Britain’s Fourth Win

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 987, 2 June 1930, Page 9

Britain’s Fourth Win

WAIRARAPA MATCH

Thirteen-Point Max-gin

A GAME OF MANY THRILLS

(XU2? Special Representative MASTERTOX, Today. Ai TER playing the first four matches of its programme the British team has scored 89 points against 2(5. and. ■while it has scored 19 tries, it has had only four registered against it. Saturday s victory over V airarapa enlarges its 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 liis Lacks

away; but against the tough, resolute Wairarapa pack, averaging 14.3 and embracing all the elements required for an 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 a finish to Wairarapa’s attacks. On defence the 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 Saturday’s was one of the weakest threequarter lines the British team could field. Whereas Taranaki’s pack rather wilted after its grand opening effort on the previous Saturday, Wairarapa saw the gruelling second spell right out. The repeated British attacks were beaten off and for a long time only three points separated the teams. In this period Wairapa frequently attacked, rousing its 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 Morley and then Spong added tries, both of which Parker converted.

Although Britain won by a wide margin, the territorial difference was not correspondingly pronounced. Everything seemed to go against the British team on Saturday, their usually reliable goalkickers, Black and Ivor Jones, failing repeatedly at goal, while their backs were beaten bj' awkward bounces, and passes astray at critical moments spoiled golden opportunities. On one occasion Beamish breaking from the line-out fended Mill and P uller from his path, raced to the fullback and then kicked instead of passing to Ivor Jones, who had a clear run on the outside. Another time, .Spong, with one of his startling solo bursts, went clean through to Roach and then sent out a high pass which Kovis, unmarked, failed to gather. MANY EXCITING MOMENTS it was a game of many exciting and exhilarating moments, as first one grand battling pack and then the other swept the opposition before it. Notable British improvements were in scrumming and line-out work. Dai Parker got the lion’s share of the ball in the set scrums from Reid and Irvine, while in the line-outs Black, Beamish. Welsh and O’Neill held their own with Harvey, Mahoney. Henderson and Gerrard, Wairarapa’s leading line-out forwards. Gerrard, the sportins Pa.iiatua parson, who formerly played for the South Island and later was a member of the Blacklieath 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 the Jim Donald of old. He conceded so many penalties on Saturday that much of his good work was negatived, while he showed poor spirit in punching W elsh across the mouth, thereby incurring a caution from 11) e referee. Jimmy Mill is another former star who has palpably slipped. Not one trace of his former brilliant initiative was evident on Saturday. On the other hand Corkill, apparently a spent force in big Rugby, played splendidly, .he and Roach being quite the best of the Wairarapa backs. Roach, who at the dinner after the match was publicly complimented by Mr. Baxter, was a safe, gallant, impregnable last line oj. defence.

Britain, though winning the toss, had chosen to face the sun in the first spell, as in the second it was believed the glare would be worse than ever. This proved correct, as in the second spell Roach had to face a blinding light, yet he never once erred in taking the tremendous balloon kicks of the British pack with amazing accuracy. In his fielding he was flawless and his tackling was incomparable. Time and again, knocked out by the impacts of his diving tactics, he yet rose again to meet the next comer with the same deadly certainty. "Ginger’ Fuller, Wairarapa’s goalkicking prodigy, opened Saturday s scoring with a long-range penalty, Britain promptly equalising when Welsh ran round the back of the lineout to pick up and dive over, Jones missing at goal by a foot. Fortunes see-sawed for the remainder of the first spell, but in the second Britain got going at once, first Novis and then Reeve putting on tries, neither of which was converted. Wairarapa retaliated with a loose rush, when Fuller hoisted another penalty. Successive British attacks failed to Penetrate against determined tackling and Wairarapa till the closing stages had a good chance of equalising. Then a clever British movement placed the issue beyond doubt. Novis, after receiving in a concerted thrust, returned infield to Jones, who ran diagonally through the baffled defence before a long pass to Morley for a nice try, which Parker goaled beautifully. Parker was again successful a few moments later, when Spong dribbled through the Wairarapa backs to follow fast for a try beside the Posts. WAIRARAPA NOT DISGRACED Though beaten, Wairarapa was never disgraced. Britain had to eajrn every yard of ground and there was nothing easy about any of the British tries. Composed entirely of internationals, the British pack was as good ns ony of the team can field. If Beamish "*as the most spectacular, Welsh was certainly the best all-rounder in a fine nil-round set of forwards. Jones ngain showed capacity for opening up Play, together with a tendency to wait r »ff-side. O'Neill, though rotund in shape, moved surprisingly quickly and did gr-*at work in the line-outs. Behind the scrum Marrav, 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 belr>g of prodigious length. Spong again proved an outstanding individualist, whose spectacular solo efforts mad* 3 him popular at once, while his defence ip the face of hammering forward onslaughts was invaluable. The threequarters never real!:*' settled down. Knowles has not yet «hown the class of his colleagues and h-s handling in the early stages painfully uncertain. Novis redeemed occasional dropped passes by dead!*tackling coupled with general soundness, but Reeve was not too happy, and Morley had much fewer opportunities than usual. Bonner did well in tno f ir*t spell when facing a bad sun, but was outclassed by Roach.

In view of the success which has attended the British team so far, it is interesting to compare the Springboks performances in corresponding matches in the same four games as the British have played. The Springboks had a draw with Taranaki and a narrow escape at the hands of Manawhenua, scoring altogether 32 points to 9. Jim Donald, who captained Wai* rarapa-Bush in 1921, as he did on Saturday, pointed out that though the Springboks score against the combined team was almost the same as Brtain’s, 18-3, Wairarapa on Saturday was 100 per cent, better than it was then. The 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 fullback, Bassett, j reputed the most ferocious tackier in ! British • Rugby today, has not so far: appeared at all. Bassett has been J training since his arrival in Masterton | and may be called on for the Welling- j ton game. . j Several Wellington representatives, j as well as coaches, witnessed Satur- . day’s game. The Wellington team has ( been training for some weeks and spent t all yesterday in the practice of moves j to combat the British methods. BRITISH RUGBY TOUR

H.B. V. POVERTY BAY MATCH AT GISBORNE Press Association GISBORNE, Saturday. Hawke’s Bay led 11 to 3 at halftime in its match with Poverty Bay this afternoon, which ended in a draw, 11 all. The weather was fine with little wind. Up to the end of the first spell Poverty Bay had slightly the better of the game. The visitors were kept defending for the greater part of the time, weak defence on the part of the home side giving ITawke’s Bay its scoring opportunities. The Poverty Bay backs handled the ball well and thrilled the crowd with good passing rushes. The packs were well balanced, but in the line-outs and loose, the visitors showed their superiority. The forward play was ragged at times and the visiting backs were not given the opportunities which should have gone their way. RUGBY IN QUEENSLAND BRISBANE, Sunday. In a Rugby Union match New South Wales drew with Queensland, six all. The match was played in mud, after heavy rain.

Date. Oppoxexts. Result. May 21 Wanganui Won 19-3 J May 24 Taranaki Won 23-7 May 2S Manawhenua Won 34-S May 31 Wairarapa Won 19-0 June 3 Wellington June 7 Canterbury June 11 Buller-Coast j June 14 Otago June 21 First Test (Dunedin) June 25 Southland June 2S S. Canterbury 1