RUBBER TO ENGLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 202, 27 August 1928, Page 16

RUBBER TO ENGLAND.

N.Z. BEATEN BY PCINT.

STRICTLY CONTROLLED FINAL,

THREE THOUSAND REFUSED I ADMISSION". I | CHRISTC'HURCH, Saturday. | The League Test match was played at, j English Park, the Association football [ground, this afternoon, in tlie presence :of a capacity crowd. England won by Ui points 5, and thus secured the rubber. ! having won two out of three Tests this i tour. It was officially'stated that th>? j attendance was 20,000. The police j stopped the ticket sales live minutes i before the game began, and about 0000 | people were refused admission. i After reports of rough play from the j West Coast «nd Dunedin many people ! went to the match in fear or hope that jthe gam© might be played with mani- ! testations of illegal roughness on both ' sides. The fear or hope was quite I groundless, for although the game was ; played with exceeding grimness, ; although the margin of points I was very narrow, and although . the rubber depended on the result, there was not a single nasty incident in the i whole gamp. The referee, Mr. A. Hari lock, controlled the game very strictly, j Many spectators declared he did not miss i a single infringement. At any rats lie j awarded a very large number of ■ penalties. Probably if he had been a j little less strict the game would have ; been a better spectacle.

Disappointing Match. As it happened, the match, from the spectacular point of view, was disappointing- The defence was too strong: and too effective on both sides to allow either to develop attacking movements. It must be admitted, however, that the score scarcely represents the margin of difference t.he teams. The forwards were about evenly matched. Ihe Englishmen handled the ball better, and opened the game up with their backs better than the New Zealanders, but the Xew Zealanders were superior in loose, bustling rushes. The real superiority of the Englishmen was behind the scrum. Parkin and Rees were very much superior to the New Zealand inside backs, and the combination of the Englishmen, on the few occasions when it was allowed to develop, was definitely better than that of the New Zealanders. One outstanding feature of the match was the almost continuous line-kicking duel between the opposing full-backs, Dufty and Sullivan. Both gave a remarkably fine display, and finished the game with honours easy. The teams were:— England. Full-back. —Sullivan. Three-quarters. —Gwynrie, Fairelough. Askin, Frodsham. Halves.—J. Parkin (captain), liees. Forwards. — Bowman, Bentham, Thompson, Fildes, Bowen, Horton, New Zealand. Full-back. —Dufty. Three-quarters.—Hardgrave, Brisbane, L. Scott. Five-eighths. —Prentice, M. Wctherill (captain). Half-back. —Peckham. Forwards. —Hutt, Townsend, Hall, Goodall, M. O'Brien, B. Eckhoff. Dufty Draws First Blood. England won the toss and set New Zealand to play against a very troublesome sun in the first half. The opening tive minutes of play made it clear to players and spectators that no infringements would be passed over. Several free kicks were awarded. England was i first to gain a dccided territorial advantage, but the visitors were penalised, and play went to the English twenty-five, where Sullivan was tackled with the ball. New Zealand was awarded a penalty when Peckham was collared, and Dufty landed a magnificent goal. New Zealand *..».:*«..•«« 2 England ................ 0 ; A brilliant movement -was started by Hardgrave in the English twenty-five. Prentice carried the movement on and let the ball out to Wetherill, when he was well tackled from behind. The elusive captain transferred to Brisbane, who narrowly failed in a dash for the line. By ragged rushes England took i play beyond half-way, where Sullivan S kicked well for the goal but just failed. I New Zealand was winning most of the ! scrums, but Parkin, after the English ; bark had won the ball cleanly from a scrum, let Askin and Fairelough away to near the line, where Eckhoff tackled Fairelough well.

Gyynne Scores For England. On the other wing Parkin staged a clever piece of passing with Rees, whose pass to Sullivan, however, was forward. The Englishmen tried the other wing with more luck. Gwynne took the bail twenty yards from the line, doiged three New Zealanders, and dived as three opponents landed on his back. Fairclough, following fast, grounded the ball. Sullivan failed with the kick. England " New* Zealand - Peckhani opened up the next brigiit movement from his own twenty-five. He cut in to pass three opponents and passed to Seott when he met Sullivan, but Seott was smothered. Fairelough failed to hold a hot pass from Parkin, and then the crowd called for Dut'ty when a penalty was awarded New Zealand. The A nek lander's kick just failed. Soon afterwards Sullivan had like illfortune, missing a shot from near halfway. Nothing of moment happened until half-time. Try Each Second Spell. Not long after resumption the Englishmen showed their real quality in a brilliant piece of passing, the best of the whole match. From a serum Parkin and Fees reverse passed, and the ball then went to Askin, to Pees, to Parkin, and back to Askin, who showed good speed in a dash for the line with a clear field. Sullivan's kick missed. England 6 New Zealand ... .* 2 The New Zealand forwards, with a scrambling rush along the toucliline, took play to England's line, Goodall and O'Brien being prominent. O'Brien touched down. Duftv missed in the kick at goal. Play became fa>ter on resumption. Often New Zealand had a territorial advantage, and indeed had it for most of the remainder of the game, but lacked ability to round off the attacks. The Englishmen always seemed the dangerous. The contest ended:— England 6 New Zealand *.««.• j