ANOTHER SUBSTANTIAL WIN FOR ALL BLACKS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2794, 7 October 1924, Page 3

ANOTHER SUBSTANTIAL WIN FOR ALL BLACKS.

LEICESTER. DEFEATED BY * 27 POINTS TO NIL.

In the seventh match of their tour ihe New Zealand footballers beat Leicester by 27 points to nil. The All Blacks led by 16 points at the interval. A converted try, an nneonverted try and a penalty goai were subsequently added. To date 157,000 people have witnessed the seven matches, an increase of abouti 100,000 on the opening seven games of the 1905 tour. Enthusiasts up and down New Zealand will he disappointed to see that the personnel of the team has not. been cabled out. From the report, the following seem to have been playing:— Pull-back: G. Nepia; three-quar-ters.: F. W. Lucas, K. S. Svenson (centre), J. Steel; five-eighths: M. F. Nicholls; half: W. C. Dailey; winger: C. G. Porter (captain) ; support: J.. Richardson; back row: L. F. Cupples, A. White; hookers : H. G. Munro,' There is no indication as to who the other four players were, but N. P. McGregor may have filled the second five-eigh-th position. Pu L. Stewart probably went down with Richardson and McCleary may have had his first game in front of serum. The lock is not indicated. The conditions were perfect, for the game. The weather was faultless, the ground in excellent order and the attendance thirty thousand. The N.Z. team was at its best and gave its finest, all-round display yet provided on the tour. The passing was superb and the backing up unfailing. With their height, speed and stamina, the All Blacks were overwhelmingly superior. Leicester adopted the N.Z. scrum, but in this they failed, mainly on account of insufficient weight in the side and back rows to give the hookers the opportunity to beat the N.Z. pair for the ball. After the interval they occasionally had three men in the frontrow. Leicester’s passing movements were weak, the exchanges being of the slow', single-handed, lobbed style vastly different from the fast, low’ passing and characterising play of their opponents. Prom the actual kick off! Dailey secured the ball and set the New Zealand attacking machine in piotion. Leicester strove hard to keep their line intact, but the Black forwards supported the attack with fast dribbling rushes, which enabled Cupples to score the first try of the day from the ruck. Nicholls failed to convert. N.Z. 3, Leicester nil. The try was scored twelve minutes after the start. The All Blacks forwards and backs continued to combine well in attack, first a dribbling rush, then a speedy passing movement threatening to add to their score at any minute. Nor was there long to wait, for three minutes after the first score Richer ds on dived over near the posts to score his first try in England. Nicholls converted. N.Z. 8, Leicester, nil. Leicester for a while looked like evening matters to some extent,

pressing .the visitors back into their own territory from where a home player was almost successful in an attempt to drop a goal. They could not, however, long suppress the sparkling play of the New Zealanders, who retaliated with a beautiful passing movement which was commenced by Lucas on the left wing. The dashing Aucklander raced into an attacking position in Hie centre of the field from where lie initiated a passing movement, in which-all the backs participated, the ball eventually being transferred to Steel’s wing. At onee the powerful West. Coaster was away on one of his most formidable efforts, his pace and weight seeing him through, and bumping past the opposing wing and full back he scored in a convenient position from which Nicholls easily converted. N.Z. 13, Leicester nil.

The AH Blacks were not. to be satisfied with the success already gained, but continued to hammer relentlessly at the home team’s door. They swung into attack magnificently and passed flawlessly. Leicester fought, back for a while but soon the All Blacks were over again after the ball had traversed from Dailey, through the hands of all the hack’s, to Lucas who sped down the line, outpacing the opposition and scoring in the corner. A difficult task confronted Nicholls, who just failed with the kick. N.Z. 16, Leicester nil.

In the face of a sixteen-point lead for N.Z., Leicester fought a dogged battle in the closing stages of the first spell. Twice they menaced the N.Z. line, but Nepia was sound and repulsed opposing forwards with well judged line kicking, and halflime was called witli the margin still sixteen points in favour of N.Z. A remarkable improvement-in the homo team’s form was the surprise of die second spell. The ha (tie was much more even and Leicester’s recovery was truly wonderful, though due mainly to the forwards who asserted themselves and at times carried all before them. Swooping down on the N.Z. line they twice compelled the visitors to resort to forcedowns and provided some anxious moments for their defence. A troublesome period for the visitors terminated when Porter got out into tlie open with', the ball, and after a fine run transferred to Richardson. The Black foiwards- charged on irresistibly with two Southlanders, Richardson and White, at the fore, the latter getting across. Nicholls converted. N.Z. 21, Leieested 0. Continuing , to get plenty of the ball, the Black backs were sent awav time and lime again and at last Svenson raced across the line, hut his success was not shared by Nicholls who failed with die kick.

Injury to a leg compelled Munro to retire. The game continued brightly to the last, but only one other score came, when an infringement by the home team resulted in Nicholls kicking a penalty goal, making the final score: N.Z. 27, Leicester 0.