FIRST TEST MATCH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 143, 8 June 1908, Page 3

FIRST TEST MATCH.

RUNAWAY WIN FOR NEW ZEALAND iWiITISII HACKS UNABLE TO GET GOING. SUPERIORITY til' NEW ZEALAND FORWARDS. Per Press .Association. Duficdiu, Saturday Night. The first match Mween New Zealand nixl ISritain was played today in flic presence of alioiil 1!I,000 spectators. The weather turned out splendid, and the ground was in capital order. It was expected that the contest would result in a close liuisli, but before the game had lieen in progress long, it became evident that the home leani would win by a substantial margin.

The teams lined out as follows: RRITAIN. Full-back: Jackett. Three-quarters: Gibbs. Ya-sall, V. Jones, J. L. Williams, Halves: ! LaxOn and Davey. Forwards: Harding, Dibble. Oldham Ritson, Down, Archer. Jackson, Kvike. NEW ZEALAND. Full-back: J. D. Col man. Three-cjiiartcrs: Cameron, J. O'Lcary, 11. D. Thomson, Five-eighths: J. Hunter, W. ,1. Stead. Half: F. Roberts. Wing-forward: (!. Gilletl. Forward-: S. Casey. K. Hughes, W. Cunningham, H. R. Francis, "Rangi" Wilson,

Seeling, A. McDonald. The New Zealanders asserted their superiority at the outset, and the game Jiad been in progress only about ten minutes when they registered their first score, a penalty goal kicked by Roberts. New Zealand .! Britain 0

Thomson next augmented the score by making a dash down the line, and getting over at the corner, Roberts kicking a line goal. New Zealand S Britah n A little later .Miteheiison dashed over the. British line, and the major points were added by Cillett. New Zealand 1A Britain 0 New Zealand still maintained the upper hand, and from a passing bout, Cameron scored at the corner, tiillclt sending the ball over the bar from a very acute angle. I Xew Zealand IS j Britain U i Shortly before half-time, a scramble took place on tile visitors' line, and Roberts snapped the ball up auil dived over. Uillctt failed with the kick. New Zealand 21 Britain o The second spell had not been in progress long before Roberts got away on the blind side of a scrum, and eluding the opposition -cored at the corner. Cillett's kick at goal was ;i failure. New Zealand 11 Britain t) The visitors then held their own belter for some time, and after pressing the home team hard once or twice, their backs broke away from miillield. „ passing bout by Davey. Williams, •Tonty" Jones, Vassal, and Oihlis ended in the last-named scoring what was probably the best try of the day. Jackson added the major points. New Zealand .. .. .. • -1 Britain 5 In the closing stages New Zealand returned the attack, and a passing rush terminated in Hunter snoring ibeside the |>osts. Roberts' kick at goal missing the mark. New Zealand 27 Britain •*' Within a few minute- „f time. Vassall and tiihhs missed a ball near the line, and Mitchenson snapped the ball and dived over, Francis converting with au excellent kick. New Zealand ">i Britain •"> The winning learn held the advantage throughout, and never, after the game |iad been in progress for half an hour, did the visitors look like getting near their opponents. The New Zealand team played splendidly, the forwards following up and tackling in line style, the kicks passing and cutting-in eleverh anil using their speed to the best advantage. The New Zealand backs were very smart i" getting away, and when once going they took a lot of stopping. The New Zeala'nders played with better continuation, and frequently gained large stretches of ground. Some of the visitors played well individually, and on the whole' they showed greater resource in footwork than New Zealand did, but there was a lack of combined effort, and generally when a man got away he lacked support, and of course the chance was lost. The linekicking and lidding all round was of a high standard, and the place-kicking was very good, some of the goals being registered from very acute angles. The Xew Zualanders were very quick at getting on to the British Jmlvts/nvho Jm,l therefore considerable difficulty in getting the ball away to their backs. The visitors did not attempt as much passing as their opponents, and even when they made efforts in this direction, they Were often nullified by "l'onty" Jones failing to take the ball.

THE C'ANTERISCRY TEAM. Per Press Association. ChrMrhureh, Last Sight. The following have been selected to play for Canterbury again-l the AnglnWe'lsh team next Jiaturdav: Full-back: A. K. Doell: Three-iitiarters: Y. C. Fryer. R. 0. Deans, and \V. I?. Fuller; Vivc-cighthS: E. 11. McDonald and (!. DCray; Hall: l'.'liunis: Wing forward: D. Mcl'liail: Forwards: I. llahoney, T. Hond, W. Menzies, ,1. Baker. 11. Hopkins, C. Evans, and T. Ram.

UNDER NORTHERN UNION RULES. AUSTRALIA DEFEATS NEW ZEALAND. Iltv Cubic.—Pre*, Association.—Copy - right). Received lith, 10.5 a.m. Sydney, dune (1. The All Blacks' conclude;!'their tour with n match against Australia, in which Ihe home learn proved victors by fourteen to nine. The weather was fine, and the attendance good. The teams were as follows:

\E\V ZEALAND. Full hack: Xyne: Tliifi'i)»aiter»: Howe, fiarboi', \Y. Wynyard, and Tyler; Halves: Wrigk-y unci Wynyard; Forwards: I.ill', Cross, Johnston, Gil-cliri.-t (two names jnissin^'). AISTRAUA. Full-hack: lledley: Three .(iiarlci-: rheadlc, Mcs*'ii»er. Anderson and Dcvcreux; llMlvt-x: liosenlield ami llolloway;

Forward*: llmvrs. Oum. Jones, and Ilard.astle. The plav. ( -\.■■[.(illy towards the cl"--«' of the see I half, was niritim re. At tl peiiiii". Hie liome team pressed. Imt llie tide -oo» mined, and the til -t I .hut went u, the \isitors. Ilollouay. I picking n|> in the oiK'ii. was penalised. I and Wvi«lev kicked a Roal. Slow play ! followed, till a New Zealander, J'cncc. I marked at hall-wav. and Wriglev laiidj ~! -., n.ial. A third »oal was added'!,)- ■ \Vri»le.v as the- result uf a mark ley Dili eliri-l.'iiiid at half time the si-ore' was: '; N"« Zmlniid li. Au-tiiilia nil. ' In ih.' -e ( ond half, Australia showed : to nmi-ii |„.|tei advantage, and in the .-10-iiij; -ia-e> completely oulplaved the Mucks. Trie, «-,.i-.. secured hy AnderI son. Cra\es. .loni's. anil Mos-.ciijjit, one I of which .\le»eie.n-i- .•oiiverted. .1. Wyn- | yard senircl the „ulv trv for Hie All I I Slacks, lniL \\ ri-i.-v jailed at goal. . | I'iioFF.SSIONAkS' UKTl'ltN. 1 lieceived June 7. 1.22 p.m. 1 Sydnee. .lulle 7. Meuilier.- of the All lilack team of .' proi'es-ioiial footballers are | hy the Polly for Auckland. •($ bSuJ UO l»<mui}Uu^)