ALL BUCKS BEIT HUD COUNTIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 223, 20 September 1935, Page 7

ALL BUCKS BEIT HUD COUNTIES.

JV/JVE TO THREE. Mitchell Two Sparkling Tries; Initiates Other. EVEN SCORING SECOND SPELL. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 19. The New Zealand Rugby team to-day won the second match of the British tour, defeating Midland Counties, at Coventry, by nine points to three. The All Blacks led 6 —o at half-time. The weather was fine and cloudy, but a gusty cross-field wind made accurate kicking difiicult. The ground was | inclined to be heavy. There was a capacity crowd of 15,000. The teams were:— New Zealand. Full-back: Gilbert. Three-quarters: Hart, Oliver, Mitchell. Five-eighths: Solomon, Page. Half-back: Sadler. Forwards: Manchester, Lambourn, Dalton, Adkins, McKenzie, King, Best, Pepper. Midland Counties. Full-back: Harris. Three-quarters: Obolensky, Ivcnyon, S. Walker, Thacker. Half-backs: Bayliss, Giles. Forwards: A. Walker, Wyman, Wheatlev, Clarke, Dunkley, Beamish, Purchas, Anthony. The Counties kicked off against the wind. The All Blacks packed 3 —4, Pepper standing off and putting the ball in the scrum. The visitors pressed from the outset till the Counties went close to scoring from a scrum. nart, with a fine run, brought relief. Page was brilliant on defence. Kenyon intercepted a pass and sped downfield till Gilbert stopped him. The Midland forwards again threatened, but Pago saved with a long kick to touch. Pepper frequently was penalised for off-side. The All Blacks' quickness to seize openings led to Mitchell scoring two sparkling tries. The New Zealand backs produced a number of beautiful movements. Once Hart, after a run from halfway, was pulled down on the line.

Resuming after the interval the All Blacks continued to pack 3—l, repeatedly gaining the ball from the scrums.

Harris, the Midland full-back, loft the field, apparently dazed, but he returned to his position after live minutes.

From a scrum the Midlanders pressed the All Blacks' line for a long time. The defence, however, held.

Play fluctuated to both ends. Gilbert narrowly missed dropping a goal from 40 yards out. The Midlanders now were being penalised for scrum infringements. Mitchell, running finely, sent McKenzio in for a try, near the close of the game, and in the last few moments Harris secured a penalty goal. Sadler-Page-Solomon Combine. The New Zealanders packed down quicker than against Devon and Cornwall, being anxious to counteract the quick throw-in of the ball by the opposing half when the scrum was moving. Pepper was a loose forward, putting in the ball, then standing back.

The scrums went against the All Blacks in the first 10 minutes, after which both sides settled down. When the All Blacks got moving, Sadler, Page and Solomon combined well, making every effort to open up play. The forwards were playing to instructions, exerting their weight and packing tight in the rucks, and concentrating on getting the ball out. Pepper, Lambourn, Dalton, King and McKenzie were prominent.

A number of the All Blacks were far from being in the best condition, and five were suffering from heavy colds. Mitchell in the Picture. Assisted by the wind the New Zealand forwards pressed. Hart was in the picture with a magnificent burst down the wing. Reaching the full-back he passed to Solomon, but immediately was tackled. Hart's pace surprised the crowd. Pepper was pulled up for being offside in putting the ball into scrum, and was similarly penalised a minute later. The All Blacks lost a great chance through McKenzie endeavouring to pick up after Hart had dribbled past the fullback. After 25 minutes' play Mitchell scored. Oliver and Solomon made the opening, and Mitchell, although tackled on the line, slid over. Mitchell nearly scored again but was forced out at the corner after a pass from Oliver. A variable wind, sometimes blowing against New Zealand, prevented the visitors commanding the game. The Midland backs were better on defence and attack than Devon and Cornwall.

Just before half-time S. Walker, in endeavouring to clear, kicked the ball into Mitchell's hands and the wing-three-quarter went over for his second try. Scrum Changed Again. Things had not gone altogether Xew Zealand's way in the tirst half, and the visitors were unlucky to miss several tries. Moreover there were times when the Counties went close to scoring. Solomon was prominent, soon after the resumption, saving when the All Blacks were pressed by the forwards with the ball at their feet. l'a°e, continuing to play a useful game, showed strong defence. New Zealand started the second half with a 3—4—l pack, but penalties for scrum infringements continued. Harris, the Midland full-back, left the field five minutes after the resumption. Anthony (forward) going into the vacant position. Sadler was getting much work behind the scrums. Harris returned after five I minutes and joined the forwards. He ' apparently liad been dazed.

OH-side play and picking up the ball in tlio ruck by tlie Midland forwards passed unnoticed by the referee, some of whose decisions were puzzling to the All Blacks. The crowd hooted a decision of the referee against tho home side.

Midlands continued to press in many scrums and in the line-outs. Page cleared, finding touch at half-way, when ] the All Blacks' defence appeared likely to be beaten. Solomon Inconsistent. Manchester, appealing to his forwards to rally and use their weight during the pressure, resulted in a further clearance. The captain's line-kicks also were effective. Solomon dropped a number of passes, but made amends with a brilliant dash through the entire defence, a forward pass ending the movement. Gilbert just failed in an attempt at a field goal. The All Blacks packing down in the scrums at the spot of the infringement, forced their opponents to come to them. Here a notable incident occurred during a hold-up owing to an injury, a crowd of boys rushing the side-line to secure autographs of Mitchell. There were few rushes down the centre of the field, typical of All Black forward play, and the team-work of the opening match was missing.

A great race of 50 yards for the ball saw Mitchell outpace Thacker, but a save came from Obolensky. Kenyon, Bayliss and Giles were playing well for Midlands, for whom Beamish and Clarke were doing great work forward. Solomon, who started well, jolted the attack in the second half, running across the field and crowding Oliver. Just before full-time Mitchell raced down the side of the field, beating several men, and passed in to McKenzie, who scored with three defenders hanging on. Gilbert's kick failed. A section of the crowd hooted the referee for awarding the try. Harris right on time kicked a great penalty goal. All Blacks Hemmed In. Tlio All Blacks were an experimental side,. Mr. V. R. Meredith being determined to give all a game at the soonest possible moment. The Midland team did not show combination, passing wildly. On the contrary, the New Zealanders seized every opportunity and were considerably more effective. The All Blacks in the second spell did not go so well together. The Midlanders for a long period hemmed in the New Zealanders on their line, and on several occasions were unlucky not to score, only grim tackling keeping them out.

FORWARDS TESTED. Critics Unimpressed With The Scrum Formation. "UNSOUND AND UNFAIR." (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 19. Critics emphasise that the Midlanders, assisted by five internationals, severely tested the tourists' forwards, even in the second spell when Pepper went into the pack. The general opinion is that tliey must alter their scrummaging tactics in order to live up to the reputations of their predecessors. Page has torn a leg muscle, and is advised to rest for a fortnight. The players state that their unimpressive display against the Midlands was due to over-hospitality. Probably a request will be made to lessen the entertainment. So far the players have not had a chance to reach their real playing condition. Nevertheless English writers continue to criticise the scrum formation. The "Daily Mail" declares the match proved that any team with real scrummaging power and fast backs may defeat the All Blacks. "The Times" Rugby writer states that packing 3 —4, which it had been hoped New Zealand had abaudoned, and which was fundamentally unsound and unfair, paid no better at Coventry than at Devonport. Even with Pepper in the second half playing wing-forward, it was barely sufficient to open up the play, and the New Zealanders were largely dependent for chances on their opponents making mistakes due to the wind. But tliev were a most dangerous crowd when they got such chances.

Howard Marshall, writing in the "Daily Telegraph," admitting the All Blacks' possibilities and the fact that they had not yet settled down, decides that their scrummaging was poor, resulting: in their being beaten in all phases forward. They were wasting their strength by continuing with the 3 —4 formation, and the sooner they began solid scrummaging the sooner their dangerous backs would receive the essential chances. The "News-Chronicle" declares that the Midlanders gave their opponents a splendid example of downright hard Kcrunnnnenng. towards the end of tlic , r .,ine thev carried six scrums in succes-

THE NEXT MATCH. N.Z. TEAM FOR LEEDS. (Received 1.30 p.m.) LOXDON, September 19. The All Blacks team to play Yorkshire and Cumberland, at Leeds, on Saturday, is:— * Full-back: Gilbert. Tlree-quarters: Ball, Griffiths, Mitchell. Five-eighths: Caughev, Tindill. Half-back: Corner. Forwards: McLean, Vorrath, Collins, Reid, Manchester, Adkins, Hore, Lambourn.