ALL BLACKS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18266, 27 December 1924, Page 11

ALL BLACKS.

o TODAY'S FIXTURE. SECOND MATCH AGAINST LONDON. To-day the All Blacks play a team selected from tho Ixindon Clubs at Twickenham. On the occasion of their first meeting, on November loth, the All Blacks won by 31 points to 6. This match is the last but one the tourists play in Great Rritain. Following the test n>.'xt Saturday against All F<ngland. they play two matches in .France, and then take their departure for Canada. AGAINST LIGHT BLUES. AN EPIC IN THE MUD. •(By A. J. Hiirrop.) (Special Representative of "Tho Press.") CAMBRIDGE, November 13. After seeing the first eight matches of the All Blacks' tour, and missing the next eight owing to the beginning of the Cambridge term, I was very anxious to see the seventeenth match of the tour—that against Cambridge University—in order to endeavour to estimate tho progress of the side in obtaining better cohesion among the forwards than they had shown in their first matches. Unfortunately the weather was so wrotched that any real comparison was practically impossible. After seeing the University play several matches, I had formed the conclusion that the All Blacks would win by twenty points on a fine day, and by eight or ten ou a wet day. This opinion was based particularly on the performance of the University forwards in the mud against London Scottish, who, previously unbeaten this season, wcro beaten by the University 11-3, mainly owing to the excellent dribbling of the University forwards. We saw this dribbling again yesterday —only it was, if anything, better controlled. The All Blacks did not field their best by any means, probably because of the important London clubs match on Saturday, and perhaps partly by reason of the fact that Leicester defeated Cambridge at Leicostcr last Saturday by 39 points to 3. As the All Blacks had beaten Leicester 27-0, the chances of the University might not at first sight have appeared \cry considerable. However, several members of the team had not played at Leicester, and in any case Cambridge teams have a reputation for rising to the occasion. Evon in 190;", on a ground infinitely more like a football ground than yesterday's quagmire, the All Blacks won by only 14-0. Rain fell in the customary regular and conscientious manner of this country from 9 p.m. on the previous night till long after the match was finished. The First Spell. The teams came out well up to time, and after photographic preliminaries, the All Blanks, in response to insistent demands, gave the war-cry, which ihey appeared to be about to omit owing to the depressing state of tho weather. Then the epic began. Both sides tore each other down relentlessly. No quarter was given or taken, and as an exhibition of tackling tho game will be talked of as loag as any of those present at tho match survive. The Cambridge men fought every inch i determinedly, and the comparatively light backs threw themselves at the tall New Zealand forwards with an abandon which soon had the crowd in an extraordinary state of excitement. If the Cambridge tackling wiia fierce, thst of the All Blacks w:i« positively deadly. Every man accounted for liis war. in perfect style. Tho Cambridge backs, who handled the slippery ball very well, were forced to run almost straight across the' field. They were invariably hemmed in on the side line, and seldom got a man ovor in any rush. When the wings, Harding, the Welsh International, and Devitt, did get away at all, Nepia was usually equal to the emergency, and he very soon had another conple of backs behind to support him. Critics have expressed tho opinion that the chief strength of the present team lies in its spci>d and the excellent, backing up of tho backs. These qualities were much in evidence yesterday, and the strength of the defence was almost proved. Saturday's London clubs match will be the crucial test. The first half of this game was indeed an amazing struggle. The All Blacks would bring an amazing pressure on the Cambridge line, often tackling a man in possession within a couple of yards of the line, but they could never quite beat the defence. Parker was nearly over two or three times, and five-yards scrums were frequent. Then the Cambridge forwards would hook the ball, keep it in the back rank, and eventually break away and clear. When occasionally tho ball came out to Mill, he sometimes tried to go over on his own, and sometimes passed out. But both methods were frustrated equally effectually, and then the Cambridge backs would secure the ball and find touch well down the field. Each time the All Blacks would work back, largely by the aid of kicks to touch, and the same process would be repeated. The half-time whistle went with no scoro recorded. Cambridge had joined Somerset, Newport, and Ireland in the select band of teams which had kept the All Blacks out for the first forty minutes. The Second Spell, Reappearing with clean faces and a certain amount of mud removed from their attire, the teams started in vigorous fashion. The University, everybody expected, would not stand the strain for long. And yet it was the All Blacks who provided most of the stragglers when the game was suddenly removed to the other end of the ground by a long kick. Two or three of the New Zealand forwards were very lax in rejoining the game on these occasions. The All Blacks, however, did most of the attacking at this stage. Thev pegged away at the line for ten minutes with almost monotonous regularity. Eventually Mill chose a splendid moment for one of his lone-handed dashes. Ho secured the ball from a serum, beat two or three men, and dived under the post for a try which was 'a really clever piece of work. Nichofls took the kick, and his method of not moving back for it seemed to surprise the University team, whose cli.-:rge was Very late. Five hard-won points seaieelv represented the difference in the play at this stage, but they were- not to be increased. The University sternly refused to be suppressed or to play merely to keep the score down, as so many of the All Blacks' opponents have done. They were out to attack all the time, and the forwards stood the tremendous pace in a way must have impressed the Oiford players who were present. In the last five minutes the All. Blacks penned Cambridge in their twenty-five, tut all desperate attempts

to increase the lead failed, and a memorable game ended with the score f> 0. (While the All Blacks were by no means ns good as they might hvp been, their display was by no me.:ns discouraging. Richardson, playing in the lock position to give Masters a rest (Harvey having been an invalid for some weeks), strained himself early in the game, and this may have affected the serum work. Nicholls was as sound as usual, and McGregor performed prodigies of valour in stopping rushes. Time and again he went down before a dribbling rush to emerge some time later with his face covered with mud as black as his jersey. As soon as he got one layer wiped off. lie would be due for a second instalment. Hart played very well indeed. Brown was not quite so good, and Robilliard, playing only his second game of the tour, waa naturally not in his best" form. White and Irvine were, I thought, the best of the forwards. All things considered, it was a great day for Cambridge, and the University team. There wero special rejoicings and congratulations in mv own college, which provided seven of the team. Speculation is rife as to how Oxford will fare against tho All Blacks. The teams wero as follows: University.—P. P. Dontv (Pembroke): 'Sir T. G. Devitt (Corpus), I>. R. Tnrnbull (Christ's), *J. H. Bordass (Caius), and 'fW. Rowc Harding (Pembroke); a T. E. S. Francis (Pembroke) and i'*A. T. Young (eapt.) (Caius); *P. J. MncMyn (Pembroke), *W. E. Tucker (Caius), *W. B. Scott (Pembroke), *D. C. Cumming (Caius), *W. Idris Jones (Caius), "C. S. Barlow (Caius), R. <£ Howell (Caius), and W. Ross Skinner (Trinity Hall). New Zealand.—Backs—G. Nepia; three-quarters—A. IT. Hart, H. W. Brown, A. C. C. Robilliard; fiveeighths—N. P. McGregor and M. P. Nicholls; scrum half—-J. Mill; wingforward—J. H. Parker; forwards—W. Irvine, B. V. McClearv, A. AVest, J, Richardson, C. Brownlie, L. Cupplcs, and A. White. •(International. "Old Blue. Reforoe, Mr T, H. Vilo (Newport). THE OXFORD MATCH. N.2. SEVERELY TESTED. (By A. J. Harrop, Special Representative of "The Press.") CAMBRIDGE, November 20. When I glanced at tho pavilion clock on tho Oxford ground at 10 minutes to four this afternoon, tho second spell in tho All Blacks v. Oxford University match was exactly half completed. Tho score was then 19—15 in favour of the All Blacks and their lead was represented by a dropped goal scored by Nicholls in the early stages of the game. Oxford were attacking. Theeo facts in themselves are sufficient to prove that the New Zealandcrs found themselves up against a very stiff proposition. I scarcely know whether to be depressed by the ultimate result, or merely relieved. In the early stages of the gajn© was evident that the New .Zealand backs were not in very good' form. Thoy did some strangely absurd things, while, on the other hand, tho Oxford half, playing splendidly, was opening out the game to his line of four international three-quarters with a speed and accuracy which boded ill for New Zealand. 3>alley very saw the I ball at all, and, when he did McGregor, in the first part of the game, failed to get going at all. The New Zealand fonvards, while being beaten in the tight, were superior in the loose, but not sufficiently so to confine the game in Oxford quarters. Several times G. G. Aitken and; A. C. Wallace got away on the right wing, and threatened danger but when Oxford opened the scoring it was through a strange lapse on the part of Cooke. From a cross-kick the ball was kicked across the New Zealand goal mouth. Oooke kicked it along tho ground to Jacob, the English international, who, quite unmarked, fell on the ball for one of the softest, tries ever presented to a Naturally the reverse stimulated the All Blacks to overcome the lethargy, which was perhaps not unnatural after some time spent in London —one of the most tiring places in the world. Little success attended attempts by Cooke and Nicholls to penetrate the defence, but finally Nicholls dropped a bcnutifu' goal from a long way out Still one point in arrears, tho All Blacks had to fight for every yard of ground. Better combined work, however, kept Oxford mainlv on the defensive for some time. An easy try from a line-out was followed by a characteristic burst by Cooke, which carried him past most of the Oxford backs to score near the posts. Nicholls who was in his best kicking form. had. no difficulty in converting. i , , The Oxford hacks, who never ceased to be dangerous throughout the game, wero well away on the right wing soon afterwards, and an awkward cross-kick being fumbled by Nepia, Oxfonl were over again, nnd only four points in arrears at half-time. Tho second half saw the AH Black forwards, particularly M. Brownlie, White, and Cupi>les, doing good work, passing and dodging cleverly like backs, but after twenty minutes' play each side had scored another five points. The Oxford try was due to a fine breakaway by Ravmond when tho AH Blacks were attacking strongly. Ho transferred to Wallace, who ran seventy vards to score practically unchallenged. This try. reminiscent of Parker's against London, put tho All Blacks in an exeeedinsrlv nasty position. Fortunately they had some reserve energy still to' draw upon, and even the fitness of the Oxford men could not match theirs. Steel and Robilliard scored, and between these tries Nicholls dropped a second goal, though the Oxford line was oractically at his mercy. In yiew of the eighteen points scored by Nicholls, however, it is perhaps hvpereritical to cavil at his judgment j in kicking. Impressions of the Qame. Mv chief impression of the game was that 1 felt Parker's style of play would have suited tho occasion better than Porter's. Tho captain, however, did some sterling work in initiating passing rushes at critical stages of the game, though 1 retain an early impression that his participation in the passing rushes tends to slow tho attack down. Dal ley did not get many chances and was not his usual brilliant self. McGregor started badly, but was very good in the second spell. Nicholls and Cooke found themselves very well marked and the latter made many attempts before ho was able to wipe out his early mistake by a brilliant try. Robilliard and Stool each scored a good try. Robilliard hud to face a big job in marking Wallace and the Australian eluded him once or twice. Steel played a good game and was always a match for Jacob. Nepia had an anxious afternoon, and appeared a littlo below form —not unnaturally, -perhaps, in view of his nineteen consecutive matches. Of the forwards. M. Brownlie again proved what a wonderful player he is, while White. Cupples. and Masters were also very prominent. A largo number of penalty kicks wero ,awardod against tho All Blacks, and T expect we shall have another tirade in the papers to-morrow about obstruction as a fine art and players always "on the verge of off-side." Till I read some of the English critics' reports. I al-

I at foot of noxt column.)

ways had the idea that a man who was not off Bid© was onside, but apparently there is a no-man's land into which the All Blacks have a faculty of straying, it must be admitted, however, that one or two of the All Blacks could exercise mono caution in keeping on side. The fault, according to English ideas, is apparently not atoned for by the resulting penalty provided by the rule 3. A few ot the English critics have Hulficiently vivid imaginations without giving them reasonable grounds for complaint. Press Criticism. 1 have time before the mail doses to add some comments on the Press criticism of tho game. A* a whole, doubtless due to the fact that the sen-tHtion-seeking Sunday pspers are not concerned, the criticism is infinitely more fair than it was after the windon match. As usual, "The Times and tho "Daily Telegraph'' give tho All Blacks full justice. The "Morning Post" confines iteclf to the remark tWat the All Uflacks conceded nine penalties in the first half to Oxford s two. Tho second half figures not being so favourable, are omitted. The "Daily Mail" cablegram from New Zealand giving the views of New Zealand newspapers on the London match criticism appears to hare done some good. But of course the entice had not predicted that the >ew /islanders would be so hard pressed by Oxford, whereas they anticipating a closft gwne in the match rizht from tho beginning of the * our "