FIRST TEST MATCH.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1921, Page 5

FIRST TEST MATCH.

ALL BLACKS v. SPRINGBOKS. VICTORY FOR NEW ZEALAND. A STERLING GAME. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Dunedin, August 13. The meeting in the first test match of South Africa and New Zealand, two of the leading Rugby football nations of the world, had been eagerly looked forward to for weeks past by enthusiasts in all parts of the Dominion, and when the All Blacks and the All Greens filed on to the ground to-day it was virtually to contest the football supremacy of the world. The gajne was the. first test match played in Dunedin since 1908, when New i Zealand met and defeated Harding’s Anglo-Welsh combination, and the exI traordinary degree of interest shown in ! to-day’s test recalled that memorable oc--1 casion. The crowd was treated to a splendid game, which was fast and open throughout and very closely contested, with the exception of the last quarter of an hour, when the All Blacks’ ascendancy became more marked. The weather, which had been broken and showery on Thursday and Friday, i cleared overhead to-day and by the time i the match commenced the conditions ' were beautifully fine and there was an ■ almost entire absence of wind. The [ground was a trifle dead, but was in suri prisingly good order. The crowd was one of the largest ever seen at a football match in Dunedin, numbering on an estimate close on 25,000 persons. The Springboks commanded a distinct advantage in the matter of weight, the forwards averaging 14.1, compared with 13.8, and the backs 12.4, compared with 11.8. The teams were as follows: SPRINGBOKS. Full-back: G. P. Morkel. Three-quarters: Van Heerden, Clarkson, Meyer, Henry Morkel. Half-backs: J. P. Michau, Townsend. Forwards: Boy Morkel (capt.), Kruger, Walker, Mellish, Harry Morkel, Moestert, Scholtz, J. Michau. NEW ZEALAND. Full-back: Kingston. Three-quarters: J. Steele, G. G. Aitken (capt.), P. Storey. Five-eighths: C. Badeley, M. Nicholls. Half-back: H. E. Nicholls. Forwards: W. Duncan, E. Hughds, J. Richardson, J. Moffatt/ E. Bellis, R. Fogarty, A. White, J. G. Donald. THE FIRST SPELL.

Punctually to time the teams appeared and were greeted with tremendous enthusiasm. . After exchanging cheers the South Africans, grouped in front of the grandstand, gave their peculiar war cry. New Zealand kicked off from the eastern end of the ground with a slight advantage from the light, but a variable breeze prevailed. From the first lineout the All Blacks broke away with a loose rush, but G. P. Morkel sent them back inside half-way. In a forward struggle the greens’ weight told the tale until the blacks obtained a free kick, and play settled down to half-way. From the first scrum New Zealand got the ball and it was handled by both Nicholls and Aitken, who found the line. Townsend got the ball from the next scrum and kicked down exactly to halfway, gaining further ground with another useful kick.

A free kick to the greens was sent out Iby G. P. Morkel at New Zealand’s i twenty-five, but Donald and Aitken , were responsible for removing it again Ito half-way, Bellis being temporarily injured. Meyer, Clarkson, and Van Heerden attacked in turn and the last named kicked to the blacks’ line, where the greens were given a penalty from near the outline on the twenty-five line, but G. P. Meyer’s kick failed and a mark by Nicholls relieved. The green backs again tried passing, but Storey tackled Clarkson strongly when the South African three-quarter was going for the line. From a penalty to the greens Boy Morkel kicked over the line, the blacks forcing. Donald started a loose rush from a scrum, but Van Heerden saved. The blacks were awarded a free kick, which Michau returned inside halfway. The greens continued to do most of \he attacking, while the All Blacks were defending strongly, and the game i was very fast and open. From a serum ' inside the blacks’ territory the greens 'got the ball and Townsend sent it on [to Michau, who dropped the pass, H. E. I Nicholls obtaining possession and kieki ing out inside the greens’ twenty-five. ' From a scrum near the line the blacks got the ball, but it was kicked out of H. E. Nicholls’ hands and the pressure was relieved.

Scholtz. led the green forwards in a loose rush until the ball was kicked to •Steele, who relieved with a nice line kick. The passing of both sides was breaking down. Townsend was penalised inside his own half-way for picking the ball out of the scrum, but Mark Nicholls’ kick, though well directed, fell a trifle short. Badeley marked and kicked to Van Heerden’ whose return kick gained no ground. Moffatt passed back to Badeley from a line-out and the latter transferred to Storey, who was well tackled when streaking for the line. Fumbling by Steele enabled the greens to relieve the pressure. A mark by G. P. Morkel was splendidly returned by Aitken, whose kick gained fully 50 yards. Clarkson next kicked down field. Townsend, Kruger and Van Heerden indulged in a short passing rush, but Storey kicked out at the New Zealand twenty-five, where fumbling by .the black backs threatened the gravest danger, a timely kick by a forward saving a dangerous situation. Fast play up and down the field followed, but’ as yet it was hardly international football. The forwards were evenly matched arid the backs on both sides were watching each other very closely. A nice centring kick by Steele gave the blacks a chance, but the green defence was sound and a free kick helped them further to relieve the tension. Badeley continued to gain ground with useful line kicks, but Townsend and Clarkson went through with a nice piece of passing, which ended by Van Heerfajliug to bold th® ball. ena-hLimj

Aitken to clear nicely. An exciting period of play followed, the black forwards rushing the ball well into the green only to» be sent right back by a* long kick by Van Heerden. From a scrum near the New Zealand line the green forwards worked the ball within 12 or 15 yards of the line, and Michau, obtaining a pass from Townsend, tried to break through jn front of the goal, but was well collared. A moment later a green forward broke away on the blind side and parsed to Van Heerden, who put in a strong run, and though tackled, fell over the line and scored a good try. G. P. Morkel kicked a fine goal from a difficult angle, and the spell then ended with the score: 'Springboks 5 New Zealand ...... 0 THE SECOND SPELL. The All Blacks opened the second spell and free kicks ended in New Zealand forcing down as the result of an illjudged kick by Gerald Morkel. Steele returned a kick by Michau to the green twenty-five and at once the blacks were attacking, but bad passing broke down and play settled at half way. Michau kicked out at the corner bn the New Zealand line and the greens maintained vigorous pressure, until the blacks found much needed relief in a force down. Meyer and H. Morkel showed out in a nice piece of passing, but the black backs retaliated and play returned to the greens’ twenty-five, where Storey took a mark, but gained only a few yards, Badeley kicked high and the ball went over the greens’ line, where a bounce bedt Gerald Morkel and a couple of other green backs and Bellis, by fast following up, scored amidst a scene of the greatest enthusiasm, which was redoubled when Mark Nicholls goaled. New Zealand 5 Springboks 5 A knock-on by Storey caused a scrum on the black twenty-five and from a speculator Michau and New Zealand backs had a great race for the ball over the touch-line, but the leather went into the dead ball area. Steele received a long pass but knocked on when he had a good opportunity of scoring and a serum took place at half-way. A green passing rush broke down and Moffatt went through to collar Clarkson, who sent the ball along the ground to Gerald Morkel, who got the line with one of his powerful kicks. Badeley stopped a green rush in good style, but too hard kicking enabled Gerald Morkel again to find with a good line kick. The next incident of the game was sensational. Steele took the ball high from a cross-kick just inside the blacks’ gorund, and after throwing off one man set off for the line like a flash. He entirely outpaced Meyer and Gerald Morkel could not get across in time, enabling Steele to race round behind the posts and score one of the most brilliant, tries ever seen on the Carisbrook ground. M. Nicholls converted.

New Zealand 10 Springboks ......... 5 The greens returned to the assault and Townsend sent out the ball from a scrum, but the pass went astray and Hughes came through. The South Africans were now battling hard and shifted play to the New Zealand line, where a great scrumming tussle took place and where one or two free kickk to the greens missed by the narrowest margins. Van Heerden made a great run from half-way and when a try appeared certain he gave a shocking pass to Clarkson and a sigh of relief was audible all over the ground. A nice line kick by Badeley saw New Zealand again attacking and White improved the position still further. A scrum following right on the greens’ line, Nicholls sent out a pass to Badeley, who cut in, but was collared. A moment later the ball came out on the other side and Aitken passed out to Storey, who went over at the corner. Mark Nicholls’ kick missed. New Zealand 13 ' Springboks 5 The greens made one final effort, but the game, which had proved a sterling contest between the All Blacks and their worthy foemen, ended shortly afterwards without further score. Mr. E. McKenzie (Wairarapa) refereed. Among the New Zealand forwards it /s difficult to single out any, but Bellis, Donald, White, Richardson and Moffatt were perhaps most prominent, and among the backs Badeley, Aitken and Steele. For the visitors Townsend and J. P. Michau made a lot of play and Gerald Morkel gave a great display at full-back. THE CROWD AND RECEIPTS. A COMPLAINT BY SPRINGBOKS. Dunedin, Last Night. The receipts for Saturday’s match totalled £2700 and the attendance is estimated at 24,000. The takings for the Otago match on Wednesday were £l5OO. The visitors express dissatisfaction with the referee’s ruling which gave New Zealand the first try. They claim that the ball was forced, but the referee was satisfied that Bellis was the first to touch down.

SUMMARY OF MATCHES. Defeated Wanganui by 11 points to 6. Drew with Taranaki, no score. Defeated Wairarapa by 18 points to 3. Defeated Wellington by S points to 3. Defeated West Coast by 33 points to 3. Lost to Canterbury, fi points to 4. Defeated South Canterbury by 34 points to 3. Defeated Southland by 12 points to 0. Defeated Otago by 11 points to 3. Lost to New Zealand, 13 points to 5. The remaining (matches to be played in New Zealand are:— August 17— Manawatu, at Palmerston North. August 20—Auckland, North Auckland, and South Auckland combined, at Auckland. August 24—Bay of Plenty, at Rotorua. August 27—New Zealand (second test), at Auckland. August 31—Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay, at Napier. September 3—New Zealand (third test), at Wellington. September 6—Nelson and Marlborough, at Nelson. The. dates of the ttird test and the Nelson matches are only .tentative.