IMPERIAL FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 148, 23 June 1919, Page 8

IMPERIAL FOOTBALL.

THE KING'S TROPHY. XEW ZEALAND TVIXS. (From Chir Special Correspondent.). LONDON, April 17. New Zealand has won the Inter-rie.r-vkes tournament. In a game at Twickenham yesterday, before about 10.000 people, who included the Prince of "Wales, Prince Henry and Mr. Massey (Prime ■Minister of "New Zealand), the "All Uku-ks" XV. beat the Mother Country British Army X\ .) by a penalty goal an-d two tries (It points) to a penalty goal I 3 points). This is the second occasion on which these representative sides have met. On April sth ai Inverleitli, New Zealand ■won a very tough game by a narrow margin, hut on the following Wednesday at Bradford were themselves defeated by the Australian team. Thus New Zealand and the Mother Country, having each lost r>ne pjm?. had to play eac/h other ajjain for two rev-sons. The King had presented a cup for the winners of the inter-Servi.'Ps competition, and it had been arranged also that the winrrcrs; should meet an international JYenoh team next Saturday. Tlie majority of the spectators at Twickenham were soldiers, mostly New Zealand soldiers, and ttiey followed the pame with ear-sfilittin.c enthusiasm. The X<?w Zealand team deserved their cheers, for when at half-time they seemed certain to be beaten, they pulled themselves together, and won by sheer hard work and determination. The result, however, was only in accordance with the anticipations of those w-ho had followed the toirrnament jrames from start to flniwb. Despite their defeat by the Australians there can be little or no question- that the Xew Zealanders were the best all-round team in the competition. Yesterday's jrarue presented few own anil attractive features: it was a hard struirs-1? between the forwards. There was little disposition to "give ihp ball j nir." an.l when it did come out the ' backs showed a disposition to kick instead of passing. The match to a larpre i spoil ii v n PTrontj "withi * that blew straight <lf>«-n the jrroiiTid. j conferring a big advantage on the side | playing with it. and the toss of the coin ; fa.vourr-,1 the visitor*. The home teajnj h-.vi a hard trrueilinc up to the interval, but they held up well, the score at halftime be.inj: three point-s each, but it had evidently takx?n a lot out of them, and they were quite unable to profit by the Wind in the second half. The Xew Zealanders pinned their faith in their forward?, and events justified their policy. Their forwards fairly wore down the opposinjr pack in the second half. By their resolute rushes they overwhelmed the home sc.rummafrers, thus preventing the backs from coruinir properly into play. Between the forwards there was a keen struirjrle for possession of the ball, and this led to a jrood many infrinareTnents in the matter of "feet up." Neither pack, however, did much in the "way of heeling, and the play resolved itself into stern, hard and at this pimp th<> Xew Zealanders ■wore the opposition clean down. The home backs had no real ehan<>e of brinp;injr their attacking powers into full play, and could not in any way be blamed for the defeat. That was brought about hy the inability of their forwards to hold their own in the second half. They played with jrreat determination afrainsr their powerful opponents, but were outstayed, and in the end quite outplayed, and to that simple fact defeat must be ascribed. The match was a triumph for iXew Zealand forwards, the honours resting almost entirely with them. The sides in yesterday's match were: Mother Country: Major B. P. Curnberlejre. back: Lieut. J. X. Dickson, Capt. W. J. fallen. Lieut. R. C. Pickles, and Major A. T. Sloan, three-quarter backs; Lieut. C. Lewis and Capt. J. A. Pyra, half-back?: Lieut.-Colonel L. (i. Brown, Capt. C. M. Usher. Capt. the Rev. W. T. Havard. Capt. R. A. Gallic. Major H. B. Moore. Major P. H. Lawless. Capt. C. H. Pillman. and Company Sergt.-Major Jones, forwards. Xew Zealand.—T. (TBrien. back: P. Ftorpy. J. Stohr. and J. Ford, three-quarter-backs: J. Ryan and W. Fea. five-] eighths; C. Brown, half-back: M. Cain,l E. Hassell. -T. Moffatt. J. Kissick. A. Wilson. E. Belliss. A. West, and A. Singe (wing) forwards. THE GAME DESCRIBED. Almost at the start the All Blacks made a sharp rush into the Army 2.">. butj Pym fiot in a useful kick, and" O'Brien i blunderina the Army reached the centre, where the Home backs brought off a round of passing, and Sloan kicked, but Ford retrained the lost ground. Then Cumberiege slipped in fielding tlie ball, End this led to a scramble in the Army quarters, when Ryan failed at a drop, the ball going under the bar. .lust afterwards Stohr had a shot at goal from a penalty. The Army were now doing; better, and with a 'frood rush their forward? tarried the pime to the?r oppo. end. Here Xew Zealand -were' penalir.ed. and from just outside the 25 line ( umherlejre kicked a goal -when the; gam* had been in progress about a quarter of an hour. Tlie Army quickly lost their lead, as a minute later they. tor., wore penalised in their 25, and £t.v,r kicked a soul, making the score level. The visitors airain pressed, but Dickson and Pickles in turn afforded Borne relief. Once or twice tlie Army backs attempted passing, but to no useful purpose. : ..,,d then Stohr had another funic lon- shot at goal. Later came Borne fast play in the Army 2.",. and from a rairi Stoh r made another attempt to I Kirk v goal, and He also asrain tried to drop a goal. Following the drop-out the >>ew Zealand forwards made a determined rush to near the aoa l-line. and a desperate struggle ensued, being ended by (JBrien making a futile attempt to drop a goal. Then Kissick made an ettort to dar-h through, but was pulled down, and a lon- kick by Storey went into touth-in-goal. The aame continued to be in the Army 25, but half-time arrived with the rf nre :! points each. During the interval the teams lined trp, and the Prince of Wales coming on the iieUl of play, shook hands with each piayer.

On resuming, tin- New Zealanders at opa-c went oir with a rush, reaching the 25. and after exchange of kicks between i Storey and Lewi-. <)"Brien found touch. I Pickles took the frame j>a-<t the centre j ■with a uriiiule. and tiion came a bout i>i pas.=in ? on both sides, but play continued about the centre. At len-th the Yew fonvardc broke through, aud -Moffatt. picidng up. made a dangerous run. and the succeeding rush took the game right on to the Annv line. Some fine followed, and theArmv were jK-nahsed Stohr'B kick, however, fen short, and Le Wlg cleaTed Stohr missed nis pass, and Pickles, pick=H!r up. passed out to who found touch in the New Zealand ii The pressure :was. -of brief -duratioij and

Stohr cleared. A little later Pickles found touch well down, and this time the Xew Zealand backs came away, the ball reaching Ford, "who ran some distance before '"being collared. Xhis took play well into Army quarters.

The next item was a wild throw back by Lewie, which gave the New Zealand forwards an opportunity not to be scorned, and in the rush that followed Lewis' blunder Singe scored. The placekick failed, Tjut having 6ecured the lead the New Zealand forwards soon disclosed J their intention to retain it if their efforts j counted for anything. They played as if j possessed, and rapidly obtained a clear •and decisive mastery over the opposing I forwards, who were certainly now much j the worse for "wear and tear," whereas jthe Xew Zealanders seemed "as fresh aa j paint." Presently one of their rushes j carried the game right on to the Army I line. That burst only just fell short of a score, but a minute after Brown got the ball out. and Stohr cleared the way for Ford, who, dashing for the line, i though collared by Cumberlege, gained a capital try. Again the place-kick failed, but this further score quite settled matters, as though the Army backs once came well away Sloan"s pase was intercepted by Wilson, and the attack warded off. The Xew Zealanders held the upper hand to the last, winning by a penalty and two tries to a penalty goal.