FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1922, Page 9

FOOTBALL

the rugby tests. All BLACKS IN,SYDNEY. TWO MEMORABLE GAMES. LUCK OF DECIDING MATCH. (Auckland Herald Correspondent.) _ Sydney, August 10. The New South Wales Rugby Union has realised a life-long annbition. For the first time in the long history of matches between represehtative State and Dominion teams the home players can claim to have held the '•ashes.” But luck has been on their side. In the first test there was no doubt as to which was the better team. In the second New South Wales won handsomely, and all impartial observers would concede that they thoroughly deserved their victory. In the third and deciding test fortune smiled upon' them; but for New Zealand there were nothing but frowns. The try which gave them the final lead would probably never have been awarded had the referee been in a position to see the whole of the movement. It contained one palpable knock-on. More than 15,000 people witnessed the meritorious win of the home team in the second test. It was a despeately hard-fought game, abounding In thrills, excitement and unany dramatic situations. The New Zealanders went down to defeat in gallant style by 14 points to 8. The Blues deserved their victory equally as much as did the visitors theirs in the Opening fixture. HOME FORWARDS BETTER. The most striking feature of the match was the splendid play of the home forwards, who, though obviously out-weighted, held their formidable opponents valiantly and well. The New Zealand pack qiute lived up to their oldestablished reputation, but by no means did they dominate the game as in the first test. The New South Wales forwards played with a cohesion and method that had hitherto been lacking. They met file Blacks at their own hard, bustling game and were by no means disgraced. Behind this honest, hftrd-working eight the home hack division gave just such another meritorious exhibition aa that which distinguished their play in the first test. In attack—and the precisioh with which the ball was heeled to them gave them frequent opportunities In this direction—they were always superior to the visitors and gave an excellent account of themselves when defensive measures were needed. Singularly enoughs the Ail Black line was not crossed during the course of the match—the solitary try recorded by the hotne teaun being awarded ns a'penalty for obstruction. That they were successful in keeping their line Intact was n .tribute to the determined, tenacious and effective tackling of the visitors. In defence Bell and Steel were the mainstay of the Black Mttki The former gave by far his best display -of. the tour, and when it comes to summing up the abilities of the two full-backs on the day's play the palm must be given to him. His handling, kicking, and tackling were alike perfect. Steel was again starved of attacking opportunities, but he turned his great speed to splendid account in defence and was responsible for checking many dangerous rashes by the opposing backs.

RICHARDSON SHINES AGAIN. Among the fleet-footed, fast-breaking Black forwards, Richardson again stood out as a trulv great player, and had the distinction of scoring h's sixth try of the tour: The visitors suffered a severe loss when, just before full time, Bellis was injured’ and caried off the field. Williams and Peterson were great assets, the last mentioned being particularly effective in the line-outs. Brownlie was also prominent, but too often was he conspicuous for displays of unnecessary roughness. Nicholls at half played a sound game .for the losers, hut ws over-shadowed by the Blues’ captain and was frequently smothered by the opposing breakaways? Badeley and Ford were alert, and. except for several had errors in handling, dependable : but Dickenson did not live up either to his reputation or to the glimpse of good form which he gave in the first test match. THE DECIDING TEST. The last test will he memorable to all those who witnessed it. if for nothing else than sheer intensity and grimness with which it was waged. As a game it was scarcely worthy of the occasion. It was by no means spectacularly brilliant, and the spectators were favored with few of the finer and more scientific aspects of the old Rugby game. Too much depended upon the ultimate result for risks to be taken by either side. Consequently it developed into a desperate, gruelling struggle, in which the rival packs dominated play. Strangely enough the whole of the points were scored in the first half-hoqr of play. The visitors were greatly handicapped by the absence of Bellis, whose enthusiasm and determination were a great spur to his side in the preceding game. On the other hand. New South Wales had been at a decided disadvantage since Fox was put out of action in the opening match. The home team was the same as that which won the second test, but the Black combination underwent several alterations. Donald came in as wing forward in place of Bellis. Though nogkso fleet of foot, as his captain, he had uie counterbalancing quality of knowing, as a general Atle. when to keep on side. The New Zealand skipper is unquestionably a very fine footballer, but during the tour he has placed his side in difficulties simply because of the nature of his position as wing forward and the ready employment of the tactics which

appear to be invariably associated with that position. The visitors would have been well advised to revert to the old "3, 2.3" formation. the advantage of which was illuminatingly illustrated In the scrum work of the two packs. NEW ZEALAND BACKS. As with the - second test, the match was played in perfect weather, and the ground was in capital condition. If there was any striking new feature it was in the improved play of the New Zealand backs. For the first time during the tour they gave evidence of possessing the capacity to develop combination. The result was that the Blue hacks did not have the monopoly of the attack in their division, and were frequently called upon for strenuous defence. The play of the visiting full-back. Bell, was .again a feature of the match. He was always reliable and his catching was faultless. Dickenson gave by far his best display. Elusive, resourceful and enterprising in attack, he was a frequent thorn in the side of the defending B’ues. He several times committed the error of keeping possession of the hall instead of passing at the right moment, and on one occasion threw away a wonderful chance by ignoring the speedy Steel, who was in close attendance. Steel was very sound and Ford played well on the opposite wing. There was not a shirker in either of the packs. the finish of the game they had been almost run to a standstill. But at that stage the Blues were fresher than their opponents, who appeared to have concentrated the whole nf their energy upon a prolonged onslaught during the opening spell of the second half.

Richardson. Peterson, Williams, and Brownlie (who scored both the New Zealand tries) played like super-men. as the most prominent among the visitors, hut the work of the New South” Waies forwards, having regard for the disparity in the weights, was the greater achievement. • Throughout the test series crowds totalling about 40,000 have followed the varying i exchanges and kaleidoscopic fortunes of each game with whole-hearted enthusiasm. There i has ample vocal evidence to prove that. • there are many supporters of the silver fern in Sydney. How wonderfully well matched the teams hare been ean he gauaed troth the fart that In the three tost fixtures the total Mints scored have been 41 by New South ; Wales, as svalnst 40 by the Dominion players.