THE ALL BLACKS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 155, 12 April 1928, Page 2

THE ALL BLACKS.

AN EXHIBITION GAME. ',, PROMISING FORM SHOWN. iPer Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 11. The All Blacks were seen to-day in an exhibition match on an ideal ground and in fine weather, in the presence of 5000. M. Brownlie led one team and M. Nicholls the other. Brownlie's team won by 23 points to 21. Tries for the winners were scored by Robilliard (4), Kilby and Alley. McGregor kicked a penalty and one goal. For the losers tries were scored bv Nicholls, Rushbrook, C. Brownlie and Finlayson (2). Strang converted three. 7 The crowd saw glimpses of form good enoiudi to suggest that the side has material which should settle down into a formidable team when condition and combination have been secured. The play was not brilliant, and hard work was not greatly in evidence, but the forwards showed power and the backs went well in flashes. The first thing which took the eye as the teams lined out was the physique of the forwards. The scrums were compactly formed, but Swain and Burrows, -the hookers for the vice-cap-tain's team, badly beat Hore and Hadley for possession of the hall, which came out to Dalley like a flash.

The vice-captain's team gave the best" exhibition of serum work which has been seen in this country for a twelvemonth. The solid manner in which Harvey, the 15st 101 b Wairarapa giant, locked the scrum appeared to have not a little to do with his hookers' success. The forwards went quite well for a preliminary gallop, one of the best features about the play being the short hand-to-hand passing which was indulged in. The work on the line-outs was not as clean as it might have been, but this was due in large measure to the strength of the opposition. H. Llburne, the Canterbury representative, *gave a very sound display at full-back for the Whites,; the vicecaptain's team. He played very coolly throughout, and rather overshadowed Lindsay, who failed to find the line several times. The best backs on the day were the two five-eighths, McGregor and Strang, who opposed each other. Both took their passes well when on the move, and showed initiative in beating a man before sending the leather on. McGregor, in particular, showed brilliance, and was in the thick of all the attacking movements. - The 1928 New Zealand team will be well served behind the scrum. Both Dalley and Kilby showed nippiness to-day, and shot the ball'out in good style to the man behind them. Both excelled in defence and were not afraid to • pull the foot rushes up by flopping at the feet of the big forwards. The wingers, on account of the absence of combination, did not get many opportunities to show their paces, but Robilliard, Grenside, Lucas and Rushbrook all showed that they had pace and that spirit of determination which spells tries. Robilliard Has developed ' into a dangerous scoring man. The passing to-day was wild at times, and by no means followed the slogan of the" 1924 All Blacks, "Secure possession, retain possession, don't lose possession."