VALE AUSSIES

NZ Truth, Issue 1192, 4 October 1928, Page 16

VALE AUSSIES

Wairarapa Wins Last Game (From "N.Z. Truth's" Masterton Rep.) It' was unfortunate for the New South Wales team that the weather clerk turned on the big tap fpr the last match of their tour of New Zealand, played against Wairarapa at Masterton last week. W/iTH a dry ground there would " have been some bright work among the backs. New South Wales were unlucky m that the mud did not suit their style of play. The home backs went well while the going was good, but their forwards failed later to adapt themselves to conditions as did the. visiting pack. Wairarapa foun,d themselves beaten at flrst by the 3-2-3 formation of the visitors, but at length they managed to get a fair share, of the ball, from the scrum. New South Wales always had a man ready to take the ball, m the loose, ahd this was a noticeable feature of their play' m defence. The Wairarapa men were at times inclined to over-run the leather, and this did not re-act m their favor. As was only to be expected, the handling by both sides was often faulty. The large Wairarapa crowd which watched the game were delighted with their stalwarts. The home team were on their mettle. . It was evident that as they filed out on to a ground already slush, from the driving rain, they saw the necessity to throw every ounce of effort into the game before the . ball became too heavy. Playing up to that principle won them the match m the early stages. The home backs were sent away from the scrum m the visitors' 25 m a brilliant dash. The leather was whipped through to Jury for the. winger to cross for a try m the corner. Cundy made a magnificent conversion. -: Wairarapa's second try was lucky. Their forwards were battling m the visitors' 25, and when Burge kicked the ball out to the wing he reckoned on a clearance and not on; Yates. The latter took up the leather, and seeing his chance, beat his marker for a try wide out. Before the end of the spell Cundy gathered a penalty from a difficult angle, and followed it up with another penalty. This made his contribution for the day eight points. It was not by. any great work that the visitors secured their first score before the whistle for half-time. Yates had run down to retrieve the leather from his own twenty-five, and handed back to koach at full-back to clear. Roach's kick struck a player, and Loudon snapped up the ball to go over m the corner. Croft found the goal m a style that indicated his booting power on a dry ground. Aussies Hard In the second half Wairarapa found that matters were not going to be so easy for them. New South Wales began to acclimatize themselves. Their forwards kept the ball at their toes, and as that was wiser than trying to pick it up, they began to make themselves felt. Wairarapa were slow to follow the example, and In consequence they were forced to defend sternly. From a melee near the posts New South Wales got m their second and last try. The ball went out to Towers, who got over m the corner for Croft again to make a good conversion. That ended the game 17-10 m favor of Wairarapa. . . *• ... Jury was the -best.man m the Wairarapa three-quarter line.. Although guilty, of, offside play he played a good attacking game. . -.... Co'oke showed up to most advantage m the second half, when, he defended valiantly. His luck ' was right out and on two occasions I he was robbed of a try when within his grasp. "'.'*! Hart, at half,- was a battler all through. It seemed that the ball could not be kept away from him.' A player, this, who has shown great improvement, and who should go far.. The players who were "prominent among the New South Welshmen were Loudon.in the forwards, Towers at second five-eighths and Croft on the right wing. The first-named was a good attacking forward. Croft' showed some speed on the wing.