SPORTS AND SPORTSMEN

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20278, 21 August 1937, Page 23 (Supplement)

SPORTS AND SPORTSMEN

By “Spectator

NEW ZEALAND’S GREAT VICTORY First Rugby Test : Magnificent Forward Play : Dominion s Great Record on Saturday : Tailor's Fine Display : Hammond as England's Captain : Woman Spin Bowler.

NEW ZEALAND plaoed Itself well on the map of the World of Sport last Saturday when their teams participated In four Test matches and, contrary to expectations, they won three of them •>nd made an honourable draw of the fourth. The greatest win of them all was in the Rugby Test against South Africa at Wellington but the wins against the strong Australian League side and the Australian 'hockey side and their excellent showing against the might of England at cricket were also commendable efforts. The win of the hockey team kept Intact New Zealand’s unbroken record against Australia in this sport while the Dominion’s League win demostrated Just how much this game has improved here. As it is very similar to R/ugby it is not surprising that New ealand, which has proved itself supreme in Rugby, has proved so formidable in this game In so short a time. The performance of the New Zealand crioketers in England was full •f merit and it was gratifying to see that the occasion was not too muoh for them as It was in the other matches. The most sensational and certainly the win Which carried the most interest was the Rugby win in Wellington. It was not until the morning of the match, when rain continued to fall and the ground was anticipated to be heavy that the New Zealanders, as a whole, began to give their team an ven chance. Usually so loyal and oonfldent when It comes to Rugby Tests the passimism in the week before the match was one of the features of th ehistorlo encounter. The Springboks’ five consecutive wins, by larger margins each time, was one of the reasons for this and if the tourists oontlnue their successes before the second Test confidence will still not has strong as in former years. There will be reason for this as South Africa has sent over a really good side. The best has not yet been seen of them.

The many thousand* who were privileged to see this great encounter will long remember the greatest Test matoh that has ever been played in New Zealand. It was fitting that this matoh should be the best we have ever seen as interest in a tour has never been as keen as in this tour. Wellington was thronged with thousands of visitors from all parts of «New Zealand and they were not one whit disappointed. As far as the game goes the result at the end is the main thing and New Zealand won handsomely. It is idle to speculate as what would have happened if Brand had been South Africa’s fullback and Harris and Graven the sorum combination, or what the ecore would have been if Cobden had not gone off. The match was a triumph for the New Zealand forwards who even exceeded the traditions of the great New Zealand packs of the past by holding the formidable Springboks with only seven men for the greater portion of the matoh. It was left to the vlaltors, however, to play the brighter football. Only once did the ball travel through the chain of All Blaoks from half to wing, while the South Africans threw the ball about from every angle and started many passing rushes from their own twentyfive. • • • •

The New Zealand forwards all played magnificent football and to sort them out one would be particularly hard, but in my opinion the outstanding playrt* on the field was J. Taylor, the New Zealand fulback. A great deal of the oredit for the victory must go to him as he “broke the hearts" of the Springbok forwards. He fielded the ball faultlessly all day, made the Springbok forwards chase right down the field to him and then drove them back with phenomenal kicks. He wee coolness personified in gathering the bell in, kicking end going down on the hall In face of the forward rushes. We was greater than Brand has ever been In New Zealand in that ho was quicker to get down on the hall when required, while the crack Springbok fullback has not shown us anything better in the way of kicking, fielding or tackling—except, of course, his goal and drop-kicking and Taylor never attempted any of this. Turner, at fullback for the Springboks, gavo Taylor tho hall too muoh as he often failed to And the lino in , going for length If Taylor was no‘t j tiring the Springbok forwards with his grand kicking Trevnthan was.

marking Whltef, the fast Inside centre and the fact that the outside backs hardjy saw the'ball despite the Springboks’ attempt to open up the play was a tribute to the tackling close in to the scrum. Critics in the North were Inclined to doubt this department of his play, but he never failed on Saturday and the occasional Hashes of brilliance In his attack will make him a certainty for the next Test. Simon was also great. He defended solidly, using the line well, while his passes were usually accur-

Trevathan started very nervously and dropped some good passes when he had his backs in a favourable position, but there Is no doubt that he more than made up for this by scoring ten of the fourteen points with his boot, tackling safely ard using the line to doaaly effect. His play was modelled on what we expected from the Springbok backs. Practically every time he received he kicked for the line and with his aptitude for kicking this meant a great deal. However, it meant that Hooper received very few chances on attack, while Sullivan hardly saw the ball all day. Hooper greatly Impressed, while his tackling was of the highest order. He was

ite though not as smart as Russell's. Sullivan and Dick never faltered, hough they had little enough to do >n attaok. Cobden was not on the leld long enough to show his paces. Vfter Saturday’s game 1 cannot see .he back line changed, except to put Phillips or Morrison In Gobden’s place. The selotors could do worse than iut Crossman at centre and Sullivan on the wing.

The Springboks were never allowed to settle down and they gave the imression that they had no finish. The iruth of the matter was that they were consistently bustled by the All 'Black

forwards and checkmated by the best tackling they have ever seen. They made a taotical blunder In the choice of halves, as the ground was not as heavy as they anticipated it would be. Craven should not have been fiy-hall as he did not come up quickly enougli for his pass and then mostly took some time to send It on, allowing the All Black backs to camp on the outside Springboks, the same as the Springboks camped on the Auckland backs. The flashing Harris should have been there and Craven —too good a player to be left out—should have been behind the scrum. This combination would have proved twice as effective despite the fact that individually de VilUer.s was very good. It was unlucky for them that Brand was injured as he would have found the line more often and saved his forwards a great deal of unnecessary work. lie might easily have put over two of the free kicks also.

The contention that Williams was one of the finest wingers ever seen in New Zealand was borne out by his relentless tackling and brilliant running. His try was a gem, swerving and fending he crashed through the defence at the last and just grounded the ball ; before hitting the corner flag. Of ; course, he only had to outpace Ward. : hut, his deceptive swerve may Just as j easily have beaten -Cobden. Then i again he made another sparkling run I over half the field before' Taylor ' crassed him. Lyster was not the force ! Turner would have been* on the other wing, while Babrow was In the same nosltfon as White. Every time he received the ball he was immediately "Tassed heavily by Sullivan. The Springbok forwards were not as speedy as the All Blacks and they did not even pack as well. They were more Individualistic and for the first M me on the tour were beaten in \ scrums, llneouts and rucks. The team I ts a whole was magnificent on defence, as evidenced by the fact that the All Blacks could only cross the line once. With more pep closer to the scrum, a faster ground and a less greasy ball they may still beat New Zealand. • • • •

The All Black forwards cannot be changed for the second Test unless Rankin replaces Ward, but this should not he necessary, as Ward demonstrated that he is the best, dribbler In the team and he played a fine game In an unaccustomed position on the wing. The pack was the attacking force throughout, and they were considerably helped hv the fine kicking and great, defence of their hacks. They were all In the picture all the time, with Dalton. Porkhlll and McKenzie. If anything, a shade better all round than the others. Tt was unite an unusual match In that, the All Rlncks played the game the Springboks are noted for —the pack attacking as a pnek all the time and the hacks kicking out and tackling relentlessly—while the Springboks played as All Black teams have played In the past—the forwards playing good, loose football, and supplying their hacks with the hall for them to do most, of the attacking In sparkling movements. All Black Flve-Etghths. Perhaps most interest In the first Test match at Wellington last week centred on the play of the five-eighths as there was perhaps more discussion on these positions than any other position in the team. Trevathan and Hooper were eventually selected and on their display It does not seem likely that they will be changed. Tre-

vat ban was very nervous at the start 1 and dropped many passes but his splendid line and goal-kicking saved the team, while his defence was very sound. He did not appear to have the necessary thrust, and on a dry day lids may handicap New Zealand, but Hooper showed glimpses of brilliance on attack and given more opportunities he may more than make up for Trevathan's pure solidity if the -first fiveeighths makes a good connecting link. There are many who have liked to

I have seen Crossman In the team, and 1 still think that he would be the better ; than either Hooper or Trevathan. j These latter two were conj siderablv helped in their defence by Craven’s slowness in getting up to his pass, and with 'Harris to speed up the I Springboks attack, it may be a differ- ! ent story. Crossman is faster off the ( mark than either and has proved himj self to be a great tackier when the j opposition Is on the move.

j The half-back, Simon, was also ! helped considerably by the conditions, j but his form is the main thing, and ! lie cannot be dropped. He has not j the speed or crispness of Russell, but I he did his job well on Saturday, How--1 ever, on a fine day and dry ground Russell appears to me to be the better man all round. Another Waikato man who is just as good as any who played is Wynyard, but it is doubtful whether the pack will be changed They did their pob magnificently, but had Wynyard been in he would also have held his place. If New Zealand had been beaten these two may have been given their chance, but their prospects are not bright at present. Hammond to be Amateur? “ If there is to be a Test captaincy surprise in England's team to meet the Australians next year, then look to >Valter Hammond to provide it. I say this in face of the fact that Walter Robins, G. 0. Allen, and Brian Sellers 4 are on the selectors’ short list, says an English oricket writer. “ All the West Country (and most of cricketing England) thinks that Hammond is the man for the Job. He has the brain to provide a counter to the Australians’ tactical plans. Supposing ‘ Plum ’ Warner and Co. stand by an amateur captain. Wally Hammond may not, even then, be ruled out. There has been much talk of the Gloucestershire star going over to the ranks of the great unpaid. It could happen. Indeed, It may happen, next year.’

“ If it happens Hammond will finish as he began—an amateur, in cricket. Precedent provides more than one Instance of England being led in Tests against Australia by a professional. It happened in the first Test of all—Jim Lilywhite, the man. Jack Hobbs, too, stepped into the breach when A. W. Carr retired after the first day of the

Leeds match In which Charles Macart- ! ney plastered the crowds with his j boundaries. These days men of Influence in the councils of the game are not likely to favour a professional leading the national team.” Queer Cricket Reoord. One of the strangest anomalies In Test cricket is the failure of England, to ram home to the point of victory J superiority over South Africa and New 1 Zealand in recent Tests. H the series J played by E. R. T. Holmes’ team j against New Zealand In 1935-36 are in- ! ' eluded, the last nine Tests with the Dominion were drawn, with the exception of the second of the present! series, which England won. Alto-: gelher, England won only three out ot j the 15 matches —amazingly lean — j played to date. * • • • The 1935-30 matches in New Zea-' land may not be classed as “tests.” But most people will regard them as tests even if nominally they do notj rank so In some lists. England lias j compiled many heavy totals including j 653 for five wickets, 560 for eight j wickets, 548 for seven wickets, 540. 454 and 435. In no case has these big figures led to victory. Of course { three days' restriction may be the! main reason. The weather may be another. But above all is the fact that the English attack has not been able to press home heavily on the opposing batsmen. This must look significant to the selectors of England. They need more dangerous spin bowlers—a Lohmann, a Bosanquet, a J. T. Hearne or Bobble Peel. These are the names of bowlers who were truly great, and all spinners. Best Spin Bowler a Woman? ‘‘There Is no reason why, some day. a woman should not be the best spin bowler in England,” Neville Genius writes in the Manchester Guardian, after seeing the Australian women cricketers. -Spin, he says, does not require masculine strength; and the j Australian, Peggy Antonio, can spin ; the ball. • * • *

Cardus points out that Colin Blythe, whom he regards as the best spin ' bowler England ever knew, was doI llcate. “What,” ho asks, “will the 1 M.G.G. selection committee say if. someday, a woman proves herself beyond doubt another Blythe?” The Australian women’s piny, he goes on, must have convinced the most stubborn die-hard, that women cricketers can be ns skilful and natural as tennis ; and hockey players. “Comparisons 1 with men are irrelevant. The gusto of the match against Lancashire made us feel that here were cricketers not yet borne down by technique and 100 much sophistication. It is I lie cricket of enthusiastic. youth, not without its fine points, but without boredom altogether i “I expected to sco reasonably good batting because th* use of the bat can he related to the use of the hockey slick or ihe golf club. The bowling, I imagined, would be entirely dependent on the anatomy and physical strength of a man. There will never be a Larwood in women’s cricket and there is little likelihood of there ever being another Larwood in man's cricket. But, Molly Flaherty is more than quick. Ilcr body action swings naturally into a steady length.” Cardus describes Peggy Antonio as using her feet and bat as to the manner born, curiously reminding him of Macartney.

Shota on the Test. “ Owing to the 1 exceedingly luoky win of the All Blacks in the first Test match, yesterday, the secretary regrets I hat he will be Indisposed to-day and it is likely that he will remain so for the most part of the week —signed 1 Danny Craven ’ ’’ —thus read a notice displayed in the clubhouse of one of Waikato’s leading country golf clubs last week-end. Then followed an intimation that the “ key” could be' obtained from Mr during the day. The exuberant effects of the victory in the test must have spread to the golfers, too. This reminds us that .... • • • • In more than one golf club In the Waikato last. Saturday the now renowned tenacity of golf upon the sport’s adherents waned somewhat under the influence of New Zealand's national sport and matches (very few

Important ones being arranged for tha day) were commenced early and finished with the utmost celerity so that all but the golfing die-hards could reach the nearest radio to listen into the Rugby battle of national consequence. Speaking of radio it was observed that ....

The crowd at Rugby Park last Saturday was packtd like sardines —all within a few square yards, however, .'or the majority of the fairly small number of spectators congregated around the one and only radio In the park. This was housed in a business establishment. . a wise move on the Part of proprietors. During the competition game at the park cheers would often rise from the little dense crowd when play was comparatively uninteresting, bu,t of oourse, they were expressions of gratitude at the doings of the Dominion’s fifteen (or was It fourteen) against the visiting Springboks. Then again at the park. .. • * • * Someone on the sideline during the Yankton - 'Cambridge Blues game vould communicate to one of the wingers the latest test tally. From I here, with more celerity than the ball usually travels, the word would flash to the centre, on to the five-eighths the half would hear about it and soon

the forwards in the scrum were feeling pleasure that the All Blacks were maintaining the lead, and as a result, often exerted a little more pressure In packing. Rugby Park patrons were not the only football followers just as interested in the test, for .... • * * • At Cambridge, the Rugby Union officials thought that there was too much wireless. The broadcast of the Spring-boks-All Black struggle was the only topio of major in- ' terest in Cambridge on Saturday and with the radio installed al Victoria Square, still less interest than usual was evinced In the club football games being contested. It was obvious in the Marist-Cambrldge Stars game that the players had an eye for j the ball and an ear for the wireless International Rugby, in which the All Blacks are engaged, is very certainly ' nn obsession with New Zealanders. There was little pessimism when the I test was under way, but we ob- , served. . . . * * * * ! “ Sensational Springboks .. . Why liicy will win the First Test ” —thus | read the contents board of a Dominion i newspaper, which has been displayed 1 in Hamilton for a week, and actually I for three days after the result of Hie! All Blacks’ great win was known Perhaps the sensational struggle ex- j cited the minds of the paper vendors j lo the extent that thoughts of removing the. pessimistic hoarding were nonexistent. The next week’s bill told a different, story and actually commented j | upon the pessimism existing among j Athlete Comes to Hamilton. During last, season members of the I Hamilton Alhlelic Club featured prom- j incut lv in the Auckland Provincial championships, and this year they; should do even better. Their prospects will he strengthened by the recent arrival of T. R. Kerr, from Rotorua. Kerr has been one of the outstanding sprinters and middle-distance runners in the. Auckland Province over the past few years, and he will be a welcome addition to the local contingent. Per- I tha Dominion quarter-mile in 1934, ]

wlmn he was runner-up to Rainbrldge, when the brilliant Aucklander was it the top of tils form, and two seasons later in the Auckland 440yds event, when Tic was shaded ny Baker (Thames'. Kerr favours the quartermile, but is a dangerous opponent over any sprint, distance.