IN LAP OF THE GODS

NZ Truth, Issue 1189, 13 September 1928, Page 16

IN LAP OF THE GODS

A Penalty Try Gives All Blacks A Test Victory

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative.)

When sixteen thousand people emerged from Carisbrook ground last Saturday after witnessing the second test against the visiting Waratahs, the action of Referee McKenzje m awarding a penalty try to Porter when nearly twenty yards from the goal line was more the subject of comment than the actual merits of the game.

•THBRB is little doubt about the tiy 1 being m . order, though, perhaps,' a penalty kick which would have been a sure goal and brought the scores even' would have given a fairer indication of a game m which honors were more or less even. Porter was between fifteen and twenty yards from his objective when collared, but most people know Cliff's pace Is not what It was. But frith a veritable mass of black Jerseys beside him and not a Waratah m? front it looked a moral. On the other hand, the men from the wattle land*' are all fast and seldom make a fault m tackling. They were unlucky that the incident . took place at such a vital stage of the game. , The crowd certainly gasped' with astonishment when the try was indicated Just as a hum of astonishment went round a few moments earlier when a brilliant' touch-down by Freitas was discounted ■ on the strength of a hesitant signal from one of the touch judges. ._' •„ The game was olean, lively and froe from the discordant note of persistent appealing. • • . ■ ■ But for a Test match it was never on. the market of -first-rate Rugby. A few overwhelming bursts by the home forwards In the second spell were the only exhibitions of what the black Jersey Btands for, while the Aussies gave only a Jack-in-the-box display of their reputation for slinging the leather about. Swinging into action from the line-out, the blues' back . division gave promise of what the crowd was expecting of them.. But Burge dropped his pass and the ball found' its way over to Snodgrass, who raced a few yards before being well grassed by his marker, Hemingway. The tall Cornstalks, ' Munsie and Loudon, were asserting themselves m

the line-outs, but m the ruck, the blacks prevailed. Back at half-way, the ball was hooked ' cleanly for Holden to hand to Bradanovich, who tried a cut-in, but was grabbed before he got away. From another scrum, the leather got out to McClymont who toed and followed up, the ball going out by the corner. In a neat bit of work, Hook transferred to Snodgrass and came round. to handle again before the movement was squashed. Back m the centre, Porter intercepted a pass from the New South Wales skipper and half-back, Malcolm. Robinson was m support and took charge from the black captain. * • Robinson was running hard for the line when he was well taken, but regaining possession he '.dived for a try. Play had been going for ten minutes. The All Blacks vanguard came back to the attack from th,e kick-off, and but. for Malcolm's promptness In gathering up and punting, the Aussies would have been m trouble. Mehrteris fielded to try a pot at goal, Which Westfield collected t,o send to half-way with a fine touch kick. Phipps broke away with plenty of support a moment later and Mehrtens had to get down to a solid front, the ball finishing m touch., in goal, Following the drop-out, Snodgrass made a foolish move Tiy chasing along his own twenty-five line. He was well smothered before he got rid of the ball and Loudon, ever on the ball, snapped it. up, to let Cerutti and O'Connor, handle befQre the latter crossed. Malcolm failed with the kick. > The Welshmen were now right on the Job, and George, picking up from the loose, punted to the open field to put his team well on the attack.. The black defence held and play re J turned to half-way, where Snodgrass with a great penalty kick, Just missed •the points. '. ..'.■ , 1 Knight was doing some valuable .: ivvo'rk;'in(- the {tight, and Porter was K. away when it came to :'i 'sppilingJv the; Welshmen's back : 'enterprise*; ; r iCobke was prominent m th.c early stages of the game, , but the Aussies soon ■ tightened up their central defence and made a "bird" of Cooke. From a cross-kick, Cooke passed infield to Robinson and perfect tackling ;vvas the -only thing that held them m jch'eck.: Burge sent play back to (halfway with a good line-kick. • ; ; Collecting a bounce shortly afterjwards, Tower.3 beat two men and finished up a great run not ten yards 'frjom. a .try: m the corner. j jThe; '.blues.; didn't let go their grip on the opposition's ground and Burge, putting .out -Cooke, kept his team with-' {iri striking: distance. Roseriblum snap-. 'ppd : up : the' leather, but; was pulled idOwh before he could cross and the ball rolled forward. Holden fumbled, and Loudon stretched, himself -out to register a score. George added the minor points. • At times the All Blacks' tackling was worse than school boy si and' the Waratah baoks, through bunohlng

and indecision, missed a number of open chances. From a penalty, Snodgrass made a splendid attempt to send the leather over, but the wind lulled as he kicked and the allowance he had made was obvious. However, Bradanovich notched the three points not a minute after, from a penalty when Porter was tripped m front of the visitors' goal. Brilliant passing was executed by Munsie and Rosenblum, the latter sending to Malcolm, who headed straight for the posts. A knock- on killed what looked like a sure score. Immediately following, from a scrum near the corner, Malcolm left the home team gasping, by snapping up a cleanly-hooked ball and nipping over on the blind side. > ' . i"Whefe was Snodgrass?" came from a number of spectators near the Press stand. Towers was not equal to the angle for the goal. The half-time score was New South Wales 11, New Zealand 6. .'•■.:•■■■-•.>:■■.;:'/'•&■•.. Lamb 'and Munsie went .out 'in a dribbling rush soon after resuming^ and, following a scramble, Porter was nabbed indulging In off-side tactjcs. A man m front robbed the Aussies of the advantage. ißartley got < possession from the throw-in and punted for his backs to get on! to. McClymont, however, reversed the situation with a fine kick. Following up, the black vanguard laid on heavy pressure, but to no avail. Westfield's dexterous kicking was a feature of the match. Repeatedly he turned defence into attack and saved his forwards' Energy for which .he received a number of ovations. . -. It was m fielding one, of the little Welshman's long punts and 'searching for touch with a grubber kick that Mehrtens nearly let the opposition m for another try. v ; The fast blue forwards were there to take up a dangerous dribbling rush and the blacks were all out to hold the

fort. A free-kick against Rosenblum for a glaring bit of off-side, brought the visitors' back to their own territory and an interchange of punting followed. Knight was playing: a solid game, but few m the line- outs could outreach the lanky Munsie, who fed Malcolm consistently.' '.'■"}.&■*" Porter, however, was spoiling m characteristic style. ,~ / The Australians still maintained the better of the game and proved it m several smartly^- engineered movements. The crowd rose with excitement as 1 Hemingway intercepted m fine fashion, and, evading .Mehrteris, had . a clear headway for the posts. Snodgrass came across at a great pace and hauled down the thirteenstoner not four yards from the line. It was the incident of the match. Immediately following, Hemingway was m the picture again by topping off a fine passing bout and scoring near the corner. Towers, failed to goal. With eight points down and with time drawing on, the;"xesult looked like forming the first letter of defeat for the wearers of ihe:' fern-leaf, but like a draught horse making a superb effort to shift his heavy load, the forwards came down m a tremendous thrust which terminated m Knight bullocking over. Bradanovich added the goal. The lust for victory ;; inspired the home team to something like All Black form and the pack hammered away with another effort..' •.' :y In a passing bo.iit, ail the New Zealand backs handled- 'the' ball; .but they ran straight across the field and. gained but little headway.., Hblde'n'-s.; passes lacked the sting which ,. gets, :the. back line off the mark. ' „.' '.'...•■ ( Gomrier Thompson, brpke • away' with the. bail .at toe from 'a' scramble, but encountered Cooke, r who found the line. McClymorit was next prominent' with a iojng punt ' which' he "backed up' to regain possession.' Smairl brought him down before he became dangerous. The crowd displayed disappointment when Freitas, after a brilliant dash, was tackled as he crossed near the posts and, was then recalled to a line-out. The touch judge showed some indecision m his signal. . The New Zealanders were now making it tiring 1 for the visitors and every man was out to alter the aspect of the score board. The blues came back with a valiant effort to consolidate their lead, but the home team was infused with renewed vigor, and m a Supreme rush, brushed the opposition aside., *''" '• , . ' Steere, heading the party,' transferred to Cooke, who handed over to Willoughby. Porter was alongside for the n^xt : pass, but was before he could collect. ' ■The referee signalled a try eight yards, from, the posts.- Bradanovich made no mistakes with the winning points. , The Aussies mustered all they had for a final rally m the last ten minutes, but when the gong sounded the home team was still knocking at the door with the Welshmen fatigued by strenuous defending. The final score wan New- Zealand 10, New South Wales 1.4. <■■■:•' "