FOOTBALL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2331, 20 September 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL

FINAL TEST MATCH

PLAYED IN POURING RAIN.

A DRAWN GAME,

The final test match between New Zealand and the South Africans was played at the Athletic; Park, Wellington, on Saturday afternoon, in pouring rain, and in the presence of about 30,000 people, and resulted, after a strenuous struggle, in a draw, neither side scoring. We are indebted to “Drop Kick” for the trend of the game in tabloid form: —

2.58 p.m. —Pletcher kicked. 3.1 p.m. —New Zealand forward

rush to South Africa’s line,

3.4 p.m.—Springboks pass half-way

for first time. 3.10 p.m. —Springboks in All Blacks’

twenty-five. 3.12 p.m. —New Zealand force. 3.15 p.m. —Free-kick to New Zea-

land. 3.10 p.m.—Free-kick to Springboks. 3.21 p.m.—New Zealand force. 3.24 p.m. —Free-kick to New Zea-

land (own half). 3.20 p.m. —Siddells places New Zea-

land on attack. 3.29 p.m. —Springboks force.

3.32 p.m. —Free-kick to South Af-

rica, marked by Roberts. 3.34 p.m. —Free-kick to New Zea-

land. West sends ball into opposition half. 3.30 p.m—An All Black kick re-

turned. 3.37 p.m. —New Zealand force. 3.40 p.m. Springboks attack strongly. 3.44 p.m. —Half-time. 3.50 p.m.—Kick-off, Fea returning to touch. 4.0 p.m. —Springboks on New Zealand’s line. 4.3 p.m. —Play in mid-field. 4.5 p.m. —New Zealand force. 4.8 p.m. —Vigorous pressure by All Blacks, 4.10 p.m. —Free-kick to New Zealand, M. Nicholls making poor attempt to goal. 4,12 p.m. —All Black forwards attacking strongly. 4.15 p.m. —New Zealand on South Africa’s line. 4.18 p.m. —Referee slightly hurt. 4.20 p.m. —South Africa in opposing half. 4.23 p.m—Mellish receives slight injury. 4.20 p.m. —Roberts marked and found line near corner Hag. 4.29 p.m. —New Zealand forwards attacking. 4.30 p.m. —South Africa force. 4.33 p.m —.South Africa force. 4.35 p.m. —South Africa passed half-way, but repulsed. 4.37 p.m. —Free-kick to Springboks. 4.38 p.m. —Free-kick to New Zealand. 4.40 p.m. —Ail Blacks hammering at Springboks’ line. 4.42 p.m. —South Africa force. 4.45 p.m. —Loose play over halfway. 4.47 p.m. —New Zealand attack cleared, and time sounded.

THE CONTESTING TEAMS

Any allusion to the game as a true trial of strength would he misleading. Actually it was a Test, but jn name only. To expect any players to show their true form on such a day under such circumstances, or to bring into action all the forces built up in training and in hard games throughout the tour was impossible. Tiie heavy rain prior to the game turned the tide of favouritism decidedly against the Springboks. The ground was sodden, continuous rain made it more so as the time fflr play drew near; it would be a mud scramble under conditions in which luck might easily take a hand. And so it proved; but, fortunately, the element of luck did not enter. A Rugby Test was impossible, and the strenuous straggle in mud and rain with a slippery ball ended as it should have done. Taking everything into consideration, a score to either side would have been unsatisfactory.

This was New Zealand’s sixty-

third international contest, and it was the fourth match to be drawn. The other drawn games were: v. New South Wales, at Sydney, 1905; v. Australia, at Sydney, 1907; v. Anglo-Welsh team, at Wellington, 1908. In no previous New Zealand international game had there been no score. Including Saturday’s game, six international matches have been played in Wellington.

st. lb. Full-back. Kingston (Taranaki) 11 7 Three-quarters. Steel (West Coast) .13 (» M. Nicholls (Wellington) 11 0 Siddells (Wellington) 13 1) Five-eighths. Fea (Otago) 12 4 If-w e rs on (A u e k 1 a ml) 11 9 Half. Roberts (Wellington) 11 4 (Captain). Wing-forward. Beilis (Wanganui) 13 10 Forwards. Fogarty (Taranaki) 13 3 Dunean (Otago) 13 0 Moffitt (Wellington) 14 10 Richardson (Otago) 14 s M’Lean (Bay of Plenty) 14 0 West (Taranaki) 13 2 Fletcher (Auckland) 13 8 SOUTH AFRICA. hit. 11). Full-back. G. P. Morkel (West. Prov.) 12 10 Three-quarters. W'. C. Zeller (Natal) 12 0 S. S. Strauss (Griqua West) 12 10 C. Du Meyer (West. Prov.) 12 7 A. van Hccrden (TransvT.) 13 3 Halves. J. P. Mieliau (West, Prov.) 12 2 J. S. de Kock (West. Prov.) 10 2 Forwards. W. H. (Boy) Morkel (West Prov.) 14 0 (Captain.) A. P. Walker (Natal) 13 8 M. Ellis (Transvaal) 15 10 N. J. Mostert (West. Prov.) 13 12 J. W. Van Rooyen (TransvT) 13 13 II. N. Du Plessis (TransvT) 13 13 Royal Morkel (West. Prov.) 17 2 F. W. Mellish (West. Prov.) 13 12