WALLABIES WIN AT GISBORNE

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27734, 11 August 1955, Page 15

WALLABIES WIN AT GISBORNE

15-6 Margin Against Combined Team PATCHY PLAY BY BACKS (New Zealand Press Association) GISBORNE, August 10. After leading 10-0 at half-time, the Australian Rugby team today beat Poverty Bay-East Coast at Gisborne by 15 points to 6 and scored the second win of its New Zealand tour. The Wallabies scored three tries—two by the >big wing three-quarters, E. Stapleton, and the other by a fast, determined flank forward, N. Hughes, who was playing bis first match of the tour. The full-back, R. Tooth, converted all three tries. For Poverty Bay-East Coast, the former North Island and Wellington representative five-eighths, T. J. S. Riley, kicked two penalty goals. In its two games the Australian team has scored seven tries, and has had one scored against it. Record Attendance Today’s match was played on the new Poverty Bay Rugby ground m brilliantly fine weather before a record football crowd for Gisborne of more than 8000. Until today, the record was held by the attendance at the 1937 Springboks’ match. The ground had mostly dried out after heavy recent rain, and by cutting and rolling had been excellently prepared for the Australians’ fast, open type of game. From the outset, the game was an amazing mixture of some brilliant attacks and some very scrappy play, with frequent poor passes and bad handling. Apart from Stapleton and the centre. J. Phipps, the Australian backs did not look nearly as impressive as in their first match last Saturday in much worse playing conditions. Stapleton, who is obviously near his best form, played with great zest in the first half, and was always looking for scoring chances. The Australian backs were not a happy combination. The half-baqk, C. Burke, was continuously harass6d by fast-breaking forwards, and his passes were mostly head-high to Solomon. At inside centre, the young Queenslander, B. Wright, playing for the first time on the tour, was closely marked by the Maori second five-eighths, D. Smiler. The breaks he made were marred by patchy handling. Another Queensland player, GJones, on the wing, has strengthened; his running since he was in N'ew Zealand in 1952. His speed and his deter-, mination to attack from anywhere in the field will have his markers worried before the tour is much* further ahead. Fine Forward Battle The forward battle, especially in the line-outs, was one of the best features of the game. The Australians played a test veteran, A. Miller, and a newcomer to big football, D. Emahuel, against Poverty Bay’s all Black, R. A. White, and a strong, promising young forward, M. Wooster. Statistics on the game gave the Australians the better of the line-outs by 37 to 30. Much of the credit for the advantage went to Emanuel, who, on his all-round ability, made a strong challenge for a place in the test side. He was by far the most impressive of the Australians making their first appearance. White, playing his usual vigorous game, was seen more often than usual in the open, and once brought down Stapleton in midfield when he had almost broken clear for the goal-line. Against a skilful, experienced hooker, T. Donovan, the young Australian, J. Cross, did not win a great deal of the ball. The combined side won 17 scrums to the Wallabies’ six, and caused the touring side’s management to wonder whether it may not be better to forget about specialist hooking against New Zealand teams and play another tall forward to help in the line-outs. With such a large share of possession, the Poverty Bay-East Coast backs did not play as well as was expected. They had frequent handling lapses at crucial moments. Riley was at times hesitant, and chose often to kick ahead rathfer than feed his wings’. Some of his kicks were expertly judged and could have brought results had the men outside him been faster. The Australians’ manager (Mr J. W. Breckenridge) said afterwards that he thought the team’s backs had thrown away their chances by too much kicking. He said he was impressed with the combined forwards’ play, and was gratified that the referee (Mr H. McNeil, of Hawke’s Bay) had used the advantage rule and let the game run. The Scoring After five minutes of the first half Shehadie took the ball down into a ruck from a line-out in the combined team’s half and passed to Burke, who sent Solomon away with one of his best passes of the day. Stapleton, Who had crossed from his wing, took Solomon’s pass at top speed, broke clean through, and raced on to soore.wide out. Tooth converted. The Poverty Bay-East Coast forwards were penalised in a line-out, and Stapleton missed a shot at goal from about a yard inside half-way. Wooster was penalised again a few minutes later, but Tooth missed this attempt. Stapleton’s centreing kicks almost brought results, but after 25 minutes the score was unchanged. When Tooth had kicked short with his second penalty attempt, this time from midfield, Johnson engineered Australia’s next try with a shrewd little pass behind hiS back to Stapleton, who. in much the same way as he scored against New Zealand on the Wallabies* last tour, headed diagonally for the posts and scored there to make an easy conversion for Tooth. At half-time the score was: Australia 10. Poverty Bay-East Coast 0. Playing into the sun and a fairly stiff breeze in the second half, the Australian loose forwards drove hard to the Poverty Bay-East Coast goal-line, where Hughes, after passing to K. Cross and taking the return pass, dived over for Australia’s third try. Tooth again converted. After 10 minutes of the second spell Riley, who had missed with two earlier penalty shots from about half-way, kicked a magnificently-judged goal across the wind for Poverty Bay-East Coast’s first points. 'The big home forwards had command at this stage and reached the goal-line, where Phipps carried the ball over to save narrowly. A scrum penalty gave Riley a simple kick at goal, and though each side had further scoring chances, play ended with the score unchanged.