ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1928, Page 2

ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

WIN BY 27 TO NIL.

(.Special to Press Association)

'Deceived this <lav at 9.30 a.m.) BURGHERSDORP, August 1. In a game ill which the All Blacks showed themselves in a scoring mood, New Zealand beat North-Eastern District by three converted tries, two tries and two penalty goals—27 points, to nil.

There was an attendance of 3,000 at Burghersdorp to-day. The ground was sandy with patches of parched grass. The game was a comparatively tame affair hut there were several sparkling incidents, especially scoring movements of the All Blacks. The match contained several interesting incidents as far us the Now Zealanders were concerned. Burrowes has fully recovered from his damaged ribs and played his third game. AY. Alley was rested, Ward acting as lock in the scrums capably. Strang played in place of Dailey and turned out to he an excellent substitute.

New Zealand went to the attack as soon as the whistle blew, Strang sending his backs away from the scrum. Nicholls was caught with the ball, hut Rushbrook raced across the field and opened up play again. A pretty movement followed, Robilliard being tackled near the line. Off-side play by local men gave the All Blacks a penalty and Strang landed a fine goal from well out.

The New Zealanders started throwing the ball about accurately and the North-Easterns were kept busily defending. Eight minutes from the start the New Zealander’s first try came. From a scrum Stewart sent to Strang, Johnson, Nicholls, Lucas and Robilliard handling in turn. The lastnamed finished the argument with a fine dash and scored behind the posts. Strang goaled. With a succession of good line kick" the North-Easterns put themselves on the attack. Their reign was a short one, for they were quickly driven hack by the All Blacks forwards. The latter were playing good football, pushing their opponents off the ball and the hacks were galloping in fine style, their handling being perfect. A penalty came to New Zealand from which Nicholls kicked a fine goal, forty yards out.

Yan Heerden led the Eastern forwards’ in a good movement, which reached Lilburne before it was stopped. The Eastern hacks had a couple of attempts at missing rushes, but their handling was weak, and the opposing backs broke through. From a line-out on the townty-five. Burrowes shot out end passed to At. Brownlie, who scored an easy try under the posts and Nicholls goaled. The play had hardly started when Strang worked the blind side, and Johnson heat his man and sent Rushbrook over near the posts. Nicholls just missed a goal. llall time came without any further score. \ minute after resuming Nicholls opened up the. game from a clearing kick by Wakcford. The ball was handled bv Snow, Stewart, Brownlie, Lucas and finally by Robilliard wlio swerved over at the corner. Strang’s kick missed. . There was only one side in the picture now, the All Blacks dominating the game fore ami aft. Nicholls next showed up in one of his characteristic dashes, cutting in field, but bis pass went astray.

There was a fine rally by the Eastern forwards which had the All Blacks in a tumble. They stormed the New Zealand citadel for a time and tliter hacks had a run but Nel dropped his pass. Tlie New Zealand backs broke clean away and Nicholls made a fine run of forty yards and i lien passed to Lucas who raced past the full back and scored under the posts, Strang converting.

The Now Zealand backs were combining in run alter run at this stage, Strang, Johnson, Nicliolls and Lucas showing splendid form. A clever blind side movement saw Strang, Jolmson and Rusbbrook go well down the line and the forwards carried on with a pretty piece of dribbling. From a scrum Stewart and Robilliard got away, but the movement broke down within inches of the line. At this stage the referee took exception to talking on the field and warned both sides. Later it appeared that Stewart had been ordered off for answering the referee back. Nieholls and Brownlie intervened and the incident passed over. Several good runs by the All Blacks backs had the Easterns puzzled, two of them only just missed ending in a score and the game then ended. It ■is now definitely known that Sheen will not play during the rest of the tour. He was limping on a. walking stick to-day-.

Cyril Brownlie’s injury to his knee on Saturday- turned out to be more serious than at first thought, and probably it will be some weeks before he can play- again.