THE SPRINGBOKS' LAST INTERNATIONAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8346, 31 January 1907, Page 3

THE SPRINGBOKS' LAST INTERNATIONAL.

The drawn game at the Crystal Palace with which the South Africans concluded their international programme, was naturally a disappointment to the partisans of both sides, writes a London correspondent. The question of superiority as between the English fifteen and the South Africans remains undecided. One may think that on a dry day the Springboks would have scored a decisive victory, but that is only an opinion. It is difficult even to decide which team had the best of the game on Saturday. In the first half there was only one side in it—the South Africans. But in the second spell the conditions were reversed; the English forwards overwhelmed their opponents, and the visitors were almost continually on the defensive. The South Africans should have scored two or three times in the first 20 minutes. They got the ball in every scrum, and their halves made excellent openings, * but on each occasion the passing of the three quarters broke down, De Villiers being the chief offender. The South Africans do not adapt themselves to the weather conditions as readily as the "All Blacks" used to do. On the muddy ground .at the Crystal Palace they were all at sea. And what a day it was —cold, raw and hopelessly wet. A steady drizzle of rain which preceded the match developed into a steady downpour as the game went on. The ball was greasy and heavy, the ground a veritable skating rink. The players were slithering and floundering all over the place, and mist and mud combined to make them almost unrecognisable. In the first spell the South Africans strove hard to adjust their usual fast back play to the altered weather conditions, but without success. Pass after pass went wrong. When at last they did score—after over half an hour's play—it was through a mistake on the, part of England's full-back, whose fumbling let the South Africans in. The try gained in the ensuing scramble for the ball was the only score registered in this spell. The second half saw a complete reversal of form. The English pack assumed control in the scrum, and both backs and forwards playing a dashing, confident game. The forwards dribbled like a Scottish vanguard, and were "all over" the visitors. The backs made valiant efforts to score. And eventually after ten minutes' play, the left wing threequarter (Brooks) did score from scrambling play near the visitor's line. Encouraged by this success, the home team renewed their efforts, and succeeded in dominating the j game. ' Time after time they forced ! the South Africans back upon their lines, and compelled them either to touch down or to kick beyond the dead-ball line to save a score. The visitors defended very doggedly, and succeeded in preventing further scoring, even though an accident to W. S. Morkel necessitated theii* playing one man short. The game was largely spoiled by a predominance of i the whistle, which Mr Tulloch,the referee, blew about three times every two minutes. A little more lenience in regard to purely technical offences would have made the game much brighter. Although not succeeding in beating the Springboks, England are to be congratulated on their unexpectedly spirited display. They showed; far better form than they did in the match against the "All Blacks" last year. I am pretty confident that the South Africans would win on a dry day, but a team cannot have the weather to order, and should be able to adapt its play to every change of circumstances. The Springboks' international record does not approach that of the New Zealanders, even thoiigh the former gained their most decisive victory over the only team which beat the "All Blacks." Nevertheless, our present visitors have done extremely well, and in keeness, thoroughness and "resources, have taught many lessons to the players of the Old Country.