2. The New Zealand Rugby team met to-day one of the strongest sides that they will have to face on their tour of South. Africa outside the test matches, when they played the AVestern Provinces combined team. After a. game that was full of thrills, the All Blacks lost by 7 points to 3. The match took place on the Newlauds ground, which was in good condition. The attendance numbered twen-ty-five thousand.

Losing the toss, tlie visitors liacl to play against the ivind in the first half, and they were kept on the defence for most of the time. The New Zealand backs showed much better form than they did on Wednesday, and the All Black forwards put more vim into their play and more system into their work, but still there was something missing, ns the New Zealanders were far from exhibiting the forceful and smashing play that chain jterised the trial matches in New Zealand. On the other hand the side produced far better stopping power than in those games in New Zealand. A big feature of the All Blacks’ game was the rock-like defence against the great disadvantage ot the wind. The Western Province men’s strategy was continually to attack by a succession of kicks The South Africans, indeed, used clever, deadly accurate line kicks, which, under the rules as played in South Africa, continually forced the defenders back, but these kicks would not be nearly so effective under the New Zealand system. In this sort of work Bennie Osier, a player whose name must have become wellknown in New Zealand by the frequent references to his capabilities, and who must be called South Africa’s Cooke, stood out prominently. Notwithstanding the gruelling that they were subjected to in the first half, the first score came to the All Blacks about three minutes before the end of the first half. They started a desperate sortie, backs and forwards alike carving their way through the defence, and completely smashing their opponents. From a tangled knot of plunging men, Stewart shot the ball to Johnson, who cut in brilliantly, and then passed on to" Scrimshaw. The N.Z. wing-forward crossed the line, hut he failed to touch down, and he lost the ball. Nicholls, however, had followed up closely, and in a headlong race

Nicliolls got there first and secured the hall to score in the corner. His kick at goal was not successful. Immediately after what should have been a certain was lost through Carleton dropping a final pass after a brilliant movement by the All Blacks backs who had made an opening for him. The spell then ended with the score New Zealand 3: Western Province 0.

Straight away upon resuming, the Provinces instituted a strong attack, and forced their way close to the line. There Ward made the unpardonable blunder of allowing the homo team a penalty by his off-side play, almost under the goal posts; but, most fortunately for New Zealand Osier’s kick hit the upright. This did not matter much, for a scrum followed, five yards out, and, in attempting to .clear, the hall was kicked by the visitors info Rousseau ! s hands. Then Rousseau dropped a goal amid the wild enthusiasm of the spectators. From a line out, Dailey sent his backs away in their best movement of the day, which ended in (ironside being pushed out near the corner, after a sparkling run. By the time, however, that the spell was half-way through, the All Blacks appeared to be done, as the result either of their severe experience in the first spell, or of the peculiar qualities of the air here, which have a strong effect on those who are strangers to it, and these qualities are Stated to be much worse in the high land of the Interior. Once again the Province team forced the pace, and obtaining possession from the scrums their hacks were set at liberty to indulge in passing. There was a series of brilliant South African rushes, though only one of these succeeded. Westhuizen, the centre-three-quarter, cut in cleverly, and then passed to Pienaar. The latter started off on a shattering run. Pienaar mowed down every tackier and he landed over the line at the corner, but no goal was kicked. Lilburne, the New Zealand full-back was laid out in trying to stop Pienaar, but be recovered after receiving attention. There was no further score by the time that the whistle went, and the game ended:—

WESTERN PROVINCE NEW ZEALAND

The key-note to the local side’s success was that they beat the New Zealand forwards for possession of the ball in the scrums, three times to one.

Mr Theo. Pienaar, who was Captain of the Springbok team which toured Now Zealand in 1921, made an excellent referee.