WALES V. AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 5, 30 January 1909, Page 6

WALES V. AUSTRALIA.

A FAST AND EXCITINC .MATCH. HOW" THE WELSHMEN WON. LONDON', December IS. A proud nation and a joyful nation, look you, was gallant little' Wales last Saturday, when the Australian footballers were beaten at Cardili hv the Welsh iillccn by II points lo n. If was a siren nulls aad exciting struggle, and so even that the issue was always in doui.t until the end. A penalty goal enabled Wales to "scrape home'' by (he narrow margin of ■'! points.

The match lacked sonic of the dramatic features which were present on the historic occasion of the All lilaek,' defeat at CardilL The Australians were! not an unbeaten team, it was not their first appearance in Wales, and their record, although a very good one, wa- not so dazzling as thai which the New Zealaudcr- brought with them lo Cardilf. That the interest was-not so keen win* Saturday was shown by the fad that Ihe taking- i l'),!!!)l)l were .UiHU liss than tin' amount realised ill the New /calami match. Si ill,'it was a very line allendancc. and a most exciling' and memorable game. The Wcl-h Icani were not .„, .-iniug athat which defeated the All lilacks. There was no Owvnn Nicholls. u., Tcddv Morgan, no ilalie ; the forwards wore liealcn badly in the scrums. The Australians hail the heavier and speedier team. These factors make the Welshman's viclnry all the more iiieriluiiuus. Where llley showed to advantage was ia fast open rushe-, i,i tackling, and in the constant variety of their attacks. The Australians were let down by their hack division, some of whom were distinctly below their best form. Their ganic'lackcd the cleverness of the Welsh-

HOW THE CAME WENT. Each side scored a try iu the first spell The game was hard and fast from tile start. The first exciting incident was when Richards, who ,'awavs played a great game for the losers,'dribbled the ball over the Welsh gold-line. For a moment it had seemed as if lie had scored a try. However, Winiicld kicked the ball dead ia tile nick of lime, and three minutes later there, was play at the other end of the Held. Then'came the fust score. The Welshmen were attacking strongly when Owens cleverly darted round the scrummage anil passed'the hull to Hopkins, who wisely at once sent it to Travcrs. So quickly was this movement instituted and carried out that Travels had scored u try before the majority of the Australians realised tile nature of the danger to which they were exposed. The place-kick failed, but the important fact remained that Wales were J points ahead. Five minutes later was seen the gem of the match. A bout of passing begun by the Australian hacks was taken up by their forwards, aud it was ill niidli'eld that the movement was left under the direction of Craig ami llieharils. A superb exhibition of the short passing in whien the Australian forwards excell ended in these two 111*11 I finishing alone under the goal-posts. The Welsh crowd greeted the denouement with the loudi cheering which it well deserved. T„ (he surprise of everyone Cai'michacl's place-kick failed, and, wilb the scores level, there was a repetition of dogged, vigorous football, which was productive of nothing practi-

Wale- scored their second Irv nine miuulcsal'lerthccliangcofeuds. Charging down a kick, iliree of ihe Welsh forwards. I ravelling fast, conlrolled the ball well under their feel, and, dashing np us it went out the line. Hopkins just managed lo loiich it willi his hand. Again ihe place-kick failed, bin once more Ihe Welshnieii were ahead, and they able lo -liape tlicit- laclics accordingly. Kiev en minutes laier a penally kick for obstruction added three more points lo Ihe Welsh score, and l hen aid not till ihen--dh'l tire Australian backs begin to plav with something of (heir u-iial dash. 'Thev attacked first on the right and iheii on Ihe left, and at that lime il -coined that the Wel-h defence must give wav. Some of Ihe Wel-h lorwanls were obviously lire.l. Inn no Welshman cca-ed t» plav his hardest. As it was. ii was a foolish, kick bv one of the Australian backs which raised the siege. A pa-s lo Tarroll mi the M't win- failing. ..f course, mi-lidding -must have ended ill Ihe -coi-iag of ;1 trv. lml. Ihe player in possession of the ball kicked it hard over Ihe Wel-h goal-line. ,11*1;. however, was in once renewed, and bv a s| dy and smart run l!u-e!l gained a trv in the c xlreme righi-liand corner, (•arniichacl's place-kick (ailed to send the ball within twenty cards „f Ihe crossbar, and the Wei-n lead, therefore, wa- onlv decreased bv :i point-. Aipiarter of a.i I ■. however, remained for play, a.id on, e again the weary Welshn were put. on H.cir defence. The Aiislralian uUack coniiuued to be vignr-evcr-bul. it. was not welf contndled. nor ua- il alwavs well directed. Twice an 111 -indued kick allowed a Welshman lo make a mark, with the result that ground, hardlv earned, was lost, again. Then linssell." who was causing the Welsh left wing much uneasiness, was all but over the line, and was onlv forc-ed-into touch when within a fool' of if. However, the Welshmen quite cialed their danger They understood if wa- mainly a physical clVi.it. which was required of I hem in order to prevent. (hi'ii- big. strong opponents from snatching iva eleventh-hour victory, and thev sacriliced themselves willingly in order to keep what they had gained. Tn that attempt thev were successful, and Ihe whistle blew'for the last time the Welshmen were left the winners of a great light by the narrow margin of 3 points.

AX ALL ISLACK'S OPINION. .Mr 10. 10. Booth one of the "All Macks," who saw the game, said afterwards that the Australians were nervous in the earlv purl, of the contest. "The great patriotic Wcl-h atmosphere" mado lb,in self-conscious. The Australians were masters of the scrums, but the Welsh forwards excelled in the loose, and their fast, following had a demoralising cll'ccl on the colonial backs. The ga was quile up to the international standard, and the Australian-, as a learn, phived Ihe be-l gan f their lour. Mr liotith thought the three-points margin wa- a fair criterion of the Welsh superioviic oil Ihe dav's plav. At Ihe same lime. Australia bad very hard luck ill inn scoring in the lasl ten minutes, when thev were b.-icgiug the home team's line. The eondiicl of Ihe game bv the referee. Mi- t.'il. JOvans. was all thill could be desired.