FIRST TEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 188, 10 August 1936, Page 12

FIRST TEST.

ENGLAND'S VICTORY. ■ — ' I. ' TWO JOINTS' MARGIN. HARD AND. TESTSE GAME.' Test matches are rarely spectacular. The matcli between England and New Zealand at Car law Park on Saturday was a liard, tense struggle all the way, and although the Dominion side made a good showing, the better team 'won. Tries count for the most. England got two. New Zealand did not cross the English line. The game was a triumph for the English forwards; they were the spearhead of the visitors' attack; they proved a sure shield on which the hopes of their side rested. Possession is said to be nine points of the law. It is almost everything in League -.football. It was forward that the-disparity between the two teams was noticeable. In the set scrums they overshadowed their opponents, and winning possession almost every time they gave their backs opportunities which' were denied a less fortunate New Zealand back division. Well-Balanced Team. Thfe 193G English team may not —judged on form so far disclosed in New Zealand — be compatible t.O some of the other English? teams which have played in the Dominion, but they are a well-balanced team, and superior in their play to any opposition that they are likely to meet in this land. To look down the League corridor of time - is to recall some notable English teams, the pioneers of 1910, when there was a Lomas and Leytliam in English football, the following years with players of the class of Wagstaff, Stone, Rogers and Gronow, to the team of four years ago, which for clever- covering defence was the best combination that England has sent to the Dominion. And over the Ions? span of years can be noted the improvement that has come in the Dominion standard of play. Saturday's performance by a Dominion side to finish only two points behind England was a very creditable one. Unrealised Hope. There were some optimistic enough to believe that New Zealand would win. With just a little better team play and quicker exploitation of scoring chances the hope might have been realised. It was a perfect bit of combined play that gave England one of their tries. From a set scrum the ball was raked in a flash, and as Watkins, the scrum half gave sharp delivery, the whole back line moved anticipantly. In turn each of the inside backs drove forward before giving the crispest of transfers, and the final recipient, Edwards, ran over at the Hag. It was an orthodox movement in which every opposite was drawn, and the speed of the movement gave the overlap on the wing that was striven for. Solo brilliance, by Jenkins, the stand-off half, accounted for the other score. He handed out with a flick of the wrist the sweetest of dummies to sell the opposing inside backs, and gcit clean through to supply the.one real highlight of the dai-'s alay. Half-back Combination. Watkins and Jenkins are the best halfback combination seen in Auckland with an English team, the latter's ability to mix his play as occasion demanded, with clever exploiting kicking making him a very dangerous attacking player. Of the other backs Brogden, with his speed off the mark and ability to sight an opening in a flash, stood out for brilliant play, with Risman a typical straightrunning centre, and Edwards a very dashing wing. Belshaw played a faultless game at full-back, with a very convincing demonstration of positional play and clever kicking.^ Owing to injuries to players it took the Englishmen all their time to field a Test six for the forwards* but on the day they had a good sextet in which the outstanding one was Hodgson, ■whose most valuable contribution was two brilliant penalty goals. Dominion Forwards. The most satisfactory- feature of the Dominion's team showing was the play of the forwards, who, although overshadowed in the scrums, put up a wonderful fight in the loose play, with fast raiding and hard tacking. Pickrang played a magnificent game, with great support from Cootes, Calder and Watene. Relatively the New Zealand backs were not so impressive, and it is evident in the divisions of the game the New Zealand play, both in sharpness and finesse, is open for considerable improvement. The attack lacked inspiration, but in general defence they did well, and it was their collcctive efforts in "that direction which prevented the English backs from getting a real ascendancy and running rein. Trevathan gave a good all-round display at five-eighth, and his field goal in the dying moments of the game was a cleverly executed effort. Brown's play was a queer mixture of endeavour and error, and Hemi at full-back signally failed to come up to expectations. There were early hopes that the former Wairarapa player would-be a match winner, but he had a real off day, and to make matters worse was a partially crippled player for most of the game. When the discovery was made that it was not one of Hemi's inspired days', the mantle fell on Watene, whose accuracy resulted in three goals. But, unfortunately for New Zealand, there was nobody for long-range chances. Had there been, the fate of the Courtney Goodwill Trophy might have still been in the balance. Crop of Penalties. Seldom in a big match has there been such an inordinate crop of penalties, so much so that the rythm of the play was constantly jolted and the continuity broken. The play-the-ball rule had the Englishmen in endless trouble, and evidently their interpretation of it is completely different to the New Zealand view on the knotty point. The sporting spirit that the game vwas played in was admirable, a welcome change' from some of the fierce and hectic encounters of the past. At the close of the gaime the English manager,« Mr. R. L. Anderton, commented on the greatly-improved League standard in New Zealand. He shared'the view that Test matches are not usually productive of all that is brightest ,and k best in the game, as the general tendency. is to play to a set plan and without striving for the spectacular heights. The Play Described. " Although the exchanges rapid' in the early stages the game did not rise to expectations, and it was only on rare" occasions that the crowd received , the thrills they were looking for. England were dominating the set scrums, but their every move was countered by fast raiding in the loose by the New Zealanders and quick-covering defence. Excitement ran high the_ fleet Brogden broke away ofwii ' tw.enfiy-five and raced away to cross .the'Newi. Zealand line after selling, the dtjmmy 'beautifully to Hemi. The referee,, then'.discovered'.'-'that the flag wdfe up back 'in' England's twenty-five for an infringement, anil play was called back. Then, twice .in quick succession, the visitors were penalised, and from his second shot Watene scored the first points of match for "New Zealand. The score was unchanged at the interval, when New Zealand led by 2 points-to 0. The run of tiie play favoured the Englishmen following the Change-over, arid the visitors were fighting desperately hard for the lead. Finally they were rewarded when Watkins opened up from a set scrum > and the $. ball : flashed out to Edwards on thfe wing. The Welsh flyer clapped on the pace and crossed at the corner with Hemi converging unsuccessfully on him. 'Risman could not improve the position. Play swung from end to end of the field until Watene, amidst a tempest of cheering, again gave New Zealand .the lead by kicking another penalty goal. The one-point margin in favour of the home side was quickly converted into a deficit, for a few minutes later Hodgson, with a superb kick, turned a penalty which came England's way to account. The Englishmen were-now- working with a will, and finally the defence caved in when Watkins unleashed the ball to Jenkins, ,wlio beat Trevathan, and veered, out and in for a brilliant solo try. Hodgson's kick failed. A penalty goal by

_ I . Watene followed, and once more Hodgson; ; returned the compliment.. In the dying; 1 stages the New Zealanders played in r spirited style in an effort to snatch vie-; y tory, but the defence was rocklike. Time was almost up when the ball was cleared £ to Trevathan. The Manukau man took a j quick and careful sight, let drive with his .> left foot, and amid a roar from the crowd [ the ball sailed high between the posts. ? Then came the bell and the end, with the 3 scores reading: s England 10 s New Zealand 8 [. Mr. P. Rogers was referee.