BRIGHT RUGBY

Southland Times, Issue 21095, 29 May 1930, Page 8

BRIGHT RUGBY

■ BRITISH TEAM MANAWHENUA BEATEN — THIRTY-FOUR TO EIGHT PRENTICE IN FINE FORM (Per United Press Association, 1 ) Palmerston North, May 28. In a game which must be considered the best of tne three so far played on the tour, the British Rugby team defeated Manawhenua by 34 points to 8. The visitors played with perfect co-ordin-ation between backs and forwards and particularly in the second spell, the rearguard gave an indication of waxing strength which threatens any side in the Dominion, evidence that the tourists are improving as the tour progresses for both in fitness and finish of movements there was an improvement over the two previous games. Manawhenua was by no means a weak side, but was dominated fore and aft by the combination and speed of the visitors. Aarvold was the outstanding back on the field, making numerous openings and participating in all the movements. Poole at scrum half was very sound, tricking the opposition on several occasions with reverse passes. The British backs were very versatile, handling often from their own twenty-five and turning defence into attack.. The. forwards fed them well and participated in many rearguard movements. Dribbling was a feature of their play, and they proved very dangerous near the lin'e. The visitors again were not particularly successful on lino-outs, the Manawhenua forwards, according to a table, securing the greater por- • tion of possession in line-out and set scrums. The British captain, Prentice, who was making his first appearance of the tour, was the outstanding forward on the ground anti with five conversions, one penalty and one try, contributed 16 points to the total. At periods during the game, Manawhenua more than held their own, but the ability of the visitors to turn the tables with lightning rapidity was often demonstrated. A crowd estimated at 12,000 watched the game and the town was en fete for the occasion. Despite a boisterous morning, the afternoon was cold but fine, a westerly wind keeping the ground in fair condition. The teams were as follows: Britain. Full-back: 11. Jennings (13.8). Three-quarters: A. L. Novis (12.2), C. D. Aarvold (13.0), T. Jones-Davies (11.6), J. Reeve (13.10. Half-backs: H. M. Bowcott (12.0), N. Poole (12.0). Forwards: S. Martindale (14.2), D. Parker (15.2), H. Jones (13.12), M. J. Dunne (13.12), J. L. Farrell (13.11), F. D. Prentice (14.7), J. McD. Hodgson (14.10), H. Wilkinson (12.9), M. J. Dunne (12.9). Manawhenua. Full-back: Meta Johnson (list.). Three-quarters: M. Strange (list 21b), Fletcher (list.), Page (12st 11b). Five-eighths: Riduell (lOst 51b), Akuira (12st 61b) . . Half-back: W. Parata (list 51b). Wing-forward: T. Parata (tost 41b). -Forwards: Henry (tost 131 b), Fitzgerald (12ft 101 b), Miles (14st), Galpin-(l4st 31b), Conrad (list 61b), Satherley (lost 51b), Tatana (13st 71b). At half-time the British team did not leave the field, but the Manawhenua skipper asked permission of the referee and the home side went off. Prentice took all the kicks for the visitors and missed only once. The Game. In the first spell, Manawhenua, playing against the wind, held the visitors to an 11 point lead, consisting of a penalty by Prentice and tries by Jones-Davies and , Aarvold respectively. Two tries came trom concerted rearguard movements in which the visitors were seen at their best. The first try in the seiond spell was scored by Prentice following an opening caused by Aarvold selling a beautiful dummy. A few minutes later offside play saw' Prentice given an opportunity to add another penalto from a good position. With 19- points against them, Manawhenua opened their account from a spectacular solo run by the full-back Johnson who intercepted a pass in his own twentyfive, Conrad following up Johnson’s kick and T. Parata scoring for Akuira to add the extras. Britain’s next try came from a bright open back movement in which Aarvold made an opening for Jones-Davies and Wilkinson to handle before sending Novis over. At this stage, Britain were at their best, Hodgkinson and Novis scoring in quick succession from fast open movements which had Manawhenua badly bustled. The last score of the game was registered by the home side when Page chased the ball half the length of the field for Fletcher to score. Akuira’s kick failed and the final score was 34 to 8 in favour of the Britishers. Mr J. King, Taranaki, was referee. PACE WINS' VISITORS BEATEN IN SCRUMS. AARVOLD A GENIUS. (Special Representative—Copyright.) Palmerston North, May 28. Unable to profit from a- vast superiority in set scrums and lineouts, Manawhenua provided the British team with its biggest harvest to date. At intervals during the match Britain clapped on the pressure to score a paralysing sequence of tries, and • though between times Manawhenua had a fair share of the game, it was rarely able to turn its position to account. Britain was substantially aided by the fine goal-kicking by Prentice who, in his first appearance, made himself with 16 points (five conversions and'■two penalty goals), the side's highest scorer to date. As the game wore on Prentice, who at first was inclined to mishandle, settled down to play a fine game. -He was consistently prominent with sound footwork which showed the value of early training in the soccer code. The dribbling of the British forwards was superior to anything they have yet ■ shown. It enabled them to resist the repeated massed attacks of the fine Manawhenua pack which battled to the bitter end and was actually having the better of the argument at the finish. Fears that the British hookers would establish superiority over New Zealand front rows have not so far been realized. .When Manawhenua got ,the ball to-day it usually came out far more quickly than when Britain got it. On the flank of the scrum T. Parata play, ed a ruthless wing-forward game, taking every possible liberty and giving Poole, who was at first disinclined to face the music, a hectic time. Parata’s methods, however, sacrificed several penalties, from one which Prentice opened the British scoring with a nice goal. Britain’s next score came sensationally, Prentice gathering the kick off to send a long overarni pass crossfield to Bowcott, who sent the backs away sweetly, Reeve in-passing 1 to Jones-Davis, who scored a 7 the first spell the British backs searched for openings, but- though several times the defence was beaten, fumbling at critical moments marred the oppor-

tunities. Johnston was playing a fine fullback game for Manawhenua, gathering cleanly and tackling well. From one particularly hot corner he extricated himself cleverly to dodge several men and find the line well out. • I A Bright Movement. The British attack could not be denied, however, and Poole, scooping the ball from the ground with a dive pass, sent JonesDavies, Aarvold and Novis away in a bright movement, from which Aarvold, taking an in-pass from Novis, scored behind the posts for Prentice to goal. Improving every game, Aarvold to-day stamped himself as the real constructive genius of the British threequarter line. He had a hand in nearly, every movement, his pace, fine hands and deceptive feint repeatedly opening a gap for the wings. The British move to which New Zealand teams have not yet dropped is the wings' habit of joining in between scrum and’stand-off half to give a man over at the other end of the line.

At half-time Britain’s lead of 11 points seemed hardly enough to counter the strong wind which would assist Manawhenua in the second spell. As in the earlier matches, however, calculations were upset by the lightning bursts in which both backs and forwards combined throughout the second spell.

Manawhenua, contrary to Mr Baxter's edict, had left the field at the interval after securing the referee’s formal permission, this move being greeted by the crowd with ironic laughter and cries of “Where’s Baxter.” Another laughable interlude occurred when a policeman climbed to the roof of the grandstand to evict the large crowd of spectators who were getting a splendid view of the proceedings from the vantage point of the roof. Fast Work. The second spell opened sensationally with the British forwards chasing the kick-off to get clear away, Wilkinson crossing, only to be recalled for stepping out. Tne respite was short, howe.er, as the British hammered incessantly, putting on eight points in a few minutes. Jones-Davies, who was playing his first game, had impressed with elusive runs, but according to a prearranged plan, he changed places with Novis in the second Spell to see how he would shape on the wing. He shaped exceptionally well, but Novis at first appeared uncomfortable in the centre, his fumbling halting several promising moves. A slashing Manawhenua forward attack took the play to the British quarters whence Parker and Prentice came away in a fine dribbling rush which ended in the backs taking a hand, Jones-Davies in-passing to Wilkinson who, when overhauled by Johnston, passed to Farrell for a fine try. A penalty goal by Prentice followed, but with Britain 19 points up, Manawhenua rallied, T. Parata scoring a good try from a raking forward rush. Akiura converted. This heartened Manawhenua to further efforts, supported by urgings of the excited crowd, but after a period of loose play the British regained the ascendancy; Novis (two) and Hodgson cracking on successive tries, all of which Prentice converted. As at Taranaki, the British were throwing the ball about with exhiliarating freedom, the attack swinging from side to side at a bewildering pace. Just before the final whistle Jones-Davies just failed to hold a difficult ball. Page thereupon booted through for the final try. Brilliant Backs. Most of the second spell, however, there was only one team in it. Every British back was dangerous if allowed the slightest freedom of movement. Poole, though often hedged about by the Manawhenua forwards crowding round the scrum, got the ball away from difficult positions, his unorthodox methods frequently defeating the Manawhenua spoilers. Poole's use of the reverse pass from the base of the scrum is extremely clever. To-day, as on Saturday, the British backs exploited tricks which New Zealand has almost forgotten. The cross-kick was used effectively and sometimes a swift change in direction'and concerted attacks had the defence badly tangled up. . Bowcott again ran beautifully straight, but his erratic passing may have contributed to occasional breakdowns in the British movements. Novis showed amazing speed in getting his tries in the second spell. Reeve too was ever dangerous, though to the general surprise he was once overhauled by the Manawhenua sprinter Strange when apparently clear away.

Like Johnston, Jennings, playing his second game as full-back for Britain, was safety itself, kicking a very long ball and fielding cleanly. He was rarely in serious trouble, while in stopping Strange in full cry during the second spell, he showed capacity as a desperate tackler. Among the Manawhenua forwards, who won 18 lineouts to Britain’s 9 and 22 scrums to Britain’s 15, Conrad was outstanding. In the British pack Parker Prentice, Hodgson and Farrell stood out, Parker showing greatly improved form. Few sides have the present team's. capacii v of Combining the backs with the forwards in united attacks. The forwards in some instances seem as fast as the backs. Hodgson showed a very clean pair of heels when scoring his try after Jennings coming up to the flank of the threequarter line bad crosskicked judiciously. Hodgson has also shown himself adept at handing out a dummy pass. - . _ To-day’s match was played in a pleasant spirit, but the referee, Mr J. King, New Plymouth, had to have repeated heart-to-heart talks with the .opposing hookers. The British insisted on going down and shoving before the ball was in. British forwards believe that when they get used to the New Zealand scrumming methods, they will get a greater share of the ball. At present they cannot rely on getting it except from

loose scrummages, but their attacks are launched at such pace that whether from set scrums or otherwise, they are always dangerous. THE WING-FORWARD MR BAXTER’S REMARKS. “A STORM IN A TEA CUP.” (Per United Press Association.) New Plymouth, May 28. “Just a storm in a tea cup,” said Mr A. McLeod, chairman of the Taranaki Rugby Union, when .asked to express an opinion regarding Mr J. Baxter’s references to the wing-forward in New Zealand. “The whole tone of Mr Baxter’s speech- and the immediate context made it quite plain to the listeners that the use of the word ‘cheat’ was applied in a sporting sense to convey the speaker’s sense of the referees’ inability to adequately govern the movements of an obstructive winger,” he said. “I heard Mr Baxter’s references to this matter both at Wanganui and New Plymouth, and it is only fair to him to say that I saw no occasion to take exception' to any of his remarks, which were made in quite a sporting and a friendly spirit and constituted only fair comment from his point of view.” SYDNEY COMMENT “A CANCEROUS GROWTH ON THE GAME.” (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) Sydney, May 28. The football editor of the Sydney Morning Herald declares that Mr James Baxter’s criticisms of the New Zealand wing-forward were apparently not directed at the individuals, but at the method which had developed into a cancerous growth on the game. “His frank utterances,” the critic says, “will have the unanimous support of every country except New Zealand. No cleaner and more chivalrous athletes can be found (han Beiliss and Porter to mention but two wing forwards of modern times. Their methods, however, transgress the laws of the game and the authority must take the blame for persisting in illegal play after the sin has repeatedly been revealed. New Zealand stands in infamous imperial isolation in its defiance of the canons of the great game.”