THE ALL BLACKS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 304, 7 October 1935, Page 6

THE ALL BLACKS

GOOD WIN AT BIRKENHEAD.

TWENTY-ONE POINTS TO EIGHT

FORWARDS GREATLY IMPROVED

United Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 5.

The All Blacks defeated Lancashire and Cheshire at Birkenhead by 21 points to 8. There was an attendance of 18,000, despite heavy rain. Lancashire, last year’s county champions, provided fourteen of the side, including Davey, who played for Swansea, last week. The All Blacks, experimenting with the 3-2-3 scrum formation, lost the first scrum. Early in the first half they abandoned this formation. The teams were: —• Lancashire-Cheshire. Full-back: Horne. Three-quarters: Davey, Heaton, Leyland and Sever. Half-backs: Bowker and Park. Forwards: Cooper, Taft, Reynolds, Vallance, Ashworth, Fry, WatcynThomas and Nycock.

New Zealand. Full-back: Gilbert. Three-quarters: Brown, Oliver and Hart. Five-eighths: Caughey and Griffiths. Half-back: Sadler. Forwards: Here, Lambourne, Adkins, Reid, King, McKenzie, Best and Vorrath. The home backs were speedily in action, and in a fine run down the wing Bowker heat the defence and passed to Sever, Cheshire’s sole representative, who scored at the corner. Mycock kicked a fine goal. Lancashire'-Cheshire ... 5 New Zealand 0 New Zealand then scored a lucky try, Griffiths and Best falling on the ball after a scramble on the goal line.

Gilbert goaled. Lancashire-Cheshire ... 5 New Zealand 5 Oliver made an opening, and then, doubling round, he received Brown's pass and scored. The kick failed. New Zealand 8 Lancashire-Cheshire ... 5The All Black forwards were playing well, following up magnificently!. Oliver initiated another attack and sent Hart over for a try, which Gilbert converted. New Zealand 13 Lancashire-Cneshire ... 5 That was the score at half-time. The greasy bail did not perturb the Ail Blacks, who unproved on their display at Bristol. They overcame the

conditions better than did tne combined counties. A period of drab football ended when Sadler cleverly went round the blind side and, after a fine run, passed to Hart, who beat several players before sending Adkins over lor a try unopposed. Gilbert goaled. New Zealand ... ... 18 'Lancashire-Cheshire ... 5 The home side’s defence was poor and Davey was only a shadow ot his real self. Adkins scored again after a run qf 20 yards down the wing. Oliver failed to convert. New Zealand 21 Lancashire-Cheshire ... 5

The home team rallied, but the defence was sound. Toward the close of the game Mycock kicked penalty goal, making tlfe final score: New Zealand 21 .Lancashire-Cheshire ... 8

COMMENT ON THE MATCH.

BEST ENGLISH THREE-QUARTER LINE. LONDON, October 5. The special correspondent of the United press Association, commenting on the match, says that the Birkenhead ground is not large, and many people were turned away. The field was heavy because of a week of rain. There were five internationals, including Davey, of Swansea, in the counties’ side, which was reputed to have the best threequarter line in England outside the international fifteens.

Gilbert played in spite of a leg injury. The opening stages favoured the home side’s backs, who showed up in two fine runs. Their first scoring movement was clever. The All B,lacks ultimately played with greater dash than their opponents. The long line kicking of Horne, the counties’ fullback, frequently saved for the counties. Sadler was at home in the wet conditions, and took hard knocks unflinchingly. The All Blacks’ backs gained ground by keeping the ball at their toes, but began passing when opportunities offered. New Zealand scored 13 points in 25 minutes. Oliver was inspiring in his leadership. He was excellent on both defence and attack. Hore led the forwards in a sound, hard game. The most satisfactory feature was the dashing display of the New Zealand forwards. They had not a great advantage in weight, but used every pound. They combined well on defence and attack, backed up the three-quarters finely, and boat the opposition with dribbling. There was a, long, uninteresting period in the second half, punctuated with individual efforts by Leyland, Heaton and Davey, but the home backs lacked cohesion.

The New Zealand forwards, notably King, Reid, Hore and Adkins, continually burst through the opposition. The New Zealand backs combined effectively, Sadler, Oliver, Griffiths and Gilbert being always sure. It was the All Blacks’ best display since the match at Abertillery, although the opposition on this occasion was 50 per cent, better. Griffiths is definitely a candidate for the international matches, and the whole team may yet confound its critics. Critics agree that the AH Blacks had a well-deserved victory, notably because of improved scrummaging and good forward work generally. The “Sunday Times” says: “The team work

was brilliant,, 'The All Blacks have a real pack at last.” Many English selectors watched the game. : ;

Lancashire won the English County championship last season, and can field \ team including half-a-dozen internationals. In the Lancashire forwards last season were three who had played for Wales or England—H. A. Fry, W. G. Thomas and R. B. Jones. Thomas has been a Welsh international for some years, but plays for Lancashire by virtue of residential qualification. Fry is a fast, roving forward. Of the rearguard, J. Heaton is an attacking centre three-quarter, and qualified for England last season. R. Leyland, wing-three-quarter, has a powerful fend, and represented' England last year. Meilde, of Lancashire, was the leading scoring back player for the county last season, and won his international cap two seasons ago. Cheshire may contribute one or two representative players, but has been weak in Rugby for several seasons.

IMPROVEMENT IN FORM FORWARDS DOMINATE GAME. (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) ' LONDON, October 6. Howard Marshall, in the “Daily Telegraph,” congratulates til© All Black forwards for unprecedently dominating the game. Apparently they slipped the leash, really shoving the scrums, cracking into mauls, and using their height advantageously in the line-outs, probably due to increasing fitness, the team must now he regarded as far more difficult to defeat. The improvement completes the visitors’ equipment and gives the excellent backs a sound formation on which to base their tactics.

TWO MORE CASUALTIES. GILBERT ALSO WANTS A REST. (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, October 6. R. McKenzie (Wairarapa) wrenched one shoulder against Lancashire. A. Lambourn (Wellington) has a swollen foot and is limping. It is doubtful whether either will be available for the next match.

J. Gilbert (West Coast) would also like a rest owing to having badly bruised his leg, but it is not likely that he will not be selected, as ho is the only full-back. Mr V. R. Meredith does not desire more experiments.