ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1928, Page 2

ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

an easy victory

BY 44 TO 8.

(.Special to Press Association)

BULAWAYO, July 14

The New Zealand team had a runaway win over Rhodesia by forty-four points to eight at Rhodesia to-day. There was brilliant sunshine, and the heat was like a New Zealand summer’s day. j

The game was played on a ground of hard red dirt before a crowd of three thousand people. An erratic breeze blew downficld.

Finlayson replaced Cyril Brownlie, who has not recovered from the influenza.

The first spell was • nothing but a series of successful attacks by the visitors, but tbe borne side almost held its own in the latter half of the game.

Play had not been going long before, from an opening from a scrum near Rhodesia’s twenty-five, a pass went to, Johnson, and then to Lilburne, who raced over near tbe posts, and Lindsay converted. N.Z. 5: Rhodesia 0. .* A number of whirlwind attacks by both tbe New Zealand forwards and backs was followed by Johnson kicking down tbe field, after having secured tlie ball from tho ruck. Robilliard picked up and passed to Lucas, who was tackled with the ball. Scrimshaw, backing up, took tbe ball on the bounce and scored -behind the posts. Lindsay converted, making the score N.Z. .10: Rhodesia 0.

The visiting forwards then made matters lively, and from a melee on the home side’s line, Brownlie went over. Lindsay just missed with the kick from the touch line. N.Z. 13: Rhodesia 0. Rhodesia then took a spell at attack, and a short'punt over the heads of the New Zealand backs created an interesting situation, but Lindsay cleared, and pretty in and out passing by the New Zealand hacks placed the visitors once more in a threatening position. However, many mistakes followed, until, from a scrum, Dailey passed to Johnson, who- ran through a gap to score under the posts. Lindsay converted. N.Z. 18: Rhodesia 0.

One minute later, Dailey ran from a scrum and passed to Johnson, who again scored, and Lindsay goaled. N.Z. 23: Rhodesia 0. Snow obtained possession of the ball following the kick-off, and he threw it half way across the field to Lucas, initiating a spectacular movement in which tho ball was handled by Robilliard and Lucas again, then by Lilburne and Swain, and finally by 1 ( inlayson, who completed the effort. Lindsay' failed to convert. Snow was ‘'again responsible for a neat opening, sending Scrimshaw away from the ruck. The latter passed to Rushbroolc, and the Wellington man scored an easy try. Lindsay goaled. making the score at half-time: — NEW ZEALAND 31 RHODESIA 0

The opening of the second half saw Rhodesia indulging in serious tackling, with the consequence that the first few All Black attacks were smashed. Then the fortunes changed. Rhodesia started to throw the hall about in the New Zealand style, play hovering on the New Zealand line for a time. Rushbrook was caught offside under the posts, and Thompson landed a goal. New Zealand 31: Rhodesia 3. New Zealand then revived their whirlwind tactics, and, after a series of spectacular movements Johnson cut in, getting Dailey’s pass from the scrum, and sent Robilliard over far out. Lindsay missed the kick. N.Z. 34: Rhodesia 3. ‘

Hazlett’s turn to score came next: Dailey sent Johnson away from the scrum, and the hall came back to Dailey, who gave it to Hazlett, and the Southland man had a clear run in. Lindsay converted. N.Z. 39: Rhodesia 3.

Tbe greatest excitement of the match came when Rhodesia scored a clever try. Mclntosh intercepted n pass, and kicked neatly over Lindsay’s head, followed up, and scored under the posts. Thompson goaled. N.Z. 39: Rhodesia 8.

There was a bit of mixing among the forwards. Then the Rhodesia backs started to open up again, hut there was no finish to their movements" Brownlie got away from ■ a ruck, and passed to Scrimshaw. Possession was then transferred to Lucas, who sidestepped and swerved his way through to score the last try of the match, which Lindsav converted. NEW ZEALAND 44 RHODESIA ... 8

Rhodesia might he said to 'he 11 babies ” at Rugby. They know little about the finer points of the game. Tho All Blacks, throwing the ball about in true New Zealand style, over-ran their opponents easily in the- first half. In the second spell, Rhodesia, copying the New Zealand tactics, played a fast, open game with the wind behind them, but they could not finish off their movements.

Dailey played a fine game, feeding his hacks generously. Lilburne was uncertain, but he got- away in a couple of good openings. The three-quarter line was seen in many spectacular movements, and Lindsay was always sound. )

Although the New Zealand scrummaging was improved to-day, the visitors were still beaten for the hall, and a surprising feature of the match was that Rhodesia had the, better of fourteen out of twenty-seven line-outs. This was the first time on the tour that Now Zealand had been beaten in this department. Finlnyson, Hazlett, Snow and Brownlie, played good lootball. The team leaves to-morrow for Johannesburg, where the test side will start hard training.