HOW WALES WAS BEATEN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 21, 23 January 1913, Page 6

HOW WALES WAS BEATEN.

CHEAT RUGBY* IX A STORM. “WALES DESERVED TO WIN” The special correspondent of the Cape Times sent the following account of the great Rugby match between trie Soutn Africans and Wales, played at Cardiff on December 18th: — Rain fell continuously,for 48 hours prior to the commencement of this afternoon’s great game. By noon a howling gale was raging. The Xewlands ground at its very worst could not be compared to the treacherous and muddy surface upon which the third international was played. The heavy gale started in the morning, and continued right through the alternoon. There were sleety squalls of rain and wind that were blinding, and prevented spectators at intervals from closely following incidents of the great struggle between the opposing fifteens. The South Africans had the gale at their backs in the first half of the encounter, but they failed to make the greatest use of this advantage. On the other hand, they met with t, stubborn resistence on the part of the Welshmen, who defended dourly, and attacked with the utmost courage. The Better Policy. Their halves did not know the meaning of the word fear, and displayed much daring, frequently dropping on the ball when it was at the feet of our forwards. Having the gale in their favour, and considering the fact that the greasy state of the ball made it exceedingly elusive, Millar should have depended on the play of the forwards alone. Douglas Morkel’s Score. For the greater part of the first half of the game the South Africans were able, aided by the gale that was blowing, to force play in the Welsh twenty-five. At this point they seemed to overwhelm the clever Welshmen. Jack Morkel’s overweening partiality for the short forward kick reacted against the unswerving defenders. The Welshmen proved themselves to be rare tacticians, and their judicious touch-kick-ing, which was deserving of the highest praise, checked every movement. The penalty kick, which was successfully taken by Douglas Morkel, and was responsible for the success that was achieved this afternoon, was awarded on the ground that Stevens, one of the Welsh forwards, had infringed the off-side regulation. "When the rain and wind moderated a little, the Africans were out-scrum-med. Just later Jack Morkel crosskicked, and as a result Fred Luyt and Dobbin very nearly succeeded in scoring. The crowd of 25,000 became wildly excited. Wales C» The Attack. They urged on the Welshmen, and sang the Welsh anthem fervently. The home fifteen responded in a most courageous fashion, and some glorious football was witnessed. The Welshmen attacked time and again, and a great battle ensued, in which .quarter wjis neither asked for nor given. Some grand footwork on the part of TlU' Welsh forwards was 'satpplemented'biy tne exceptional combination of speedy hacks. Wales failed to put another penalty kick to effective use. McHardy, Richard Luyt, Fred. Luyt and Gerhard Morkel were superb defenders. ■ "Douglas Morkel':'came out of the scrum to lend them a hand, ( Welshmen wheeled with the greatest fierceness, and were v/ell-nigh irresistible at intervals. Amid 1 a treiperidtnis roar of applause from the crowdThdflias made an attempt to drop a goal,the ball just shaving the outside of the post. Nearly a Try.

Immediately afterwards the Welshmen made a game attempt to draw level with the opposition. As the result of some beautiful transfers, Geen dashed away. He was beaten out for pace, but he kicked nicely, followed up, and threw himself on the ball. The Welsh touch-judge, however, decided against him, and there was a tremendous outcry on the part of the crowd. Fifteen minutes from time Wales was winning all along the line. They pressed the South Africans persistently, but Knight came to the, rescue, and by means of a kick, following a grand individual dribble, he relieved the tension, and enabled the Africans to return to the attack.

Despite the lessons which were learned in the course of the first, the attack was developed by back play, though it must be said that the passing was good. The Welsh defence was impregnable. McHardy and Stegmann were responsible for some great sprints. One movement went right across the field, McHardy just failing to attain his object. Teams Contrasted. During the last ten minutes, of play, however, the Welshmen were not very dangerous, thanks to the stamina of the South African pack, supplemented by the safety touch-kicking of Gerhard Morkel and Fred Luyt. A victory by a penalty is always an unsatisfactory ending, especially to such an important engagement as the one that was decided this afternoon ; hence the opinion that the Africans were lucky in defeating Wales. From a tactiful point of view, the Welshmen were slightly superior to our fifteen. Taking the general run of field play, however, the visitors got more than their opponents, but the speedier passing of the Welshmen, coupled with the superiority of the fly-half, made their attacks a great deal more dangerous than those conceived and carried out by our men. The superiority of our forwards, and the solidarity of the defence, saved a critical situation at a time when the Welshmen brought all their, skill to bear, m the hope that they would be able to wipe off the defeat which was administered by the Springboks of 1906. They worked up the spectators into a great state of excitement when they went all out for victory. Colonials' Magnificent Defence. The colonial defence was magnificent. Fred Lnyt feared nothing. Gerhard Morkel indulged in some daring back passing when he was pressed. The Welshmen’s liability to sustain the pressure against the stubborn and indomitable defence which was set up by tho Africans was responsible for their failure to save the game. Their play almost merited their sharing the honour. Interest in the struggle was maintained until the last moment, owing to the way in which play fluctuated from end to end, coupled with the final great attack on the part of the colonials.

The Welsh forwards were superior in physique to any our men have met during the course of the tour. The choeen of skilful team-builders justified expectations. Their heeling and hooking were the best we have seen, and they were much quicker than our men. The loose play of the Africans was excellent, and Thompson, Knight, “Boy” Morkel, and Millar shone. But this Superiority was discounted hy the fact that the greasy, elusive hall

made effective handling a matter of impossibility.

“Uncannily Safe” Passing.

The passing of tlio Welsh threequarters was almost uncannily safe. Their wings were speedy, and worked fearlessly, and their centres were really superb. The form which was shown this afternoon makes Wales easily superior to Scotland and Ireland in ah departments of the game. Fred Luyt, as things turned out, proved himseli a cleverer half than Vile, the South African constantly outwitting the Newport representative. Opinions on the Came. The Times says that the game redounds to tlie credit of two great sides and that three points represent tin superiority of the South Africans. Mr Hamish Stuart’s opinion is that Wales was most unlucky. He considers that the Principality’s representatives deserved to win the game. He adds that the Welsh forwards equalled those of the and that the home hacks were better. The Westminster Gazette says that the Africans again adapted themselves to execrable conditions most admirably. The paper thinks that the team as a whole played safe football, ano deserved the success it achieved. The Sportsman says that the Welsh team exceeded anticipations. The paper considers that as a fifteen the men are magnificent, and without s weak link. The Springbok forwards, adds the paper, ensured the visitor; against defeat. The Athletic News considers tha the Welfeh team deserved a better fate. It was a wonderfully exciting game, and a case of African forwards versus Welsh backs.