WON BY A GOAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18195, 4 October 1924, Page 13

WON BY A GOAL.

THIRTEEN TO TEN. GREAT GAME WITH NEWPORT. NICHOLLS'S PLACE-KICKING KEEPS ALL BLACKS UNBEATEN. (ST CAHLT.—raws ASSOCIATION (.AUSTRALIA* ANB N.T. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, October 3. The All Blacks played il.cir second game in Wales against Newport to-day, and had a different experience from their easy win at Swansea, coming off victorious only after h tough struggle by 13 point* (two converted tries and a penalty goal) to 10 (two converted tries'). The New Zealand team was: Nepia Svenson Brown Steel Nicholls Cooke Mill West White Brownlie ?§£sters Bro-rnlie Irvine Donald Porter The match aroused the keenest interest, and a crowd of 35,000 ussembled an hour before the start. The weather was dull. Newport won the toss, and early in the game initiated splendid cohesive movements, showing grim determination. The crowd was hugely delighted, and also surprised, at the Welsh players' fine exhibition. The Welshmen easily secured possession of the ball from most j of the scrums, and were almost continuously hammering at the New Zealand line. The visitors' kicking, with the exception of Nepia's, failed in drection and force. After several attacks had been repulsed, Newport drew iiret bloo'd by crossing the All Blacks' line, amid tumultuous applause. Friend gained tho try, and Wether converted. Newport .» .. 5 New Zealand .. .. 0 Stock, for Newport, just failed in an attempt to pot, and then Waite narrowly missed scoring for the Welsh club. Close upon half-time tho All Blacks came with a fine rush, started by Nicholls and carried on by Cooke, who gave Brown an easy chance to run through unopposed. The Tai;anaki man, however, mulled the pass, as many others had been mulled, and knocked on. Play continued to be fast, open, and spectacular. Nicholls made a fine dash, but failed to get through, and just before half-time Porter nearly got over the Newport line; but the spell ended without further score: Newport • • 5 New Zealand .. 0 / Immediately after the resumption of play Cooke, after kicking the ball in midfiold, was seemingly charged by Jones, a big, powerful centre-three-quarter. Cooke appeared to be badly hurt, and was carried off, but returned later, amid cheering. Newport continued to gain the ball from the scrums, and its backs kept up the attack, but Nepia, who was called on to do a lot of work, proved equal to tho task. The All Blacks then had a look in, and forced Newport back. Mill got over, Nicholls converting. Newport .. .. 5 New Zealand .. .. 5 A penalty was given against the Welshman, and a splendid goal was kicked from the touchline by Nicholls. New Zealand ~ .. 8 Newport .. . • £ Newport charged back, and, following up in a loose rush, Andrews scored for the club in a fine position, from which Baker easily obtained a goal. Newport .. ... 10 New Zealand .. • ♦ 8 The New Zealanders. however, were not done with. They played up strongly, and, within a few minutes of time, Svenson made a wonderful run, evading all in his way, and ending by dashing over the line. Nicholls converted with another fine kick almost from the touchline, and the game ended: New Zealand .. .. 13 Newport .. .. 10 The Welsh clijb made the greatest showing against the All Blacks yet witnessed. In the finish, variety, skill, and initiative exhibited, the match was very much above the usual. TJie Newport forwards gave a splendid display, and outpointed their opponents iu the front line, but outside the scrums the New Zealanders were faster and cleverer. The New Zealanders won golden opinions by their wonderful display of pluck and tenacity. They practically pulled the game out of the fire in the last few minutes, and aroused tremendous enthusiasm among the spectators. The game is considered to be the best seen at Newport for many years. The place-kicking, which has been poor so far, was a feature of tin game on this occasion,, and it was really Nicholls's kicking that 3aved the match for the All Blacks. The crowd made a demonstration against the referee for not ordering Jones off the field, but this vras the only untoward incident in an otherwise splendid and thrilling exhibition of Rugby football by both sides. THE CENTURY UP. LEICESTER THIS AFTERNOON. Thursday's match, which saw the AH Black line crossed for the first time on the present tour, brought the New Zealanders' total seore over 100 points. The results of the matches played to (Continued foot if next column.) ■ i

date, with the 1903 figure# for comparison, are!— 1924. 1905. Devon . 11—0 55—4 Cornwall .. 20—0 41—0 Somerset • • 6—o 38—0 Gloucester • < 6—o 44r*-0 Swansea .. 39—3 4—B , Newport .. 13—10 B—3 Total points 104—13 178—10 To-day tbe All Blocks will meet Leicester, a eide which the 1003 team defeated by 28 points to 0. As usual, the result should be available about 10 a.m. to-morrow. TEAMS AND PLAYERS. " ALL BLACKS WILL MEET WINGFORWARD TO-DAY. (From the Special Correspondent of "Tbe Press.") BLOEMFONTEIN, August 24. Points of interest in view of the tour , of the All Blacks have been, obtained from members of the British touring team. ' Mr Packer, the manager of thrf .team, who is an ex-Newport and Welsh international player, said that the Welsh club teams compared quite favourably ■with tbe English county sides. 'Wales at present relied mainly on forward play, and had no great back teams, such as the All Blacks inet in 1005. Bowe Harding will not be back from South Africa in time to represent Swansea, as the British team does not arrive Home again until th<r second week in October. Gaisford, a member of the team, expressed the opinion that one of the hardest matches during the first half of the All Blacks' tour would be on October 25th, against the champion county, Cumberland. Somerset wero the champion county for the 19---3 season, but had not a very strong nt present. Gloucester will miss the "best forward in England," A. T. Voyce, Cheshire will lose Maxwell, and Somerset will be minus Gaisford. Newport, who otherwise would b& All Blacks' strongest opponents up till November, are considerably weakene by the absence of such fine players as Neil Macpherson and Dr. Roche (forwards), Harold Davies (centre-three-quarter), and Will Griffith* (fly-half). Leicestershire play a wing-forward, as in New Zealand, and " the only Monty to d. so regularly. Thy courty team is generally comprised of Leicester club men, and has better combination than is usual in a county side.