ALL BLACKS WIN AGAIN

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27201, 19 November 1953, Page 5

ALL BLACKS WIN AGAIN

RUGBY FOOTBALL

Llanelly Beaten 17-3 THREE TRIES TO ELSOM [From the Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent with the team] LLANELLY, November 17. The All Blacks played convincingly for the first time today, and after being held to 3-all at halftime ended their sixth match by beating Llanelly by 17 points (a goal, three tries, and a penalty goal) to 3 points (a try). It was easily the best performance of the tour, and in the last 15 minutes Elsom scored three tries. The team achieved a high standard of forward and back play. In the last 15 minutes 11 points were scored, and in spite of the best efforts of Llanelly, a robust, enterprising and aggressive team, the All Blacks were clearly dominant. The score might have been bigger if the referee had not somewhat surprisingly refused to allow at least two more tries. For the first of these, Jarden sped round his man and into the corner, knocking over the corner flag after he had grounded the ball. D. D. Wilson, who was touch judge, was in no doubt that it was a try, but he was overruled.

Late in the second half, R. A. White appeared to score from one of the swarming rushes which the All Black pack as a whole was making at this stage, but again the decision was a drop-out from the twenty-five. For the first time on the tour the All Blacks began to play as a team, with the backs making many attacks and showing qualities of unexpectedness, especially in using the blind-side wing. Scott also came into attacks on the open flank. Some of the passing in the first half could have been sharper, and Tanner, at second five-eighths, appeared to be a little tentative, both in attack and defence. However, as time went on, the weight of the attack became very heavy, and the movement which led to Elsom’s first try was wonderfully fine. Scott came up into the rush which began inside New Zealand’s territory and his pass to Fitzgerald sent the latter tearing through a gap to Phillips 30 yards away. Elsom took a pass and scored in the

corner. ' . Elsom’s tries, the last of which was particularly good when he jinked for seven or eight yards on the blind side near the corner and went over in a press of forwards, capped a performance of considerable merit and great energy. When Fitzgerald saw the gap he was through like’ a rocket, but. of all the backs, perhaps Bevan had the best day. He weathered the attack of Llanelly’s wing forwards, and then began to pass well and accurately. He “found” Haig without difficulty, and the latter, as expected, was cooly resourceful, though perhaps his punting ahead was a little too long to be completely successful. Jarden had few chances.

Hooking Very Fast Among the forwards, the most remarkable performance was Henri’s in heeling. He not only won all his loose heads, but must have secured at least 10 tight heads as well—and some of the heeling was so swift that Bevan was almost embarrassed. Practically no fault could be found with the way the for wards • reacted to Stuart’s leadership. There was power and drive m the rucking, and speed and intelligence in the loose.

I. J. Clarke and W. H. Clark were remarkably swift in the open. McCaw began showing brilliance towards the end, and R. A. White and Skinner were powerhouses in the tight. It was good to see Skinner beginning to show his New Zealand form, and there is better to come. It seemed in the first quarter of an hour that the All Blacks were in for a hard time. Llanelly, no doubt inspired by the singing of the crowd of 18,000, began with tremendous energy. After Jarden Had magnificently goaled from 50 yards, they equalised with a try begun by Denzi 1 Thomas and carried through four pairs of hands for 60 yards to the corner. Tucker was the scorer, and that was all there was until half-time, although, in the 25 minutes or so, Elsom had some dashing runs and the All Blacks in the last 15 minutes were in control. The second half was a vivid contrast. The All Blacks in the first minute scored through R. A. White, when W. H. Clark charged down a kick. After about 25 minutes during which many things did not “come off,” Elsom got the first of his tries. Jarden had failed with some penalties m the first half, and Scott was now taking the kicks. Within three minutes, Elsom k was over again, Jarden coming in from the blind side and giving Fitzgerald the yard he needed to Break clear. Scott kicked this, goal. Finally, after White had made a tremendous run to the comer, there was a long heel past Bevan. Elsom picked up, and. in the very determined way of his play all day, pranced and dummied his way over. Scott missed this goal. When the match ended, Scott ran 50 yards to gather one of the balls used during the match from the arms of a small boy and carry it triumphantly from the field.

N.Z. FORWARDS CRITICISED

ADVICE TO “CUT OUT ROUGH STUFF”

NEWSPAPER WRITERS’ * VIEWS i • 1 [From the Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent , with the team] LONDON, November 17. c The All Blacks seem likely to become “ the centre of controversy about their play. ’ Although many* critics have expressed J disappointment at the lack of entertaining ( Rugby, Godfrey Stuart, in the “Week-end ] Mail,” has warned the New Zealanders to ) “cut out the rough stuff,” saying: “We could dish it out, too.” But Peter Wilson, in the “Daily Mir- - ror,” has answered "critics of the 'ruthless’ All Blacks—the team with the will c to win” with the declaration: “Stop this r squealing—it’s no crime to play hard.” i Stuart’s article said: “A word of warn- t ing to the All Blacks—beware! This New Zealand team, who are in Rugby what the c Australians are in cricket, have brought < 30 players oyer here to play out 29 1 matches of their tour. f "But if they don’t cut out the rough stuff they’ll have to cable home for some 1 more. t “There was hostile booing—something < rarely heard at Twickenham—when some J of their forwards in the All Blacks-Lon-don Counties match appeared to be' kick- ‘ ing everything above the ground. 1 "Other packs won’t put up with rough stuff so amicably as did London Counties. 1 There are bound to be casualties—lots < of them. “After all. Rugger is a game played 1 by men and there are plenty of those 1 in these islands—men who can dish, it out as well as take it. “So beware New Zealand. Cut it out! ’ “This All Black side has not yet shown 1 anything like the form of previous New Zealand touring teams, but in veteran full-back Bob Scott, they have one of the most brilliant players ever. “Watch the way he neatly feints to move : one way and then sidesteps onrushing forwards, leaving them blundering and clutching air. "Here is a complete Rugby player. It was worth taking a week’s holiday so that I could have my Saturday free to take to watch him. "But there are other things I wish my son had not seen on this, his second visit to a first-class Rugger game. Completely mystified he turned to me and said: " ‘But you are not allowed to fight the man for the ball, daddy!’ "No. son, you’re not—even if you are a visitor.” Peter Wilson, in the "Daily Mirror,” begihs: "Which would you rather dowatch an unbeaten team which wins and plays an unattractive game, or pay to see a side which tries tq produce an attractive game but has a record as spotty as a Dalmatian dog? “To date, the New Zealanders’ record reads: played five, won five; points for 82, points against 16. “Least Popular Team” "Yet It is an open secret that this fourth All Blacks team is the least popular that has ever been sent to this country. A tragedy, for the mention of the All Blacks has always been the hallmark of Rugby greatness ever since the first team won 32 out of 33 matches here, in the 1905-6 season. “The criticism of the New Zealanders falls under two headings: first, they do not provide a spectacle because they do not go in for open football; second, the tactics of their forwards are too ruth"I admit I have seen the AH Blacks

only once, in their first match. But to me they seem a team which has just one idea—to go on to the field, after chanting their war cry. to win. “I do not believe the All Blacks are dirty players. I do think they are tough ones, and I am old-fashioned enough to believe that Rugby football, the man’s game, is essentially a tough game. "I doubt whether Llanelly—remember how the last Australian touring team said they would advise future Wallabies to cut out this fixture—will complain about the ruggedness of the All Blacks. "Nor do I believe the All Blacks will squeal if their hefty pack gets its individual noses rubbed in the mud.

“Criticism about closing up play is different. When the Springboks toured this country, they lost one of their 27 matches. Tliat was to London Counties, and they lost it because they deliberately refused to close up the game.

“This may have been sporting, it was great value for the spectators. But to my mind it defeated the idea of any competitive game, which is that you should play to win as long as you do not contravene the rules.

“So—don’t blame the All Blacks for winning too often. Let us try and do a bit more of it ourselves.”

WELSH WELCOME FOR TEAM

[From the Special N.Z.P.A; Correspondent with the team]

LLANELLY, Nov. 17. The All Blacks were left in no doubt at their first official function in Wales of the sincerely warm affection that all Welshmen have for New Zealand, and especially New Zealand footballers. The entertainment of the team by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff (Sir Michael Collins) was followed by a luncheon given by the Rotary Club. Here were great Welsh footballers from Rhys Gabe onward. Gabe was the man who tackled Deans when he dived for the line in the unforgettable match of 1905, and he maintains that Deans did not score the try, because he could feel him stretching his body out trying to get his hands and the ball over the goal-line.

Another personality whose deeds had a profound effect on an All Black team was Wilfred Wooler, the giant centre threequarters, whose lunge through the 1935 team as time was drawing to a close brought a try and one of the greatest of Welsh victories by 13 points to 12. After the luncheon, several All Blacks visited the magnificent Cardiff Arms Park, and a few closely examined the historic •spot where Deans diet or did not score his try. During the day, W. H. Clark celebrated his twenty-fourth birthday.