INTERPROVINCIAL FOOTBALL

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 148, 23 June 1919, Page 7

INTERPROVINCIAL FOOTBALL

SECOND X.EAGTTE CONTEST.

NEW ZEALAND BEATEN 20 TO 9.

POLICE LIMIT CROWD.

SYDNEY, June 10. New South Wales won the second of the Rugby League tests against New Zealand yesterday by 20 poin\s to 9. The '-Telegraph" says:—"On the figures it would seem the visitors played a poorer game than on Saturday. But scores do not always indicate the quality of a game, and this is a case in point. At one stage yesterday a goal by Ifwer6en. a simple one at that (why is it Ifwersen kicks the difficult ones and misses the easy?) would have brought New Zealand within a point of New South Wales. That happened at a point in the game—near the finish—when the encouragement of that goal might have given the Blacks heart enough to win. On top of that failure came the disablement of McCarthy, their back, who had played a sterling game, saving the situation time after time in the face of heavy odds. Twelve men left to play 13! And a thirteen that were in the pink of condition. The inevitable happened. Horder and Burge ran through them and added eight points in almost as many minutes.

The honours of the day were with the forwards. Tancred, Rukutai, Somers, and Walters played a grand game for New Zealand. Tancred, by the way, will stay in this country to play with Balmain, of which suburb ih o is said to be a native. Oxford, Laitta, Ryan, and Sohultz, on the Blue side, were always where the ball was, the honours perhaps going to Ryan and Se.hultz. But in the back division, if McCarthy be excepted, New Zealand was completely outclassed. Our men, lighter than theirs, were too fast. Cubitt, who, by the way, was poorly fed by Norman and Conaghan, who would persist in running across field and jambing him on the line, so that once he hurt himself by colliding with the corner flag, and Horder were 'too much for the visitors. The New Zealanders betrayed the same fault as on Saturday. Ifwersen did drive straight ahead, though he had the hard-tackling Johnston always at him : but for the rest they ran across field, and on one occasion actually lost ten yards in a passing bout ill which five men -participated. All their precautions against Horder—they had two men to watch him —were unavailing, and he was again the star of the game. There was not so much brilliance as in Saturday's play, but the quality was more consistent throughout. The attendance was some D.OOO fewer than that of Saturday, yet for some reason the police practically shut the gates. Thousands had to be refused admission, and undoubtedly a record crowd was spoiled. The attendance it was was just under 40,000. Johnson took the plai'e of Halloway, the Xew South Wales captain, and filled the position of half-back. Norman led the side. THE PLAY. New South Wales had the advantage of the sun, and New Zealand reached nearly to their 25 with the kick-off, which Burge knocked out of bounds. The Blues worked back to half-way, and Oxford dribbling placed New Zealand on t the defensive. Horder got the ' backs going, but a long pass was intercepted by Davidson. and with a short run he kicked past Wall. The Black vanguard and their three-quarters swept the ball over the New South Wales line, but Blair, playing a lone hand, kept with the ball all the way and forced. But the Blacks were not to be denied, and McGregor kicking ovor tho defen/e rushed through to score. Ifwersen narrowly missed the goal. New Zealand :i New South Wales 0 The Blues, started by Horder. supported strongly by Wall, got to the opposing 25, but a passing rush could make no headway. The tackling was fiorce on both sides. Rukutai dribbled finely to half-way, where there was some hard scrimmaging. The Black backs were nippy, and when Norman sent a grubber to Horder, Ifwersen was on it like a flash, and only Horder's pace 6aved the situation. Tho game was kaleidoscopic in an instant. The ball was back in New Zealand's 25, and the Blues were sweeping for the line. Cubitt got across, but collided with the corner post. A series of scrums in the corner saw the visitors get the ball and work out ten yards. The Blues here got the ball, but crossrunning only lost ground, and Mitchell, ■who had replaced Laing. dummying in the ruck, found the. line near N.S.W. 25. Right in front of our goal Horder kicked high o ver the opposing team. The bounce beat McCarthy, and all alone Horder raced the length of the field to beat Rukutai's dive at the finish and score. Oxford kicked a great goal. New South Wales a New Zealand 3 Oxford missed with a long shot at a penalty goal. Ifwersen, following 'smartly the kick out, found the line. From the resultant scrum the Black backs hurled the ball about brilliantly, Mitchell changing position three times in the rush. The effort died out with a knock-on. It was the tit-bit of the ; match, and for five minutes the spectators held their breaths while the visitors hammered at our line. Cubitt relieved, j and then Oxford shone with a brilliant ! dribble, which McCarthy stopped, sending the ball to Davidson, who kicked out. The visitors breached, and Oxford goaled. New South Walee 7 New Zealand 3 Wall fumbled badly—his first mistake —and Conaghan kicked poorly. Still over-anxiety cost the visitors the position, McGregor being yards off-side. Johnston bluffed his way round a scrum, but he gave the ball to Ryan forward, and spoilt a bright opening. Horder again got the home side out of difficulties, and, running them all on, set the forwards going. Ryan, Oxford, Schultz, and Prentice had a sharp in the work. Finally the ball was hurled to Burge, and he went across the line well ahead of any of the pursuers. Oxford missed a difficult goal. New South Wales 10 Xew Zealand 3 Johnston marked in the face of a dangerous rush. Snappy handling advanced the Blacks to the home quarter. Latta shone in hard tackling, and McGregor for some reason twice refused to run, but stood still and passed. Wall drove them back twice with long-dis-tance kicks. Cubitt dashed ahead, but Davidson took the ball from him, and, running -well, caused a eensation, by jumping. 4ft clear orer Blair«- H% did

not much farther. The fast following of the Blacks saw Horder and Norman tackled with the ball in front of their own line. Here Ryan drove clean through'a scrum, but McCarthy started the backs, and Davidson and Mitchell were nearly through but for the shepherding of Ifwereen by a forward. A loose battle in the centre ended in Blair fighting desperately to get across after Schultz had dribbled finely and pulled McCarthy down. Half-time scores:— New South Wales 10 New Zealand 3 A passing bout by the Black backs marked the opening of the second half, and then Latta broke away, but was recalled, and New Zealand was awarded a free kick, which wnt over the line. Wall forced. Oxford, following tho kick-out, ran well, but could not get his pass in to Burge. Then there was a change. Ifwersen, running cleverly, short-kicked, and Mitchell following on scored, lfwersen's kick at goal struck the bar. New South Wales 10 New Zealand .'. 6 Tho Blacks were, insistent. Tancrod plunged ahead, and sent Rulcutai and Davidson racing. But Cubitt stopped the rush, and New South Wales cleared to half-way, Johnston, Blair, Norman, and Horder handling the "ball. The Blues, helped by penalties, assailed strongly, and twice Cubitt was pulled down, once by Davidson and once by Tancred. At least Tancred hurled him yards. Fine long punts by McCarthy changed the situation, and Ifwereen narrowly missed a kick from his own clever mark. Brilliant passing by the Blacks, spoilt, however, by wide running, was a feature for a time. So was the tackling of the Blues. Ifwersen was a notable exception in the running of the visiting backs. He drove ahead time after time, only to find the other centre astray. Johnston, after making a grand opening, passed wildly to Horder when the flyer was unmarked. Burge intercepted, but Ifwersen marked his short kick. Still the advantage was with the home team, and Latta came through and gave to Burge. But Burge was hold up, and could only got rid of the ball forward. McCarthy was liurt in gamely stopping a forward rush on his own line. Wall, Horder, Conaghan, and Cubitt figured in a dash, but Conaghan passed wildly. The pressure, however, was maintained, and Ryan was nearly over. A penalty against the Blacks ailowcd Horder to kick an easy goal. New South Wales 12 New Zealand 6 Cubitt shone in a brilliant individual effort that ended in his being temporarily put out of action. It was a sep-saw game, with no quarter given. Rukutai passed forward once when things looked dangerous for the Blues. Then from a wild scramble in front of the home goal Mitchell, always on the ball, snapped a try. An easy goal was missed by Ifwersen. New South Wales 12 New Zealand 9 TJie Blues insistently pressed, and Cubitt narrowly missed scoring again, McCarthy being badly hurt in a mix-up. It was a pity—a nasty ending to nid sound exhibition. Wall, Horder, acl Oxford made much ground. Again the brilliant Hordor came, and. bpafcing three men, sent Ryan in to score. Harder goaled. New South Wales 17 Xciv Zealand O The Blacks made a final rally, and had the advantage, but Burge bolted through them from his own 25 and scored, bluffing liis way past two tacklers who wpro afraid to pass to Horder, who missed the goal. Final scores: — Xew South Wale 3 20 New Zealand •■■ 9