A MEMORABLE GAME.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 307, 27 December 1924, Page 4

A MEMORABLE GAME.

ALL BLACKS V. CAMBRIDGE.

NEW ZEALANDEKS' HARROW WIN. 'VARSITY'S HEROIC STRUGGLE. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, November 14. So badly did the Cambridge University team come to grief at Leicester on Saturday that, in the absence of some remarkable improvement in the 'Varsity team the New Zealanders appeared to be assured of a very easy victory indeed over the 'Varsity fifteen, when they visited Cambridge on Wednesday last. Losing by 9 points to 3 to a club that went down before the All Blacks by 27 points to 0, the light blues appeared to ! have a crushing defeat in front of them. No certain deduction could be made from those two results, but how the 'Varsity could escape defeat wais impossible to see. The failure at Ixnecster came as a great surprise, for in several matches of late the Cambridge pack bad given a highly satisfactory account of themselves, and jet it was forward, with eight scruramagers to battle against the Leicester seven, that the Cantabs were mainly overplayed. In the circumstances the Varsity could not be expected to make as good a fight as did the light blued of 190j against Gallaher's famous band. On that occasion Cambridge had the services of some very speedy backs, and the brothers MacLeod kicking exceptionally well, the All Blacks could only cairn a 14-point to nothing victory. Happily for the 10,000 spectators who turned up at the University ground on Wednesday, arithmetic doesn't count for much when assessing Rugby form, and instead of providing ''a walk-over" for the All Blacks, the Cambridge team provided them with as tough a proposition as the New Zealanders have yet tackled. Played under execrable conditions overhead and underfoot, the game provided a feast of thrills, and not a little food for hilarity. The 'Varsity ground is a good one, and under normal conditions recovers quickly from the effect of rain, but its powers of absorption had been woefully overtaxed by som<> JO hours of rainfall, and though the turf looked all right, it was for the players' feet like so much batter-pud-ding. And when jerseys and pants rami , into contact therewith, it was a case of "sticketh closer than a brother." The Cantabs' uniform was light blue barred with white and white pants, but, quite early on, most of them were, as to their back view, almost indistinguishable from the All Blacks, and numbers on both sides were in many cases almost, and some entirely, obliterated. Then, to make matters worse, the light, never at any time particularly good, became so indifferent that, with play removed at all from one's vantage point it was really impossible to distinguish with any approximation to certainty the doings of individual players. You may knew a man very well indeed, but when he has been treating his face to a mud bath, well—Jock Richardson might easily pass muster for a Brownlie. But it was all in the "fun of the fair," and good fun it was for the spectators. There was never a minute without its thrills, and if it was not good Rugby, it was all vastly entertaining from first to last, so much so that the utterly wretched conditions under which the game was being played were quite a second consideration. All through the piece a drifting drizzle-eum-downpour prevailed, but the enthusiasm of the spectators refused to be damped. Most of them were there to cheer for the 'Varsity team without doubt, and if vocal encouragement <ould have won the game for the Cantabs, they would have been easy winners. As it was they really didn't deserve to lose, and certainly the 5-point margin the All Blacks won by did not understate the superiority of the tourists. For an hour there was nothing to choose between the teams, and then the All Blacks' one and only score really arose, from a sad blunder by the defence. The New Zealanders were attacking when from a scrum the Cambridge captain secured the ball and made what one can only describe as a wild and reckless pass. Two of the Cambridge backs made desperate efforts to field it, but both slipped up, and Mill, gathering the ball cleverly, swerved and side-stepped past three opponents, to score right under the bar. The place was easy, even under the ground conditions prevailing, and Nicholls "made it five." As may be gathered from the conditions prevailing, the forwards monopolised the game to a great extent, and a description of any two minutes play will serve for a description of the whole —tight scrummaging, loose rushes, and either ground gaining or defensive kicking by the two back divisions. Early in the game the All Black backs tried to play a passing game, but the greasy ball was almost jnvariabl(y fumbled even when passes were given decently, which was not the rule by any means. The ■Cambridge back division, though slow in their passes, were much cleverer in their handling, and their fleet wingers might easily have turned the tide of victory had the centre players of the Cambridge three-quarter line been a trifle smarter in getting the ball out to them. As it was, the All Black forwards, following up with commendable swiftness, generally managed to "kill" threatened movements by the light blues' threequarters. The Play. Although a free kick placed Cambridge on the attack almost from the start, the loose and slow passing that eventually was to cost the side so dear enabled the New Zealand pack to make the first great counter-rush of the match and almost to reach the University's goal-line. Cambridge, however, relieved an awkward situation brilliantly, and the pack settled down to play a really magnificent game. This included the quite unexpected feat of getting the ball out of the scrummages repeatedly. Then Francis tied up the defence with a well-placed punt ahead—Nepia had to fly-kick in order to save—next, Dcvitt made a good run, but failed to pass llart; and then Rowe-Harding a o t well away, but was brought down" by a magnificent tackle by McGregor The All Blacks' turn came soon afterwards, and Douty, the Cambridae fullback, had his work cut out to check some furious forward Tushes by the ill Blacks, lie succeeded, but a clever straight run by Mill nearly produced a try, and then, at the other end of the field. Uevitt got away, punted over NVpia's head, but was hustled into touch in the nick of time. The aitaek ended when Francis dropped at goal and missed. Just before half-time the Cambridge goal-line had several narrow escapes, and once only a forward pass

by Mill to Parker robbed the All Blacks of a certain try. It was not a doubtful "forward," but "one that a blind man could see," and Mr. Referee Vile had nothing wrong with his eyesight. j Great, indeed, was the' jubilation of the 'Varsity crowd when half-time arrived with the score-sheet all blank, i Thundering cheers intermingled with weird cries greeted the teams as they retired into the dressing room for their brief and well-earned rest. The question uppermost in the minds of the crowd was "would the Cambridge pack last the pame out? The pace throughout the tirst stase had been terrific, in spite of the mud, and only men trained to the hour could possibly keep it up for another such spell. The 'Varsity forwards answered the question by opening the second spell with some grand dribbling rushes, and by making them at very short intervals right up to "no side." The pace all through was a "cracker," the ball going up and down the Held iv an amazing fashion. Hardly had one team taken play right up to their opponents' twenty-live, or even right on to the line, than, hey presto! the ball was at the other end. After Mill had scored the Cambridge team seemed to be, if possible, more full of "vim" than over, and the splendid work nf their forwards often had the defence in more or less of a tangle, but happily it was never quite overwhelmed, though preciously near it once or twice. Then, after Francis had taken another futile drop at goal, Parker was nearly in for the All Blacks, and a moment later seemed almost certain to score. The last ton minutes was "furious lighting all the line"—mainly Cambridge's lino, lie it said—but try a< they could the All Blacks could not quite overcome the Can tabs' desperate defence. In tlio last minute the Now Zealand forwards rushed the ball clean over the line, but some very much "muddied oaf" in what had. been a blue and white stripod jersey managed to drop on it ore the All Blacks '-browned to" the fact that they were over. So "no side" came with New Zealand victors by points only, and, by common accord, the honours of the day with Cambridge. It was always a desperately keen tussle, but it was all fair play, arid Mr. Vile —best, of Rugby referee.—only found it necessary to penalise four or tive times. It was not "great" Rugby by any means, but it was a great, almost heroic struggle, and one that will live long in the minds of players and spectators alike. The teams were as follow: Cambridge.—P. S. Douty. back; T. G. Devil t, B. B. Tiirnbull, j. A. Bordass, \Y. Kowe-Harding, three-quarter backs; T. E. H. Francis, A. T. Voting (captain), half-backs; U.J. Macmyn. \V. K. Tucker, 1). C. Cumming, W. Idris Jones, C. S. Barlow, E. U. Ilowcll, \V. Ross Skiuncr, forwards. Now Zealand.—Nopia, back: Robilliard. Brown, Hart, three-quarter backs; Nicholls, McGregor, five-eighths; Mill, scrum-half; barker, wing forward; (.'. Brownlic, Cupples, White, Irvine, MvCleary, West, Richardson (captain), fori wards.