When The Springboks Narrowly Evaded Defeat

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 145, 21 June 1941, Page 6 (Supplement)

When The Springboks Narrowly Evaded Defeat

«,W^°? U S> gh aik fu° has be ? ten Auckland three times at Rugby since 1922, when these matches were first included on the provincial calendar, its success on King's Birthday was much more meritorious tffan the previous victories of 1927 and 1930

In both those years Auckland had l£ e / eal ,J® presentati ves elsewhere, first at Whangarei, and in the other at Napier. It was really the B team which Waikato defeated i-V -5 Hamilton, and 28—3 at p ark though 'tis true the Auckland A team had a close shave in the first match of the 1930 season when it won by a point onlv —a try by Minns and a potted goal by Jamison to penalties kicked by Mitchell and Allen. ..-[tif "°t the intention to belittle the Waikato successes but to place tnem in their true perspective, and the recent King's Birthday victory was one of real merit. Always able to field a pack of rugged forwards, Waikato has seldom been able to match the city men in the backs June 2 was an exception, Waikato held their own, both forward and back.

Wrong Tactics On Muddy Ground

Most memorable Rugby achieve.Hamilton occurred in the 1937 Springboks tour. That was the second match of the tour, on Wednesday, July 28, after the visitors had made an auspicious beginby defeating Auckland by 19—5. On a slithery field the South Africans endeavoured to play the same type of open football with which they had confounded Auck- ?. —tactics which nearly meant their undoing. It was only in the closing stages of the second spell, in which the Springboks changed their play, confining the attack to their forwards, that they pulled the game out of the fire: —3. It was not a Waikato team that day but a Waikato-King CountryThames Valley unions. It had a pack of robust grafters and one or two good backs, and the Springboks for the first spell played into their opponents' hands. On the turf which was so greasy that the players could hardly keep their feet they essayed open football to backs which were not a happy combination. The fast-breaking forwards of the combined team frustrated the Springbok play and shattered the defence. The backs did not attempt to pass, but kicked judiciously. From the first spell the combined team emerged with a three-point lead—a trv by the King Country forward W. J. Trustrum The crowd realised that there was a possibility of a sensational victory They urged on their champions with full throated roars every time their forwards went away to the attack. Mid-field Council At Half-time ———■- But the Springboks had realised their error. There had been a midfield "council of war" at half-time, and it was soon apparent after the resumption that a decision had been .made to close the game up. They pinned their faith to their forwards and resorted to what was known as traditional South African methods; the tour, as it developed, showed that they could beat New Zealand in the open back game. The Springboks clung to the line consistently, with their fullback, Gerry Brand, playing a masterly

game with unfailing handling of the greasy ball and accurate line kicking. Time slipped by, and still the combined team clung tenaciously to its three point lead. A try seemed assured for the South Africans when after working down the sideline to near the opposing goal line, they opened out the game only to see F. G. Turner slip within a yard of success and be smothered. Turner had his revenge soon after, kicking a penalty goal, which evened up the scores. The Springboks threw their hands in the air with relief. There were nine minutes left for play, with the Springboks pressing %gain. From a loose forward rush L. C. Strachan, the 14 stone sixfooter, scored. Turner failed to convert. The combined team rallied again to retrieve the three points margin, but the defence, with Brand outstanding, held them off and the game ended without further score.