A LESSON LEARNED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 167, 18 July 1938, Page 6

A LESSON LEARNED.

In their first game in Australia the All Blacks gave an encouraging performance, playing in a style which gives ground for the belief that the sharp lesson of the South African tour has been learned. They me' a weakened side, the three-quarter line of the New South Welshmen being the second best, while the forward division was not so strong as that which the selector hoped to- field. A hopeful feature was the honest scrummaging, of the forwards. Last year the All Blacks were outclassed in this department by forwards who put their weight into the pack, and the lesson that " shiners " have no chance against a pack which is not afraid to push, in the scrum has been learned. The i inside backs, too, showed very definite improvement on those of last year, and here, ( again, the benefit of the Springboks' visit was apparent, the handling of the ball from the scrum and the thrust of the five-eighths being i definitely ahead of the last All Black i combination and showing much of the spirit of enterprise which put the African team definitely in the lead. The three-quarter line, too, showed brilliance, and though in the second spell the visitors scored only two points more than the home side, there is justification or the hope that the honours of the tour will t .st with the All Blacks.