FOURTH WIN

Southland Times, Issue 21098, 2 June 1930, Page 8

FOURTH WIN

BRITISH TOUR WAIRARAPA-BUSH BEATEN BY 19 TO 6 HARD FOUGHT GAME (Per United Press .Association.) Masterton, May 31. The British Rugby team notched their fourth successive win to-day when they defeated the combined Wairarapa-Bush team at Memorial Park by 19 points to 6. Ideal conditions prevailed both overhead and underfoot and there was an attendance of over 10,000. Although the visitors won, it was certainly their hardest game of the tour and the margin of points does not really indicate the respective merits of the teams. Wairarapa more than held their opponents in the first spell, which ended three all. In the second half the honours were fairly even until ten minutes before time when the Britishers rattled on ten points with bright, snappy back play. The Britishers again gave an improved showing, the backs having more combination than in the earlier games. Wairarapa set the pace at the outset, their pack especially dominating play in the first half and having the visitors’ backs rattled. The forwards were evenly matched in the- loose, but Wairarapa-Bush were superior in set scrums and tight play. The visitors’ backs were nippy and fast and gave some delightful displays. The teams were: BRITAIN. Full-back.—G. M. Bonner (12.5). Three-quarters.—J. C. Morley (11.0), A. L. Novis (12.2), T. 0. Knowles (13.0), J. S. Reeve (13.10). Half-backs. —R. S. Spong (13.0), T. Murray (11.7). Forwards.—ll. O'Neill (14.0), D. Parker (15.2), A. Kendrew (14.10), J. L. Farrell (13.11), B. H. Black (14.4), Ivor-Jones (13.9)’, C. R. Beamish (15.4), captain, W. B. Welsh (13.7). WAIRARAPA-BUSH. Full-back: Roach. Three-quarters: Harris, Stringfellow, Fuller. Five-eighths: Jury, Corkill. Half: Mill. Wing-forward: J. Donald (captain). Forwards: Reid, Irvine; Henderson, Harvey, Reside; Mahoney, Gerrard. Roach, the Wairarapa-Bush full-back, played an outstanding game and overshadowed Bonner. His kicking was superb. Corkiil was sound in defence, and Fuller did well with his kicks. Irving, Reid and Harvey were the best of Wairarapa’s pack and played Stirling games. Spong was the outi standing back in the visitors’ team and was i well supported by Novis. These two play- | ers repeatedly went through by sujterior | speed, although the backs as a whole lacked i penetration, many of their passing rushes | ending up on the line with the winger j blocked. Beamish, in the forwards, was in the thick of it and, with Ivor-Jones, was the best of the visitors’ pack. Britain won the toss, Wairarapa-Bush kicking off with the advantage of a strong sun. The Greens set the pace at the outset, but the Blues found relief with a free kick, Ivor-Jones narrowly missing the goalposts., The pace was soon a cracker, the Wairarapa-Bush backs getting into action. Fuller had an attempt to open the score from a free kick, but the ball fell short. Wairarapa-Bush pressed an attack to their opponents’ line where a free kick relieved the Britishers. The visitors’ backs secured from a scrum, Spong breaking right through to be beautifully tackled by Roach. A scrum infringement gave the Green* a chance and Fuller landed a beautiful goal from near half-way, opening the scores twelve minutes after the commencement of play. Wairarapa-But h 3 Britain 0 Roach handled and kicked splendidly, repeatedly gaining a lot of ground along the side-line with magnificent kicks. Black nearly opened the visitors’ account from a free kick soon after. Donald and Irvine broke away, but Bonner lined well. Spong secured and cut right through, but was forced out near the corner. From the ensuing line-out, the ball went to Welsh who crossed for an easy try. Black missed with the kick. , Britain 3 Wairarapa-Bush 3 Britain were now going better, but there was nothing between the two teams. An exchange of long kicks followed in which Roach again excelled. The visitors were pressed until a free kick enabled them to clear. J. Donald broke up a British rush. Fuller secured and handed to Corkill who lined beautifully. Bonner mulled and Corkill followed up fast to be forced out, the referee ruling the ball dead and the expectations of a Wairarapa-Bush try faded. Fuller narrowly missed with a penalty from near half-way. Beamish received an injury at this stage, play being held up for a few minutes. Half-time sounded soon after with the scores: Brtain .. 3 Wairarapa-Bush 3 In the second spell, Wairarapa-Bush were facing a sinking ’ sun which was shining right into their faces. Three minutes after the resumption, Ivor Jones headed a Blue rush sending the ball to Murray to Jones to Novis who crossed for a great try to put Britain in the lead. Black missed with the kick. Britain 6 Wairarapa-Bush 3 The visitors were now playing a great game and seven or eight minutes later added another try to their score. From a

forward scramble Spong whipped the ball out to his backs, the- whole chain handling for Reeve (winger) to cross at the corner. Ivor Jones’s kick was charged down. . Britain 9 Wairarapa-Bush 3 Wairarapa now' had a turn at attack and from a free kick Fuller landed his second goal. Britain ' 9 Wairarapa-Bush 6 The excitement was now intense, play continuing at a great pace. The Blues came through with lightning rapidity, Ivor Jones sending out a pass that was fumbled when the visitors were in a good position. The Green backs were tackling well. Britain had an easy chance to increase their score from a penalty, but Ivor Jones made a poor attempt at a kick. The Blues came through again, but Roach found the line in a hurry. The visitors were attacking in great style, but - the Wairarapa-Bush defence was sound. Wairarapa had a turn at attack, but their movements broke down. The Blues were awarded a penalty right in front of the posts, but Black missed. Morley and Novis were associated in a great move near the line, the former being tackled by Roach who was injured. In the last ten minutes the British backs cracked on the pace and added ten points placing the game beyond doubt. The ball went from Spong to Novis who reversepassed to Knowles. The latter sent out a long pass to Morley who dived across, Parker converting with a splendid kick. Britain 14 Wairarapa-Bush G A couple of minutes later saw Jones run right through, and from an ensuing line-out Spong crossed, (Parker again adding the major points. Britain 19 W’airarapa-Bush .. .... .. 6 The game ended without further score. Mr H. S. Leith (Wellington) refereed. x

BACKS AGAIN TRIUMPH

BUSTLING FORWARD TACTICS FAIL.

WAIRARAPA NOT DISGRACED.

(Special Representative—Copyright.)

Masterton, May 31

After playing the first four matches of its programme, the British team have scored 89 points against 26 and while they have scored 19 tries, they have had only four registered against them. To-days victory over Wairarapa. enlarges the impressive list of victories. Wairarapa adopted the same tactics as Taranaki making the game a forward battle, Mill repeatedly kicking to touch instead of sending his backs away, but against the tough resolute Wairarapa pack averaging 14.3 and embracing all the clem ents 1 required of All Black forward formation, the British pack finally emerged triumphant. There were occasions during the second spell when Wairarapa took charge, but rarely was there any promise of finish to Wairarapa’s attacks. On defence, Wairarapa backs, were magnificent, their positional play being first class, but in attack they were crude and suffered by comparison with the British rearguard, even though to-day’s was one of the weakest threequarter lines the British team could field. Whereas Taranaki’s pack rather wilted after its grand opening effort last Saturday, Wairarapa saw a gruelling second spell right out. Repeated British attacks were beaten off and for a long period only three points separated the reams. In this period, Wairarapa frequently attacked rousing their supporters to a frantic pitch of excitement. Nothing came of it, however, and for the last' quarter of an hour Britain definitely assumed the upper hand launching successive attacks that troubled the defence sorely’ till first Moreby and then Spong added tries both of which Barker converted. Although Britain won by a wide margin, the territorial difference was not correspondingly pronounced. Everything seemed to go against the British team to-day, their usually reliable goaiktekers, Black and Ivor Jones, failing repeatedly at the goal, while their backs were beaten by awkward bounces and passes astray at critical moments and spoiled golden opportunities. On one occasion, Beamish, breaking from a lineout, fended Mill and fuller from his path, racing io the full back, then kicking instead of passing to Ivor Jones who had a clear run on the outside. Anol her time, Spong with one of his startling solo bursts, went clean through to Roach, then sent out a high pass which Novis, unmarked, failed to gather. Battle, of Giants. It was a game of many exciting, exhilarating moments as first one grand battling pack and then the other swept the opposition before it. Notable British improvements were in scrumming and lineout work. Dai Parker got the lion’s share of the ball in set scrums from Reid and Irvine, while in the line-outs, Black, Beamish, Welsh and O'Neill held their own with Harvey, Maloney, Henderson and Gerrard, Wairarapa s leading line-out forwards. Gerrard, the sporting Pahiatua parson, who formerly played for South Island and later was a member of the Blackheath Club, London, with Rew Novis and Aarvold of the present team, was Wairarapa’s most industrious forward. Irvine showed much of his old-time dash as well as some of his old-time temper', but Jim Donald is not Jim Donald of old. He conceded so many penalties to-day that much of his good work was negatived, while he showed poor spirit in punching We.sh across the mouth thereby incurring a caution from the referee. Jimmy Mill is another former star who has palpably slipped. Not one trace of his former brilliant initiative was evident to-day. On the other hand, Corkill, apparently a spent force in big Rugby, played splendidly, he and Roach being quite the best of Wairarapa’s backs. Roach, who at the dinner after the match, was publicly complimented by Mr Baxter, was safe, gallant and impregnable as last, line of defence. Britain, though winning the toss, had chosen to face the sun in the front sped as in the second it was believed that the glare would be worse than -ever. This proved correct as in the second sped, Roache had to face a blinding light, yet he never erred, taking the tremendous balloon kicks of the British backs with amazing accuracy. His fielding was flawless and, his tackling was incomparable. Time and again he was knocked out by the impacts of his diving tactics, yet he rose again to meet the next comer with the same deadly certainty. An Exciting Finish. Ginger Fuller, Wairarapa’s goal-kicking prodigy, opened to-day’s scoring with a long range penalty, Britain promptly equalising when Welsh ran round the back of a line-out to pick up and dive over, Jones missing at the goal by a foot. Fortunes seesawed for the remainder of the first spell, but in the second Britain got going at once, first Novis then Reeve putting on tries, neither of which was converted. Wairarapa retaliated with a loose rush whence Fuller hoisted another penalty. Successive British attacks failed to penetrate against determined tackling and Wairarapa till the closing stages had a good chance of equalizing. Then a clever British movement placed the issue beyond doubt. Novis, after receiving in a concert- | ed thrust, returned infield to Jones, who j ran diagonally through the baffled defence j before sending a long pass to Morley for a I nice try, Parker goaling beautifully as he 1 did a * few moments later when Spong I dribbled through the Wairarapa backs to follow fast for a try beside the posts. Though beaten, Wairarapa were never disgraced. Britain had to earn every yard of ground anti there was nothing easy about any of the British tries.

Composed entirely of Internationals, the British pack was as good as any they can field. If Beamish was the most spectacular, Welsh was certainly the best allrounder in a fine all-round set of forwards. Jones again showed his capacity for opening tm play along with a tendency’ to wait off-side. O’Neill, though rotund in shape, moved surprisingly quickly and did great work in the line-outs.

Behind the scrum, Murray, who had not played scrum half for two years, proved himself a valuable utility man. Everything he did bore the stamp of a finished player, some of his punting being of outstandlength. Spong again proved an outstanding individual whose spectacular solo efforts made him popular at once, while his defence in the face of hammering forward onslaughts was invaluable. The threequarters never really settled down. Knowles has not shown the class of his colleagues. His handling in the early stages was painfully uncertain. Novis redeemed occasional dropped passes by deadly tackling coupled with general soundness, but Reeve was not too happy, and Morley had much fewer opportunities than usual. Bonner did well in the first spell when facing a bad sun, but on the day was outclassed by Roach.

In view of the success which has attended the British team to date, it is interesting to compare the Springboks’ performances in the corresponding matches. In the same -four games as the British have played, the Springboks drew with Taranaki and had a narrow escape at the hands of Manawhenua, scoring altogether 32 points to 9.

Jim Donald, who captained WairarapaBush in t 1921, as he did to-day, pointed out that though the Springboks’ score against the combined team was almost the same as Britain’s (18-3), Wairarapa to-day was 100 per cent, better than it was then. A point to be noted is that the tourists have not had the services of their best scrum half since the opening game, while their crack full back, Bassett, reputed to be the most ferocious tackler in British Rugby today, has not so far appeared at all. Bassett has been training since his arrival in Masterton and may be called on for the Wellington game